Now the most of folk go to bed, but these drank on still with certain others; and Kostbera, the wife of Hogni, the fairest of women, came to them, and looked on the runes. But the wife of Gunnar was Glaumvor, a great-hearted wife. So these twain poured out, and the kings drank, and were exceeding drunken, and Vingi notes it, and says-- "Naught may I hide that King Atli is heavy of foot and over-old for the warding of his realm; but his sons are young and of no account: now will he give you rule over his realms while they are yet thus young, and most fain will he be that ye have the joy thereof before all others." Now so it befell both that Gunnar was drunk, and that great dominion was held out to him, nor might he work against the fate shapen for him; so he gave his word to go, and tells Hogni his brother thereof. But he answered, "Thy word given must even stand now, nor will I fail to follow thee, but most loth am I to this journey." ENDNOTES: (1) Service-tree; "pyrus sorbus domestica", or "p. s. tormentalis. CHAPTER XXXV. The Dreams of the Wives of the Giukings. So when men had drunk their fill, they fared to sleep; then falls Kostbera to beholding the runes, and spelling over the letters, and sees that beneath were other things cut, and that the runes are guileful; yet because of her wisdom she had skill to read them aright. So then she goes to bed by her husband; but when they awoke, she spake unto Hogni-- "Thou art minded to wend away from home--ill-counselled is that; abide till another time! Scarce a keen reader of runes art thou, if thou deemest thou hast beheld in them the bidding of thy sister to this journey: lo, I read the runes, and had marvel of so wise a woman as Gudrun is, that she should have miscut them; but that which lieth underneath beareth your bane with it,--yea, either she lacked a letter, or others have dealt guilefully with the runes. "And now hearken to my dream; for therein methought there fell in upon us here a river exceeding strong, and brake up the timbers of the hall." He answered, "Full oft are ye evil of mind, ye women, but for me, I was not made in such wise as to meet men with evil who deserve no evil; belike he will give us good welcome." She answered, "Well, the thing must ye yourselves prove, but no friendship follows this bidding:--but yet again I dreamed that another river fell in here with a great and grimly rush, and tore up the dais of the hall, and brake the legs of both you brethren; surely that betokeneth somewhat." He answers, "Meadows along our way, whereas thou didst dream of the river; for when we go through the meadows, plentifully doth the seeds of the hay hang about our legs." "Again I dreamed," she says, "that thy cloak was afire, and that the flame blazed up above the hall." Says he, "Well, I wot what that shall betoken; here lieth my fair-dyed raiment, and it shall burn and blaze, whereas thou dreamedst of the cloak."