Then they rode unto the king's hall, and King Atli arrayed his host for battle, and the ranks were so set forth that a certain wall there was betwixt them and the brethren.

"Welcome hither," said he. "Deliver unto me that plenteous gold which is mine of right; even the wealth which Sigurd once owned, and which is now Gudrun's of right."

Gunnar answered, "Never gettest thou that wealth; and men of might must thou meet here, or ever we lay by life if thou wilt deal with us in battle; ah, belike thou settest forth this feast like a great man, and wouldst not hold thine hand from erne and wolf!"

"Long ago I had it in my mind," said Atli, to take the lives of you, and be lord of the gold, and reward you for that deed of shame, wherein ye beguiled the best of all your affinity; but now shall I revenge him."

Hogni answered, "Little will it avail to lie long brooding over that rede, leaving the work undone."

And therewith they fell to hard fighting, at the first brunt with shot.

But therewithal came the tidings to Gudrun, and when she heard thereof she grew exceeding wroth, and cast her mantle from her, and ran out and greeted those new-comers, and kissed her brethren, and showed them all love,--and the last of all greetings was that betwixt them.

Then said she, "I thought I had set forth counsel whereby ye should not come hither, but none may deal with his shapen fate." And withal she said, "Will it avail aught to seek for peace?"

But stoutly and grimly they said nay thereto. So she sees that the game goeth sorely against her brethren, and she gathers to her great stoutness of heart, and does on her a mail-coat and takes to her a sword, and fights by her brethren, and goes as far forward as the bravest of man-folk; and all spoke in one wise that never saw any fairer defence than in her.

Now the men fell thick, and far before all others was the fighting of those brethren, and the battle endured a long while unto midday; Gunnar and Hogni went right through the folk of Atli, and so tells the tale that all the mead ran red with blood; the sons of Hogni withal set on stoutly.

Then spake Atli the king, "A fair host and a great have we, and mighty champions withal, and yet have many of us fallen, and but evil am I apaid in that nineteen of my champions are slain, and but left six alive."

And therewithal was there a lull in the battle.

Then spake Atli the king, "Four brethren were we, and now am I left alone; great affinity I gat to me, and deemed my fortune well sped thereby; a wife I had, fair and wise, high of mind, and great of heart; but no joyance may I have of her wisdom, for little peace is betwixt us,--but ye--ye have slain many of my kin, and beguiled me of realm and riches, and for the greatest of all woes have slain my sister withal."

Quoth Hogni, "Why babblest thou thus? Thou wert the first to break the peace. Thou didst take my kinswoman and pine her to death by hunger, and didst murder her, and take her wealth; an ugly deed for a king!--meet for mocking and laughter I deem it, that thou must needs make long tale of thy woes; rather will I give thanks to the Gods that thou fallest into ill."

Þeir ríða nú at konungshöllinni. Atli konungr skipar liði sínu til orrostu, ok svá vikust fylkingar, at garðr nokkurr varð í millum þeira.

"Verið velkomnir með oss," segir hann, "ok fáið mér gull þat it mikla, er vér erum til komnir, þat fé, er Sigurðr átti, en nú á Guðrún."

Gunnarr segir: "Aldri fær þú þat fé, ok dugandi menn munu þér hér fyrir hitta, áðr vér látim lífit, ef þér bjóðið oss ófrið. Kann vera, at þú veitir þessa veizlu stórmannliga ok af lítilli eymd við örn ok úlf."

"Fyrir löngu hafða ek þat mér í hug," segir Atli, "at ná yðru lífi, en ráða gullinu ok launa yðr þat níðingsverk, er þér svikuð yðarn inn bezta mág, ok skal ek hans hefna."

Högni svarar: "Þat kemr yðr verst at haldi at liggja lengi á þessu ráði, en eruð þó at engu búnir."

Nú slær í orrostu harða, ok er fyrst skothríð.

Ok nú koma fyrir Guðrúnu tíðendin. Ok er hún heyrir þetta, verðr hún við gneyp ok kastar af sér skikkjunni. Eptir þat gekk hún út ok heilsaði þeim, er komnir váru, ok kyssti bræðr sína ok sýndi þeim ást, ok þessi var þeira kveðja in síðasta.

Þá mælti hún: "Ek þóttumst ráð hafa við sett, at eigi kæmi þér, en engi má við sköpum vinna." Þá mælti hún: "Mun nokkut tjóa at leita um sættir?"

En allir neituðu því þverliga. Nú sér hún, at sárt er leikit við bræðr hennar; hyggr nú á harðræði, fór í brynju ok tók sér sverð ok barðist með bræðrum sínum ok gekk svá fram sem inn hraustasti karlmaðr, ok þat sögðu allir á einn veg, at varla sæi meiri vörn en þar.

Nú gerist mikit mannfall, ok berr þó af framganga þeira bræðra. Orrostan stendr nú lengi fram, allt um miðjan dag. Gunnarr ok Högni gengu í gegnum fylkingar Atla konungs, ok svá er sagt, at allr völlr flaut í blóði. Synir Högna ganga nú hart fram.

Atli konungr mælti: "Vér höfum lið mikit ok frítt ok stóra kappa, en nú eru margir af oss fallnir, ok eigum vér yðr illt at launa, drepit nítján kappa mína, en ellefu einir eru eptir."

Ok verðr hvíld á bardaganum.

Þá mælti Atli konungr: "Fjórir váru vér bræðr, ok em ek nú einn eptir. Ek hlaut mikla mægð, ok hugða ek mér þat til frama. Konu átta ek væna ok vitra, stórlynda ok harðúðga, en ekki má ek njóta hennar vizku, því at sjaldan váru vit sátt. Þér hafið nú drepit marga mína frændr, en svikit mik frá ríkinu ok fénu, ráðit systur mína, ok þat harmar mik mest."

Högni segir: "Hví getr þú slíks? Þér brugðuð fyrri friði. Þú tókt mína frændkonu ok sveltir í hel ok myrðir ok tókt féit, ok var þat eigi konungligt, ok hlægligt þykkir mér, er þú tínir þinn harm, ok goðunum vil ek þat þakka, er þér gengr illa."