The children of Odin - Germanic Mythology

THE SWORD OF THE VOLSUNGS 263
She mixed the potion. Then one night when there was feasting
in the hall of the Nibelungs, she gave the cup that held the
potion into the hands of Gudrun and bade her carry it to Sigurd.
Sigurd took the cup out of the hands of the fair Nibelung maiden
and he drank the potion. When he had drimk it he put the
cup down and he stood amongst the feasters like a man in a
dream. And like a man in a dream he went into his chamber,
and for a day and a night afterwards he was silent and his mind
was astray. When he rode out with Gunnar and Hogni they
would say to him, "What is it thou hast lost, brother ? " Sigurd
could not tell them. But what he had lost was all memory of
BrynMld the Valk3nrie in the House of Flame.
He saw Gudrun and it was as though he looked upon her for
the first time. Soft were the long tresses of her hair ; soft were
her hands. Her eyes were like wood-flowers, and her ways and
her speech were gentle. Yet was she noble in her bearing as
became a Princess who would come into a kingdom. And from
the first time she had seen him upon Grani, his proud horse,
and with his golden helmet above his golden hair, Gudrun had
loved Sigurd.
At the season when the wild swans came to the lake Gudrun
went down to watch them build their nests. And while she was
there Sigurd rode through the pines. He saw her, and her beauty
made the whole place change. He stopped his horse and listened
to her voice as she sang to the wild swans, sang the song that
Volund made for Alvit, his swan-bride.