She was calm and
smiling, though forsooth it was she who had stricken the stroke and
stayed the sword from his throat. His hand and axe dropped down to
his side when he saw what it was that faced him, and that the woman
was young and fair; so he spake to her and said:
'What aileth, maiden? is this man thy foe? doth he oppress thee?
shall I slay him?'
She laughed and said: 'Thou art open-handed in thy proffers: he
might have asked the like concerning thee but a minute ago.'
'Yea, yea,' said Gold-mane, laughing also, 'but he asked it not of
thee.'
'That is sooth,' she said, 'but since thou hast asked me, I will tell
thee that if thou slay him it will be my harm as well as his; and in
my country a man that taketh a gift is not wont to break the giver's
head with it straightway. The man is my brother, O stranger, and
presently, if thou wilt, thou mayst be eating at the same board with
him. Or if thou wilt, thou mayst go thy ways unhurt into the wood.
But I had liefer of the twain that thou wert in our house to-night;
for thou hast a wrong against us.'
Her voice was sweet and clear, and she spake the last words kindly,
and drew somewhat nigher to Gold-mane.
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