of the word I spake, yet being unborn, wherein I vowed a vow that
I would flee in fear from neither fire nor the sword; even so
have I done hitherto, and shall I depart therefrom now I am old?
Yea withal never shall the maidens mock these my sons at the
games, and cry out at them that they fear death; once alone must
all men need die, and from that season shall none escape; so my
rede is that we flee nowhither, but do the work of our hands in
as manly wise as we may; a hundred fights have I fought and
whiles I had more, and whiles I had less, and yet even had I the
victory, nor shall it ever be heard tell of me that I fled away
or prayed for peace."

Then Signy wept right sore, and prayed that she might not go back
to King Siggeir, but King Volsung answered --

"Thou shalt surely go back to thine husband, and abide with him,
howsoever it fares with us."

So Signy went home, and they abode there that night but in the
morning, as soon as it was day, Volsung bade his men arise and go
aland and make them ready for battle; so they went aland, all of
them all-armed, and had not long to wait before Siggeir fell on
them with all his army, and the fiercest fight there was betwixt
them; and Siggeir cried on his men to the onset all he might; and
so the tale tells that King Volsung and his sons went eight times
right through Siggeir's folk that day, smiting and hewing on
either hand, but when they would do so even once again, King
Volsung fell amidst his folk and all his men withal, saving his
ten sons, for mightier was the power against them than they might
withstand.