Starkad, who had given the mortal wound to Hjorvard, feared Ivar’s enmity, and that of his kinsmen and foster-brothers, and wished to pay “weregild,” or indemnity, for his death. He had heard of the vow of Ivar, and knew that sooner or later he would avenge the death of his father, for there was a saying, that there was a wolf’s mind in a son. Accordingly, he sent a man called Nidud, a great warrior, to Dampstadir, to offer Ivar indemnity.

When Nidud came to the banqueting hall, the men were seated on the benches round the fires, drinking their beloved beer, mead, and ale. On his arrival all became silent, for the warriors knew that great news was to be told. Ivar bade Nidud to sit on the second high seat, and it was not long before the silence was interrupted by the rising of Nidud, who, in a chilling voice, said: “Starkad has sent me here to thee, Ivar, with costly presents, and I have ridden through the length of Gotland to bid thee, and also thy foster-brothers, to his hall, and to the benches facing the tables. Come all, with your eagle-beaked helmets, to get honor and large gifts, helmets and shields, swords and saxes, chain-armor, horses, and costly garments, gold and silver, and large estates. Thou, Ivar, will get indemnity for thy father’s death, and be reconciled to Starkad.”

Ivar wondered if Starkad had a wolf’s mind, and meant, cunningly and treacherously, to attack him with an overwhelming host if he came with but few men. He answered: “I and my foster-brothers own seven halls full of swords; their hilts are of gold, and their scabbards are ornamented also with gold. Our swords and saxes are the sharpest, our ‘brynjas’ are the whitest and brightest, our arrows are the fleetest, our spears the surest, our horses the best; we have no lack of gold and silver, for our treasures are among the greatest in the northern lands.”

Nidud replied: “Here is the message and invitation in writing which Starkad sends thee, Ivar. It is written in mystic runes;” and he handed a stick on which the invitation had been written.

Then Ivar read the message, and turning his head to his foster-brothers said to them in a low voice: “I shall not accept his invitation and the indemnity he offers to me.”

“I wonder at his offer,” replied Hjalmar. “He has seldom done this before, for he is of a miserly mind. Let us confer together alone.” So Ivar told Nidud they would give him an answer the next day; and, bidding his champions to entertain Nidud and his men until he came back, left the hall with his foster-brother.

“I am surprised at the costly things Starkad has sent thee,” said Sigurd. “But among them I noticed a ring with a wolf’s hair attached to it. I think some one warns thee and us that he has a wolf’s mind towards us, and means treachery.”

“It must be some woman who loves us,” replied Ivar. “Whom do we know among women in Starkad’s realm? Let us try and recall.”

After a silence which lasted some time, during which the two foster-brothers remained plunged in thought, Hjalmar said: “Herborg the Lovely must have tied this wolf’s hair there,” pointing to the ring. “She is his sister, and thinks well of us all.”

“I am sure she loves thee, Hjalmar,” said Ivar.

“I think not,” replied his foster-brother; “but I believe she likes us very much, and has for us the greatest friendship. It is just like a woman—kind-hearted, noble in friendship, and true to the end of life.”

Then they looked carefully at the “kelfi,” or stick, upon which runic messages were carved or written, when suddenly they discovered that some of the letters had been changed with a great deal of skill. Then they inspected most minutely every letter, and found that with the invitation there was also a warning for Ivar not to come, or if he came, to bring many warriors and champions with him.

In the meantime, Nidud, and the men who had come with him, and the champions of Ivar drank merrily, Nidud praising highly the gifts the champions were to receive when they came to visit Starkad.

Sigrlin was not long in hearing of the invitation of Starkad, and the following morning she came to Ivar just as he was making ready to go to the banqueting hall, and said to him: “Ivar, I had a dream last night which I am going to tell thee. It is a warning of the gods, and thou must not go.”

“What was the dream, mother?” Ivar inquired.

“It seemed to me thy sheets burned in fire, and that a mighty flame burst through thy house.”

“Here lie linen clothes, for which thou carest little; they will soon burn,” answered Ivar. “This is where thou didst see sheets burning.”

“But,” Sigrlin continued, “I thought a white bear had come in here. He broke through the walls; he shook his paws so that we were frightened; he caught many of us in his grasp, so that we were helpless, and there was a great struggle amongst us to be free from him.”

“That,” said Ivar, “is a storm that will arise, and soon become violent, and thy white bear will prove a rain-storm from the east.”

“I thought an eagle flew in here,” persisted Sigrlin, “through the length of the house; it bespattered us with blood. That forebode, I thought, a heavy fight. It was the shape of Starkad.”

“We kill cattle speedily when we see blood; it often means oxen when we dream of eagles,” replied Ivar, reassuringly.

“I fancied I saw a gallows made for thee, and that thou wert going to hang thereon. I thought I buried thee alive. I saw also a bloody sword drawn out of thy body; a spear, I thought, had pierced thy side; wolves howled at both its ends. It is sad to tell of such a dream to such a son as thou art; but thou art all I have in the world, and I think our own Disirs, or family spirits, warn us of danger, Ivar.”

“They were dogs that ran, instead of wolves; they were barking loudly.”

“It seemed to me that a river ran through the length of the house, roaring in anger, rushing over the benches, bruising the feet of thy foster-brothers; the water spared nothing. This forebode something, I am sure. It seemed to me, also, that dead women came hither this night; they bade thee to come quickly to them and their benches. This must forebode something. I say again, that I fear that the guardian spirits of our family have abandoned thee, and that they are to be faithless to us.”

“Mother, be not afraid,” returned Ivar, earnestly. “Dreams are not always warnings from the gods, though I must say that what thou tellest me is strange; but thou knowest well that no one can escape his fate, and what the Nornir have decreed must take place.”

Then they separated, and Ivar went to the hall, his mother following him soon afterwards, and found there the messengers waiting for his answer to the invitation of Starkad.

The hall was filled with guests, and the ale was passed round. A hush fell upon the throng as Ivar entered, and in the midst of expectant attention, anxious looks, and profound silence, he said, with a voice loud, but full of emotion: “Nidud, and you men who have come with him, go and tell Starkad, your lord, that I have vowed at the arvel of my father, in presence of my kinsmen and kinswomen, and of the high-born of the land, and of the men of great renown who came from Gaul, Britain, and the remotest countries where Norsemen have settled, that I would within two years avenge the death of Hjorvard, my father, or perish in the attempt. Tell him, also, that my foster-brothers and my kinsmen will avenge his death and mine if I fall. Tell Starkad that there is no weregild large enough to indemnify me for the death of my father, and that when he slew him, he slew one of the bravest and most high-minded of men. Tell him that the time of revenge is soon coming.”

“Well answered, my son,” shouted Sigrlin at the top of her voice; “the kinsmen of Hjorvard are not all dead yet, and Starkad will find it out.”

These utterances were received with loud assent on the part of Ivar’s followers present, and with mortification and chagrin by the messengers of Starkad, who immediately took their departure.