For all the Asar fear’d the wolf, though he was but a whelp.
His eyes glared fiercely; every day his size and strength increas’d:
Unwilling Odin in his hall suffer’d the hateful beast:
To Skirnir, messenger of Frey, he turn’d aside his head,
Whisp’ring a mandate in his ear; Skirnir the hint obey’d.[73]
But now Lok could not fail to see that Fenris was by all
Abhorr’d and fear’d; without the gate he led him from the hall.
Loud howl’d the wolf; to earth he hied; he there a robber found,
And help’d to murder, while his teeth enlarged the victim’s wound.
Now to the stable hasten’d Lok by special leave of Thor,