They found the little wood and steered the team there. It was in the full sun, with very little snow. Flowers were blowing there, and the birds very busy. Gunnar kissed Sigrid and saw her go on her errand.
As for her, she went on her way rejoicing. She did what she could not remember to have done before—for she was by nature grave and silent: she sang snatches of little songs, at first with no words to them, but afterwards words came of themselves—names which she had had for Gunnar a long time stored in her heart, and others of the kind. After a few turns of the road she saw a group of men in a walled close, and went to them.
They said that they were expecting Frey and his wagon, fearing that the storm would have stayed him.
"Frey is quite well," she said, "but we have lost our wagoner, who was a Norwegian, and Frey's priest also. He disappeared in the storm, and we suppose he perished in a drift."
"Better men than he have perished last night," said one of the men. "But who may you be, mistress?"
Sigrid said, "I am Frey's wife." And then they all knew her and saluted her with great respect.
"Frey sent me," said she, "to find a man of yours to lead his wagon into your village. Afterwards we must let him choose one who will continue with him on his rounds. It is not likely he will have a new man from every village. He would not be pleased with that."
They talked together, and then said they would all come gladly. "Very good," she said. "You shall all bring us into the village. Now we will go back, for Frey is alone, and I don't know what he may do. He is very strange this morning, and I believe might be dangerous if he were vexed or in any way put out."
They struck off up the mountain, and when they came to the wagon in the birch wood, there stood Frey with shining nostrils, very fierce, in the cart. He had drawn the curtains so that he might look out over the country. Sigrid called their attention to that. "You see how it is with him," she said. "Now I tell you that when I left him those curtains were closely drawn." One of the men said that a night out on the mountain in such a storm was enough to make anybody angry.