“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.”