"What drove thee hither to seek us?"
Then Hrut answered, "To see your state, lord; and, besides,
because I have a great matter of inheritance here in the land,
and I shall have need of your help if I am to get my rights."
The king said, "I have given my word that every man shall have
lawful justice here in Norway; but hast thou any other errand in
seeking me?"
"Lord!" said Hrut, "I wish you to let me live in your court, and
become one of your men."
At this the king holds his peace, but Gunnhillda said, "It seems
to me as if this man offered you the greatest honour, for
methinks if there were many such men in the body-guard, it would
be well filled."
"Is he a wise man?" asked the king.
"He is both wise and willing," said she.
"Well," said the king, "methinks my mother wishes that thou
shouldst have the rank for which thou askest, but for the sake of
our honour and the custom of the land, come to me in half a
month's time, and then thou shalt be made one of my body-guard.
Meantime, my mother will take care of thee, but then come to me."
Then Gunnhillda said to Augmund, "Follow them to my house, and
treat them well."
So Augmund went out, and they went with him, and he brought them
to a hall built of stone, which was hung with the most beautiful
tapestry, and there too was Gunnhillda's high seat.
Then Augmund said to Hrut, "Now will be proved the truth of all
that I said to thee from Gunnhillda. Here is her high seat, and
in it thou shalt sit, and this seat thou shalt hold, though she
comes herself into the hall."
After that he made them good cheer, and they had sat down but a
little while when Gunnhillda came in. Hrut wished to jump up and
greet her.
"Keep thy seat!" she says, "and keep it too all the time thou art
my guest."
Then she sat herself down by Hrut, and they fell to drink, and at
even she said, "Thou shalt be in the upper chamber with me
to-night, and we two together."
"You shall have your way," he answers.
After that they went to sleep, and she locked the door inside.
So they slept that night, and in the morning fell to drinking
again. Thus they spent their life all that halfmonth, and
Gunnhillda said to the men who were there, "Ye shall lose nothing
except your lives if you say to any one a word of how Hrut and I
are going on."
When the half-month was over Hrut gave her a hundred ells of
household woollen and twelve rough cloaks, and Gunnhillda thanked
him for his gifts. Then Hrut thanked her and gave her a kiss and
went away. She bade him "farewell." And next day he went before
the king with thirty men after him and bade the king "Good-day."
The king said, "Now, Hrut, thou wilt wish me to carry out towards
thee what I promised."
So Hrut was made one of the king's body-guard, and he asked,
"Where shall I sit?"
"My mother shall settle that," said the king.
Then she got him a seat in the highest room, and he spent the
winter with the king in much honour.