The bane shall it be of you both.'

"Thereafter," says Regin, "Fafnir slew his father and murdered
him, nor got I aught of the treasure, and so evil he grew, that
he fell to lying abroad, and begrudged any share in the wealth to
any man, and so became the worst of all worms, and ever now lies
brooding upon that treasure: but for me, I went to the king and
became his master-smith; and thus is the tale told of how I lost
the heritage of my father, and the weregild for my brother."

So spake Regin; but since that time gold is called Ottergild, and
for no other cause than this.

But Sigurd answered, "Much hast thou lost, and exceeding evil
have thy kinsmen been! But now, make a sword by thy craft, such
a sword as that none can be made like unto it; so that I may do
great deeds therewith, if my heart avail thereto, and thou
wouldst have me slay this mighty dragon."

Regin says, "Trust me well herein; and with that same sword shalt
thou slay Fafnir."


ENDNOTES:
(1) Waterfall (Ice. "foss", "fors").
(2) Ran is the goddess of the sea, wife of Aegir. The otter was
held sacred by Norsefolk and figures in the myth and legend
of most races besides; to this day its killing is held a
great crime by the Parsees (Haug. "Religion of the Parsees",
page 212). Compare penalty above with that for killing the