But why deemest thou this ?" Said the Beaming: "There is no Hall-Sun sitting under our Roof at home to tell true tales concerning the Kindred every day.

Yet forsooth from time to time is a word said in our Folk-hall for good or for evil; and who can choose but hearken thereto?
And yestereve was a woeful word spoken, and that by a man-child of ten winters." Said the Elking: "Now that thou hast told us thus much, thou must tell us more, yea, all the word which was spoken; else belike we shall deem of it as worse than it was." Said the Beaming: "Thus it was; this little lad brake out weeping yestereve, when the Hall was full and feasting; and he wailed, and roared out, as children do, and would not be pacified, and when he was asked why he made that to do, he said: 'Well away! Raven hath promised to make me a clay horse and to bake it in the kiln with the pots next week; and now he goeth to the war, and he shall never come back, and never shall my horse be made.' Thereat we all laughed as ye may well deem.

But the lad made a sour countenance on us and said, 'why do ye laugh?
look yonder, what see ye ?' 'Nay,' said one, 'nought but the Feast-hall wall and the hangings of the High-tide thereon.' Then said the lad sobbing: 'Ye see ill: further afield see I: I see a little plain, on a hill top, and fells beyond it far bigger than our speech-hill: and there on the plain lieth Raven as white as parchment; and none hath such hue save the dead.' Then said Raven, (and he was a young man, and was standing thereby).

'And well is that, swain, to die in harness! Yet hold up thine heart; here is Gunbert who shall come back and bake thine horse for thee.' 'Nay never more,' quoth the child, 'For I see his pale head lying at Raven's feet; but his body with the green gold-broidered kirtle I see not.' Then was the laughter stilled, and man after man drew near to the child, and questioned him, and asked, 'dost thou see me ?' 'dost thou see me ?' And he failed to see but few of those that asked him.

Therefore now meseemeth that not many of us shall see the cities of the South, and those few belike shall look on their own shackles therewithal." "Nay," said Hiarandi, "What is all this?
heard ye ever of a company of fighting men that fared afield, and found the foe, and came back home leaving none behind them ?" Said the Beaming: "Yet seldom have I heard a child foretell the death of warriors.