midnight
`` Gizur and Swanhild , drunkard , '' said Eric . `` Swanhild cast us into deep sleep by witchcraft , and Gizur dealt the blow . Better for him that he had never been born than that he has lived to deal that coward 's blow ! '' Then they rode on , and when midnight was a little while gone they came to the stead at Coldback . Now this house was roofed with turves , and the windows were barred so that none could pass through them . Also in the yard were faggots of birch and a stack of hay . Eric and Skallagrim tied their horses in a dell that is to the north of the stead and crept up to the house .