Amid the gathering storm-clouds the two men meet upon a rocky ridge.
Bruennhilde protects Siegmund with her shield, but just as he is about to
deal Hunding a fatal blow, Wotan appears in thunder and lightning and
thrusts his spear between the combatants. Siegmund's sword is shivered
to fragments upon it, and Hunding strikes him dead. Bruennhilde hastily
collects the splinters of the sword, and escapes with Sieglinde upon her
horse, while Hunding falls dead before a contemptuous wave of Wotan's
hand.
The third act shows a rocky mountain-top in storm and tempest. One by
one the Valkyries appear riding on their horses through the driving
clouds. Last comes Bruennhilde, with the terrified and despairing
Sieglinde. Sieglinde wishes to die, but Bruennhilde entreats her to live
for the sake of her child that is to be, and giving her the splintered
fragments of Siegmund's sword, bids her escape to the forest, where
Fafner watches over his treasure. The voice of the wrathful Wotan is now
heard in the distance. He appears, indignant at Bruennhilde's
disobedience, dismisses the other Valkyries, and tells Bruennhilde what
her punishment is to be. She is to be banished from the sisterhood of
Valkyries, and Valhalla is to know her no more. Thrown into a deep
sleep, she shall lie upon the mountain-top, to be the bride of the first
man who finds and wakens her. Bruennhilde pleads passionately for a
mitigation of the cruel sentence, or at least that a circle of fire
shall be drawn around her resting-place, so that none but a hero of
valour and determination can hope to win her.
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