Njal's Saga (15 page)

Atli rode until he met some of Hallgerd's workmen. ‘Go up to the horse,' he said, ‘and take care of it. Kol fell off its back, and he's dead.'

‘Did you kill him?' they said.

He answered, ‘It will occur to Hallgerd that he didn't die by his own hand.'

Then Atli rode home and told Bergthora. She thanked him, both for the deed and for the words which he had spoken.

‘I don't know,' said Atli, ‘what Njal will think of this.'

‘He can handle it,' she said, ‘and as a sign I can tell you that he took with him to the Thing the slave's price we received last summer, and this money will now pay for Kol. But even though there's a settlement, you must be on your guard, for Hallgerd will not honour any settlement.'

‘Don't you want to send someone to Njal to tell him of the slaying?' he said.

‘No, I don't,' she said. ‘It would suit me better if Kol's death went uncompensated.'

Then they ended their talk.

Hallgerd was told of Kol's slaying and of Atli's comments. She said she would pay him back. She sent a man to the Thing to tell Gunnar of Kol's slaying. He had little to say about it and sent a man to Njal to let him know. Njal said nothing.

Skarphedin spoke: ‘Slaves are much more active than they used to be: then they just got into brawls, and that seemed harmless enough, but now they're out to kill each other.'

He grinned.

Njal took down the money pouch which was hanging in the booth and went out; his sons went with him. They came to Gunnar's booth. Skarphedin said to the man who was standing in the doorway, ‘Tell Gunnar that my father wants to see him.'

The man told Gunnar, and Gunnar came out at once and gave Njal a warm greeting. Then they went off to speak.

‘Things have turned out badly,' said Njal; ‘my wife has broken our settlement and had your servant killed.'

‘She should not be blamed for this,' said Gunnar.

‘You make the judgement,' said Njal.

‘I will,' said Gunnar. ‘I'll make Svart and Kol equal in value – pay me twelve ounces of silver.'

Njal took the money pouch and gave it to Gunnar. Gunnar recognized the money as the same that he had paid to Njal. Njal went back to his booth, and after that they got along as well as before.

When Njal arrived home he reproached Bergthora, but she said she would never give in to Hallgerd.

Hallgerd was very cross with Gunnar for having settled the slaying peacefully. Gunnar said that he would never turn against Njal or his sons, and she went on raging. Gunnar paid no attention.

Gunnar and Njal saw to it that nothing else happened that year.

In the spring Njal said to Atli, ‘I would like you to find work back in the East Fjords, so that Hallgerd cannot decide how long you shall live.'

‘I'm not afraid of that,' said Atli, ‘and I would like to stay at home here, if I have a choice.'

‘That is less wise,' said Njal.

‘I would rather die in your service than change masters,' said Atli. ‘But I beg you that no slave's price be paid for me if I am slain.'

‘You will be paid for like any other free man,' said Njal, ‘and Bergthora will make you a promise, which she'll keep, that you will be paid for in blood.'

Atli then joined the household.

Now to return to Hallgerd: she sent a man west to Bjarnarfjord for her kinsman Brynjolf the Brawler, a very bad sort. Gunnar knew nothing about this. Hallgerd said he would make a good overseer. Brynjolf came east, and Gunnar asked what he was up to. Brynjolf said he would be staying there.

‘You won't improve our household, from what I've heard,' said Gunnar. ‘But I won't turn away any kinsman whom Hallgerd wants to have with her.'

Gunnar was short with him, but not unkind. So it went until the time for the Thing.

Gunnar rode to the Thing with Kolskegg, and when they came there they met with Njal; he was at the Thing with his sons. They were often together and it went well.

Bergthora spoke to Atli: ‘Go up to Thorolfsfell and work there for a week.'

He went up and stayed there in secret, and burned charcoal in the woods.

Hallgerd spoke to Brynjolf: ‘I have been told that Atli is not at home – he must be working at Thorolfsfell.'

‘What do you think he's likely to be working at?' he said.

‘Something in the woods,' she said.

‘What am I to do with him?' he said.

‘Kill him!' she said.

He became silent.

‘This would not be so big in Thjostolf 's eyes,' she said, ‘if he were alive.'

‘You won't have to taunt me this hard again,' said Brynjolf.

He took his weapons and horse and mounted and rode off to Thorolfsfell. To the east of the farm he saw thick smoke. He rode
towards it and got off his horse and tethered it and walked to where the smoke was thickest. He saw the charcoal pit, and a man was next to it. He saw that the man had stuck his spear into the ground by his side. Brynjolf walked through the smoke right up to him; the man was working furiously and did not see him. Brynjolf hit him on the head with his axe. Atli moved so quickly that Brynjolf lost his grip on the axe, and Atli grabbed his spear and threw it at him. Brynjolf threw himself to the ground, and the spear passed over him.

‘It's lucky for you that I wasn't ready,' said Atli. ‘Hallgerd will now be pleased, for you will tell her of my death. But it's comforting to know that you will soon meet the same end. Now come here and take the axe.'

Brynjolf said nothing and did not take the axe until Atli was dead. He rode over to Thorolfsfell and announced the slaying, and after that rode home and told Hallgerd. She sent a man to Bergthorshvol to announce to Bergthora that the slaying of Kol had now been paid back.

Then Hallgerd sent a man to the Thing to tell Gunnar of Atli's slaying. Gunnar stood up, and so did Kolskegg.

Kolskegg said, ‘The kinsmen of Hallgerd aren't much use to you.'

They went to see Njal.

Gunnar spoke: ‘I have to tell you of the slaying of Atli' – and he told him who had done it. ‘I want to offer you compensation, and I want you to fix the amount yourself.'

Njal said, ‘We have tried to prevent disagreement between us, but I cannot value Atli as a slave.'

Gunnar said that was fair and gave him his hand. Njal took it and named witnesses, and they agreed to settle.

Skarphedin spoke: ‘Hallgerd does not let our servants die of old age.'

Gunnar answered, ‘Your mother will think that she too should take vengeance.'

‘That is certainly so,' said Njal.

Njal then set the price at a hundred ounces of silver, and Gunnar paid it at once. Many of those standing around called this a high
price. Gunnar became angry and said that full compensation had been paid for men who were no more worthy than Atli had been. At this they rode home from the Thing.

Bergthora said to Njal, when she saw the money, ‘You think you have kept your promise, but mine has yet to be kept.'

‘There's no need for you to keep it,' said Njal.

‘But you've guessed that I will,' she said, ‘and so it shall be.'

Hallgerd spoke to Gunnar: ‘Did you really pay a hundred ounces of silver for Atli's slaying and value him as a free man?'

‘He was already a free man,' said Gunnar, ‘and I'm not going to treat Njal's servants as men who have no right to compensation.'

‘You two are a real match for each other,' said Hallgerd. ‘Both of you are soft.'

‘That remains to be seen,' he said.

Then Gunnar was cold with her for a long time, until she became more yielding.

Things were quiet the rest of the year. In the spring Njal added no more servants to his household. People rode to the Thing in the summer.

There was a man named Thord, and he was called Freed-man's son. His father's name was Sigtrygg; he had been a slave freed by Asgerd
¹
and he drowned in the river Markarfljot; Thord was with Njal after that. He was big and strong, and had fostered all of Njal's sons. He was in love with Gudfinna Thorolfsdottir, Njal's kinswoman. She was a housekeeper at Bergthorshvol and was then pregnant.

Bergthora went to speak with Thord Freed-man's son. ‘You are to go and kill Brynjolf,' she said.

‘I'm no killer,' he said, ‘but I'll do this if you wish it'

‘I wish it,' she said.

After that he took his horse and rode up to Hlidarendi and called Hallgerd out and asked where Brynjolf was.

‘What do you want with him?' she asked.

He said, ‘I want him to tell me where he covered up Atli's body; I'm told he did a bad job of it.'

She pointed the way and said he was down at Akratunga.

‘Take care,' said Thord, ‘that what happened to Atli doesn't happen to him.'

‘You're no killer,' she said, ‘and nothing will happen if you two meet.'

‘I've never seen man's blood,' he said, ‘and I don't know how I'll take it' – and he dashed out of the hayfield and down to Akratunga.

Rannveig, Gunnar's mother, had heard their talk and spoke: ‘You derided his courage, Hallgerd, but I think him a fearless man, and your kinsman will find that out.'

Brynjolf and Thord met on the beaten path.

Thord said, ‘Defend yourself, Brynjolf – I don't want to act basely towards you.'

Brynjolf rode at Thord and swung at him. Thord swung back with his axe, and cut the handle of Brynjolf 's axe in two, just above his hand, and quickly swung it a second time, and it hit him on his chest and went deep inside. Brynjolf fell off his horse and was dead at once.

Thord met one of Hallgerd's shepherds and announced that he had done the slaying and told him where Brynjolf was lying and asked him to tell Hallgerd of the slaying. Then he went back home to Bergthorshvol and told Bergthora and others about the slaying.

‘Bless your hands!' she said.

The shepherd told Hallgerd of the slaying. She was bitter about it and said that much trouble would come from this, if she had her way.

The news reached the Althing; Njal had it told to him three times and then said, ‘More men than I expected have now become killers.'

Skarphedin said, ‘That man who died at the hands of our foster-father – who had never seen man's blood before – was doomed to a quick death, and many must have expected that we brothers would be the ones to do this, given our temperament'

‘You have only a short time,' said Njal, ‘before your turn will come, and then necessity will drive you.'

They went to find Gunnar and told him of the slaying. Gunnar said that it was no great loss – ‘and yet he was a free man.'

Njal offered him a settlement at once. Gunnar agreed and was to judge the amount himself, and he fixed it at a hundred ounces of silver. Njal paid over the money at once, and with this they were at peace.

There was a man named Sigmund; he was the son of Lambi, the son of Sighvat the Red. Sigmund was a great seafaring merchant, a well-mannered and handsome man, big and strong. He longed for fame and was a good poet and skilled in most sports; he was boisterous, sarcastic and overbearing.

He came to land at Hornafjord in the east. Skjold was the name of his companion, a Swede and a vicious man to deal with. They got themselves horses and rode west from Hornafjord and did not stop until they came to Hlidarendi on Fljotshlid. Gunnar welcomed them; there was close kinship between him and Sigmund.
¹
Gunnar invited Sigmund to stay there for the winter; Sigmund said he would take the offer if his companion Skjold could stay there too.

‘I've been told about him,' said Gunnar, ‘that he does not improve your character – and what you certainly need is some improvement. Also, living here can lead to problems. My advice to you and all my kinsmen is that you don't spring into action at the prompting of my wife Hallgerd, for she undertakes many things that are far from my will'

‘Whoever warns is free of fault,' said Sigmund.

‘Then remember my advice,' said Gunnar. ‘You will often be tried, but stay close to me and follow my advice.'

After that they kept Gunnar's company. Hallgerd was good to Sigmund, and things became so intense that she turned over money to him and waited on him no less than she did her husband. Many talked about this and wondered what lay behind it.

Hallgerd said to Gunnar, ‘There's no honour in being content with
the hundred ounces of silver you accepted for my kinsman Brynjolf. I'm certainly going to avenge him if I can.'

Gunnar said he did not want to argue with her and walked away. He found Kolskegg and said to him, ‘Go to Njal and tell him that Thord should be on his guard, in spite of our settlement, for I don't think it will last.'

Kolskegg rode off and told Njal, and Njal told Thord. Kolskegg rode back home, and Njal thanked him and Gunnar for their faithfulness.

One day it happened that Njal and Thord were sitting together outside. A he-goat had the habit of walking around the hayfield, and no one was allowed to chase it away.

Thord said, ‘Now this is amazing.'

‘What do you see that so amazes you?' said Njal

‘I think I see the goat lying in the hollow over there, all covered with blood.'

Njal said there was no goat or anything else over there.

‘What is it, then?' said Thord.

‘You must be a doomed man,' said Njal, ‘and you have seen your personal spirit, and now you must be on your guard.'

‘That won't do me any good,' said Thord, ‘if my fate is sealed.'

Hallgerd went to talk with Thrain Sigfusson and said, ‘I would consider you a true son-in-law,' she said, ‘if you killed Thord Freed-man's son.'

‘I will not do that,' he said, ‘for then I would have to bear the anger of my nephew Gunnar. Besides, there is much at stake here, since this slaying will be swiftly avenged.'