Njal's Saga (28 page)

Skarphedin spoke: ‘Your words don't count, for you're either a cast-off hag
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or a whore.'

‘You'll be paid for those words,' she said, ‘before you go home.'

Helgi spoke: ‘I've come, Thrain, to see if you will make me some compensation for the shameful treatment I suffered in Norway because of you.'

Thrain spoke: ‘I never thought that you brothers would try to get money out of your manhood; how long do you intend to carry on this begging?'

‘Many would say,' said Helgi, ‘that you should have offered compensation, since your life was at stake.'

Then Hrapp spoke: ‘It shows a difference in our luck that you were treated shamefully and we slipped away – the blow fell where it should have.'

‘There's very little luck,' said Helgi, ‘in breaking faith with the earl and taking up with you.'

‘Aren't I the one you should be asking for redress?' said Hrapp. ‘I'll pay you – as I think fitting.'

‘The only exchange between us,' said Helgi, ‘won't do you any good.'

Skarphedin spoke: ‘Let's not exchange words with Hrapp, but just pay him a red skin for his grey one.'
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Hrapp spoke: ‘Be quiet, Skarphedin. I won't be stingy about driving my axe into your head.'

‘It remains to be seen,' said Skarphedin, ‘which of us will be placing stones over the other's head.'

‘Go home, Dung-beardlings,' said Hallgerd. ‘We're going to call you that from now on, and we'll call your father Old Beardless.'

They did not leave until all those who faced them, except Thrain, had made themselves guilty of using those words. Thrain tried to restrain them from using those words.

The Njalssons left and went home. They told their father what had happened.

‘Did you name any witnesses to their words?' said Njal.

‘None,' said Skarphedin. ‘We're going to prosecute this case in an assembly of weapons.'

‘No one thinks any longer,' said Bergthora, ‘that you have the nerve to use your weapons.'

‘Go easy on goading your sons,' said Kari – ‘they're already eager enough.'

After that Njal and his sons and Kari had a long hushed talk.

There was much talk about this conflict of theirs, and everybody realized that as things were it would not calm down.

Runolf, the son of Ulf Aur-Godi from out east at Dal, was a friend of Thrain's and had invited Thrain to visit him. It was decided that
he should come east in the third or fourth week of winter. Thrain asked Killer-Hrapp, Grani Gunnarsson, Gunnar Lambason, Lambi Sigurdarson, Lodin and Tjorvi to travel with him. There were eight men in all, and Thorgerd and Hallgerd were to go, too. Thrain let it be known that he planned to visit his brother Ketil at Mork, and he made clear how many days he planned to be away. They were all fully armed.

They rode east over the Markarfljot river and met some poor women, and they asked to be helped across to the west side of the river. They helped them.

They then rode on to Dal and had a good reception. Ketil of Mork was there ahead of them. They stayed for two days. Runolf and Ketil asked Thrain to make peace with the Njalssons, but he answered sharply and said he would never pay them a thing and that he would never be unprepared to take on the Njalssons, no matter where they met.

‘Perhaps that is so,' said Runolf, ‘but my understanding is quite different, that no one, since Gunnar of Hlidarendi died, is a match for them, and it is more likely that this will lead to death on one side or the other.'

Thrain said he was not afraid of that.

Thrain went up to Mork and stayed there for two days. Then he rode back down to Dal, and at both places he was sent away with fitting gifts.

The Markarfljot was flowing between ledges of ice, with frozen arches spanning the stream here and there. Thrain said that he planned to ride home that evening. Runolf asked him not to and said that it would be more prudent not to leave at the time he had given.

Thrain answered, ‘That would be showing fear, and I don't want that.'

The women whom they had helped across the river came to Berg-thorshvol, and Bergthora asked where they had come from, and they said from over east in the Eyjafjoll district.

‘Who helped you across the Markarfljot?' said Bergthora.

‘The biggest show-offs around,' they said.

‘And who were they?' said Bergthora.

‘Thrain Sigfusson and his companions,' they said, ‘and we didn't like the way they were so loud-mouthed and foul-mouthed in talking about your husband and his sons.'

‘Many are unable to choose the words directed at them,' said Bergthora.

Then the women went away, and Bergthora gave them good gifts and asked them how long Thrain would be away, and they said that he would be away four or five days. Bergthora then told this to her sons and her son-in-law Kari, and they talked at length in secret.

The same morning that Thrain and his men were riding from the east, Njal woke up early and heard Skarphedin's axe strike the wall of his bed closet. Njal rose and went outside. He saw all his sons with their weapons, and also Kari, his son-in-law. Skarphedin was in front, in a black jacket, holding a small round shield with his axe ready on his shoulder. Next came Kari. He had on a silk jacket and a gilded helmet, and a shield with a lion drawn on it. After him came Helgi. He wore a red tunic and a helmet and was carrying a red shield marked with a hart. They were all in dyed clothing.

Njal called to Skarphedin, ‘Where are you going, son?'

‘To look for sheep,' he said.

‘That's what you said the other time,' said Njal, ‘but then you were hunting men.'
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Skarphedin laughed and said, ‘Do you hear what the old man said? He's not naïve.'

‘When was the other time you said this?' said Kari.

‘When I killed Sigmund the White, Gunnar's kinsman,' said Skar-phedin.

‘Why?' said Kari.

‘He had killed Thord Freed-man's son, my foster-father,' said Skarphedin.

Njal went inside, and they went up to Raudaskrid and waited. From there they could see the others when they rode west from Dal. The sun was shining and the skies were clear that day.

Thrain now came riding down from Dal along the gravel plain.

Lambi Sigurdarson spoke: ‘Shields are shining over there at Rauda-skrid when the sun hits them – some men must be lying in ambush.'

‘Then let's turn and ride down along the river,' said Thrain, ‘and they'll come to meet us if they have any business with us.'

They turned and went downstream along the river.

Skarphedin spoke: ‘They've seen us now, because they're changing their course, and now the only thing is to run down there ahead of them.'

Kari spoke: ‘Many men lay ambushes with better odds than this – there are eight of them and five of us.'

They headed down along the river and saw where a frozen arch spanned it downstream, and they decided to cross over there.

Thrain and his men made their stand on the ice on the upriver side of the arch.

Thrain said, ‘What can these men want? There are five of them, and eight of us.'

Lambi Sigurdarson said, ‘My guess is that they would risk it even if one more were waiting for them.'

Thrain took off his cloak and his helmet.

It happened to Skarphedin, while they were running down along the river, that his shoe-string snapped, and he fell behind.

‘Why are you holding back, Skarphedin?' said Grim.

‘I'm tying my shoe,' said Skarphedin.

‘Let's go on ahead,' said Kari; ‘I doubt that he'll be any slower than we are.'

They moved down towards the frozen arch at great speed. Skarphedin jumped up as soon as he tied his shoe and had his axe raised. He ran to the river, but it was so deep that for a long stretch it was unfordable. A broad slab of ice, smooth as glass, had formed on the other side of the river, and Thrain and his men were standing in the middle of it. Skarphedin took off into the air and leaped across the river from one ice ledge to the other and made a steady landing and shot on in a glide. The ice slab was very smooth, and Skarphedin went along as fast as a bird in flight.

Thrain was about to put on his helmet, but Skarphedin came at him first and swung his axe at him and hit him on his head and split
it down to the jaw, so that the molars fell out on the ice. This happened in such rapid sequence that no one could land a blow on Skarphedin; he went gliding away at a furious speed. Tjorvi threw a shield in his way, but he hopped over it and kept his balance and glided to the end of the ice slab. Then Kari and the others came up to him.

‘A manly attack, that!' said Kari.

‘Your part is yet to come,' said Skarphedin.

Then they went at them. Grim and Helgi saw where Hrapp was and headed for him. Hrapp swung his axe at Grim. Helgi saw this and swung at Hrapp's arm and cut it off, and the axe fell down.

Hrapp spoke: ‘You've done what needed doing – that arm brought wounds and death to many a man.'

‘This will put an end to it,' said Grim and thrust his spear through him. Hrapp fell down dead.

Tjorvi went against Kari and threw his spear at him. Kari leaped into the air and the spear flew under his feet. Then Kari rushed at him and swung at him with his sword, and it hit the chest and went deep inside, and Tjorvi died at once.

Skarphedin grabbed hold of both Gunnar Lambason and Grani Gunnarsson and spoke: ‘I've caught two puppies. Now what should I do with them?'

‘You could choose to kill them both,' said Helgi, ‘if you wanted to seal their fate.'

‘I don't have the heart,' said Skarphedin, ‘to help Hogni
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and at the same time kill his brother Grani.'

‘Some day it will come about,' said Helgi, ‘that you will wish you had killed him, for he will never keep faith with you, nor will any of these who are here now.'

Skarphedin spoke: ‘I will not fear them.'

So they spared Grani Gunnarsson and Gunnar Lambason and Lambi Sigurdarson and Lodin.

After that they went back home, and Njal asked what had happened. They told him everything.

Njal spoke: ‘These are serious events, and it is likely that the death of one of my sons will result from this, if nothing worse.'

Gunnar Lambason returned home and brought Thrain's body to Grjota, and there a mound was raised over him.

Ketil of Mork was married to Njal's daughter Thorgerd, but he was also Thrain's brother and he felt himself to be in a difficult position. He rode to Njal and asked if he were willing to pay compensation for the slaying of Thrain.

Njal answered, ‘I will pay such compensation that all will be well. But I want you to persuade your brothers, who have the right to the payment, to accept a settlement'

Ketil said he would be glad to do that. They decided that Ketil should visit all those who were entitled to payment and get them to agree to peace.
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Then Ketil rode home.

Later he went to his brothers and summoned them all to Hlidarendi and discussed the matter with them there, and Hogni took his side on every point, with the result that men were selected as arbitrators. A meeting was called and payment was awarded for the slaying of Thrain, and they all accepted compensation, according to law. After that a state of peace was declared and secured as well as possible. Njal paid the full amount readily. Things were then quiet for a while.

One day Njal rode up to Mork, and he and Ketil met and talked the whole day long. In the evening Njal rode back home, and no one knew what plans had been made.

Ketil went to Grjota. He spoke to Thorgerd: ‘I was always very fond of my brother Thrain −now I want to show it by offering to foster his son Hoskuld.'

‘I'll grant you this,' she said, ‘provided you do everything you can for him when he is grown, and avenge him if he is killed with weapons, and contribute to his morning gift when he marries − and you are to swear to this.'

Ketil agreed to all this. Hoskuld then went back home with him. Some time passed, during which Hoskuld was with Ketil.

One day Njal rode up to Mork and was given a good reception; he stayed there for the night. That evening Njal called to the boy, and he came to him. Njal had a gold ring on his finger and showed it to the boy. The boy took it and looked at it and put it on his finger.

Njal spoke: ‘Will you accept this ring as a gift?'

‘I will,' said the boy.

‘Do you know,' said Njal, ‘what caused the death of your father?'

The boy answered, ‘I know that Skarphedin killed him, but we don't have to mention that, since the matter was settled and full compensation was paid.'

‘Your answer is better than my question,' said Njal, ‘and you will be a good man.'

‘I am glad for the good you foretell for me,' said the boy, ‘for I know that you see the future and never lie.'

Njal spoke: ‘Now I want to offer to make you my foster-son, if you are willing.'

He said he would accept both this kindness and any other that Njal should do. It was settled that Hoskuld went home with Njal, and Njal raised him as his foster-son. He did everything he could for him and loved him very much. The sons of Njal took him along everywhere and did all they could to favour him.

Time passed, until Hoskuld was fully grown. He was big and strong, a very handsome man with beautiful hair, fair of speech, generous, even-tempered, and skilled in fighting, with a kind word for everybody. He was well liked. The sons of Njal and he never disagreed about anything.

There was a man named Flosi. He was the son of Thord Frey's Godi, the son of Ozur, the son of Asbjorn, the son of Heyjang-Bjorn, the son of Helgi, the son of Bjorn Buna. Flosi's mother was Ingunn, the daughter of Thorir of Espihol, the son of Hamund Dark-skin, the son of Hjor, the son of Half who led Half's Warriors,
the son of Hjorleif the Womanizer. Thorir of Espihol's mother was Ingunn, the daughter of Helgi the Lean who settled Eyjafjord. Flosi was married to Steinvor, the daughter of Hall of Sida. She was born out of wedlock, and her mother was Solvor, the daughter of Herjolf the White.
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