Автор литература - Njal's Saga

“How much money is this heritage,” asked Mord, and Hrut said it

would come to a hundred marks, if he got it all.

“Well,” said Mord, “that is much when set against what I shall

leave behind me, and thou shalt go for it, if thou wilt.”

After that they broke their bargain, and Unna was to sit waiting

for Hrut three years as his betrothed. Now Hrut rides back to

the ship, and stays by her during the summer, till she was ready

to sail, and Hauskuld brought down all Hrut’s wares and money to

the ship, and Hrut placed all his other property in Hauskuld’s

hands to keep for him while he was away. Then Hauskuld rode home

to his house, and a little while after they got a fair wind and

sail away to sea. They were out three weeks, and the first land

they made was Hern, near Bergen, and so sail eastward to the Bay.

3. HRUT AND GUNNHILLDA, KING’S MOTHER

At that time Harold Grayfell reigned in Norway; he was the son of

Eric Bloodaxe, who was the son of Harold Fair-hair; his mother’s

name was Gunnhillda, a daughter of Auzur Toti, and they had their

abode east, at the King’s Crag. Now the news was spread, how a

ship had come thither east into the Bay, and as soon as

Gunnhillda heard of it, she asked what men from Iceland were

abroad, and they told her Hrut was the man’s name, Auzur’s

brother’s son. Then Gunnhillda said, “I see plainly that he

means to claim his heritage, but there is a man named Soti, who

has laid his hands on it.”

After that she called her waiting-man, whose name was Augmund,

and said, “I am going to send thee to the Bay to find out Auzur

and Hrut, and tell them that I ask them both to spend this winter

with me. Say, too, that I will be their friend, and if Hrut will

carry out my counsel, I will see after his suit, and anything

else he takes in hand, and I will speak a good word, too, for him

to the king.”

After that he set off and found them; and as soon as they knew

that he was Gunnhillda’s servant, they gave him good welcome. He

took them aside and told them his errand, and after that they

talked over their plans by themselves. Then Auzur said to Hrut,

“Methinks, kinsman, here is little need for long talk, our plans

are ready made for us; for I know Gunnhillda’s temper; as soon as

ever we say we will not go to her she will drive us out of the

land, and take all our goods by force; but if we go to her, then

she will do us such honour as she has promised.”

Augmund went home, and when he saw Gunnhillda, he told her how

his errand had ended, and that they would come, and Gunnhillda

said, “It is only what was to be looked for; for Hrut is said to

be a wise and well-bred man; and now do thou keep a sharp look

out, and tell me as soon as ever they come to the town.”

Hrut and Auzur went east to the King’s Crag, and when they

reached the town, their kinsmen and friends went out to meet and

welcome them. They asked whether the king were in the town, and

they told them he was. After that they met Augmund, and he

brought them a greeting from Gunnhillda, saying, that she could

not ask them to her house before they had seen the king, lest men

should say, “I make too much of them.” Still she would do all

she could for them, and she went on, “Tell Hrut to be outspoken

before the king, and to ask to be made one of his bodyguard;”

“and here,” said Augmund, “is a dress of honour which she sends

to thee, Hrut, and in it thou must go in before the king.” After

that he went away.

The next day Hrut said, “Let us go before the king.”

“That may well be,” answered Auzur.

So they went, twelve of them together, and all of them friends or

kinsmen, and came into the hall where the king sat over his

drink. Hrut went first and bade the king “Good-day,” and the

king, looking steadfastly at the man who was well-dressed, asked

him his name. So he told his name.

“Art thou an Icelander?” said the king.

He answered, “Yes.”

“What drove thee hither to seek us?”

Then Hrut answered, “To see your state, lord; and, besides,

because I have a great matter of inheritance here in the land,

and I shall have need of your help if I am to get my rights.”

The king said, “I have given my word that every man shall have

lawful justice here in Norway; but hast thou any other errand in

seeking me?”

“Lord!” said Hrut, “I wish you to let me live in your court, and

become one of your men.”

At this the king holds his peace, but Gunnhillda said, “It seems

to me as if this man offered you the greatest honour, for

methinks if there were many such men in the bodyguard, it would

be well filled.”

“Is he a wise man?” asked the king.

“He is both wise and willing,” said she.

“Well,” said the king, “methinks my mother wishes that thou

shouldst have the rank for which thou askest, but for the sake of

our honour and the custom of the land, come to me in half a

month’s time, and then thou shalt be made one of my bodyguard.

Meantime, my mother will take care of thee, but then come to me.”

Then Gunnhillda said to Augmund, “Follow them to my house, and

treat them well.”

So Augmund went out, and they went with him, and he brought them

to a hall built of stone, which was hung with the most beautiful

tapestry, and there too was Gunnhillda’s high seat.

Then Augmund said to Hrut, “Now will be proved the truth of all

that I said to thee from Gunnhillda. Here is her high seat, and

in it thou shalt sit, and this seat thou shalt hold, though she

comes herself into the hall.”

After that he made them good cheer, and they had sat down but a

little while when Gunnhillda came in. Hrut wished to jump up and

greet her.

“Keep thy seat!” she says, “and keep it too all the time thou art

my guest.”

Then she sat herself down by Hrut, and they fell to drink, and at

even she said, “Thou shalt be in the upper chamber with me

to-night, and we two together.”

“You shall have your way,” he answers.

After that they went to sleep, and she locked the door inside.

So they slept that night, and in the morning fell to drinking

again. Thus they spent their life all that halfmonth, and

Gunnhillda said to the men who were there, “Ye shall lose nothing

except your lives if you say to any one a word of how Hrut and I

are going on.”

When the halfmonth was over Hrut gave her a hundred ells of

household woollen and twelve rough cloaks, and Gunnhillda thanked

him for his gifts. Then Hrut thanked her and gave her a kiss and

went away. She bade him “farewell.” And next day he went before

the king with thirty men after him and bade the king “Good-day.”

The king said, “Now, Hrut, thou wilt wish me to carry out towards

thee what I promised.”

So Hrut was made one of the king’s bodyguard, and he asked,

“Where shall I sit?”

“My mother shall settle that,” said the king.

Then she got him a seat in the highest room, and he spent the

winter with the king in much honour.

4. OF HRUT’S CRUISE

When the spring came he asked about Soti, and found out he had

gone south to Denmark with the inheritance. Then Hrut went to

Gunnhillda and tells her what Soti had been about. Gunnhillda

said, “I will give thee two longships, full manned, and along