Автор литература - Njal's Saga

mocking. He made the land east in Homfirth. Skiolld was the

name of his fellow-traveller; he was a Swedish man, and ill to do

with. They took horse and rode from the east out of Hornfirth,

and did not draw bridle before they came to Lithend, in the

Fleetlithe. Gunnar gave them a hearty welcome, for the bonds of

kinship were close between them. Gunnar begged Sigmund to stay

there that winter, and Sigmund said he would take the offer if

Skiolld his fellow might be there too.

“Well, I have been so told about him,” said Gunnar, “that he is

no betterer of thy temper; but as it is, thou rather needest to

have it bettered. This, too, is a bad house to stay at, and I

would just give both of you a bit of advice, my kinsman, not to

fire up at the egging on of my wife Hallgerda; for she takes much

in hand that is far from my will.”

“His hands are clean who warns another,” says Sigmund.

“Then mind the advice given thee,” says Gunnar, “for thou art

sure to be sore tried; and go along always with me, and lean upon

my counsel.”

After that they were in Gunnar’s company. Hallgerda was good to

Sigmund; and it soon came about that things grew so warm that she

loaded him with money, and tended him no worse than her own

husband; and many talked about that, and did not know what lay

under it.

One day Hallgerda said to Gunnar, “It is not good to be content

with that hundred in silver which thou tookest for my kinsman

Brynjolf. I shall avenue him if I may,” she says.

Gunnar said he had no mind to bandy words with her, and went

away. He met Kolskegg, and said to him, “Go and see Njal; and

tell him that Thord must be ware of himself though peace has been

made for, methinks, there is faithlessness somewhere.”

He rode off and told Njal, but Njal told Thord, and Kolskegg rode

home, and Njal thanked them for their faithfulness.

Once on a time they two were out in the “town,” Njal and Thord; a

he-goat was wont to go up and down in the “town,” and no one was

allowed to drive him away. Then Thord spoke and said, “Well,

this is a wondrous thing!”

“What is it that thou see’st that seems after a wondrous

fashion?” says Njal.

“Methinks the goat lies here in the hollow, and he is all one

gore of blood.”

Njal said that there was no goat there, nor anything else.

“What is it then?” says Thord.

“Thou must be a `fey’ man,” says Njal, “and thou must have seen

the fetch that follows thee, and now be ware of thyself.”

“That will stand me in no stead,” says Thord, “if death is doomed

for me.”

Then Hallgerda came to talk with Thrain Sigfus’ son, and said, “I

would think thee my son-in-law indeed,” she says, “if thou

slayest Thord Freedmanson.”

“I will not do that,” he says, “for then I shall have the wrath

of my kinsman Gunnar; and besides, great things hang on this

deed, for this slaying would soon be avenged.”

“Who will avenge it?” she asks; “is it the beardless carle?”

“Not so,” says he, “his sons will avenge it.”

After that they talked long and low, and no man knew what counsel

they took together.

Once it happened that Gunnar was not at home, but those

companions were. Thrain had come in from Gritwater, and then he

and they and Hallgerda sat out of doors and talked. Then

Hallgerda said, “This have ye two brothers in arms, Sigmund and

Skiolld, promised to slay Thord Freedmanson; but Thrain thou hast

promised me that thou wouldst stand by them when they did the

deed.”

They all acknowledged that they had given her this promise.

“Now I will counsel you how to do it,” she says: “Ye shall ride

east into Homfirth after your goods, and come home about the

beginning of the Thing, but if ye are at home before it begins,

Gunnar will wish that ye should ride to the Thing with him. Njal

will be at the Thing and his sons and Gunnar, but then ye two

shall slay Thord.”

They all agreed that this plan should be carried out. After that

they busked them east to the Firth, and Gunnar was not aware of

what they were about, and Gunnar rode to the Thing. Njal sent

Thord Freedmanson away east under Eyjafell, and bade him be away

there one night. So he went east, but he could not get back from

the east, for the Fleet had risen so high that it could not be

crossed on horseback ever so far up. Njal waited for him one

night, for he had meant him to have ridden with him; and Njal

said to Bregthora that she must send Thord to the Thing as soon

as ever he came home. Two nights after, Thord came from the

east, and Bergthora told him that he must ride to the Thing, “But

first thou shalt ride up into Thorolfsfell and see about the farm

there, and do not be there longer than one or two nights.”

42. THE SLAYING OF THORD FREEDMANSON

Then Sigmund came from the east and those companions. Hallgerda

told them that Thord was at home, but that he was to ride

straightway to the Thing after a few nights’ space. “Now ye will

have a fair chance at him,” she says, “but if this goes off, ye

will never get nigh him.” Men came to Lithend from Thorolfsfell,

and told Hallgerda that Thord was there. Hallgerda went to

Thrain Sigfus’ son, and his companions, and said to him, “Now is

Thord on Thorolfsfell, and now your best plan is to fall on him

and kill him as he goes home.”

“That we will do,” says Sigmund. So they went out, and took

their weapons and horses and rode on the way to meet him.

Sigmund said to Thrain, “Now thou shalt have nothing to do with

it; for we shall not need all of us.”

“Very well, so I will,” says he.

Then Thord rode up to them a little while after, and Sigmund said

to him, “Give thyself up,” he says, “for now shalt thou die.”

“That shall not be,” says Thord, “come thou to single combat with

me.”

“That shall not be either,” says Sigmund; “we will make the most

of our numbers; but it is not strange that Skarphedinn is strong,

for it is said that a fourth of a fosterchild’s strength comes

from the foster-father.

“Thou wilt feel the force of that,” says Thord, “for Skarphedinn

will avenge me.”

After that they fall on him, and he breaks a spear of each of

them, so well did he guard himself. Then Skiolld cut off his

hand, and he still kept them off with his other hand for some

time, till Sigmund thrust him through. Then he fell dead to

earth. They drew over him turf and stones; and Thrain said, “We

have won an ill work, and Njal’s sons will take this slaying ill

when they hear of it.”

They ride home and tell Hallgerda. She was glad to hear of the

slaying, but Rannveig, Gunnar’s mother, said, “It is said `but a

short while is hand fain of blow,’ and so it will be here; but

still Gunnar will set thee free from this matter. But if

Hallgerda makes thee take another fly in thy mouth, then that

will be thy bane.”

Hallgerda sent a man to Bergthorsknoll, to tell the slaying, and

another man to the Thing, to tell it to Gunnar. Bergthora said

she would not fight against Hallgerda with ill words about such a

matter; “That,” quoth she, “would be no revenge for so great a

quarrel.”

43. NJAL AND GUNNAR MAKE PEACE FOR THE SLAYING OF THORD

But when the messenger came to the Thing to tell Gunnar of the