THE KILLING OF ATLI THE THRALL.
Next spring Njal said to Atli--"I wish that thou wouldst change thy
abode to the east firths, so that Hallgerda may not put an end to thy
life".
"I am not afraid of that," says Atli, "and I will willingly stay at home
if I have the choice."
"Still that is less wise," says Njal.
"I think it better to lose my life in thy house than to change my
master; but this I will beg of thee, if I am slain, that a thrall's
price shall not be paid for me."
"Thou shalt be atoned for as a free man; but perhaps Bergthora will make
thee a promise which she will fulfil, that revenge, man for man, shall
be taken for thee."
Then he made up his mind to be a hired servant there.
Now it must be told of Hallgerda that she sent a man west to Bearfirth,
to fetch Brynjolf the Unruly, her kinsman. He was a base son of Swan,
and he was one of the worst of men. Gunnar knew nothing about it.
Hallgerda said he was well fitted to be a grieve. So Brynjolf came from
the west, and Gunnar asked what he was to do there? He said he was going
to stay there.
"Thou wilt not better our household," says Gunnar, "after what has been
told me of thee, but I will not turn away any of Hallgerda's kinsmen,
whom she wishes to be with her."
Gunnar said little, but was not unkind to him, and so things went on
till the Thing. Gunnar rides to the Thing and Kolskegg rides too, and
when they came to the Thing they and Njal met, for he and his sons were
at the Thing, and all went well with Gunnar and them.
Bergthora said to Atli--"Go thou up into Thorolfsfell and work there a
week".
So he went up thither, and was there on the sly, and burnt charcoal in
the wood.
Hallgerda said to Brynjolf--"I have been told Atli is not at home, and
he must be winning work on Thorolfsfell".
"What thinkest thou likeliest that he is working at?" says he.
"At something in the wood," she says.
"What shall I do to him?" he asks.
"Thou shalt kill him," says she.
He was rather slow in answering her, and Hallgerda said--
"'Twould grow less in Thiostolf's eyes to kill Atli if he were alive."
"Thou shalt have no need to goad me on much more," he says, and then he
seized his weapons, and takes his horse and mounts, and rides to
Thorolfsfell. There he saw a great reek of coal smoke east of the
homestead, so he rides thither, and gets off his horse and ties him up,
but he goes where the smoke was thickest. Then he sees where the
charcoal pit is, and a man stands by it. He saw that he had thrust his
spear in the ground by him. Brynjolf goes along with the smoke right up
to him, but he was eager at his work, and saw him not. Brynjolf gave him
a stroke on the head with his axe, and he turned so quick round that
Brynjolf loosed his hold of the axe, and Atli grasped the spear, and
hurled it after him. Then Brynjolf cast himself down on the ground, but
the spear flew away over him.
"Lucky for thee that I was not ready for thee," says Atli, "but now
Hallgerda will be well pleased, for thou wilt tell her of my death; but
it is a comfort to know that thou wilt have the same fate soon; but come
now, take thy axe which has been here."
He answered him never a word, nor did he take the axe before he was
dead. Then he rode up to the house on Thorolfsfell, and told of the
slaying, and after that rode home and told Hallgerda. She sent men to
Bergthorsknoll, and let them tell Bergthora, that now Kol's slaying was
paid for.
After that Hallgerda sent a man to the Thing to tell Gunnar of Atli's
killing.
Gunnar stood up, and Kolskegg with him, and Kolskegg said--
"Unthrifty will Hallgerda's kinsmen be to thee."
Then they go to see Njal, and Gunnar said--
"I have to tell thee of Atli's killing." He told him also who slew him,
and went on, "and now I will bid thee atonement for the deed, and thou
shall make the award thyself".
Njal said--"We two have always meant never to come to strife about
anything; but still I cannot make him out a thrall".
Gunnar said that was all right, and stretched out his hand.
Njal named his witnesses, and they made peace on those terms.
Skarphedinn said, "Hallgerda does not let our house-carles die of old
age".
Gunnar said--"Thy mother will take care that blow goes for blow between
the houses".
"Ay, ay," says Njal, "there will be enough of that work."
After that Njal fixed the price at a hundred in silver, but Gunnar paid
it down at once. Many who stood by said that the award was high; Gunnar
got wroth, and said that a full atonement was often paid for those who
were no brisker men than Atli.
With that they rode home from the Thing.
Bergthora said to Njal when she saw the money--"Thou thinkest thou hast
fulfilled thy promise, but now my promise is still behind".
"There is no need that thou shouldst fulfil it," says Njal.
"Nay," says she, "thou hast guessed it would be so; and so it shall be."
Hallgerda said to Gunnar--
"Hast thou paid a hundred in silver for Atli's slaying, and made him a
free man?"
"He was free before," says Gunnar, "and besides, I will not make Njal's
household outlaws who have forfeited their rights."
"There's not a pin to choose between you," she said, "for both of you
are so blate."
"That's as things prove," says he.
Then Gunnar was for a long time very short with her, till she gave way
to him; and now all was still for the rest of that year; in the spring
Njal did not increase his household, and now men ride to the Thing about
summer.