OF GUNNAR.
Gunnar rode to the Thing and all the sons of Sigfus; Njal and his sons
too, they all went with Gunnar; and it was said that no band was so well
knit and hardy as theirs.
Gunnar went one day to the booth of the Dalemen; Hrut was by the booth
and Hauskuld, and they greeted Gunnar well. Now Gunnar tells them the
whole story of the suit up to that time.
"What counsel gives Njal?" asks Hrut.
"He bade me seek you brothers," says Gunnar, "and said he was sure that
he and you would look at the matter in the same light."
"He wishes then," says Hrut, "that I should say what I think for
kinship's sake; and so it shall be. Thou shalt challenge Gizur the white
to combat on the island, if they do not leave the whole award to thee;
but Kolskegg shall challenge Geir the Priest. As for Otkell and his
crew, men must be got ready to fall on them; and now we have such great
strength all of us together, that thou mayst carry out whatever thou
wilt."
Gunnar went home to his booth and told Njal.
"Just what I looked for," said Njal.
Wolf Aurpriest got wind of this plan, and told Gizur, and Gizur said to
Otkell--
"Who gave thee that counsel that thou shouldst summon Gunnar?"
"Skamkell told me that was the counsel of both Geir the priest and
thyself."
"But where is that scoundrel," says Gizur, "who has thus lied?"
"He lies sick up at our booth," says Otkell.
"May he never rise from his bed," says Gizur, "Now we must all go to see
Gunnar, and offer him the right to make his own award; but I know not
whether he will take that now."
Many men spoke ill of Skamkell, and he lay sick all through the Thing.
Gizur and his friends went to Gunnar's booth; their coming was known,
and Gunnar was told as he sat in his booth, and then they all went out
and stood in array.
Gizur the white came first, and after a while he spoke and said--
"This is our offer--that thou, Gunnar, makest thine own award in this
suit."
"Then," says Gunnar, "it was no doubt far from thy counsel that I was
summoned."
"I gave no such counsel," says Gizur, "neither I nor Geir."
"Then thou must clear thyself of this charge by fitting proof."
"What proof dost thou ask?" says Gizur.
"That thou takest an oath," says Gunnar.
"That I will do," says Gizur, "if thou wilt take the award into thine
own hands."
"That was the offer I made a while ago," says Gunnar; "but now,
methinks, I have a greater matter to pass judgment on."
"It will not be right to refuse to make thine own award," said Njal;
"for the greater the matter, the greater the honour in making it."
"Well," said Gunnar, "I will do this to please my friends, and utter my
award; but I give Otkell this bit of advice, never to give me cause for
quarrel hereafter."
Then Hrut and Hauskuld were sent for, and they came thither, and then
Gizur the White and Geir the priest took their oaths; but Gunnar made
his award, and spoke with no man about it, and afterwards he uttered it
as follows:--
"This is my award," he says; "first, I lay it down that the storehouse
must be paid for, and the food that was therein; but for the thrall, I
will pay thee no fine, for that thou hiddest his faults; but I award him
back to thee; for as the saying is, 'Birds of a feather flock most
together'. Then, on the other hand, I see that thou hast summoned me in
scorn and mockery, and for that I award to myself no less a sum than
what the house that was burnt and the stores in it were worth; but if ye
think it better that we be not set at one again, then I will let you
have your choice of that, but if so I have already made up my mind what
I shall do, and then I will fulfil my purpose."
"What we ask," said Gizur, "is that thou shouldst not be hard on Otkell,
but we beg this of thee, on the other hand, that thou wouldst be his
friend."
"That shall never be," said Gunnar, "so long as I live; but he shall
have Skamkell's friendship; on that he has long leant."
"Well," answers Gizur, "we will close with thee in this matter, though
thou alone layest down the terms."
Then all this atonement was made and hands were shaken on it, and Gunnar
said to Otkell--
"It were wiser to go away to thy kinsfolk; but if thou wilt be here in
this country, mind that thou givest me no cause of quarrel."
"That is wholesome counsel," said Gizur; "and so he shall do."
So Gunnar had the greatest honour from that suit, and afterwards men
rode home from the Thing.
Now Gunnar sits in his house at home, and so things are quiet for a
while.