NJAL'S COUNSEL TO GUNNAR.
Steinvor, at Sandgil, besought Thorgrim the Easterling to take in hand
the care of her goods, and not to sail away from Iceland, and so to keep
in mind the death of his messmate and kinsman.
"My messmate Thorir," said he, "foretold that I should fall by Gunnar's
hand if I stayed here in the land, and he must have foreseen that when
he foreknew his own death."
"I will give thee," she says, "Gudruna my daughter to wife, and all my
goods into the bargain."
"I knew not," he said, "that thou wouldest pay such a long price."
After that they struck the bargain that he shall have her, and the
wedding feast was to be the next summer.
Now Gunnar rides to Bergthorsknoll, and Kolskegg with him. Njal was out
of doors and his sons, and they went to meet Gunnar and gave them a
hearty welcome. After that they fell a-talking, and Gunnar said--
"Hither am I come to seek good counsel and help at thy hand."
"That is thy due," said Njal.
"I have fallen into a great strait," says Gunnar, "and slain many men,
and I wish to know what thou wilt make of the matter?"
"Many will say this," said Njal, "that thou hast been driven into it
much against thy will; but now thou shalt give me time to take counsel
with myself."
Then Njal went away all by himself, and thought over a plan, and came
back and said--
"Now have I thought over the matter somewhat, and it seems to me as
though this must be carried through--if it be carried through at
all--with hardihood and daring. Thorgeir has got my kinswoman Thorfinna
with child, and I will hand over to thee the suit for seduction. Another
suit of outlawry against Starkad I hand over also to thee, for having
hewn trees in my wood on the Threecorner ridge. Both these suits shalt
thou take up. Thou shalt fare too to the spot where ye fought, and dig
up the dead, and name witnesses to the wounds, and make all the dead
outlaws, for that they came against thee with that mind to give thee and
thy brothers wounds or swift death. But if this be tried at the Thing,
and it be brought up against thee that thou first gave Thorgeir a blow,
and so mayest neither plead thine own cause nor that of others, then I
will answer in that matter, and say that I gave thee back thy rights at
the Thingskala-Thing, so that thou shouldest be able to plead thine own
suit as well as that of others, and then there will be an answer to that
point. Thou shalt also go to see Tyrfing of Berianess, and he must hand
over to thee a suit against Aunund of Witchwood, who has the blood feud
after his brother Egil."
Then first of all Gunnar rode home; but a few nights after Njal's sons
and Gunnar rode thither where the bodies were, and dug them up that were
buried there. Then Gunnar summoned them all as outlaws for assault and
treachery, and rode home after that.