OF THORGEIR OTKELL'S SON.
Now we must tell of Thorgeir Otkell's son; he grew up to be a tall
strong man, true-hearted and guileless, but rather too ready to listen
to fair words. He had many friends among the best men, and was much
beloved by his kinsmen.
Once on a time Thorgeir Starkad's son had been to see his kinsman Mord.
"I can ill brook," he says, "that settlement of matters which we and
Gunnar had, but I have bought thy help so long as we two are above
ground; I wish thou wouldest think out some plan and lay it deep; this
is why I say it right out, because I know that thou art Gunnar's
greatest foe, and he too thine. I will much increase thine honour if
thou takest pains in this matter."
"It will always seem as though I were greedy of gain, but so it must be.
Yet it will be hard to take care that thou mayest not seem to be a
truce-breaker, or peace-breaker, and yet carry out thy point. But now I
have been told that Kolskegg means to try a suit, and regain a fourth
part of Moeidsknoll, which was paid to thy father as an atonement for
his son. He has taken up this suit for his mother, but this too is
Gunnar's counsel, to pay in goods and not to let the land go. We must
wait till this comes about, and then declare that he has broken the
settlement made with you. He has also taken a cornfield from Thorgeir
Otkell's son, and so broken the settlement with him too. Thou shalt go
to see Thorgeir Otkell's son, and bring him into the matter with thee,
and then fall on Gunnar; but if ye fail in aught of this, and cannot get
him hunted down, still ye shall set on him over and over again, I must
tell thee that Njal has 'spaed' his fortune, and foretold about his
life, if he slays more than once in the same stock, that it would lead
him to his death, if it so fell out that he broke the settlement made
after the deed. Therefore shalt thou bring Thorgeir into the suit,
because he has already slain his father; and now, if ye two are together
in an affray, thou shalt shield thyself; but he will go boldly on, and
then Gunnar will slay him. Then he has slain twice in the same stock,
but thou shalt fly from the fight. And if this is to drag him to his
death he will break the settlement afterwards, and so we may wait till
then."
After that Thorgeir goes home and tells his father secretly. Then they
agreed among themselves that they should work out this plot by stealth.