NJAL'S SONS SAIL ABROAD.
Now it must be told how Njal's sons, Grim and Helgi, left Iceland the
same summer that Thrain and his fellows went away; and in the ship with
them were Olaf Kettle's son of Elda, and Bard the black. They got so
strong a wind from the north that they were driven south into the main;
and so thick a mist came over them that they could not tell whither they
were driving, and they were out a long while. At last they came to where
was a great ground sea, and thought then they must be near land. So then
Njal's sons asked Bard if he could tell at all to what land they were
likely to be nearest.
"Many lands there are," said he, "which we might hit with the weather we
have had--the Orkneys, or Scotland, or Ireland."
Two nights after, they saw land on both boards, and a great surf running
up in the firth. They cast anchor outside the breakers, and the wind
began to fall; and next morning it was calm. Then they see thirteen
ships coming out to them.
Then Bard spoke and said, "What counsel shall we take now, for these men
are going to make an onslaught on us?"
So they took counsel whether they should defend themselves or yield, but
before they could make up their minds, the Vikings were upon them. Then
each side asked the other their names, and what their leaders were
called. So the leaders of the chapmen told their names, and asked back
who led that host. One called himself Gritgard, and the other Snowcolf,
sons of Moldan of Duncansby in Scotland, kinsmen of Malcolm the Scot
king.
"And now," says Gritgard, "we have laid down two choices, one that ye go
on shore, and we will take your goods; the other is, that we fall on you
and slay every man that we can catch."
"The will of the chapmen," answers Helgi, "is to defend themselves."
But the chapmen called out, "Wretch that thou art to speak thus! What
defence can we make? Lading is less than life."
But Grim, he fell upon a plan to shout out to the Vikings, and would not
let them hear the bad choice of the chapmen.
Then Bard and Olaf said, "Think ye not that these Icelanders will make
game of you sluggards; take rather your weapons and guard your goods".
So they all seized their weapons, and bound themselves, one with
another, never to give up so long as they had strength to fight.