THE QUARREL OF NJAL'S SONS WITH THRAIN SIGFUS' SON.
Hrapp owned a farm at Hrappstede, but for all that he was always at
Gritwater, and he was thought to spoil everything there. Thrain was good
to him.
Once on a time it happened that Kettle of the Mark was at
Bergthorsknoll; then Njal's sons told him of their wrongs and hardships,
and said they had much to lay at Thrain Sigfus' son's door, whenever
they chose to speak about it.
Njal said it would be best that Kettle should talk with his brother
Thrain about it, and he gave his word to do so.
So they gave Kettle breathing-time to talk to Thrain.
A little after they spoke of the matter again to Kettle, but he said
that he would repeat few of the words that had passed between them, "for
it was pretty plain that Thrain thought I set too great store on being
your brother-in-law".
Then they dropped talking about it, and thought they saw that things
looked ugly, and so they asked their father for his counsel as to what
was to be done, but they told him they would not let things rest as they
then stood.
"Such things," said Njal, "are not so strange. It will be thought that
they are slain without a cause, if they are slain now, and my counsel
is, that as many men as may be should be brought to talk with them about
these things, that thus as many as we can find may be ear-witnesses if
they answer ill as to these things. Then Kari shall talk about them too,
for he is just the man with the right turn of mind for this; then the
dislike between you will grow and grow, for they will heap bad words on
bad words when men bring the matter forward, for they are foolish men.
It may also well be that it may be said that my sons are slow to take up
a quarrel, but ye shall bear that for the sake of gaining time, for
there are two sides to everything that is done, and ye can always pick a
quarrel; but still ye shall let so much of your purpose out, as to say
that if any wrong be put upon you that ye do mean something. But if ye
had taken counsel from me at first, then these things should never have
been spoken about at all, and then ye would have gotten no disgrace from
them; but now ye have the greatest risk of it, and so it will go on ever
growing and growing with your disgrace, that ye will never get rid of it
until ye bring yourselves into a strait, and have to fight your way out
with weapons; but in that there is a long and weary night in which ye
will have to grope your way."
After that they ceased speaking about it; but the matter became the
daily talk of many men.
One day it happened that those brothers spoke to Kari and bade him go to
Gritwater. Kari said he thought he might go elsewhither on a better
journey, but still he would go if that were Njal's counsel. So after
that Kari fares to meet Thrain, and then they talk over the matter, and
they did not each look at it in the same way.
Kari comes home, and Njal's sons ask how things had gone between Thrain
and him. Kari said he would rather not repeat the words that had passed,
"but," he went on, "it is to be looked for that the like words will be
spoken when ye yourselves can hear them".
Thrain had fifteen house-earles trained to arms in his house, and eight
of them rode with him whithersoever he went. Thrain was very fond of
show and dress, and always rode in a blue cloak, and had on a guilded
helm, and the spear--the Earl's gift--in his hand, and a fair shield,
and a sword at his belt. Along with him always went Gunnar Lambi's son,
and Lambi Sigurd's son, and Grani, Gunnar of Lithend's son. But nearest
of all to him went Killing-Hrapp. Lodinn was the name of his
serving-man, he too went with Thrain when he journeyed; Tjorvi was the
name of Loddin's brother, and he too was one of Thrain's band. The worst
of all, in their words against Njal's sons, were Hrapp and Grani; and it
was mostly their doing that no atonement was offered to them.
Njal's sons often spoke to Kari that he should ride with them; and it
came to that at last, for he said it would be well that they heard
Thrain's answer.
Then they busked them, four of Njal's sons, and Kari the fifth, and so
they fare to Gritwater.
There was a wide porch in the homestead there, so that many men might
stand in it side by side. There was a woman out of doors, and she saw
their coming, and told Thrain of it; he bade them to go out into the
porch, and take their arms, and they did so.
Thrain stood in mid-door, Killing-Hrapp and Grani Gunnar's son stood on
either hand of him; then next stood Gunnar Lambi's son, then Lodinn and
Tjorvi, then Lambi Sigurd's son; then each of the others took his place
right and left; for the house-earles were all at home.
Skarphedinn and his men walk up from below, and he went first, then
Kari, then Hauskuld, then Grim, then Helgi. But when they had come up to
the door, then not a word of welcome passed the lips of those who stood
before them.
"May we all be welcome here?" said Skarphedinn.
Hallgerda stood in the porch, and had been talking low to Hrapp, then
she spoke out loud--
"None of those who are here will say that ye are welcome."
Then Skarphedinn sang a song.
Prop of sea-waves' fire,[38] thy fretting
Cannot cast a weight on us,
Warriors wight; yes, wolf and eagle
Willingly I feed to-day;
Carline thrust into the ingle,
Or a tramping whore, art thou;
Lord of skates that skim the sea-belt,[39]
Odin's mocking cup[40] I mix.
"Thy words," said Skarphedinn, "will not be worth much, for thou art
either a hag, only fit to sit in the ingle, or a harlot."
"These words of thine thou shalt pay for," she says, "ere thou farest
home."
"Thee am I come to see, Thrain," said Helgi, "and to know if thou will
make me any amends for those wrongs and hardships which befell me for
thy sake in Norway."
"I never knew," said Thrain, "that ye two brothers were wont to measure
your manhood by money; or, how long shall such a claim for amends stand
over?"
"Many will say," says Helgi, "that thou oughtest to offer us atonement,
since thy life was at stake."
Then Hrapp said, "'Twas just luck that swayed the balance, when he got
stripes who ought to bear them; and she dragged you under disgrace and
hardship, but us away from them."
"Little good luck was there in that," says Helgi, "to break faith with
the Earl, and to take to thee instead."
"Thinkest thou not that thou hast some amends to seek from me?" says
Hrapp, "I will atone thee in a way that, methinks, were fitting."
"The only dealings we shall have," says Helgi, "will be those which will
not stand thee in good stead."
"Don't bandy words with Hrapp," said Skarphedinn, "but give him a red
skin for a grey."[41]
"Hold thy tongue, Skarphedinn," said Hrapp, "or I will not spare to
bring my axe on thy head."
"'Twill be proved soon enough, I dare say," says Skarphedinn, "which of
us is to scatter gravel over the other's head."
"Away with you home, ye 'Dung-beardlings!'" says Hallgerda, "and so we
will call you always from this day forth; but your father we will call
'the Beardless Carle'."
They did not fare home before all who were there had made themselves
guilty of uttering those words, save Thrain; he forbade men to utter
them.
Then Njal's sons went away, and fared till they came home; then they
told their father.
"Did ye call any men to witness of those words?" says Njal.
"We called none," says Skarphedinn; "we do not mean to follow that suit
up except on the battlefield."
"No one will now think," says Bergthora, "that ye have the heart to lift
your weapons."
"Spare thy tongue, mistress!" says Kari, "in egging on thy sons, for
they will be quite eager enough."
After that they all talk long in secret, Njal and his sons, and Kari
Solmund's son, their brother-in-law.