OF AMUND THE BLIND.
That event happened three winters after at the Thingskala-Thing that
Amund the blind was at the Thing; he was the son of Hauskuld Njal's son.
He made men lead him about among the booths, and so he came to the booth
inside which was Lyting of Samstede. He made them lead him into the
booth till he came before Lyting.
"Is Lyting of Samstede here?" he asked.
"What dost thou want?" says Lyting.
"I want to know," says Amund, "what atonement thou wilt pay me for my
father, I am base-born, and I have touched no fine."
"I have atoned for the slaying of thy father," says Lyting, "with a full
price, and thy father's father and thy father's brothers took the money;
but my brothers fell without a price as outlaws; and so it was that I
had both done an ill-deed, and paid dear for it."
"I ask not," says Amund, "as to thy having paid an atonement to them. I
know that ye two are now friends, but I ask this, what atonement thou
wilt pay to me?"
"None at all," says Lyting.
"I cannot see," says Amund, "how thou canst have right before God, when
thou hast stricken me so near the heart; but all I can say is, that if I
were blessed with the sight of both my eyes, I would have either a money
fine for my father, or revenge man for man; and so may God judge between
us."
After that he went out; but when he came to the door of the booth, he
turned short round towards the inside. Then his eyes were opened, and he
said--
"Praised be the Lord! now I see what His will is."
With that he ran straight into the booth until he comes before Lyting,
and smites him with an axe on the head, so that it sunk in up to the
hammer, and gives the axe a pull towards him.
Lyting fell forwards and was dead at once.
Amund goes out to the door of the booth, and when he got to the very
same spot on which he had stood when his eyes were opened, lo! they were
shut again, and he was blind all his life after.
Then he made them lead him to Njal and his sons, and he told them of
Lyting's slaying.
"Thou mayest not be blamed for this," says Njal, "for such things are
settled by a higher power; but it is worth while to take warning from
such events, lest we cut any short who have such near claims as Amund
had."
After that Njal offered an atonement to Lyting's kinsmen. Hauskuld the
Priest of Whiteness had a share in bringing Lyting's kinsmen to take the
fine, and then the matter was put to an award, and half the fines fell
away for the sake of the claim which he seemed to have on Lyting.
After that men came forward with pledges of peace and good faith, and
Lyting's kinsmen granted pledges to Amund. Men rode home from the Thing;
and now all is quiet for a long while.