OF FLOSI AND MORD AND THE SONS OF SIGFUS.
The sons of Sigfus heard how Flosi was at Holtford, and they rode
thither to meet him, and there were Kettle of the Mark, and Lambi his
brother, Thorkell and Mord, the sons of Sigfus, Sigmund their brother,
and Lambi Sigurd's son, and Gunnar Lambi's son, and Grani Gunnar's son,
and Vebrand Hamond's son.
Flosi stood up to meet them, and greeted them gladly. So they went down
to the river. Flosi had the whole story from them about the slaying, and
there was no difference between them and Kettle of the Mark's story.
Flosi spoke to Kettle of the Mark, and said--
"This now I ask of thee; how tightly are your hearts knit as to this
suit, thou and the other sons of Sigfus?"
"My wish is," said Kettle, "that there should be peace between us, but
yet I have sworn an oath not to part from this suit till it has been
brought somehow to an end, and to lay my life on it."
"Thou art a good man and true," said Flosi, "and it is well to have such
men with one."
Then Grani Gunnar's son and Lambi Sigurd's son both spoke together, and
said--
"We wish for outlawry and death."
"It is not given us," said Flosi, "both to share and choose, we must
take what we can get."
"I have had it in my heart," says Grani, "ever since they slew Thrain by
Markfleet, and after that his son Hauskuld, never to be atoned with them
by a lasting peace, for I would willingly stand by when they were all
slain, every man of them."
"Thou hast stood so near to them," said Flosi, "that thou mightest have
avenged these things hadst thou had the heart and manhood. Methinks thou
and many others now ask for what ye would give much money hereafter
never to have had a share in. I see this clearly, that though we slay
Njal or his sons, still they are men of so great worth, and of such good
family, that there will be such a blood feud and hue and cry after them,
that we shall have to fall on our knees before many a man, and beg for
help, ere we get an atonement and find our way out of this strait. Ye
may make up your minds, then, that many will become poor who before had
great goods, but some of you will lose both goods and life."
Mord Valgard's Son rode to meet Flosi, and said he would ride to the
Thing with him with all his men. Flosi took that well, and raised a
matter of a wedding with him, that he should give away Rannveiga his
daughter to Starkad Flosi's brother's son, who dwelt at Staffell. Flosi
did this because he thought he would so make sure both of his
faithfulness and force.
Mord took the wedding kindly, but handed the matter over to Gizur the
white, and bade him talk about it at the Thing.
Mord had to wife Thorkatla, Gizur the white's daughter.
They two, Mord and Flosi, rode both together to the Thing, and talked
the whole day, and no man knew aught of their counsel.