OF FLOSI'S JOURNEY AND HIS ASKING FOR HELP.
After that they busked them from home all together. Flosi was in
long-hose because he meant to go on foot, and then he knew that it would
seem less hard to the others to walk.
Then they fared from home to Knappvale, but the evening after to
Broadwater, and then to Calffell, thence by Bjornness to Hornfirth,
thence to Staffell in Lon, and then to Thvattwater to Hall of the Side.
Flosi had to wife Steinvora, his daughter.
Hall gave them a very hearty welcome, and Flosi said to Hall--
"I will ask thee, father-in-law, that thou wouldst ride to the Thing
with me with all thy Thingmen."
"Now," answered Hall, "it has turned out as the saw says, 'but a short
while is hand fain of blow'; and yet it is one and the same man in thy
band who now hangs his head, and who then goaded thee on to the worst of
deeds when it was still undone. But my help I am bound to lend thee in
all such places as I may."
"What counsel dost thou give me," said Flosi, "in the strait in which I
now am?"
"Thou shalt fare," said Hall, "north, right up to Weaponfirth, and ask
all the chiefs for aid, and thou wilt yet need it all before the Thing
is over."
Flosi stayed there three nights, and rested him, and fared thence east
to Geitahellna, and so to Berufirth; there they were the night. Thence
they fared east to Broaddale in Haydale. There Hallbjorn the strong
dwelt. He had to wife Oddny the sister of Saurli Broddhelgi's son, and
Flosi had a hearty welcome there.
Hallbjorn asked how far north among the firths Flosi meant to go. He
said he meant to go as far as Weaponfirth. Then Flosi took a purse of
money from his belt, and said he would give it to Hallbjorn. He took the
money, but yet said he had no claim on Flosi for gifts, but still I
would be glad to know in what thou wilt that I repay thee.
"I have no need of money," says Flosi, "but I wish thou wouldst ride to
the Thing with me, and stand by me in my quarrel, but still I have no
ties or kinship to tell towards thee."
"I will grant thee that," said Hallbjorn, "to ride to the Thing with
thee, and to stand by thee in thy quarrel as I would by my brother."
Flosi thanked him, and Hallbjorn asked much about the Burning, but they
told him all about it at length.
Thence Flosi fared to Broaddale's heath, and so to Hrafnkelstede, there
dwelt Hrafnkell, the son of Thorir, the son of Hrafnkell Raum. Flosi had
a hearty welcome there, and sought for help and a promise to ride to the
Thing from Hrafnkell, but he stood out a long while, though the end of
it was that he gave his word that his son Thorir should ride with all
their Thingmen, and yield him such help as the other priests of the same
district.
Flosi thanked him and fared away to Bersastede. There Holmstein son of
Bersi the wise dwelt, and he gave Flosi a very hearty welcome. Flosi
begged him for help. Holmstein said he had been long in his debt for
help.
Thence they fared to Waltheofstede--there Saurli Broddhelgi's son,
Bjarni's brother, dwelt. He had to wife Thordisa, a daughter of Gudmund
the powerful, of Modruvale. They had a hearty welcome there. But next
morning Flosi raised the question with Saurli that he should ride to the
Althing with him, and bid him money for it.
"I cannot tell about that," says Saurli, "so long as I do not know on
which side my father-in-law Gudmund the powerful stands, for I mean to
stand by him on whichever side he stands."
"Oh!" said Flosi, "I see by thy answer that a woman rules in this
house."
Then Flosi stood up and bade his men take their upper clothing and
weapons, and then they fared away, and got no help there. So they fared
below Lagarfleet and over the heath to Njardwick; there two brothers
dwelt, Thorkel the allwise, and Thorwalld his brother; they were sons of
Kettle, the son of Thidrandi the wise, the son of Kettle rumble, son of
Thorir Thidrandi. The mother of Thorkel the allwise and Thorwalld was
Yngvillda, daughter of Thorkel the wise. Flosi got a hearty welcome
there; he told those brothers plainly of his errand, and asked for their
help; but they put him off until he gave three marks of silver to each
of them for their aid; then they agreed to stand by Flosi.
Their mother Yngvillda was by when they gave their words to ride to the
Althing, and wept. Thorkel asked why she wept; and she answered--
"I dreamt that thy brother Thorwalld was clad in a red kirtle, and
methought it was so tight as though it were sewn on him; methought too
that he wore red hose on his legs and feet, and bad shoethongs were
twisted round them; methought it ill to see when I knew he was so
uncomfortable, but I could do naught for him."
They laughed and told her she had lost her wits, and said her babble
should not stand in the way of their ride to the Thing.
Flosi thanked them kindly, and fared thence to Weaponfirth and came to
Hof. There dwelt Bjarni Broddhelgi's son. Bjarni took Flosi by both
hands, and Flosi bade Bjarni money for his help.
"Never," says Bjarni, "have I sold my manhood or help for bribes, but
now that thou art in need of help, I will do thee a good turn for
friendship's sake, and ride to the Thing with thee, and stand by thee as
I would by my brother."
"Then thou hast thrown a great load of debt on my hands," said Flosi,
"but still I looked for as much from thee."
Thence Flosi and his men fared to Crosswick. Thorkel Geiti's son was a
great friend of his. Flosi told him his errand, and Thorkel said it was
but his duty to stand by him in every way in his power, and not to part
from his quarrel. Thorkel gave Flosi good gifts at parting.
Thence they fared north to Weaponfirth and up into the Fleetdale
country, and turned in as guests at Holmstein's, the son of Bersi the
wise. Flosi told him that all had backed him in his need and business
well, save Saurli Broddhelgi's son. Holmstein said the reason of that
was that he was not a man of strife. Holmstein gave Flosi good gifts.
Flosi fared up Fleetdale, and thence south on the fell across Oxenlava
and down Swinehorndale, and so out by Alftafirth to the west, and did
not stop till he came to Thvattwater to his father-in-law Hall's house.
There he stayed half a month, and his men with him and rested him.
Flosi asked Hall what counsel he would now give him, and what he should
do next, and whether he should change his plans.
"My counsel," said Hall, "is this, that thou goest home to thy house,
and the sons of Sigfus with thee, but that they send men to set their
homesteads in order. But first of all fare home, and when ye ride to the
Thing, ride all together, and do not scatter your band. Then let the
sons of Sigfus go to see their wives on the way. I too will ride to the
Thing, and Ljot my son with all our Thingmen, and stand by thee with
such force as I can gather to me."
Flosi thanked him, and Hall gave him good gifts at parting.
Then Flosi went away from Thvattwater, and nothing is to be told of his
journey till he comes home to Swinefell. There he stayed at home the
rest of the winter, and all the summer right up to the Thing.