OF FLOSI AND THE BURNERS.
Flosi rode from the east and those hundred and twenty men who had been
at the Burning with him. They rode till they came to Fleetlithe. Then
the sons of Sigfus looked after their homesteads and tarried there that
day, but at even they rode west over Thurso-water, and slept there that
night. But next morning early they saddled their horses and rode off on
their way.
Then Flosi said to his men--
"Now will we ride to Tongue to Asgrim to breakfast, and trample down his
pride a little."
They said that were well done. They rode till they had a short way to
Tongue. Asgrim stood out of doors, and some men with him. They see the
band as soon as ever they could do so from the house. Then Asgrim's men
said--
"There must be Thorgeir Craggeir."
"Not he," said Asgrim. "I think so all the more because these men fare
with laughter and wantonness; but such kinsmen of Njal as Thorgeir is
would not smile before some vengeance is taken for the Burning, and I
will make another guess, and maybe ye will think that unlikely. My
meaning is, that it must be Flosi and the Burners with him, and they
must mean to humble us with insults, and we will now go indoors all of
us."
Now they do so, and Asgrim made them sweep the house and put up the
hangings, and set the boards and put meat on them. He made them place
stools along each bench all down the room.
Flosi rode into the "town," and bade men alight from their horses and go
in. They did so, and Flosi and his men went into the hall, Asgrim sate
on the cross-bench on the dais. Flosi looked at the benches and saw that
all was made ready that men needed to have. Asgrim gave them no
greeting, but said to Flosi--
"The boards are set, so that meat may be free to those that need it."
Flosi sat down to the board, and all his men; but they laid their arms
up against the wainscot. They sat on the stools who found no room on
the benches; but four men stood with weapons just before where Flosi sat
while they ate.
Asgrim kept his peace during the meat, but was as red to look on as
blood.
But when they were full, some women cleared away the boards, while
others brought in water to wash their hands. Flosi was in no greater
hurry than if he had been at home. There lay a pole-axe in the corner of
the dais. Asgrim caught it up with both hands, and ran up to the rail at
the edge of the dais, and made a blow at Flosi's head. Glum Hilldir's
son happened to see what he was about to do, and sprang up at once, and
got hold of the axe above Asgrim's hands, and turned the edge at once on
Asgrim; for Glum was very strong. Then many more men ran up and seized
Asgrim, but Flosi said that no man was to do Asgrim any harm, "for we
put him to too hard a trial, and he only did what he ought, and showed
in that that he had a big heart".
Then Flosi said to Asgrim, "Here, now, we shall part safe and sound, and
meet at the Thing, and there begin our quarrel over again".
"So it will be," says Asgrim; "and I would wish that, ere this Thing be
over, ye should have to take in some of your sails."
Flosi answered him never a word, and then they went out, and mounted
their horses, and rode away. They rode till they came to Laugarwater,
and were there that night; but next morning they rode on to Baitvale,
and baited their horses there, and there many bands rode to meet them.
There was Hall of the Side, and all the Eastfirthers. Flosi greeted them
well, and told them of his journeys and dealings with Asgrim. Many
praised him for that, and said such things were bravely done.
Then Hall said, "I look on this in another way than ye do, for methinks
it was a foolish prank; they were sure to bear in mind their griefs,
even though they were not reminded of them anew; but those men who try
others so heavily must look for all evil".
It was seen from Hall's way that he thought this deed far too strong.
They rode thence all together, till they came to the Upper Field, and
there they set their men in array, and rode down on the Thing.
Flosi had made them fit out Byrgir's booth ere he rode to the Thing; but
the Eastfirthers rode to their own booths.