faring abroad.
Gunnlaug Worm-Tongue was, as is aforesaid, whiles at Burg with
Thorstein, whiles with his father Illugi at Gilsbank, three winters
together, and was by now eighteen winters old; and father and son were
now much more of a mind.
There was a man called Thorkel the Black; he was a house-carle of
Illugi, and near akin to him, and had been brought up in his house. To
him fell an heritage north at As, in Water-dale, and he prayed Gunnlaug
to go with him thither. This he did, and so they rode, the two together,
to As. There they got the fee; it was given up to them by those who had
the keeping of it, mostly because of Gunnlaug’s furtherance.
But as they rode from the north they guested at Grimstongue, at a rich
bonder’s who dwelt there; but in the morning a herdsman took Gunnlaug’s
horse, and it had sweated much by then he got it back. Then Gunnlaug
smote the herdsman, and stunned him; but the bonder would in nowise bear
this, and claimed boot therefor. Gunnlaug offered to pay him one mark.
The bonder thought it too little.
Then Gunnlaug sang,--
“Bade I the middling mighty
To have a mark of waves’ flame;
Giver of grey seas? glitter,
This gift shalt thou make shift with.
If the elf sun of the waters
From out of purse thou lettest,
O waster of the worm’s bedy
Awaits thee sorrow later.”
So the peace was made as Gunnlaug bade, and in such wise the two rode
south.
Now, a little while after, Gunnlaug asked his father a second time for
goods for going abroad.
Illugi says, “Now shalt thou have thy will, for thou hast wrought
thyself into something better than thou wert.” So Illugi rode hastily
from home, and bought for Gunnlaug half a ship which lay in Gufaros,
from Audun Festargram--this Audun was he who would not flit abroad the
sons of Oswif the Wise, after the slaying of Kiartan Olafson, as is
told in the story of the Laxdalemen, which thing though betid later than
this.--And when Illugi came home, Gunnlaug thanked him well.
Thorkel the Black betook himself to seafaring with Gunnlaug, and their
wares were brought to the ship; but Gunnlaug was at Burg while they made
her ready, and found more cheer in talk with Helga than in toiling with
chapmen.
Now one day Thorstein asked Gunnlaug if he would ride to his horses with
him up to Long-water-dale. Gunnlaug said he would. So they ride both
together till they come to the mountain-dairies of Thorstein, called
Thorgils-stead. There were stud-horses of Thorstein, four of them
together, all red of hue. There was one horse very goodly, but little
tried: this horse Thorstein offered to give to Gunnlaug. He said he was
in no need of horses, as he was going away from the country; and so they
ride to other stud-horses. There was a grey horse with four mares, and
he was the best of horses in Burgfirth. This one, too, Thorstein offered
to give Gunnlaug, but he said, “I desire these in no wise more than the
others; but why dost thou not bid me what I will take?”
“What is that?” said Thorstein.
“Helga the Fair, thy daughter,” says Gunnlaug.
“That rede is not to be settled so hastily,” said Thorstein; and
therewithal got on other talk. And now they ride homewards down along
Long-water.
Then said Gunnlaug, “I must needs know what thou wilt answer me about
the wooing.”
Thorstein answers: “I heed not thy vain talk,” says he.
Gunnlaug says, “This is my whole mind, and no vain words.”
Thorstein says, “Thou shouldst first know thine own will. Art thou not
bound to fare abroad? and yet thou makest as if thou wouldst go marry.
Neither art thou an even match for Helga while thou art so unsettled,
and therefore this cannot so much as be looked at.”
Gunnlaug says, “Where lookest thou for a match for thy daughter, if
thou wilt not give her to the son of Illugi the Black; or who are they
throughout Burg-firth who are of more note than he?”
Thorstein answered: “I will not play at men-mating,” says he, “but if
thou wert such a man as he is, thou wouldst not be turned away.”
Gunnlaug said, “To whom wilt thou give thy daughter rather than to me?”
Said Thorstein, “Hereabout are many good men to choose from. Thorfin of
Red-Mel hath seven sons, and all of them men of good manners.”
Gunnlaug answers, “Neither Onund nor Thorfin are men as good as my
father. Nay, thou thyself clearly fallest short of him--or what hast
thou to set against his strife with Thorgrim the Priest, the son of
Kiallak, and his sons, at Thorsness Thing, where he carried all that was
in debate?”
Thorstein answers, “I drave away Steinar, the son of Onund Sioni, which
was deemed somewhat of a deed.”
Gunnlaug says, “Therein thou wast holpen by thy father Egil; and, to end
all, it is for few bonders to cast away my alliance.”
Said Thorstein, “Carry thy cowing away to the fellows up yonder at the
mountains; for down here, on the Meres, it shall avail thee nought.”
Now in the evening they come home; but next morning Gunnlaug rode up to
Gilsbank, and prayed his father to ride with him a-wooing out to Burg.
Illugi answered, “Thou art an unsettled man, being bound for faring
abroad, but makest now as if thou wouldst busy thyself with wife-wooing;
and so much do I know, that this is not to Thorstein’s mind.”
Gunnlaug answers, “I shall go abroad all the same, nor shall I be well
pleased but if thou further this.”
So after this Illugi rode with eleven men from home down to Burg,
and Thorstein greeted him well. Early in the morning Illugi said to
Thorstein, “I would speak to thee.”
“Let us go, then, to the top of the Burg, and talk together there,” says
Thorstein; and so they did, and Gunnlaug went with them.
Then said Illugi, “My kinsman Gunnlaug tells me that he has begun a
talk with thee on his own behalf, praying that he might woo thy daughter
Helga; but now I would fain know what is like to come of this matter.
His kin is known to thee, and our possessions; from my hand shall be
spared neither land nor rule over men, if such things might perchance
further matters.”
Thorstein said, “Herein alone Gunnlaug pleases me not, that I find him
an unsettled man; but if he were of a mind like thine, little would I
hang back.”
Illugi said, “It will cut our friendship across if thou gainsayest me
and my son an equal match.”
Thorstein answers, “For thy words and our friendship then, Helga shall
be vowed, but not betrothed, to Gunnlaug, and shall bide for him three
winters: but Gunnlaug shall go abroad and shape himself to the ways of
good men; but I shall be free from all these matters if he does not then
come back, or if his ways are not to my liking.”
Thereat they parted; Illugi rode home, but Gunnlaug rode to his ship.
But when they had wind at will they sailed for the main, and made
the northern part of Norway, and sailed landward along Thrandheim to
Nidaros; there they rode in the harbour, and unshipped their goods.