<i>Of Grettir and Thorir Redbeard</i>.
Now Thorir of Garth heard where Grettir had set himself down, and was
fain to set afoot some plot whereby he might be slain. There was a
man called Thorir Redbeard; he was the biggest of men, and a great
man-slayer, and therefore was he made outlaw throughout the land.
Thorir of Garth sent word to him, and when they met he bade him go on
an errand of his, and slay Grettir the Strong. Redbeard said that was
no easy task, and that Grettir was a wise man and a wary.
Thorir bade him make up his mind to this; "A manly task it is for so
brisk a fellow as thou; but I shall bring thee out of thine outlawry,
and therewithal give thee money enough."
So by that counsel Redbeard abode, and Thorir told him how he should
go about the winning of Grettir. So thereafter he went round the
land by the east, for thus he deemed his faring would be the less
misdoubted; so he came to Ernewaterheath when Grettir had been there a
winter. But when he met Grettir, he prayed for winter dwelling at his
hands.
Grettir answered, "I cannot suffer you often to play the like play
with me that he did who came here last autumn, who bepraised me
cunningly, and when he had been here a little while lay in wait for my
life; now, therefore, I have no mind to run the risk any more of the
taking in of wood-folk."
Thorir answered, "My mind goes fully with thine in that thou deemest
ill of outlawed men: and thou wilt have heard tell of me as of a
man-slayer and a misdoer, but not as of a doer of such foul deeds as
to betray my master. Now, <i>ill it is ill to be</i>, for many deem
others to do after their own ways; nor should I have been minded to
come hither, if I might have had a choice of better things; withal I
deem we shall not easily be won while we stand together; thou mightest
risk trying at first how thou likest me, and let me go my ways whenso
thou markest ill faith in me."
Grettir answered, "Once more then will I risk it, even with thee; but
wot thou well, that if I misdoubt me of thee, that will be thy bane."
Thorir bade him do even so, and thereafter Grettir received him, and
found this, that he must have the strength of twain, what work soever
he took in hand: he was ready for anything that Grettir might set him
to, and Grettir need turn to nothing, nor had he found his life so
good since he had been outlawed, yet was he ever so wary of himself
that Thorir never got a chance against him.
Thorir Redbeard was with Grettir on the heath for two winters, and now
he began to loathe his life on the heath, and falls to thinking what
deed he shall do that Grettir will not see through; so one night
in spring a great storm arose while they were asleep; Grettir awoke
therewith, and asked where was their boat. Thorir sprang up, and ran
down to the boat, and brake it all to pieces, and threw the broken
pieces about here and there, so that it seemed as though the storm had
driven them along. Then he went into the hut, and called out aloud,
"Good things have not befallen us, my friend," said he; "for our
boat is all broken to pieces, and the nets lie a long way out in the
water."
"Go and bring them in then," said Grettir, "for methinks it is with
thy goodwill that the boat is broken."
Thorir answered, "Among manly deeds swimming is the least handy to
me, but most other deeds, I think, I may do against men who are not
marvellous; thou mayest wot well enough that I was minded that thou
shouldst not have to work while I abode here, and this I would not bid
if it were in me to do it."
Then Grettir arose and took his weapons, and went to the water-side.
Now the land was so wrought there that a ness ran into the water, and
a great creek was on the other side, and the water was deep right up
to the shore.
Now Grettir spake: "Swim off to the nets, and let me see how skilled a
man thou art."
"I told thee before," said Thorir, "that I might not swim; and now I
know not what is gone with thy manliness and daring."
"Well, the nets I may get in," said Grettir, "but betray thou me not,
since I trust in thee."