<i>Grettir driven from Sand-heaps to the West</i>.
But when the priest met Grettir he asked him closely about what had
happed; so he told him all the tale of his doings, and said withal
that the priest had been unfaithful to him in the matter of the
rope-holding; and the priest must needs say that so it was.
Now men deemed they could see that these evil wights had wrought the
loss of the men there in the dale; nor had folk hurt ever after from
aught haunting the valley, and Grettir was thought to have done great
deeds for the cleansing of the land. So the priest laid those bones in
earth in the churchyard.
But Grettir abode at Sand-heaps the winter long, and was hidden there
from all the world.
But when Thorir of Garth heard certain rumours of Grettir being in
Bard-dale, he sent men for his head; then men gave him counsel to get
him gone therefrom, so he took his way to the west.
Now when he came to Maddervales to Gudmund the Rich, he prayed Gudmund
for watch and ward; but Gudmund said he might not well keep him. "But
that only is good for thee," said he, "to set thee down there, whereas
thou shouldst have no fear of thy life."
Grettir said he wotted not where such a place might be.
Gudmund said, "An isle there lies in Skagafirth called Drangey; so
good a place for defence it is, that no man may come thereon unless
ladders be set thereto. If thou mightest get there, I know for sure
that no man who might come against thee, could have good hope while
thou wert on the top thereof, of overcoming thee, either by weapons or
craft, if so be thou shouldst watch the ladders well."
"That shall be tried," said Grettir, "but so fearsome of the dark am I
grown, that not even for the keeping of my life may I be alone."
Gudmund said, "Well, that may be; but trust no man whatsoever so much
as not to trust thyself better; for many men are hard to see through."
Grettir thanked him for his wholesome redes, and then fared away from
Maddervales, nor made stay before he came to Biarg; there his mother
and Illugi his brother welcomed him joyfully, and he abode there
certain nights.
There he heard of the slaying of Thorstein Kuggson, which had befallen
the autumn before Grettir went to Bard-dale; and he deemed therewithal
that felling went on fast enough.
Then Grettir rode south to Holtbeacon-heath, and was minded to avenge
Hallmund if he might meet Grim; but when he came to Northriverdale,
he heard that Grim had been gone two winters ago, as is aforesaid; but
Grettir had heard so late of these tidings because he had gone about
disguised those two winters, and the third winter he had been in
Thorirs-dale, and had seen no man who might tell him any news. Then
he betook himself to the Broadfirth-dales, and dwelt in Eastriverdale,
and lay in wait for folk who fared over Steep-brent; and once more he
swept away with the strong hand the goods of the small bonders. This
was about the height of summer-tide.
Now when the summer was well worn, Steinvor of Sand-heaps bore a
man-child, who was named Skeggi; he was first fathered on Kiartan, the
son of Stein, the priest of Isle-dale-river. Skeggi was unlike unto
his kin because of his strength and growth, but when he was fifteen
winters old he was the strongest man in the north-country, and was
then known as Grettir's son; men deemed he would be a marvel among
men, but he died when he was seventeen years of age, and no tale there
is of him.