There was a man named Valgard, he kept house at Hof by Rangriver,
he was the son of Jorund the Priest, and his brother was Wolf
Aurpriest (1). Those brothers, Wolf Aurpriest, and Valgard the
Guileful, set off to woo Unna, and she gave herself away to
Valgard without the advice of any of her kinsfolk. But Gunnar
and Njal, and many others thought ill of that, for he was a
cross-grained man and had few friends. They begot between them a
son, whose name was Mord, and he is long in this story. When he
was grown to man's estate, he worked ill to his kinsfolk but
worst of all to Gunnar. He was a crafty man in his temper, but
spiteful in his counsels.
Now we will name Njal's sons. Skarphedinn was the eldest of
them. He was a tall man in growth, and strong withal; a good
swordsman; he could swim like a seal, the swiftest-looted of men,
and bold and dauntless; he had a great flow of words and quick
utterance; a good skald too; but still for the most part he kept
himself well in hand; his hair was dark brown, with crisp curly
locks; he had good eyes; his features were sharp, and his face
ashen pale, his nose turned up and his front teeth stuck out, and
his mouth was very ugly. Still he was the most soldierlike of
men.
Grim was the name of Njal's second son. He was fair of face and
wore his hair long. His hair was dark, and he was comelier to
look on than Skarphedinn. A tall strong man.
Helgi was the name of Njal's third son. He too was fair of face
and had fine hair. He was a strong man and well-skilled in arms.
He was a man of sense and knew well how to behave. They were all
unwedded at that time, Njal's sons.
Hauskuld was the fourth of Njal's sons. He was baseborn. His
mother was Rodny, and she was Hauskuld's daughter, the sister of
Ingialld of the Springs.
Njal asked Skarphedinn one day if he would take to himself a
wife. He bade his father settle the matter. Then Njal asked for
his hand Thorhilda, the daughter of Ranvir of Thorolfsfell, and
that was why they had another homestead there after that.
Skarphedinn got Thorhilda, but he stayed still with his father to
the end. Grim wooed Astrid of Deepback; she was a widow and very
wealthy. Grim got her to wife, and yet lived on with Njal.