There was a man named Thord, he was surnamed Freedmanson.
Sigtrygg was his father's name, and he had been the freedman of
Asgerd, and he was drowned in Markfleet. That was why Thord was
with Njal afterwards. He was a tall man and a strong, and he had
fostered all Njal's sons. He had set his heart on Gudfinna
Thorolf's daughter, Njal's kinswoman; she was housekeeper at home
there, and was then with child.
Now Bergthora came to talk with Thord Freedmanson; she said,
"Thou shalt go to kill Brynjolf, Hallgerda's kinsman."
"I am no man-slayer," he says, "but still I will do whatever thou
wilt."
"This is my will," she says.
After that he went up to Lithend, and made them call Hallgerda
out, and asked where Brynjolf might be.
"What's thy will with him," she says.
"I want him to tell me where he has hidden Atli's body; I have
heard say that he has buried it badly."
She pointed to him and said he was down yonder in Acretongue.
"Take heed," says Thord, "that the same thing does not befall him
as befell Atli."
"Thou art no man-slayer," she says, "and so naught will come of
it even if ye two do meet."
"Never have I seen man's blood, nor do I know how I should feel
if I did," he says, and gallops out of the "town" and down to
Acretongue.
Rannveig, Gunnar's mother, had heard their talk.
"Thou goadest his mind much, Hallgerda," she says, "but I think
him a dauntless man, and that thy kinsman will find."
They met on the beaten way, Thord and Brynjolf; and Thord said,
"Guard thee, Brynjolf, for I will do no dastard's deed by thee."
Brynjolf rode at Thord, and smote at him with his axe. He smote
at him at the same time with his axe, and hewed in sunder the
haft just above Brynjolf's hands, and then hewed at him at once a
second time, and struck him on the collar-bone, and the blow went
straight into his trunk. Then he fell from horseback, and was
dead on the spot.
Thord met Hallgerda's herdsman, and gave out the slaying as done
by his hand, and said where he lay, and bade him tell Hallgerda
of the slaying. After that he rode home to Bergthorsknoll, and
told Bergthora of the slaying, and other people too.
"Good luck go with thy hands," she said.
The herdsman told Hallgerda of the slaying; she was snappish at
it, and said much ill would come of it, if she might have her
way.