Gunnar rode to the Thing and all the sons of Sigfus; Njal and his
sons too, they all went with Gunnar; and it was said that no band
was so well knit and hardy as theirs.
Gunnar went one day to the booth of the Dalemen; Hrut was by the
booth and Hauskuld, and they greeted Gunnar well. Now Gunnar
tells them the whole story of the suit up to that time.
"What counsel gives Njal?" asks Hrut.
"He bade me seek you brothers," says Gunnar, "and said he was
sure that he and you would look at the matter in the same light."
"He wishes then," says Hrut, "that I should say what I think
for kinship's sake; and so it shall be. Thou shalt challenge
Gizur the White to combat on the island, if they do not leave the
whole award to thee; but Kolskegg shall challenge Geir the
Priest. As for Otkell and his crew, men must be got ready to
fall on them; and now we have such great strength all of us
together, that thou mayst carry out whatever thou wilt."
Gunnar went home to his booth and told Njal.
"Just what I looked for," said Njal.
Wolf Aurpriest got wind of this plan, and told Gizur, and Gizur
said to Otkell, "Who gave thee that counsel that thou shouldst
summon Gunnar?"
"Skamkell told me that was the counsel of both Geir the Priest
and thyself."
"But where is that scoundrel?" says Gizur, "who has thus lied."
"He lies sick up at our booth," says Otkell.
"May he never rise from his bed," says Gizur. "Now we must all
go to see Gunnar, and offer him the right to make his own award;
but I know not whether he will take that now."
Many men spoke ill of Skamkell, and he lay sick all through the
Thing.
Gizur and his friends went to Gunnar's booth; their coming was
known, and Gunnar was told as he sat in his booth, and then they
all went out and stood in array.
Gizur the White came first, and after a while he spoke and said,
"This is our offer -- that thou, Gunnar, makest thine own award
in this suit."
"Then," says Gunnar, "it was no doubt far from thy counsel that I
was summoned."
"I gave no such counsel," says Gizur, "neither I nor Geir."
"Then thou must clear thyself of this charge by fitting proof."
"What proof dost thou ask?" says Gizur.
"That thou takest an oath," says Gunnar.
"That I will do," says Gizur, "if thou wilt take the award into
thine own hands."
"That was the offer I made a while ago," says Gunnar; "but now,
methinks, I have a greater matter to pass judgment on."
"It will not be right to refuse to make thine own award," said
Njal; "for the greater the matter, the greater the honour in
making it."
"Well," said Gunnar, "I will do this to please my friends, and
utter my award; but I give Otkell this bit of advice, never to
give me cause for quarrel hereafter."
Then Hrut and Hauskuld were sent for, and they came thither, and
then Gizur the White and Gier the Priest took their oaths; but
Gunnar made his award, and spoke with no man about it, and
afterwards he uttered it as follows:
"This is my award," he says; "first, I lay it down that the
storehouse must be paid for, and the food that was therein; but
for the thrall, I will pay thee no fine, for that thou hiddest
his faults; but I award him back to thee; for as the saying is,
`Birds of a feather flock most together.' Then, on the other
hand, I see that thou hast summoned me in scorn and mockery, and
for that I award to myself no less a sum than what the house that
was burnt and the stores in it were worth; but if ye think it
better that we be not set at one again, then I will let you have
your choice of that, but if so I have already made up my mind
what I shall do, and then I will fulfil my purpose."
"What we ask," said Gizur, "is that thou shouldst not be hard on
Otkell, but we beg this of thee, on the other hand, that thou
wouldst be his friend."
"That shall never be," said Gunnar, "so long as I live; but he
shall have Skamkell's friendship; on that he has long leant."
"Well," answers Gizur, "we will close with thee in this matter,
though thou alone layest down the terms."
Then all this atonement was made and hands were shaken on it, and
Gunnar said to Otkell, "It were wiser to go away to thy kinsfolk;
but if thou wilt be here in this country, mind that thou givest
me no cause of quarrel."
"That is wholesome counsel," said Gizur; "and so he shall do."
So Gunnar had the greatest honour from that suit, and afterwards
men rode home from the Thing.
Now Gunnar sits in his house at home, and so things are quiet for
a while.