That event happened three winters after at the Thingskala-Thing
that Amund the Blind was at the Thing; he was the son of Hauskuld
Njal's son. He made men lead him about among the booths, and so
he came to the booth inside which was Lyting of Samstede. He
made them lead him into the booth till he came before Lyting.
"Is Lyting of Samstede here?" he asked.
"What dost thou want?" says Lyting.
"I want to know," says Amund, "what atonement thou wilt pay me
for my father. I am base-born, and I have touched no fine."
"I have atoned for the slaying of thy father," says Lyting, "with
a full price, and thy father's father and thy father's brothers
took the money; but my brothers fell without a price as outlaws;
and so it was that I had both done an ill deed, and paid dear for
it."
"I ask not," says Amund, "as to thy having paid an atonement to
them. I know that ye two are now friends, but I ask this, what
atonement thou wilt pay to me?"
"None at all," says Lyting.
"I cannot see," says Amund, "how thou canst have right before
God, when thou hast stricken me so near the heart; but all I can
say is, that if I were blessed with the sight of both my eyes, I
would have either a money fine for my father, or revenge man for
man, and so may God judge between us."
After that he went out; but when he came to the door of the
booth, he turned short round towards the inside. Then his eyes
were opened, and he said, "Praised be the Lord! Now I see what
his will is."
With that he ran straight into the booth until he comes before
Lyting, and smites him with an axe on the head, so that it sunk
in up to the hammer, and gives the axe a pull towards him.
Lyting fell forwards and was dead at once.
Amund goes out to the door of the booth, and when he got to the
very same spot on which he had stood when his eyes were opened,
lo! they were shut again, and he was blind all his life after.
Then he made them lead him to Njal and his sons, and he told them
of Lyting's slaying.
"Thou mayest not be blamed for this," says Njal, "for such things
are settled by a higher power; but it is worth while to take
warning from such events, lest we cut any short who have such
near claims as Amund had."
After that Njal offered an atonement to Lyting's kinsmen.
Hauskuld the Priest of Whiteness had a share in bringing Lyting's
kinsmen to take the fine, and then the matter was put to an
award, and half the fines fell away for the sake of the claim
which he seemed to have on Lyting.
After that men came forward with pledges of peace and good faith,
and Lyting's kinsmen granted pledges to Amund. Men rode home
from the Thing; and now all is quiet for a long while.