The sons of Sigfus heard how Flosi was at Holtford, and they rode
thither to meet him, and there were Kettle of the Mark, and Lambi
his brother, Thorkell and Mord, the sons of Sigfus, Sigmund their
brother, and Lambi Sigurd's son, and Gunnar Lambi's son, and
Grani Gunnar's son, and Vebrand Hamond's son.
Flosi stood up to meet them, and greeted them gladly. So they
went down the river. Flosi had the whole story from them about
the slaying, and there was no difference between them and Kettle
of the Mark's story.
Flosi spoke to Kettle of the Mark, and said, "This now I ask of
thee; how tightly are your hearts knit as to this suit, thou and
the other sons of Sigfus?"
"My wish is," said Kettle, "that there should be peace between
us, but yet I have sworn an oath not to part from this suit till
it has been brought somehow to an end; and to lay my life on it."
"Thou art a good man and true," said Flosi, "and it is well to
have such men with one."
Then Grani Gunnar's son and Lambi Sigurd's son both spoke
together, and said, "We wish for outlawry and death."
"It is not given us," said Flosi, "both to share and choose, we
must take what we can get."
"I have had it in my heart," says Grani, "ever since they slew
Thrain by Markfleet, and after that his son Hauskuld, never to be
atoned with them by a lasting peace, for I would willingly stand
by when they were all slain, every man of them."
"Thou hast stood so near to them," said Flosi, "that thou
mightest have avenged these things hadst thou had the heart and
manhood. Methinks thou and many others now ask for what ye would
give much money hereafter never to have had a share in. I see
this clearly, that though we slay Njal or his sons, still they
are men of so great worth, and of such good family, that there
will be such a blood feud and hue and cry after them, that we
shall have to fall on our knees before many a man, and beg for
help, ere we get an atonement and find our way out of this
strait. Ye may make up your minds, then, that many will become
poor who before had great goods, but some of you will lose both
goods and life."
Mord Valgard's son rode to meet Flosi, and said he would ride to
the Thing with him with all his men. Flosi took that well, and
raised a matter of a wedding with him, that he should give away
Rannveiga his daughter to Starkad Flosi's brother's son, who
dwelt at Staffell. Flosi did this because he thought he would so
make sure both of his faithfulness and force.
Mord took the wedding kindly, but handed the matter over to Gizur
the White, and bade him talk about it at the Thing.
Mord had to wife Thorkatla, Gizur the White's daughter.
They two, Mord and Flosi, rode both together to the Thing, and
talked the whole day, and no man knew aught of their counsel.