There was a man named Eyjolf. He was the son of Bolverk, the son
of Eyjolf the Guileful, of Otterdale (1). Eyjolf was a man of
great rank, and best skilled in law of all men, so that some said
he was the third best lawyer in Iceland. He was the fairest in
face of all men, tall and strong, and there was the making of a
great chief in him. He was greedy of money, like the rest of his
kinsfolk.
One day Flosi went to the booth of Bjarni Broddhelgi's son.
Bjarni took him by both hands, and sat Flosi down by his side.
They talked about many things, and at last Flosi said to Bjarni,
"What counsel shall we now take?"
"I think," answered Bjarni, "that it is now hard to say what to
do, but the wisest thing seems to me to go round and ask for
help, since they are drawing strength together against you. I
will also ask thee, Flosi, whether there be any very good lawyer
in your band; for now there are but two courses left; one to ask
if they will take an atonement, and that is not a bad choice, but
the other is to defend the suit at law, if there be any defence
to it, though that will seem to be a bold course; and this is why
I think this last ought to be chosen, because ye have hitherto
fared high and mightily, and it is unseemly now to take a lower
course."
"As to thy asking about lawyers," said Flosi, "I will answer thee
at once that there is no such man in our band; nor do I know
where to look for one except it be Thorkel Geitir's son, thy
kinsman."
"We must not reckon on him," said Bjarni, "for though he knows
something of law, he is far too wary, and no man need hope to
have him as his shield; but he will back thee as well as any man
who backs thee best, for he has a stout heart; besides, I must
tell thee that it will be that man's bane who undertakes the
defence in this suit for the burning, but I have no mind that
this should befall my kinsmen Thorkel, so ye must turn your eyes
elsewhither."
Flosi said he knew nothing about who were the best lawyers.
"There is a man named Eyjolf," said Bjarni; "he is Bolverk's son,
and he is the best lawyer in the Westfirther's Quarter; but you
will need to give him much money if you are to bring him into the
suit, but still we must not stop at that. We must also go with
our arms to all law business, and be most wary of ourselves, but
not meddle with them before we are forced to fight for our lives.
And now I will go with thee, and set out at once on our begging
for help, for now methinks the peace will be kept but a little
while longer."
After that they go out of the booth, and to the booths of the
Axefirthers. Then Bjarni talks with Lyting and Bleing, and Hroi
Arnstein's son, and he got speedily whatever he asked of them.
Then they fared to see Kol, the son of Killing-Skuti, and Eyvind
Thorkel's son, the son of Askel the Priest, and asked them for
their help; but they stood out a long while, but the end of it
was that they took three marks of silver for it, and so went into
the suit with them.
Then they went to the booths of the men of Lightwater, and stayed
there some time. Flosi begged the men of Lightwater for help,
but they were stubborn and hard to win over, and then Flosi said,
with much wrath, "Ye are ill-behaved! Ye are grasping and
wrongful at home in your own country, and ye will not help men at
the Thing, though they need it. No doubt you will be held up to
reproach at the Thing, and very great blame will be laid on you
if ye bear not in mind that scorn and those biting words which
Skarphedinn hurled at you men of Lightwater."
But on the other hand, Flosi dealt secretly with them, and bade
them money for their help, and so coaxed them over with fair
words, until it came about that they promised him their aid, and
then became so steadfast that they said they would fight for
Flosi, if need were.
Then Bjarni said to Flosi, "Well done! Well done! Thou art a
mighty chief, and a bold outspoken man, and reckest little what
thou sayest to men."
After that they fared away west across the river, and so to the
Hladbooth. They saw many men outside before the booth. There
was one man who had a scarlet cloak over his shoulders, and a
gold band round his head, and an axe studded with silver in his
hand.
"This is just right," said Bjarni, "here now is the man I spoke
of, Eyjolf Bolverk's son, if thou wilt see him, Flosi."
Then they went to meet Eyjolf, and hailed him. Eyjolf knew
Bjarni at once, and greeted him well. Bjarni took Eyjolf by the
hand, and led him up into the "Great Rift." Flosi's and Bjarni's
men followed after, and Eyjolf's men went also with him. They
bade them stay upon the lower brink of the Rift, and look about
them, but Flosi, and Bjarni, and Eyjolf went on till they came to
where the path leads down from the upper brink of the Rift.
Flosi said it was a good spot to sit down there, for they could
see around them far and wide. Then they sat them down there.
They were four of them together, and no more.
Then Bjarni spoke to Eyjolf, and said "Thee, friend, have we come
to see, for we much need thy help in every way."
"Now," said Eyjolf, "there is good choice of men here at the
Thing, and ye will not find it hard to fall on those who will be
a much greater strength to you than I can be."
"Not so," said Bjarni, "thou hast many things which show that
there is no greater man than thou at the Thing; first of all,
that thou art so well-born, as all those men are who are sprung
from Ragnar Hairybreeks; thy forefathers, too, have always stood
first in great suits, both here at the Thing and at home in their
own country, and they have always had the best of it; we think,
therefore, it is likely that thou wilt be lucky in winning suits,
like thy kinsfolk."
"Thou speakest well, Bjarni," said Eyjolf; "but I think that I
have small share in all this that thou sayest."
Then Flosi said, "There is no need beating about the bush as to
what we have in mind. We wish to ask for thy help, Eyjolf, and
that thou wilt stand by us in our suits, and go to the court with
us, and undertake the defence, if there be any, and plead it for
us, and stand by us in all things that may happen at this Thing."
Eyjolf jumped up in wrath, and said that no man had any right to
think that he could make a catspaw of him, or drag him on if he
had no mind to go himself.
"I see, too, now," he says, "what has led you to utter all those
fair words with which ye began to speak to me."
Then Hallbjorn the Strong caught hold of him and sate him down by
his side, between him and Bjarni, and said, "No tree falls at the
first stroke, friend, but sit here awhile by us." Then Flosi
drew a gold ring off his arm.
"This ring will I give thee, Eyjolf, for thy help and friendship,
and so show thee that I will not befool thee. It will be best
for thee to take the ring, for there is no man here at the Thing
to whom I have ever given such a gift."
The ring was such a good one, and so well made, that it was worth
twelve hundred yards of russet stuff.
Hallbjorn drew the ring on Eyjolf's arm; and Eyjolf said, "It is
now most fitting that I should take the ring, since thou behavest
so handsomely; and now thou mayest make up thy mind that I will
undertake the defence, and do all things needful."
"Now," said Bjarni, "ye behave handsomely on both sides, and here
are men well fitted to be witnesses, since I and Hallbjorn are
here, that thou hast undertaken the suit."
Then Eyjolf arose, and Flosi too, and they took one another by
the hand; and so Eyjolf undertook the whole defence of the suit
off Flosi's hands, and so, too, if any suit arose out of the
defence, for it often happens that what is a defence in one suit,
is a plaintiff's plea in another. So he took upon him all the
proofs and proceedings which belonged to those suits, whether
they were to be pleaded before the Quarter Court or the Fifth
Court. Flosi handed them over in lawful form, and Eyjolf took
them in lawful form, and then he said to Flosi and Bjarni, "Now I
have undertaken this defence just as ye asked, but my wish it is
that ye should still keep it secret at first; but if the matter
comes into the Fifth Court, then be most careful not to say that
ye have given goods for my help."
Then Flosi went home to his booth, and Bjarni with him, but
Eyjolf went to the booth of Snorri the Priest, and sate down by
him, and they talked much together.
Snorri the Priest caught hold of Eyjolf's arm, and turned up the
sleeve, and sees that he had a great ring of gold on his arm.
Then Snorri the Priest said, "Pray, was this ring bought or
given?"
Eyjolf was put out about it, and had never a word to say. Then
Snorri said, "I see plainly that thou must have taken it as a
gift, and may this ring not be thy death!"
Eyjolf jumped up and went away, and would not speak about it; and
Snorri said, as Eyjolf arose, "It is very likely that thou wilt
know what kind of gift thou hast taken by the time this Thing is
ended."
Then Eyjolf went to his booth.