Onund went to Rogaland in the South and visited many of his relations
and friends. He lived there in concealment with a man named Kolbeinn. He
there learned that King Harald had taken all his property and given it
into the charge of a man named Harekr, one of his officials. Onund
went by night to Harekr's house and caught him at home; he was led to
execution. Then Onund took possession of all the loose property which he
found and burnt the building.
That autumn Grim the Hersir murdered Ondott Crow because he had not
succeeded in getting the property for the king. Ondott's wife Signy
carried off all their loose property that same night to a ship and
escaped with her sons Asmund and Asgrim to her father Sighvat. A little
later she sent her sons to Hedin, her foster-father in Soknadal, where
they remained for a time and then wanted to return to their mother. They
left at last, and at Yule-tide came to Ingjald the Trusty at Hvin.
His wife Gyda persuaded him to take them in, and they spent the winter
there. In the spring Onund came to northern Agdir, having learned of the
murder of Ondott. He met Signy and asked her what assistance they would
have of him. She said they were most anxious to punish Grim for the
death of Ondott. So the sons were sent for, and when they met Onund
Treefoot they all joined together and had Grim's doings closely watched.
In the summer there was a beer-brewing at Grim's for a jarl named Audun,
whom he had invited. When Onund and the sons of Ondott heard of it, they
appeared at his house unexpectedly and set fire to it. Grim the Hersir
and about thirty men were burnt in the house. They captured a quantity
of valuables. Then Onund went into the forest, while the two brothers
took the boat of their foster-father Ingjald, rowed away and lay in
hiding a little way off. Soon jarl Audun appeared, on his way to the
feast, as had been arranged, but on arriving he missed his host. So
he collected his men around him and stayed there a few nights, quite
unaware of Onund and his companions. He slept in a loft with two other
men. Onund knew everything that was going on in the house and sent for
the two brothers to come to him. On their arrival he asked them whether
they preferred to keep watch on the house or to attack the jarl. They
chose to attack. They then battered the entrance of the loft with beams
until the door gave way. Asmund seized the two men who were with the
jarl and threw them to the ground with such violence that they were
well-nigh killed.
Asgrim rushed at the jarl and demanded of him weregild for his father,
for he had been in league with Grim and took part in the attack when
Ondott was murdered. The jarl said he had no money about him and asked
for time. Asgrim then placed the point of his spear against his breast
and ordered him to pay up on the spot. Then the jarl took a necklace
from his neck and gave it to him with three gold rings and a velvet
mantle. Asgrim took the things and bestowed a name upon the jarl. He
called him Audun Nannygoat.
When the farmers and people about heard of the disturbances they all
came out to help the jarl. Onund had a large force with him, and there
was a great battle in which many a good farmer and many a follower of
the jarl were slain. The brothers returned to Onund and reported what
had occurred with the jarl. Onund said it was a pity they had not killed
him. It would, he said, have been something to make up for the losses
which he had suffered from King Harald. They said the disgrace was far
worse for the jarl as it was, and they went off to Surnadal to Eirik
Beery, a Landman there, who took them all in for the winter. At
Yule-tide they had a great drinking bout with a man named Hallsteinn,
nicknamed Stallion. Eirik opened the feast and entertained them
generously. Then it was Hallsteinn's turn, and they began to quarrel.
Hallsteinn struck Eirik with a deer's horn, for which Eirik got no
revenge, but had to go home with it, to the great annoyance of Ondott's
sons. A little later Asgrim went to Hallsteinn's house and gave him a
severe wound. All the people who were present started up and attacked
Asgrim. He defended himself vigorously and escaped in the dark, leaving
them under the belief that they had killed him. Onund and Asmund, on
hearing that Asgrim had been killed, were at a loss what they could do
in the matter. Eirik's advice was that they should betake themselves to
Iceland, for it would never do for them to remain in the land where the
king could get at them. This they determined to do. Each of them had his
own ship and they made ready for the voyage to Iceland. Hallsteinn was
laid low with his wound and died before Onund sailed with his party.
Kolbeinn, the man who was mentioned before, went in the ship with Onund.