One day Grettir and Arnbjorn were walking along the road for their
diversion when they passed a gate, whence a man rushed out holding an
axe aloft with both hands and struck at Grettir, who was not on his
guard and was moving slowly. Arnbjorn, however, saw the man coming,
seized Grettir and pushed him aside with such force that he fell on his
knee. The axe struck him in the shoulder-blade and cut down to below
the arm, inflicting a severe wound. Grettir turned quickly and drew his
sword; he saw that it was Hjarrandi who had attacked him. The axe had
stuck fast in the road, and Hjarrandi was slow in recovering it. Grettir
struck at him and cut off his arm at the shoulder. Then there came
running up five of Hjarrandi's followers and a battle began with them.
They were soon routed; Grettir and Arnbjorn killed the five who were
with Hjarrandi; one man escaped and bore the tale to the jarl forthwith.
The jarl was very angry indeed, and summoned the assembly for the next
day. Thorfinn and his party appeared thereat. The jarl brought a charge
of manslaughter against Grettir, who admitted it and said that he had
been obliged to defend himself. "I bear the marks of it," he said. "I
should have been killed if Arnbjorn had not defended me."
The jarl said it was a pity he had not been killed, for this affair
would lead to many a man being slain if he lived.
There had come to the jarl's court Bersi the son of Skaldtorfa,
Grettir's comrade and friend. He and Thorfinn stepped before the jarl
and begged for pardon for Grettir. They asked that the jarl should
decide the matter himself as he thought best, only that Grettir should
have his life and the freedom of the country. The jarl was averse to any
terms being granted to him, but gave way to their entreaties. He granted
immunity to Grettir until the spring, but not absolutely until Gunnar
the brother of Bjorn and Hjarrandi should be present. Gunnar was a
landed proprietor in Tunsberg.
In the spring the jarl ordered Grettir and Thorfinn to appear at
Tunsberg, where he himself intended to be while the shipping was
assembled. So thither they went, and found the jarl was already in the
town. There Grettir met his brother Thorsteinn Dromund, who greeted
him joyfully and invited him to be his guest. He was a landowner in the
town. Grettir told him all about his case, and Thorsteinn took his view
of it, but told him to beware of Gunnar. So the spring passed.