THE FOSTER-BROTHERS
Grettir came to Reykjaholar towards the beginning of the winter and
asked Thorgils to let him stay the winter with him. Thorgils said he was
welcome to his entertainment, like other free men; "but," he said, "we
do not pay much attention to the preparation of the food."
Grettir said that would not trouble him.
"There is another little difficulty," Thorgils continued. "Some men are
expected here who are a little hot-headed, namely, the foster-brothers
Thorgeir and Thormod. I do not know how it will suit you to be together
with them. They shall always have entertainment here whenever they wish
for it. You may stay here if you will, but I will not have any of you
behaving ill to the others."
Grettir said that he would not be the first to raise a quarrel with any
man, more especially since the bondi had expressed his wish to him.
Soon after the foster-brothers came up. Thorgeir and Grettir did not
take very kindly to one another, but Thormod behaved with propriety.
Thorgils said to them what he had said to Grettir, and so great was the
deference paid to him that none of them spoke an improper word to the
other, although they did not always think alike. In this way the first
part of the winter was passed.
Men say that the islands called Olafseyjar, lying in the fjord about
a mile and a half from Reykjanes, belonged to Thorgils. He had there a
valuable ox, which he had not brought away in the autumn. He was always
saying that he wanted him to be brought in before Yule. One day the
foster-brothers prepared to go and fetch the ox, but wanted a third man
to help them. Grettir offered to go with them and they were very glad to
have him. So the three set out in a ten-oared boat. The weather was cold
and the wind from the North; the boat was lying at Hvalshausholm. When
they left the wind had freshened a little; they reached the island and
caught the ox. Grettir asked whether they preferred to ship the ox or to
hold the boat, for there was a high surf running on the shore. They told
him to hold the boat. He stood by her middle on the side away from the
land, the sea reaching right up to beneath his shoulders, but he held
the boat firmly so that she could not drift. Thorgeir took the ox by the
stern and Thormod by the head, and so they hove him into the boat.
Then they started heading for the bay, Thormod taking the bow-oars with
Thorgeir amidships and Grettir in the stern. By the time they reached
Hafraklett the wind was very high. Thorgeir said: "The stern is
slackening."
Grettir said: "The stern will not be left behind if the rowing amidships
is all right."
Thorgeir then bent his back to the oars and pulled so violently that
both the rowlocks carried away. He said:
"Pull on, Grettir, whilst I mend the rowlocks."
Grettir pulled vigorously whilst Thorgeir mended the rowlocks. But when
Thorgeir was about to take over the oars again they were so damaged that
on Grettir giving them a shake on the gunwale they broke. Thormod said
it would be better to row less and not to break the ship. Then Grettir
took two spars which were on board, bored two holes in the gunwale, and
rowed so energetically that every timber creaked. As the boat was well
found and the men in good condition they reached Hvalshausholm. Grettir
asked whether they would go on home with the ox or whether they would
beach the boat. They preferred to beach the boat, and they did so with
all the water that was in her all frozen. Grettir got off the ox, which
was very stiff in its limbs and very fat and tired; when they got to
Titlingsstad it could go no more. The foster-brothers went home, for
none of them would help the other at his job. Thorgils asked after
Grettir; they told him how they had parted, and he sent men out to him.
When they came below Hellisholar they saw a man coming towards them with
an ox on his back; it was Grettir carrying the ox. They all admired his
great feat, but Thorgeir became rather jealous of Grettir's strength.
One day soon after Yule Grettir went out alone to bathe. Thorgeir knew
of it and said to Thormod: "Let us go out now and see what Grettir does
if I attack him as he comes out of the water."
"I don't care to do that," Thormod said; "and I do not think you will
get any good from him."
"I mean to go," Thorgeir said.
He went down to the bank, carrying his axe aloft. Grettir was just
coming out of the water, and when they met Thorgeir said: "Is it true,
Grettir, that you once said you would not run away from any single
person."
"I don't know whether I did," Grettir said; "but I have scarcely run
away from you."
Thorgeir raised his axe. In a moment Grettir ran at him and brought
him over with a heavy fall. Thorgeir said to Thormod: "Are you going to
stand there while this devil knocks me down?"
Thormod then got Grettir by the leg and tried to drag him off Thorgeir
but could not. He was wearing a short sword, and was just about to draw
it when Thorgils came up and told them to behave themselves and not to
fight with Grettir. They did as he bade and made out that it was all
play. They had no more strife, so far as has been told, and men thought
Thorgils blessed by fortune in having been able to pacify men of such
violent tempers.
When the spring set in they all departed. Grettir went on to
Thorskafjord. When some one asked him how he liked his entertainment at
Reykjaholar he answered: "Our fare was such that I enjoyed my food very
much--when I could get it." Then he went West over the heath.