and fared home to his house. Hrapp went along with Thrain, and
was with him that year; but the spring after, Thrain got him a
homestead at Hrappstede, and he dwelt there; but yet he spent
most of his time at Gritwater. He was thought to spoil
everything there, and some men even said that he was too good
friends with Hallgerda, and that he led her astray, but some
spoke against that.
Thrain gave the Vulture to his kinsman, Mord the Reckless; that
Mord slew Oddi Haldor’s son, east in Gautawick by Berufirth.
All Thrain’s kinsmen looked on him as a chief.
88. EARL HACON FIGHTS WITH NJAL’S SONS.
Now we must take up the story, and say how, when Earl Hacon
missed Thrain, he spoke to Sweyn his son, and said, “Let us take
four longships, and let us fare against Njal’s sons and slay
them, for they must have known all about it with Thrain.”
“‘Tis not good counsel,” says Sweyn, “to throw the blame on
guiltless men, but to let him escape who is guilty.”
“I shall have my way in this,” says the earl.
Now they hold on after Njal’s sons, and seek for them, and find
them under an island.
Grim first saw the earl’s ships and said to Helgi, “Here are war
ships sailing up, and I see that here is the earl, and he can
mean to offer us no peace.”
“It is said,” said Helgi, “that he is the boldest man who holds
his own against all comers, and so we will defend ourselves.”
They all bade him take the course he thought best, and then they
took to their arms.
Now the earl comes up and called out to them, and bade them give
themselves up.
Helgi said that they would defend themselves so long as they
could.
Then the earl offered peace and quarter to all who would neither
defend themselves nor Helgi; but Helgi was so much beloved that
all said they would rather die with him.
Then the earl and his men fall on them, but they defended
themselves well, and Njal’s sons were ever where there was most
need. The earl often offered peace, but they all made the same
answer, and said they would never yield.
Then Aslak of Longisle pressed them hard and came on board their
ship thrice. Then Grim said, “Thou pressest on hard, and ‘twere
well that thou gettest what thou seekest;” and with that he
snatched up a spear and hurled it at him, and hit him under the
chin, and Aslak got his death wound there and then.
A little after, Helgi slew Egil the earl’s banner-bearer.
Then Sweyn, Earl Hacon’s son, fell on them, and made men hem them
in and bear them down with shields, and so they were taken
captive.
The earl was for letting them all be slain at once, but Sweyn
said that should not be, and said too that it was night.
