E’en though ill deeds are on foot,
Still to risk mine eyes are open;
Harmful ‘tis to snap at flies (6).”
“And,” says he, “I don’t mean to be made a catspaw by him, but
let him take heed lest his tongue twists a noose for his own
neck.”
And after that the messenger fared back to Thorwald the Scurvy
and told him Wolf’s words. Thorwald had many men about him, and
gave it out that he would lie in wait for them on Bluewoodheath.
Now those two, Thangbrand and Gudleif, ride out of Hawkdale, and
there they came upon a man who rode to meet them. That man asked
for Gudleif, and when he found him he said, “Thou shalt gain by
being the brother of Thorgil of Reykiahole, for I will let thee
know that they have set many ambushes, and this too, that
Thorwald the Scurvy is now with his band at Hestbeck on
Grimsness.”
“We shall not the less for all that ride to meet him,” says
Gudleif, and then they turned down to Hestbeck. Thorwald was
then come across the brook, and Gudleif said to Thangbrand, “Here
is now Thorwald; let us rush on him now.”
Thangbrand shot a spear through Thorwald, but Gudleif smote him
on the shoulder and hewed his arm off, and that was his death.
After that they ride up to the Thing, and it was a near thing
that the kinsmen of Thorwald had fallen on Thangbrand, but Njal
and the eastfirthers stood by Thangbrand.
Then Hjallti Skeggi’s son sang this rhyme at the Hill of Laws:
“Ever will I Gods blaspheme
Freyja methinks a dog does seem,
Freyja a dog? Aye! let them be
Both dogs together Odin and she (7).”
Hjallti fared abroad that summer and Gizur the White with him,
but Thangbrand’s ship was wrecked away east at Bulandsness, and
the ship’s name was Bison.
Thangbrand and his messmate fared right through the west country,
and Steinvora, the mother of Ref the Skald, came against him; she
preached the heathen faith to Thangbrand and made him a long
speech. Thangbrand held his peace while she spoke, but made a
long speech after her, and turned all that she had said the wrong
way against her.
“Hast thou heard,” she said, “how Thor challenged Christ to
single combat, and how he did not dare to fight with Thor?”
“I have heard tell,” says Thangbrand, “that Thor was naught but
dust and ashes, if God had not willed that he should live.”
“Knowest thou,” she says, “who it was that shattered thy ship?”
“What hast thou to say about that?” he asks.
“That I will tell thee,” she says:
“He that giant’s offspring (8) slayeth
Broke the mew-field’s bison stout (9),
Thus the Gods, bell’s warder (10) grieving,
