answerable for what may happen.”
After that Hauskuld fared home, and Njal’s sons woke up as he
went and asked their father who had come, but he told them that
his fosterson Hauskuld had been there.
“He must have come to ask a boon for Lyting then,” said
Skarphedinn.
“So it was,” says Njal.
“Ill was it then,” says Grim.
“Hauskuld could not have thrown his shield before him,” says
Njal, “if thou hadst slain him, as it was meant thou shouldst.”
“Let us throw no blame on our father,” says Skarphedinn.
Now it is to be said that this atonement was kept between them
afterwards.
105. OF AMUND THE BLIND
That event happened three winters after at the Thingskala-Thing
that Amund the Blind was at the Thing; he was the son of Hauskuld
Njal’s son. He made men lead him about among the booths, and so
he came to the booth inside which was Lyting of Samstede. He
made them lead him into the booth till he came before Lyting.
“Is Lyting of Samstede here?” he asked.
“What dost thou want?” says Lyting.
“I want to know,” says Amund, “what atonement thou wilt pay me
for my father. I am baseborn, and I have touched no fine.”
“I have atoned for the slaying of thy father,” says Lyting, “with
a full price, and thy father’s father and thy father’s brothers
took the money; but my brothers fell without a price as outlaws;
and so it was that I had both done an ill deed, and paid dear for
it.”
“I ask not,” says Amund, “as to thy having paid an atonement to
them. I know that ye two are now friends, but I ask this, what
atonement thou wilt pay to me?”
“None at all,” says Lyting.
“I cannot see,” says Amund, “how thou canst have right before
God, when thou hast stricken me so near the heart; but all I can
say is, that if I were blessed with the sight of both my eyes, I
would have either a money fine for my father, or revenge man for
man, and so may God judge between us.”
After that he went out; but when he came to the door of the
booth, he turned short round towards the inside. Then his eyes
were opened, and he said, “Praised be the Lord! Now I see what
his will is.”
With that he ran straight into the booth until he comes before
Lyting, and smites him with an axe on the head, so that it sunk
in up to the hammer, and gives the axe a pull towards him.
Lyting fell forwards and was dead at once.
Amund goes out to the door of the booth, and when he got to the
very same spot on which he had stood when his eyes were opened,
lo! they were shut again, and he was blind all his life after.
Then he made them lead him to Njal and his sons, and he told them
of Lyting’s slaying.
