She took the cloak and wiped off all the blood with it, and
wrapped the gouts of gore up in it, and so folded it together and
laid it up in her chest.
Now she sent a man up to Gritwater to tell the tidings thither,
but Mord was there before him, and had already told the tidings.
There, too, was come Kettle of the Mark.
Thorgerda said to Kettle, “Now is Hauskuld dead as we know, and
now bear in mind what thou promisedst to do when thou tookest him
for thy fosterchild.”
“It may well be,” says Kettle, “that I promised very many things
then, for I thought not that these days would ever befall us that
have now come to pass; but yet I am come into a strait, for `nose
is next of kin to eyes,’ since I have Njal’s daughter to wife.”
“Art thou willing, then,” says Thorgerda, “that Mord should give
notice of the suit for the slaying?”
“I know not that,” says Kettle, “for me ill comes from him more
often than good.”
But as soon as ever Mord began to speak to Kettle he fared the
same as others, in that he thought as though Mord would be true
to him, and so the end of their counsel was that Mord should give
notice of the slaying, and get ready the suit in every way before
the Thing.
Then Mord fared down to Ossaby, and thither came nine neighbours
who dwelt nearest the spot.
Mord had ten men with him. He shows the neighbours Hauskuld’s
wounds, and takes witness to the hurts, and names a man as the
dealer of every wound save one; that he made as though he knew
not who had dealt it, but that wound he had dealt himself. But
the slaying he gave notice of at Skarphedinn’s hand, and the
wounds at his brothers’ and Kari’s.
After that he called on nine neighbours who dwelt nearest the
spot to ride away from home to the Althing on the inquest.
After that he rode home. He scarce ever met Njal’s sons, and
when he did meet them, he was cross, and that was part of their
plan.
The slaying of Hauskuld was heard over all the land, and was
ill-spoken of. Njal’s sons went to see Asgrim Ellidagrim’s son,
and asked him for aid.
“Ye very well know that ye may look that I shall help you in all
great suits, but still my heart is heavy about this suit, for
there are many who have the blood feud, and this slaying is ill-spoken of over all the land.”
Now Njal’s sons fare home.
112. THE PEDIGREE OF GUDMUND THE POWERFUL
There was a man named Gudmund the Powerful, who dwelt at
Modruvale in Eyjafirth. He was the son of Eyjolf the son of
Einar (1). Gudmund was a mighty chief, wealthy in goods; he had
in his house a hundred hired servants. He overbore in rank and
weight all the chiefs in the north country, so that some left
their homesteads, but some he put to death, and some gave up
their priesthoods for his sake, and from him are come the
