“Ah!” said Hauskuld, “Hrut was not far wrong when he told me that
this bargain would draw mickle misfortune after it. But there’s
no good in troubling one’s self about a thing that’s done and
gone.”
Now, the story must go back to Thorwald’s mates, how there they
are, and how they begged the loan of a boat to get to the
mainland. So a boat was lent them at once, and they rowed up the
firth to Reykianess, and found Oswif, and told him these tidings.
He said, “Ill luck is the end of ill redes, and now I see how it
has all gone. Hallgerda must have sent Thiostolf to Bearfirth,
but she herself must have ridden home to her father. Let us now
gather folk and follow him up thither north.” So they did that,
and went about asking for help, and got together many men. And
then they all rode off to Steingrims river, and so on to
Liotriverdale and Selriverdale, till they came to Bearfirth.
Now Swan began to speak, and gasped much. “Now Oswif’s fetches
are seeking us out.” Then up sprung Thiostolf, but Swan said,
“Go thou out with me, there won’t be need of much.” So they went
out both of them, and Swan took a goatskin and wrapped it about
his own head, and said, “Become mist and fog, become fright and
wonder mickle to all those who seek thee.”
Now, it must be told how Oswif, his friends, and his men are
riding along the ridge; then came a great mist against them, and
Oswif said, “This is Swan’s doing; ‘twere well if nothing worse
followed.” A little after a mighty darkness came before their
eyes, so that they could see nothing, and then they fell off
their horses’ backs, and lost their horses, and dropped their
weapons, and went over head and ears into bogs, and some went
astray into the wood, till they were on the brink of bodily harm.
Then Oswif said, “If I could only find my horse and weapons, then
I’d turn back;” and he hid scarce spoken these words than they
saw somewhat, and found their horses and weapons. Then many
still egged the others on to look after the chase once more; and
so they did, and at once the same wonders befell them, and so
they fared thrice. Then Oswif said, “Though the course be not
good, let us still turn back. Now, we will take counsel a second
time, and what now pleases my mind best, is to go and find
Hauskuld, and ask atonement for my son; for there’s no hope of
honour where there’s good store of it.”
So they rode thence to the Broadfirth dales, and there is nothing
to be told about them till they came to Hauskuldstede, and Hrut
was there before them. Oswif called out Hauskuld and Hrut, and
they both went out and bade him good day. After that they began
to talk. Hauskuld asked Oswif whence he came. He said he had
set out to search for Thiostolf, but couldn’t find him. Hauskuld
said he must have gone north to Swanshol, “and thither it is not
every man’s lot to go to find him.”
“Well,” says Oswif, “I am come hither for this, to ask atonement
for my son from thee.”
