“So do,” says Kari.
“I have also,” says Asgrim, “brought Gizur the White into the
suit, and have asked his advice how we shall set about it.”
“What advice did he give?” asks Kari.
“He counselled,” answers Asgrim, “`that we should hold us quite
still till spring, but then ride east and set the suit on foot
against Flosi for the manslaughter of Helgi, and summon the
neighbours from their homes, and give due notice at the Thing of
the suits for the burning, and summon the same neighbours there
too on the inquest before the court. I asked Gizur who should
plead the suit for manslaughter, but he said that Mord should
plead it whether he liked it or not, and now,’ he went on, `it
shall fall most heavily on him that up to this time all the suits
he has undertaken have had the worst ending. Kari shall also be
wroth whenever he meets Mord, and so, if he be made to fear on
one side, and has to look to me on the other, then he will
undertake the duty.’”
Then Kari said, “We will follow thy counsel as long as we can,
and thou shalt lead us.”
It is to be told of Kari that he could not sleep of nights.
Asgrim woke up one night and heard that Kari was awake, and
Asgrim said, “Is it that thou canst not sleep at night?”
Then Kari sang this song:
“Bender of the bow of battle,
Sleep will not my eyelids seal,
Still my murdered messmates’ bidding
Haunts my mind the livelong night;
Since the men their brands abusing
Burned last autumn guileless Njal,
Burned him house and home together,
Mindful am I of my hurt.”
Kari spoke of no men so often as of Njal and Skarphedinn, and
Bergthora and Helgi. He never abused his foes, and never
threatened them.
132. FLOSI’S DREAM
One night it so happened that Flosi struggled much in his sleep.
Glum Hildir’s son woke him up, and then Flosi said, “Call me
Kettle of the Mark.”
Kettle came thither, and Flosi said, “I will tell thee my dream.”
“I am ready to hear it,” says Kettle.
“I dreamt,” says Flosi, “that methought I stood below Loomnip,
and went out and looked up to the Nip, and all at once it opened,
and a man came out of the Nip, and he was clad in goatskins, and
had an iron staff in his hand. He called, as he walked, on many
of my men, some sooner and some later, and named them by name.
First he called Grim the Red my kinsman, and Ami Kol’s son. Then
methought something strange followed, methought he called Eyjolf
Bolverk’s son, and Ljot son of Hall of the Side, and some six men
more. Then he held his peace awhile. After that he called five
men of our band, and among them were the sons of Sigfus, thy
