to me; but that he will not abide, for he loves her as the very
eyes in his head.”
Kari thanked him for his counsel. Kari spoke nothing of help to
him, for he thought he would show himself his good friend in this
as in other things.
Thence Kari rode east over the rivers, and so to Fleetlithe, and
east across Markfleet, and so on to Selialandsmull. So they ride
east to Holt.
Thorgeir welcomed them with the greatest kindliness. He told
them of Flosi’s journey, and how great help he had got in the
east firths.
Kari said it was no wonder that he, who had to answer for so
much, should ask for help for himself.
Then Thorgeir said, “The better things go for them, the worse it
shall be for them; we will only follow them up so much the
harder.”
Kari told Thorgeir of Gizur’s advice. After that they ride from
the east to Rangrivervale to Mord Valgard’s son’s house. He gave
them a hearty welcome. Kari told him the message of Gizur his
father-in-law. He was slow to take the duty on him, and said it
was harder to go to law with Flosi than with any other ten men.
“Thou behavest now as he (1) thought,” said Kari; “for thou art a
bad bargain in every way; thou art both a coward and heartless,
but the end of this shall be as is fitting, that Thorkatla shall
fare home to her father.”
She busked her at once, and said she had long been “boun” to part
from Mord. Then he changed his mood and his words quickly, and
begged off their wrath, and took the suit upon him at once.
“Now,” said Kari, “thou has taken the suit upon thee, see that
thou pleadest it without fear, for thy life lies on it.”
Mord said he would lay his whole heart on it to do this well and
manfully.
After that Mord summoned to him nine neighbours, they were all
near neighbours to the spot where the deed was done. Then Mord
took Thorgeir by the hand and named two witnesses to bear
witness, “That Thorgeir Thorir’s son hands me over a suit for
manslaughter against Flosi Thord’s son, to plead it for the
slaying of Helgi Njal’s son, with all those proofs which have to
follow the suit. Thou handest over to me this suit to plead and
to settle, and to enjoy all rights in it, as though I were the
rightful next of kin. Thou handest it over to me by law, and I
take it from thee by law.”
A second time Mord named his witnesses, “To bear witness,” said
he, “that I give notice of an assault laid down by law against
Flosi Thord’s son, for that he dealt Helgi Njal’s son a brain, or
a body, or a marrow wound, which proved a death wound; and from
which Helgi got his death. I give notice of this before five
witnesses” — here he named them all by name — “I give this
lawful notice. I give notice of a suit which Thorgeir Thorir’s
son has handed over to me.”
