“I looked for as much from him,” says Asgrim, “that he would
behave well, and now he has shown it.”
Then Asgrim went on, “What heardest thou from the east of Flosi?”
“He went east all the way to Weaponfirth,” answers Kari, “and
nearly all the chiefs have promised to ride with him to the
Althing, and to help him. They look, too, for help from the
Reykdalesmen, and the men of Lightwater, and the Axefirthers.”
Then they talked much about it, and so the time passes away up to
the Althing.
Thorhall Asgrim’s son took such a hurt in his leg that the foot
above the ankle was as big and swollen as a woman’s thigh, and he
could not walk save with a staff. He was a man tall in growth,
and strong and powerful, dark of hue in hair and skin, measured
and guarded in his speech, and yet hot and hasty tempered. He
was the third greatest lawyer in all Iceland.
Now the time comes that men should ride from home to the Thing,
Asgrim said to Kari, “Thou shalt ride at the very beginning gf
the Thing, and fit up our booths, and my son Thorhall with thee.
Thou wilt treat him best and kindest, as he is footlame, but we
shall stand in the greatest need of him at this Thing. With you
two, twenty men more shall ride.”
After that they made ready for their journey, and then they rode
to the Thing, and set up their booths, and fitted them out well.
ENDNOTES:
(1) “Helmet-hewer,” sword.
(2) Gizur.
135. OF FLOSI AND THE BURNERS
Flosi rode from the east and those hundred and twenty men who had
been at the burning with him. They rode till they came to
Fleetlithe. Then the sons of Sigfus looked after their
homesteads and tarried there that day, but at even they rode west
over Thursowater, and slept there that night. But next morning
early they saddled their horses and rode off on their way.
Then Flosi said to his men, “Now will we ride to Tongue to Asgrim
to breakfast, and trample down his pride a little.”
They said that were well done. They rode till they had a short
way to Tongue. Asgrim stood out of doors, and some men with him.
They see the band as soon as ever they could do so from the
house. Then Asgrim’s men said, “There must be Thorgeir
Craggeir.”
“Not he,” said Asgrim. “I think so all the more because these
men fare with laughter and wantonness; but such kinsmen of Njal
as Thorgeir is would not smile before some vengeance is taken for
the burning, and I will make another guess, and maybe ye will
think that unlikely. My meaning is that it must be Flosi and the
burners with him, and they must mean to humble us with insults,
and we will now go indoors all of us.”
Now they do so, and Asgrim made them sweep the house and put up
the hangings, and set the boards and put meat on them. He made
them place stools along each bench, all down the room.
