“I am no manslayer,” he says, “but still I will do whatever thou
wilt.”
“This is my will,” she says.
After that he went up to Lithend, and made them call Hallgerda
out, and asked where Brynjolf might be.
“What’s thy will with him,” she says.
“I want him to tell me where he has hidden Atli’s body; I have
heard say that he has buried it badly.”
She pointed to him and said he was down yonder in Acretongue.
“Take heed,” says Thord, “that the same thing does not befall him
as befell Atli.”
“Thou art no manslayer,” she says, “and so naught will come of
it even if ye two do meet.”
“Never have I seen man’s blood, nor do I know how I should feel
if I did,” he says, and gallops out of the “town” and down to
Acretongue.
Rannveig, Gunnar’s mother, had heard their talk.
“Thou goadest his mind much, Hallgerda,” she says, “but I think
him a dauntless man, and that thy kinsman will find.”
They met on the beaten way, Thord and Brynjolf; and Thord said,
“Guard thee, Brynjolf, for I will do no dastard’s deed by thee.”
Brynjolf rode at Thord, and smote at him with his axe. He smote
at him at the same time with his axe, and hewed in sunder the
haft just above Brynjolf’s hands, and then hewed at him at once a
second time, and struck him on the collarbone, and the blow went
straight into his trunk. Then he fell from horseback, and was
dead on the spot.
Thord met Hallgerda’s herdsman, and gave out the slaying as done
by his hand, and said where he lay, and bade him tell Hallgerda
of the slaying. After that he rode home to Bergthorsknoll, and
told Bergthora of the slaying, and other people too.
“Good luck go with thy hands,” she said.
The herdsman told Hallgerda of the slaying; she was snappish at
it, and said much ill would come of it, if she might have her
way.
40. GUNNAR AND NJAL MAKE PEACE ABOUT BRYNJOLF’S SLAYING
Now these tidings come to the Thing, and Njal made them tell him
the tale thrice, and then he said, “More men now become manslayers than I weened.”
Skarphedinn spoke, “That man, though, must have been twice fey,”
he says, “who lost his life by our foster-father’s hand, who has
never seen man’s blood. And many would think that we brothers
would sooner have done this deed with the turn of temper that we
have.”
“Scant space wilt thou have,” says Njal, “ere the like befalls
thee; but need will drive thee to it.”
Then they went to meet Gunnar, and told him of the slaying.
Gunnar spoke and said that was little manscathe, “but yet he was
a free man.”
Njal offered to make peace at once, and Gunnar said yes, and he
