I shall have blame from my wife or from my sons for that, for it
will mislike them much; but still I will run the risk, for I know
that I have to deal with a good man and true; nor do I wish that
any breach should arise in our friendship on my part.
“Wilt thou let thy sons be by, pray?” says Gunnar.
“I will not,” says Njal, “for they will not break the peace which
I make, but if they stand by while we make it they will not pull
well together with us.”
“So it shall be,” says Gunnar. “See thou to it alone.”
Then they shook one another by the hand, and made peace well and
quickly.
Then Njal said, “The award that I make is two hundred in silver,
and that thou wilt think much.”
“I do not think it too much,” says Gunnar, and went home to his
booth.
Njal’s sons came home, and Skarphedinn asked whence that great
sum of money came, which his father held in his hand.
Njal said, “I tell you of your foster-father’s Thord’s slaying,
and we two, Gunnar and I, have now made peace in the matter, and
he has paid an atonement for him as for two men.”
“Who slew him?” says Skarphedinn.
“Sigmund and Skiolld, but Thrain was standing near too,” says
Njal.
“They thought they had need of much strength,” says Skarphedinn,
and sang a song —
“Bold in deeds of derring-do,
Burdeners of ocean’s steeds,
Strength enough it seems they needed
A11 to slay a single man;
When shall we our hands uplift?
We who brandish burnished steel —
Famous men erst reddened weapons,
When? if now we quiet sit?”
“Yes! when shall the day come when we shall lift our hands?”
“That will not be long off,” says Njal, “and then thou shalt not
be baulked; but still, methinks, I set great store on your not
breaking this peace that I have made.”
“Then we will not break it,” says Skarphedinn, “but if anything
arises between us, then we will bear in mind the old feud.”
“Then I will ask you to spare no one,” says Njal.
44. SIGMUND MOCKS NJAL AND HIS SONS
Now men ride home from the Thing; and when Gunnar came home, he
said to Sigmund, “Thou art a more unlucky man than I thought, and
turnest thy good gifts to thine own ill. But still I have made
peace for thee with Njal and his sons; and now, take care that
thou dost not let another fly come into thy mouth. Thou art not
at all after my mind, thou goest about with jibes and jeers, with
scorn and mocking; but that is not my turn of mind. That is why
thou gettest on so well with Hallgerda, because ye two have your
