Kolskegg, and Kolskegg said, “This thou shalt tell to more men,
so that it may not be said that thou layest blame on dead men;
for it will be gainsaid if witnesses do not know beforehand what
has passed between you.”
Then Gunnar told it to his neighbours, and there was little talk
about it at first.
Otkell comes east to the Dale, and they get a hearty welcome
there, and sit there a week.
Skamkell told Runolf all about their meeting with Gunnar, and how
it had gone off; and one man happened to ask how Gunnar behaved.
“Why,” said Skamkell, “if it were a low-born man it would have
been said that he had wept.”
“Such things are ill spoken,” says Runolf, “and when ye two next
meet, thou wilt have to own that there is no voice of weeping in
his frame of mind; and it will be well if better men have not to
pay for thy spite. Now it seems to me best when ye wish to go
home that I should go with you, for Gunnar will do me no harm.”
“I will not have that,” says Otkell; “but I will ride across the
Fleet lower down.”
Runolf gave Otkell good gifts, and said they should not see one
another again.
Otkell bade him then to bear his sons in mind if things turned
out so.
54. THE FIGHT AT RANGRIVER
Now we must take up the story, and say that Gunnar was out of
doors at Lithend, and sees his shepherd galloping up to the yard.
The shepherd rode straight into the “town; and Gunnar said, “Why
ridest thou so hard?”
“I would be faithful to thee,” said the man; “I saw men riding
down along Markfleet, eight of them together, and four of them
were in coloured clothes.”
Gunnar said, “That must be Otkell.”
The lad said, “I have often heard many temper-trying words of
Skamkell’s; for Skamkell spoke away there east at Dale, and said
that thou sheddest tears when they rode over thee; but I tell it
thee because I cannot bear to listen to such speeches of
worthless men.”
“We must not be word-sick,” says Gunnar, “but from this day forth
thou shall do no other work than what thou choosest for thyself.”
“Shall I say aught of this to Kolskegg thy brother?” asked the
shepherd.
“Go thou and sleep,” says Gunnar; “I will tell Kolskegg.”
The lad laid him down and fell asleep at once, but Gunnar took
the shepherd’s horse and laid his saddle on him; he took his
shield, and girded him with his sword, Oliver’s gift; he sets his
helm on his head; takes his bill, and something sung loud in it,
and his mother, Rannveig, heard it. She went up to him and said
“Wrathful art thou now, my son, and never saw I thee thus
before.”
