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Page 54
The woman who was out in the field with them witnessed the
battle. She ran home terrified and told the news that Thorbjorn
and his son were killed. The people at home were much taken
aback, for no one was aware of Grettir's arrival. They sent to
the next homestead for men, who came in plenty and carried the
body to the church. The blood-feud then fell to Thorodd
Drapustuf, who at once called out his men.
Grettir rode home to Bjarg and told his mother what had happened.
She was very glad and said he had now shown his kinship to the
Vatnsdal race. "And yet," she said, "this is the root and the
beginning of your outlawry; for certain I know that your dwelling
here will not be for long by reason of Thorbjorn's kinsmen, and
now they may know that they have the means of annoying you."
Grettir then spoke a verse:
"Atli's death was unatoned;
fully now the debt is paid."
Asdis said it was true: "but I know not what counsel you now mean
to take."
Grettir said he meant now to visit his friends and kinsmen in the
western regions, and that she should have no unpleasantness on
his account. Then he made ready to go, and parted with much
affection from his mother. First he went to Melar in Hrutafjord
and recounted to his brother-in-law Gamli all his adventure with
Thorbjorn. Gamli begged him to betake himself away from
Hrutafjord while the kinsmen of Thorbjorn were abroad with their
men, and said they would support him in the suit about Atli's
slaying to the best of their power. Then Grettir rode to the
West across the Laxardal Heath and did not stop before he reached
Ljarskogar, where he stayed some time in the autumn with
Thorsteinn Kuggason.
CHAPTER XLIX
GRETTIR VISITS THORSTEINN KUGGASON AND SNORRI GODI
Thorodd Drapustuf now made inquiries who it was who had killed
Thorbjorn and his son. They went to Reykir, where they were told
that Grettir had proclaimed the slaying. Thorodd then saw how
matters stood and went to Bjarg, where he found many people and
asked whether Grettir was there. Asdis said that he was gone,
and that he would not hide if he were at home.
"You can be well content to leave things as they are. The
vengeance for Atli was not excessive, if it be reckoned up. No
one asked what I had to suffer then, and now it were well for it
to rest."
Then they rode home, and it seemed as if there were nothing to be
done. The spear which Grettir had lost was never found until
within the memory of men now living. It was found in the later
days of Sturla the Lawman, the son of Thord, in the very marsh
where Thorbjorn fell, now called Spearmarsh. This is the proof
that he was killed there and not in Midfitjar, as has been
elsewhere asserted.
Thorbjorn's kinsmen learned of Grettir's being in Ljarskogar and
called together their men with the purpose of going there. Gamli
heard of this at Melar and sent word to Thorsteinn and Grettir of
their approach. Thorsteinn sent Grettir on to Tunga to Snorri
the Godi, with whom he was then at peace, and advised Grettir to
ask for his protection, and if it were refused to go West to
Thorgils the son of Ari in Reykjaholar, "who will surely take you
in for the winter. Stay there in the Western fjords until the
affair is settled."
Grettir said he would follow his counsel. He rode to Tunga where
he found Snorri and asked to be taken in. Snorri answered: "I am
now an old man, and have no mind to harbour outlaws, unless in a
case of necessity. But what has happened that the old man should
have turned you out?"
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