Egil’s Saga (16 page)

CHAPTER XLII. OF THOROLF’S WEDDING WITH ASGERD.

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HOROLF SKALLAGRIM SON brought up this talk with Thorir, what way he would take that suit if Thorir should ask to wife Asgerd his kinswoman. Thorir took that lightly: said that he would be a speeder of that suit.

And now fared Thorolf north into Sogn and had with him a good company. Thorolf came to Biorn’s house and found there a good welcome. Biorn bade him be with him for so long as he
would. Thorolf bare quickly up his errand with Biorn: began then his wooing, and asked to wife Asgerd, Biorn’s daughter. He took that suit well, and that was easy-sped with him; and that was resolved upon, so that the betrothal went forward, and a day appointed for the bridal; and that feast should be at Biorn’s then in the autumn.

And now fared Thorolf back to Thorir and said to him that which had befallen to tell of in his journey. Thorir deemed well of it, that this rede should be taken. But when the appointed day was come when Thorolf should betake him to the feast, then bade he men to fare with him: bade first Thorir and Arinbiorn and housecarles of theirs and powerful bonders; and there was for that journey both throng of men and good men.

But now, when it was come near to that appointed day when Thorolf should fare from home and the bridesmen were come, then fell Egil sick, so that he was not fit to go.

Thorolf and his had a great long-ship, all manned, and fared on their journey as had been appointed.

CHAPTER XLIII. EGIL IN ATLEY.

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HERE was a man named Oliver. He was a housecarle of Thorir’s and was overseer and manager of his household: he had the getting in of debts and was keeper of his fee. Oliver was past his youthful age, and yet a man of the briskest.

So it befell, that Oliver had a journey from home to get in Thorir’s land-rents, those that were outstanding that spring. He had a rowing-ferry, and aboard of her were twelve housecarles of Thorir’s. Now began Egil to be brisk and rose up again. He thought things went somewhat deaf-like at home, now that all the men were gone away. He came to talk with Oliver, and said that he would fare with him. And Oliver thought his ship’s company would not be over-great for the adding of one good man, seeing there was room in the ship. Egil betook him to that journey. Egil had his weapons: sword and halberd and buckler.

Fare they now on their journey, when they were ready, and found a hard head-wind, wild weather and unhandy; but they sought doughtily on their way, took to rowing, and shipped much sea aboard.

So betided them of their journey that they came in the afternoon to Atley, and laid her up to land there. Now there in the isle, a short way up, was a great house that belonged to King Eric, and there ruled over it that man whose name was Bard. He was called Atley-Bard, and was a great man of affairs and a good worker; he was not a man of great kindred, but very dear to King Eric and to Queen Gunnhild.

Oliver and his men drew up their ship above highwater-mark: went then to the farmstead and met Bard without and said to him of their journey, and that too, that they would fain be there for the night. Bard saw that they were much wet, and carried them to a certain firehall. That was away from the other houses. He let make a great fire for them and there were their clothes dried, and when they had taken their clothes again, then came Bard there.

“Now will we”, saith he, “here set tables for you. I wot you will be ready for sleep; ye be men outwearied with storm and wet.”

That liked Oliver well. Therewith were tables set and food given them, bread and butter, and set forth great bowls of curds.
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Bard said, “Great pity is that, now, that there is no ale within, that I might welcome you as I would. Now needs must ye put up with such fare as is to hand”.

Oliver and his were exceeding thirsty, and supped the curds. After that, Bard let bear in butter-milk, and they drank that.

“Dearly would I like”, quoth Bard, “to give you better drink, if it were there.”

Of straw there was no lack within there. He bade them lay them down there to sleep.

CHAPTER XLIV. OF BARD’S SLAYING.

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ING ERIC and Gunnhild came that same evening into Atley, and Bard had there made ready a banquet against their coming: and there should there be a blood-offering unto the Goddesses,
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and there was a banquet of the best and great drinking within in the hall. The King asked where Bard might be, “Sith I see him nowhere”.

A man saith, “Bard is without, and serveth his guests”.

“Who be those guests”, saith the King, “that he reckoneth that more his duty than to be in here near us?”

The man said to him that thither were come housecarles of Thorir the Hersir.

The King spake: “Go after them with all speed and call them in hither”. And so it was done: said that the King will meet them. And now go they in. The King greeted Oliver well, and bade him sit over against him in the high-seat, and his fellows there out from him on either side. They did so. Egil sat next to Oliver.

And now was borne to them ale to drink. There went many health-cups, and there must a horn be drunk to every health. But as the evening wore, then it so came about that Oliver’s fellows began many of them to be speechless: some spewed within there in the hall, but some found their way out before the door. Bard went hard to it, to bear them drink.
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Then took Egil that horn that Bard had fetched for Oliver, and drank it off. Bard said that he was mighty thirsty, and brought him forthwith the horn full and bade him drink it off. Egil took the horn and quoth a stave:
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Said you swig was lacking,
Shatt’rer of helm-bane ogress?
Where ye held feast of Goddesses?—
Master of cheats I call thee!
All too ill thou hiddest
From unwitting sword-saplings,
(An ill cheat have you cheated!)
Bard, thine heart of evil.

Bard bade him drink, and have done with his fleering ditties. Egil drank every cup that came to him, and so too for Oliver.
Then Bard went to the Queen and said to her that that man was there who brought shame upon them, and never drank so much but that he said he was still thirsty. The Queen and Bard blended then the drink with venom, and bare it then in. Bard signed the cup: brought it therewith to the cup-maid:
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she bare it to Egil and bade him drink.

Egil drew then his knife and stuck it into the palm of his hand: he took the horn and scored runes
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thereon and did them over with the blood. He quoth:
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Write we runes on the horn now:
Redden the spells with life-blood:
These be the words I’ll choose for
Root of the fierce beast’s ear-tree.
Drink we free of the draught borne
By good gleesome bondmaids.
Let us know how this will medicine us:
Ale that Bard did sign.

The horn sprang asunder, and the drink spilt down into the straw.

Then it began to go ill with Oliver. Up stood Egil then, and led Oliver out to the doors, and had his sword in hand. But when they come to the doors, then came Bard after them and bade Oliver drink his parting-health. Egil took it, and drank, and quoth a stave:
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Ale bear to me, sith ale now
Gars Oliver turn greenish.
Let I wild ox’s bill-drops
Drizzle through my moustachios.
Clean miss goes thy foretelling
What weather’s toward, O spear-sky’s
Rain-boder! lo, it raineth
Rain of Gods most High!

Egil casteth down the horn, but grabbed his sword and drew. It was dark in the fore-hall. He laid the sword through Bard’s middle, so that the point leapt out at his back: he fell down dead, and the blood leapt out from the wound. Then fell Oliver, and the spew gushed out of him. Egil leapt out then forth from the
hall: then was it moonless dark without: Egil took straight to running from the house.

But within, in the fore-hall, men saw that they were both fallen, Bard and Oliver. Then came the King thither and let bear lights: then saw men what was betided, that Oliver lay there senseless, but Bard was slain, and all the floor swam with his blood. Then asked the King where might he be, that big man, that had drunken most there that evening. Men said that he went out.

“Search for him,” said the King, “and let him come to me.”

Now was search made for him about the house, but nought found of him. But when they came into the firehouse, there lay many men of Oliver’s: the King’s men asked if Egil perchance had come there. They say that he had leapt in there and taken his weapons, “And went out after that”.

Then was that said unto the King. The King bade his men fare at their nimblest and take all the ships that were in the island; “But in the morning, when it is light, we shall ransack
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all the island and then slay the man”.

CHAPTER XLV. OF EGlL’S FLIGHT.

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GIL fared now through the night and looked about where the ships were. But wheresoever he came to the strand, everywhere there was men before him. He fared all that night and found never a ship: and when it began to be light, he was stood on a certain ness. He saw then an isle, and there was a sound there between, and marvellous broad. Then was this his rede, that he took his helm, sword, and spear, and broke that off its shaft and shot the shaft out to sea: but the weapons he wrapped in his overmantle and made him a bundle of it and bound it on his back. Then leapt he into the sound and stayed not till he came to the isle: it was named Sheppey, and is not a great isle, and grown over with bushes. There was in it cattle, neats and sheep, and that belonged to Atley. But when he came
to the isle he wrung out his clothes. Then was it daylight and the sun risen.

Eric the King let ransack the isle as soon as it was light. That went slowly, for the isle was great, and Egil was not to be found. Then they went by ship to other isles to search for him.

That was about evening that twelve men rowed to Sheppey to search for Egil. Even so there were many isles near by. He saw the ship that fared to the isle. Now nine went up and split into search-parties. Egil had laid him down in the bushes and hidden him before the ship came to land. Now went three in each party, but three minded the ship. And when the search-parties were out of sight of the ship
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then stood up Egil and went to the ship. But they that minded the ship knew nought afore Egil was come upon them.

He hewed one his bane-wound forthright, but another took to running and there was there a certain bank to leap up: Egil hewed after him and took off his foot. But one leapt aboard the ship and pushed off with the quant-pole; but Egil drew in the rope and leapt out aboard the ship, and there was no long bandying of blows betwixt them before Egil slew him and bundled him overboard. Then took he oars and rowed away in the ship. Fared he all that night and the day after, and stayed not till he came to Thorir the Hersir’s.

Now Oliver and his fellows the King let fare in peace as for these doings. But those men that were in Sheppey, they were there many nights, and slew cattle for their meat, took fire and made a cooking-place: they made it so great that it might be seen from home, laid fire in and made a beacon. But when that was seen, then folk rowed out to them. The King was by then away: fared he then to another feast.

Oliver and his came home before Egil, and Thorir and Thorolf and their folk were new come home from the bridal. Oliver said the tidings: Bard’s slaying and those chances that there had befallen, but he wist nought of Egil’s farings, and Thorolf was all unmerry, and so too Arinbiorn. It seemed to them as if he would not come back again.

But the morning after, came Egil home. Now when Thorolf was let know of this, then stood he up and went to find Egil and
asked him in what manner he had come off, and what to tell of had befallen in his faring. Then quoth Egil a stave:
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So have I farewell’d Listland’s
Landwarder’s garth, and Gunnhild’s,
Rich in deeds (I’ll draw no
Darkling veil to hide them),
As that some three thanes there
Of Hlokk’s thriving rowan,
In Hell’s huge dwelling,
Hell-gone, end their goings.

Arinbiorn deemed well of this work: said that his father’s duty it was to make peace for him with the King.

Thorir saith, “That will be the talk of men, that Bard will have gotten his deserts in this, that he was slain. And yet goeth it over-much in Egil’s family, to look too little before them lest they stand in the King’s wrath; and that turneth out for most men a thing heavy to bear. Yet even so will I bring thee into atonement with the King as for this time”.

Thorir went to see the King; but Arinbiorn was at home, and said one fate should go over them all. But when Thorir came to see the King, then made he offer for behalf of Egil, bade himself as surety, and the King’s doom.
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King Eric was of the wrath-fullest, and nought easy was it to come to an agreement with him.

The King spake and said that that would come true, even as his father had said, that ’twould be long ere one put trust in those kinsfolk: bade Thorir so devise as that, “albeit I do somewhat of peace-making, Egil be not long a dweller in my realm. But, for sake of thee, Thorir, will I take fee for those men”.

The King made the fine such as seemed him good, but Thorir paid it all. Fared he then home.

CHAPTER XLVI. THOROLF AND EGIL HARRY IN KURLAND.

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HOROLF and Egil were with Thorir in good honour and esteem; but they made ready in the spring a great longship and found men thereto and fared in the summer east-away and harried and gat them fee and had many battles. They held withal out to Kurland, and lay by the land there for a half month’s peace and cheaping-mart.
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But when that was ended, then took they to harrying and set on there at this stead and at that.

On a day, they set on by a certain great river-mouth; there there was withal a great forest. They took rede there for a going up aland, and split into bands of twelve men together. They went into the wood, and not long it was before the settled lands began. They robbed there and slew men, but the folk fled away and they found there no withstanding.