NOW Eyjolf fares from home with eleven men to see Bork the Stout,
and then he told him these tidings and the whole story.
Bork
was merry at that, and bade Thordisa make Eyjolf welcome.
"Bear
in mind now all thy old love for my brother Thorgrim, and be good to Eyjolf."
"I
will weep for my brother Gisli," says Thordisa; "but will it not be
welcome enough for Gisli's baneman if I make him some brose and serve it
up?"
And
that evening when she brought in the food she let fall the tray of spoons. Now
Eyjolf had laid the sword that Gisli had borne between the table and his legs.
Thordisa knows the sword, and as she stoops after the spoons she caught hold of
the sword by the hilt and makes a stab at Eyjolf, and wished to run him through
the middle, but she did not reckon that the hilt pointed up and caught the
table; so she thrust lower than she would, and bit him on the thigh, and gave
him a great wound.
Bork
seizes Thordisa, and twists the sword out of her hand. All jump up and push
away the board with the meat on it. Bork offered to let Eyjolf make his own
award, and he laid it at the full price of a man, and said he would have laid
it higher had not Bork behaved so well.
As
for Thordisa, she took witness at once, and says she will be parted from Bork,
for she will never come into his bed again; and she kept her word. After that
she went and dwelt at Thordisastead, out on the Ere. But Bork stays behind at
Helgafell till Snorro the Priest turned him out; and then Bork went to dwell at
Glasswaterwood.
As
for Eyjolf, he goes back home, and is ill-pleased with all he has done.
The
sons of Vestein fare to Gest their kinsman, and call on him to send them, at
his cost, abroad with their mother Gunnhillda, and Auda, Gisli's wife, and
Gudrida, the daughter of Ingialld, and Geirmund, her brother. So they all sail
for Norway from Whitewater in Borgarfirth. It was Gest who sent them away at
his cost. They had a short passage, and came safe to Norway. There Berg walks
along the street, and is looking out to hire them booth-room in the town. Two
men were with him, and they meet two other men--one was clad in scarlet, and
was a tall young man, and he asked Berg for his name. Berg told him at once the
truth of himself and his kindred; for he thought it rather likely that he
should gain good for his father than smart for him, for Vestein had made many
friends on his voyages. But that man clad in scarlet drew his sword straightway
and dealt Berg his death-blow. That man was Ari the Soursop, the brother of
Gisli and Thorkel. Berg's companions go to the ship, and tell what had
happened. The captain got them all out of the way, and Helgi took ship for
Greenland. He got thither and throve, and was thought a brave fellow. Men were
sent out to take his life, but it was not doomed that he should die so. Helgi
was drowned out fishing, and that was thought great scathe. Auda. and
Gunnhillda go to Denmark to Heathby. There they changed their faith, and went
south to Rome, and did not come back. Geirmund stayed in Norway and married,
and was well to do. His sister Gudrida was given away to a man, and she was
thought a wise woman, and many men have come from her. Ari the Soursop sailed
to Iceland, and landed in Whitewater, and sold his ship, and bought him land at
Hammer; and there he dwelt some winters. Later on he lived on the Moors, and
men have come from him too.
Here we end the Saga
of
GISLI the SOURSOP
God grant us all good
days without end. Amen.
----------------------
From: THE STORY/SAGA OF GISLI THE OUTLAW
Translated
From The Icelandic Sir George Webbe Dasent D.C.L. With Illustrations By C. E.
St. John-Mildmay
ISBN: 978-1-907256-46-2
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