CHAPTER III.

HRUT AND GUNNHILLDA, KINGS MOTHER.

At that time Harold Grayfell reigned in Norway; he was the son of Eric Bloodaxe, who was the son of Harold Fairhair; his mother’s name was Gunnhillda, a daughter of Auzur Toti, and they had their abode east, at the King’s Crag.  Now the news was spread, how a ship had come thither east into the Bay, and as soon as Gunnhillda heard of it, she asked what men from Iceland were aboard, and they told her Hrut was the man’s name, Auzur’s brother’s son.  Then Gunnhillda said, “I see plainly that he means to claim his heritage, but there is a man named Soti, who has laid his hands on it”.

After that she called her waiting-man, whose name was Augmund, and said—­

“I am going to send thee to the Bay to find out Auzur and Hint, and tell them that I ask them both to spend this winter with me.  Say, too, that I will be their friend, and if Hrut will carry out my counsel, I will see after his suit, and anything else he takes in hand, and I will speak a good word, too, for him to the king.”

After that he set off and found them; and as soon as they knew that he was Gunnhillda’s servant, they gave him good welcome.  He took them aside and told them his errand, and after that they talked over their plans by themselves.  Then Auzur said to Hrut—­

“Methinks, kinsman, here is little need for long talk, our plans are ready made for us; for I know Gunnhillda’s temper; as soon as ever we say we will not go to her she will drive us out of the land, and take all our goods by force; but if we go to her, then she will do us such honour as she has promised.”

Augmund went home, and when he saw Gunnhillda, he told her how his errand had ended, and that they would come, and Gunnhillda said—­

“It is only what was to be looked for; for Hrut is said to be a wise and well-bred man; and now do thou keep a sharp look out, and tell me as soon as ever they come to the town.”

Hrut and Auzur went east to the King’s Crag, and when they reached the town, their kinsmen and friends went out to meet and welcome them.  They asked, whether the king were in the town, and they told them he was.  After that they met Augmund, and he brought them a greeting from Gunnhillda, saying, that she could not ask them to her house before they had seen the king, lest men should say, “I make too much of them”.  Still she would do all she could for them, and she went on, “tell Hrut to be outspoken before the king, and to ask to be made one of his body-guard”; “and here,” said Augmund, “is a dress of honour which she sends to thee, Hrut, and in it thou must go in before the king”.  After that he went away.

The next day Hrut said—­

“Let us go before the king.”

“That may well be,” answered Auzur.

So they went, twelve of them together, and all of them friends or kinsmen, and came into the hall where the king sat over his drink.  Hrut went first and bade the king “good day,” and the king, looking steadfastly at the man who was well-dressed, asked him his name.  So he told his name.