“Just what might be looked for to befall him,” says Gunnar, “for ill redes bring ill luck, and both you and Skarphedinn have often done one another spiteful turns”.

Then Gunnar went away; he let no steps be taken towards a suit for manslaughter, and did nothing about it.  Hallgerda often put him in mind of it, and kept saying that Sigmund had fallen unatoned.  Gunnar gave no heed to that.

Now three Things passed away, at each of which men thought that he would follow up the suit:  then a knotty point came on Gunnar’s hands, which he knew not how to set about, and then he rode to find Njal.  He gave Gunnar a hearty welcome.  Gunnar said to Njal, “I am come to seek a bit of good counsel at thy hands about a knotty point”.

“Thou art worthy of it,” says Njal, and gave him counsel what to do.  Then Gunnar stood up and thanked him.  Njal then spoke and said, and took Gunnar by the hand, “Over long hath thy kinsman Sigmund been unatoned”.  “He has been long ago atoned,” says Gunnar, “but still I will not fling back the honour offered me.”

Gunnar had never spoken an ill word of Njal’s sons.  Njal would have nothing else than that Gunnar should make his own award in the matter.  He awarded two hundred in silver, but let Skiolld fall without a price.  They paid down all the money at once.

Gunnar declared this their atonement at the Thingskala Thing, when most men were at it, and laid great weight on the way in which they (Njal and his sons) had behaved; he told too those bad words which cost Sigmund his life, and no man was to repeat them or sing the verses, but if any sung them, the man who uttered them was to fall without atonement.

Both Gunnar and Njal gave each other their words that no such matters should ever happen that they would not settle among themselves; and this pledge was well kept ever after, and they were always friends.

CHAPTER XLVI.

OF GIZUR THE WHITE AND GEIR THE PRIEST.

There was a man named Gizur the White; he was Teit’s son; Kettlebjorn the Old’s son, of Mossfell.  Gizur the White kept house at Mossfell, and was a great chief.  That man is also named in this story, whose name was Geir the priest; his mother was Thorkatla, another daughter of Kettlebjorn the Old of Mossfell.  Geir kept house at Lithe.  He and Gizur backed one another in every matter.  At that time Mord Valgard’s son kept house at Hof on the Rangrivervales; he was crafty and spiteful.  Valgard his father was then abroad, but his mother was dead.  He was very envious of Gunnar of Lithend.  He was wealthy, so far as goods went, but had not many friends.

CHAPTER XLVII.

OF OTKELL IN KIRKBY.

There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.