Asmund said it should be so, and then they passed on to the stead.

Here Eric stripped off his harness, washed, and bound up his wounds.  Then, followed by Skallagrim, axe in hand, he came into the hall as men made ready to sit at meat.  Now the tale of the mighty deeds that he had done, except that of the saving of Gudruda, had gone abroad, and as Brighteyes came all men rose and with one voice shouted till the roof of the great hall rocked: 

“Welcome, Eric Brighteyes, thou glory of the south!”

Only Bjoern, Asmund’s son, bit his hand, and did not shout, for he hated Eric because of the fame that he had won.

Brighteyes stood still till the clamour died, then said: 

“Much noise for little deeds, brethren.  It is true that I overthrew the Mosfell Baresarks.  See, here is one,” and he turned to Skallagrim; “I strangled him in my arms on Mosfell’s brink, and that was something of a deed.  Then he swore fealty to me, and we are blood-brethren now, and therefore I ask peace for him, comrades—­even from those whom he has wronged or whose kin he has slain.  I know this, that when thereafter we stood back to back and met the company of Ospakar Blacktooth, who came to slay us—­ay, and Asmund also, and bear away Gudruda to be his wife—­he warred right gallantly, till seven of their band lay stiff on Horse-Head Heights, overthrown of us, and among them Mord, Blacktooth’s son; and Ospakar himself went thence sore smitten of this Skallagrim.  Therefore, for my sake, do no harm to this man who was Baresark, but now is my thrall; and, moreover, I beg the aid and friendship of all men of this quarter in those suits that will be laid against me at the Althing for these slayings, which I hereby give out as done by my hand, and by the hand of Skallagrim Lambstail, the Baresark.”

At these words all men shouted again; but Atli the Earl sprang from the high seat where Asmund had placed him, and, coming to Eric, kissed him, and, drawing a gold chain from his neck, flung it about the neck of Eric, crying: 

“Thou art a glorious man, Eric Brighteyes.  I thought the world had no more of such a breed.  Listen to my bidding:  come thou to the earldom in Orkneys and be a son to me, and I will give thee all good gifts, and, when I die, thou shalt sit in my seat after me.”

But Eric thought of Swanhild, who must go from Iceland as wife to Atli, and answered: 

“Thou doest me great honour, Earl, but this may not be.  Where the fir is planted, there it must grow and fall.  Iceland I love, and I will stay here among my own people till I am driven away.”

“That may well happen, then,” said Atli, “for be sure Ospakar and his kin will not let the matter of these slayings rest, and I think that it will not avail thee much that thou smotest for thine own hand.  Then, come thou and be my man.”

“Where the Norns lead there I must follow,” said Eric, and sat down to meat.  Skallagrim sat down also at the side-bench; but men shrank from him, and he glowered on them in answer.