Chapter 56
Laf and they all set out together, seven of them, on board the boat, and got to Eastrey. They had the water coming into the boat all day, and Laf and his men were very wet, but Thora was dry. They went up to the homestead at Gate, and Thrond welcomed them, and bade kindle a fire for Laf and the men; but Thora was led into a room where the boy Sigmund, her son, should be with her. He was then nine years old, and very quick and big to look at. His mother asked him what Thrond had taught him, and he said that he had learned "how to bring all kinds of lawsuits, and to get my own rights and those of others. "And all this he had clear in his head. Then she asked what his foster-father had taught him of Holy Faith. Sigmund said that he had learned the Pater Noster and Creed. She said she would like to hear them, and he did as she wished; and it seemed to her that he sang the Pater Noster through pretty well, but Thrond's creed was ---
"[God giveth angels]: I walk not alone;
These follow my feet: five of God's angels:
A prayer for myself I pray: they bear my prayer o Christ:
Psalms seven I sing: God see to my lot!"
While he was singing thus, Thrond came into the room and asked what they were talking about. Thora answered and said that Sigmund her son had been showing her the lore he had taught him. "And methinks the Creed is not of the right kind," says she. "It was so, as thou knowest," says Thrond, "that Christ had twelve disciples, or more, and each of them had his own creed: so also I have my creed, and thou hast the one that thou hast learnt. And there are creeds many, and they need not all be alike to be right. "So their talk ended.
In the evening they were treated like guests in the best way, and there was hard drinking, and Thrond was very merry. Thrond told them that they would lodge them in the room, and make a bed for them on the floor. Laf said that would do very well. Thora said that she wished Sigmund to sleep with her that night, that he might tell her of all he had learnt. "That cannot be," says Thrond, "for then I should never sleep all night. ""Thou wilt let this be to please me, my dear Thrond," she says. And so it came about that the boy slept with her and Laf.
Now Thrond had a little chamber for himself, and he always slept there and the boy by his side, and few beside. And Thrond went to his chamber, and it was then deep in the night. Laf made ready to sleep and lay down and turned from his wife. She stretched forth her hand to his back and bade him not sleep. "Stand up," says she, "and go round about Eastrey tonight, and scuttle every boat so that there be not one seaworthy. And so they did. Laf knew every creek there, and they scuttled every craft that could float, so that it was not seaworthy. They did not sleep that night, and early in the morning they rose, and Thora and Sigmund went down to the boat, but Laf walked over to the chamber and bade Thrond farewell, and thanked him for his good welcome, and told him that Thora wished Sigmund to go home with her. Thrond had slept little that night; he said that that might not be --- that Sigmund should go away. Then Laf walked hastily down to the boat, but now Thrond thought he could see Laf's whole plan. So he bade his house-carles take a row-boat he had and man her well. They did so, but in came the coal-black sea, and they were fain to get to land. There was not a seaworthy craft on the island, so that Thrond must need bide there whether he liked it or not. Laf went on till he reached home, and then he gathered men to him. This was the day before that on which Sigurd and Thord were to meet them.
Chapter 57
Now of Sigurd Thorlaksson and his kinsmen it must be told that they got ready on the day to leave home, and Sigurd urged them on to be smart. Thord says that he is little bent on going, "And I think thou must be fey," says he, "since thou art so mightily stirring over this matter. ""Be not so strange!"says Sigurd, "and be not so afraid where is no jeopardy. But do not let us advisedly break the appointment that we have agreed upon together. ""Thou shalt have thy way," says Thord, "but it will not come on me unawares if we do not all get back in the evening whole. "They set out in a boat, twelve of them together, well weaponed all. They had stormy weather through the day and a terrible stream, but they bore up well and made Scufey. Then Thord said that he would go no farther. Sigurd said he would go up to the homestead, if he went up alone, but Thord said he must be fey. So Sigurd landed; he was clad in a red kirtle, and he had a blue tie-mantle on his shoulders; he was girt with a sword and had a helm on his head. He went up the island, and when he drew nigh to the house, he saw that the doors were to. The church that Sigmund had built stood in the garth over against the doors, and as Sigurd came up between the big house and the church, he saw that the church was open, and that a woman in a red kirtle and a blue mantle over her shoulders was coming out of it. Sigurd knew that it was goodwife Thurid, and walked up to her. She greeted him blithely, and they went up to a tree that lay in the garth, and sat them down on the tree together. She wished to turn towards the church, but he wished to turn towards the house-doors with his back to the church, but she had her way, and they had their faces towards the church. Sigurd asked her what men there were come there. She said there were very few. He asked her then if Laf were there. She said he was not there. "Are thy sons at home?" says he. "One may say so," says she. "What have they said about our business lately?"said Sigurd. "We have talked it over," says she, "and all we women think best of thee, and there would be little refusal of my hand if thou wert unfettered!""Then I have missed a great match," says Sigurd, "but it will not take much time to make me a free man. ""That is as may be," says she. Then he tried to draw her to him and got hold of her hands, but she gathered the tie-mantle to her, and with that the door opened and a man leapt out with a drawn sword. It was Here Sigmundsson. When Sigurd saw him he ducked down out of the mantle and so got loose, but Thurid still kept hold of the mantle. By this time more men were come out; so Sigurd leapt over the wall. Here caught up a spear and leapt over the wall after him, and he was the swiftest. Then he shot the spear at Sigurd; but when Sigurd saw that the spear was coming at his shoulders, he throw himself down on the ground, and the spear flew over him and stuck in the ground. Sigurd jumped up at once, caught up the spear and sent it back, and it hit Here in the middle of his body, and he gat his death at once. Then Sigurd ran down the little path; but when Laf came up where Here lay, he turned sharp off and ran down the island, and sprung off the first place he came to; and men say that it is fifteen fathoms down to the shore from where he leapt off. Laf came down on his feet, and ran out to the brothers' ship. By this time Sigurd had got up to the boat, and was just springing on board when Laf drove his sword at him and smote at his side, and he turned against him and the sword went into his body, as it seemed to Laf. Then Sigurd sprang on board the boat, and they put off from land; and so they parted. Laf went up the island to his men, and bade them get on board as quickly as they could, "for we will hold on after them. "They asked him if he knew of Here's death, and whether he had lit on Sigurd. He said he had no time now for much talking. They got on board two boats. Laf had eighty men with him; and there was no small difference in the time these boats took and the other. Sigurd and his men came ashore at Streamsey; he had steered the boat himself, and had spoken little to them. As he landed from the boat Thord asked if he was badly wounded. He said he did not surely know. He went up to the boat-house wall that was near the sea, and laid his arms upon it, while the others cleared the boat, and then went up to the boat-house, and there they saw Sigurd standing stiff and dead. They bore his body home, and told no man these tidings. Then they went to supper.
And as they were at meat, Laf and his folk came up to the homestead and made an onslaught against it, and set it on fire. They defended themselves well; they were eleven in all, but there were thirty men come against them. When the fire took hold on the house, Geat ran out, for he could not bear it any longer. Stangrim Sigmundsson and two other men set on him, but he defended himself well. Geat cut at Stangrim's knee, and hewed off his kneecap, and a great wound it was, so that he went halt ever after. He also slew one of his men with him. Then Laf Ossursson came up, and they drove at each other with their weapons, and it ended by Laf slaying Geat. Thord the Low was the next man to run out, and Brand Sigmundsson and two other men met him and set on him, and the end of their meeting was that Thord slew Brand and both his fellows. Then Laf Ossursson came up and drove the same sword through Thord that he had smitten his brother Sigurd with, and Thord died straightway.
Chapter 58
After these things Laf went home, and he became a man of renown because of these deeds; but when Thrond heard these tidings, he took it so much to heart that he died of grief. So now Laf alone ruled over all the Færeys; and this was in the days of King Magnus the Good, the son of Olave. Laf went over to Norway to see King Magnus, and took the Færeys in fee of him, and came home to the Færeys, and dwelt there till he was an old man. Sigmund his son dwelt in Southrey after his father Laf, and he was held a great man. Goodwife Thurid and Laf died in the days of King Magnus, but Thora lived on with her son Sigmund, and was always thought to be the greatest paragon of a woman. Sigmund's son was named Hafgrim, and from him are come Einar and Scegge, his sons, who were reeves over the Færeys a short while ago. Stangrim the Halt, the son of Sigmund, abode in Scufey and was held a good franklin. And it is not set down here that there has been any more to be told of Sigmund Brestesson or of them that came of him.