The Story of Burnt Njal (Icelandic Saga). Anonymous

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      Hrut stayed with the king that winter in good cheer, but when spring came he grew very silent. Gunnhillda finds that out, and said to him when they two were alone together—

      "Art thou sick at heart?"

      "So it is," said Hrut, "as the saying runs—'Ill goes it with those who are born on a barren land'."

      "Wilt thou to Iceland?" she asks.

      "Yes," he answered.

      "Hast thou a wife out there?" she asked; and he answers, "No".

      "But I am sure that is true," she says; and so they ceased talking about the matter.

      [Shortly after] Hrut went before the king and bade him "good day"; and the king said, "What dost thou want now, Hrut?"

      "I am come to ask, lord, that you give me leave to go to Iceland."

      "Will thine honour be greater there than here?" asks the king.

      "No, it will not," said Hrut; "but every one must win the work that is set before him."

      "It is pulling a rope against a strong man," said Gunnhillda, "so give him leave to go as best suits him."

      There was a bad harvest that year in the land, yet Gunnhillda gave Hrut as much meal as he chose to have; and now he busks him to sail out to Iceland, and Auzur with him; and when they were all-boun, Hrut went to find the king and Gunnhillda. She led him aside to talk alone, and said to him—

      "Here is a gold ring which I will give thee;" and with that she clasped it round his wrist.

      "Many good gifts have I had from thee," said Hrut.

      Then she put her hands round his neck and kissed him, and said—

      "If I have as much power over thee as I think, I lay this spell on thee that thou mayest never have any pleasure in living with that woman on whom thy heart is set in Iceland, but with other women thou mayest get on well enough, and now it is like to go well with neither of us;—but thou hast not believed what I have been saying."

      Hrut laughed when he heard that, and went away; after that he came before the king and thanked him; and the king spoke kindly to him, and bade him "farewell". Hrut went straight to his ship, and they had a fair wind all the way until they ran into Borgarfirth.

      As soon as the ship was made fest to the land, Hrut rode west home, but Auzur stayed by the ship to unload her, and lay her up. Hrut rode straight to Hauskuldstede, and Hauskuld gave him a hearty welcome, and Hrut told him all about his travels. After that they sent men east across the rivers to tell Fiddle Mord to make ready for the bridal feast; but the two brothers rode to the ship, and on the way Hauskuld told Hrut how his money matters stood, and his goods had gained much since he was away. Then Hrut said—

      "The reward is less worth than it ought to be, but I will give thee as much meal as thou needst for thy household next winter."

      Then they drew the ship on land on rollers, and made her snug in her shed, but all the wares on board her they carried away into the Dales westward. Hrut stayed at home at Hrutstede till winter was six weeks off, and then the brothers made ready, and Auzur with them, to ride to Hrut's wedding. Sixty men ride with them, and they rode east till they came to Rangriver plains. There they found a crowd of guests, and the men took their seats on benches down the length of the hall, but the women were seated on the cross benches on the dais, and the bride was rather downcast. So they drank out the feast and it went off well. Mord pays down his daughter's portion, and she rides west with her husband and his train. So they ride till they reach home. Hrut gave over everything into her hands inside the house, and all were pleased at that; but for all that she and Hrut did not pull well together as man and wife, and so things went on till spring, and when spring came Hrut had a journey to make to the Westfirths, to get in the money for which he had sold his wares; but before he set off his wife says to him—

      "Dost thou mean to be back before men ride to the Thing?"

      "Why dost thou ask?" said Hrut.

      "I will ride to the Thing," she said, "to meet my father."

      "So it shall be," said he, "and I will ride to the Thing along with thee."

      "Well and good," she says.

      After that Hrut rode from home west to the Firths, got in all his money, and laid it out anew, and rode home again. When he came home he busked him to ride to the Thing, and made all his neighbours ride with him. His brother Hauskuld rode among the rest. Then Hrut said to his wife—

      "If thou hast as much mind now to go to the Thing as thou saidst a while ago, busk thyself and ride along with me."

      She was not slow in getting herself ready, and then they all rode to the Thing. Unna went to her father's booth, and he gave her a hearty welcome, but she seemed somewhat heavy-hearted, and when he saw that he said to her—

      "I have seen thee with a merrier face. Hast thou anything on thy mind?"

      She began to weep, and answered nothing. Then he said to her again, "Why dost thou ride to the Thing, if thou wilt not tell me thy secret? Dost thou dislike living away there in the west?"

      Then she answered him—

      "I would give all I own in the world that I had never gone thither."

      "Well!" said Mord, "I'll soon get to the bottom of this." Then he sends men to fetch Hauskuld and Hrut, and they came straightway; and when they came in to see Mord, he rose up to meet them and gave them a hearty welcome, and asked them to sit down. Then they talked a long time in a friendly way, and at last Mord said to Hauskuld—

      "Why does my daughter think so ill of life in the west yonder?"

      "Let her speak out," said Hrut, "if she has anything to lay to my charge."

      But she brought no charge against him. Then Hrut made them ask his neighbours and household how he treated her, and all bore him good witness, saying that she did just as she pleased in the house.

      Then Mord said, "Home thou shalt go, and be content with thy lot; for all the witness goes better for him than for thee".

      After that Hrut rode home from the Thing, and his wife with him, and all went smoothly between them that summer; but when spring came it was the old story over again, and things grew worse and worse as the spring went on. Hrut had again a journey to make west to the Firths, and gave out that he would not ride to the Althing, but Unna his wife said little about it. So Hrut went away west to the Firths.

      CHAPTER VII.

       UNNA SEPARATES FROM HRUT.

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      Now the time for the Thing was coming on, Unna spoke to Sigmund Auzur's son, and asked if he would ride to the Thing with her; he said he could not ride if his kinsman Hrut set his face against it.

      "Well!" says she, "I spoke to thee because I have better right to ask this from thee than from any one else."

      He answered, "I will make a bargain with thee: thou must promise to ride back west with me, and to have no underhand dealings against Hrut or myself".

      So she promised that, and then they rode to the Thing. Her father Mord was at the Thing, and was very glad to see her, and asked her to stay in his booth white the Thing lasted, and she did so.

      "Now," said Mord, "what hast thou to tell me of thy mate, Hrut?"

      Then she sung him a song, in which she praised Hrut's liberality, but said he was not master of himself. She herself was ashamed to speak out.

      Mord was silent a short time, and then said—

      "Thou hast now that on thy mind I