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Now the children of Njal were all tall, but Helgi was tallest of all, except his brother Skarphedinn. And Flosi marked him, and said to his men: 'I like not the height of the woman who went yonder, nor the breadth of her shoulders. Seize her and hold her fast. As soon as Helgi heard that he threw his cloak aside and thrust at a man with his sword, and cut off his leg.
Mord is to take upon himself Thorgeir's suit against Flosi for killing Helgi, and the form of transfer is described as follows.
"Helgi!" cried his quondam foe. They looked each other in the face for an instant, and then simultaneously broke out into another fit of mirth. "By my faith, Estein, that was a plan worthy of yourself!" cried Helgi. "But 'tis lucky I fired not at you on the ground, as I had some thoughts of doing, knowing the trickery of these Jemtlanders." "Two things I feared," replied Estein.
Ketill was at first for stoutly refusing the adventure; but Helgi, whose convictions sat lightly on him compared with his attachment to Estein, persuaded him to consent. "Are you afraid?" he asked, and that question left no room for the proud Viking to hesitate. It was about two hours after midnight when the long ship, stealing under the shadow of the cliffs, turned into a small bay.
"The strong and foolish fight with weapons suited to their hands," said Thorar; "the weak and wise with weapons suited to their heads." "So hands, it seems, are better than heads," put in Helgi. "Know this at least," exclaimed Ketill, "your sons have perished before you. I slew them in the outset of the battle." The dying man laughed a ghastly laugh. "My sons!" he cried.
And again the brothers said, Nay, with scorn, and told him that he had profaned the temple of Baldur by speaking to Ingebjorg within its walls. "For such a misdeed," said Helgi, "death or banishment is the doom, and thou art in our power. Nevertheless, we are willing, as we wish to make thee useful to us, to forego the penalty.
Nevertheless, when Sævil and his retinue had started off, Helgi got an untamed colt, and mounting it with his face toward the horse's tail, set out, acting all the while very foolishly. Hroar also mounted a colt, and joined him; and the two overtook the company. They galloped back and forth beside Sævil's retinue, until finally Helgi's mask fell off, and then Signy recognized him.
"By the hammer of Thor!" growled the black-bearded captain, whose temper was ever of the shortest, "these men splash like cattle." One by one they stepped ashore, and then the party was divided. One man was left in charge of the boat; Ketill with three others went round to where the long ships lay; while Estein, Helgi, and Grim, with six picked men, cautiously approached the hall.
"The night is light," said he, "and there will still be some fire in the hall. But it will be a dangerous venture." Estein turned impatiently. "Methinks you have little feud with Liot," he said, and went over to where Helgi stood. "Well?" asked Helgi. "I have a plan." "Have you resolved on a burning? This cursed fog has made me cold, and a fire would like me well."
This ship was commanded by two brothers, Helgi and Finnbogi, who passed the winter in Greenland. They were descended from an Icelandic family of the East-firths.
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