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Unn gave, at her own cost, the bridal-feast, and let Thorgerd have for her dowry all Salmonriver-Dale; and Koll set up a household there on the south side of the Salmon-river. Koll was a man of the greatest mettle: their son was named Hoskuld. Unn Divides her Land After that Unn gave to more men parts of her land-take.
He was huge in stature his hair was black, and black his beard, and on his lower lip there lay a great black fang. His eyes were small and narrow, but his cheekbones were set wide apart and high, like those of a horse. "Who is this red fox that creeps into my earth?" For, to look at, Koll was very like a fox. "My name is Koll the Half-witted, Groa's thrall, lord. Am I welcome here?" he answered.
After that Unn steered her ship to the head of the bay, and there her high-seat pillars were washed ashore, and then she deemed it was easy to know where she was to take up her abode. She had a house built there: it was afterwards called Hvamm, and she lived there. The same spring as Unn set up household at Hvamm, Koll married Thorgerd, daughter of Thorstein the Red.
Then she alighted from her horse, Blackmane, and spoke with me apart. 'Koll, she said, 'it well may happen that thou wilt see Eric Brighteyes in London town. Now, if thou seest him, I charge thee straightly tell him this.
Still, being mindful of their oath, they hunted for Koll and found him. And when the thrall knew that they would slay him he ran thence screaming. Nor did Swanhild lift a hand to save his life, for she desired that Koll should die, lest he should bear witness against her. Away he ran towards the cliffs, and after him sped Atli's house-carles, till he came to the great cliffs that edge in the sea.
"If so, I give no heed to them: for ever, Koll, I have known thee for a liar!" "Nay, Eric, it is not all," answered Koll. "As it chanced, two days before the ship in which I sailed was bound, I saw Gudruda the Fair. Then she asked me whither I was going, and I told her that I would journey to London, where men said thou wert, and asked her if she would send a message.
He spoke low, but Koll the Half-witted, Groa's thrall, heard this oath and kept it in his mind. Very early on the morrow all men rose, and, taking horse, rode once more to the seaside, till they came to that shed where the Gudruda lay. Then, when the tide was high, Eric's company took hold of the black ship's thwarts, and at his word dragged her with might and main.
Unn spent much money on this feast, for she let be bidden thereto men of high degree wide about from other parts. She invited Bjorn and Helgi "Bjolan," her brothers, and they came with many followers. There came Koll o' Dales, her kinsman-in-law, and Hord of Hord-Dale, and many other great men.
Thus the state of the Danes was governed with the aid of regents until the time when the king should be a man. The wife of Koll was Gotwar, who used to paralyse the most eloquent and fluent men by her glib and extraordinary insolence; for she was potent in wrangling, and full of resource in all kinds of disputation.
"What wilt thou give me, lord, if I bring thee victory?" "I will give thee two hundred in silver." "Ask no questions and it shall be so," said Groa. Now Eric was without, taking note of the ground in the ring, and presently Groa called to her the thrall Koll the Half-witted, whom she had sent to Swinefell. "See," she said, "yonder by the wall stand the wrestling shoes of Eric Brighteyes.
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