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Then Mord left Hauskuld the priest, and had ready a long tale, how that Hauskuld had meant to burn them while they sat at a feast in Whiteness, had not Hogni, Gunnar's son, come by. And as this plan had failed, he set about gathering his men together to slay his brothers as they rode home, but neither Grani, son of Gunnar, nor Gunnar, son of Lambi, had the heart to do it.
And this was done; and when the roof fell down they beheld Gunnar standing on the beam, shooting arrows at his enemies. At this Mord cried once more that the house should be burned, but the rest called shame on him, and then Thorbrand crept up on one side and cut Gunnar's bowstring with his axe. But before he could reach the ground again Gunnar had seized his bill, and driven it through his body.
Thus things went on for many months, and whenever Mord met one of Njal's sons, or Kari, who had married their sister, he had new stories to tell them, till at length their hearts grew hot, and they determined that they would slay Hauskuld, lest perchance he might first slay them. Hauskuld was sowing his corn when his brothers, and with them Mord, Valgard's son, came up to kill him.
"Close in, you cowards!" he yells, "close in and cut them down!" but no man stirs. Then Eric mocks them. "There are but two of us," he says, "will no man try a game with me? Let it not be sung that twenty were overcome of two." Now Ospakar's son Mord hears, and he grows mad with rage. He holds his shield aloft and rushes on. But Gizur the Lawman does not come, for Gizur was a coward.
Set therefore apart whatever you get from each house, and bring it to me. And it was done exactly as Mord commanded, and in fourteen days the women came back, all bearing large bundles. 'Who gave you the most? asked Mord, and one woman answered: 'Hallgerda, the wife of Gunnar; she gave us a cheese cut into great slices. 'I will keep that cheese, said Mord.
And he sent for his son Mord and bade him stir up strife between Njal's sons and their brother Hauskuld the priest, for he ever hated Njal, and longed to be avenged on him. So Mord fared to Hauskuld, and told him tales of what his brothers had said of him, but Hauskuld bade him begone, for he would listen to none of his stories.
And Sigurd looked up at the tower, and saw who was there, and stayed with his face raised, motionless for a space. I minded how Mord had stared and cried out when first he saw Havelok, the son of Gunnar, in his war gear. "Biorn! where is Biorn?" cried Sigurd, looking back on the crowd as if he thought he would be there.
Maybe we were two miles out of Grimsby at this time, for one can see far along the level marsh tracks from our tower; and Withelm and Mord and I rode on to him as soon as we saw him, that we might tell him all that had happened, and we rode slowly and talked for half a mile or so.
Berthun would go with him, and Arngeir would bide at home, for we needed one to whom messages might come; and while none would know us now in Denmark, either Arngeir or Mord might be seen, and men would tell Hodulf that the men of Grim had come home, and so perhaps spoil all. Word might go to Denmark from Griffin even yet.
"This is hasty, my princess," Mord said. "Whither are we bound?" "For Grimsby, Mord," I answered quickly. "Are there no more horses to be had?" "Never a one, unless we steal from the king," he answered. The people were crowding out now that they might see the start, and I saw Berthun speak to a man among them who was a stranger to me. And from him he turned directly with a glad face.