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Thor s heavy wrestler, age,
Holds my weak limbs from fray:
Though keen my spirit spurs,
No speedy vengeance mine.
King Harold went that summer to Upland, and in the autumn westwards to Valres, and as far as Vors.
Aulvir Hnuf was with the king, and often spoke with him about whether he would pay atonement for
Thorolf, granting to Kveldulf and Skallagrim money compensation, or such honour as would content
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them. The king did not altogether refuse this, if father and son would come to him. Whereupon Aulvir
started northwards for the Firths, nor stayed his journey till he came one evening to these twain. They
received him gratefully, and he remained there for some time. Kveldulf questioned Aulvir closely
about the doings at Sandness when Thorolf fell, what doughty deeds Thorolf had wrought before he
fell, who smote him with weapon, where he received most wounds, what was the manner of his fall.
Aulvir told him all that he asked; and that king Harold gave him the wound that was alone enough for
his bane, and that Thorolf fell forward at the very feet of the king.
Then answered Kveldulf: Good is that thou tellest; for tis an old saw that he will be avenged who
falls forward, and that vengeance will reach him who stands before him when he falls; yet is it unlikely
that such good-fortune will be ours.
Aulvir told father and son that he hoped, if they would go to the king and crave atonement, that it
would be a journey to their honour; and he bade them venture this, adding many words to that end.
Kveldulf said he was too old to travel: I shall sit at home, said he.
Wilt thou go, Grim? said Aulvir.
I think I have no errand thither, said Grim; I shall seem to the king not fluent in speech; nor do I
think I shall long pray for atonement.
Aulvir said that he would not need to do so: We will do all the speaking for thee as well as we can.
And seeing that Aulvir pressed this matter strongly, Grim promised to go when he thought he could be
ready. He and Aulvir set them a time when Grim should come to the king. Then Aulvir went away
first, and returned to the king.
Chapter 25 - Skallagrim s journey to the king.
Skallagrim made him ready for this journey, choosing out of his household and neighbours the
strongest and doughtiest that were to be found. One was Ani, a wealthy landowner, another Grani, a
third Grimolf and his brother Grim, house-carles these of Skallagrim, and the two brothers Thorbjorn
Krum and Thord Beigaldi. These were called Thororna s sons; she dwelt hard by Skallagrim, and was
of magic skill. Beigaldi was a coal-biter. There was a man named Thorir Giant, and his brother
Thorgeir Earthlong, Odd Lonedweller, and Griss Freedman. Twelve there were for the journey, all
stalwart men, and several of them shape-strong.
They took a rowing-ship of Skallagrim s, went southwards along the coast, stood in to Ostra Firth,
then travelled by land up to Vors to the lake there; and, their course lying so that they must cross it,
they got a suitable rowing-ship and ferried them over, whence they had not very far to go to the farm
where the king was being entertained.
They came there at the time when the king was gone to table. Some men they found to speak with
outside in the yard, and asked what was going on. This being told them, Grim begged one to call
Aulvir Hnuf to speak with him. The man went into the room and up to where Aulvir sat, and said:
There be men here outside newly come, twelve together, if men one may call them, for they are liker
to giants in stature and semblance than to mortal men.
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Aulvir at once rose and went out, for he knew who they were who had come. He greeted well his
kinsman Grim, and bade him go with him into the room.
Grim said to his comrades: Tis the custom here that men go weaponless before the king; six of us
shall go in, the other six shall bide without and keep our weapons.
Then they entered, and Aulvir went up to the king, Skallagrim standing at his back. Aulvir was
spokesman: Here now is come Grim Kveldulf s son; we shall feel thankful to thee, O king, if thou
make his journey hither a good one, as we hope it will be. Many get great honour from thee to whom
less is due, and who are not nearly so accomplished as is he in every kind of skill. Thou wilt also do
this because it is a matter of moment to me, if that is of any worth in thy opinion.
Aulvir spoke fully and fluently, for he was a man ready of words. And many other friends of Aulvir
went before the king and pleaded this cause.
The king looked round, and saw that a man stood at Aulvir s back taller than the others by a head, and
bald.
Is that Skallagrim, asked the king, that tall man?
Grim said he guessed rightly.
I will then, said the king, if thou cravest atonement for Thorolf, that thou become my liege-man, and
enter my guard here and serve me. Maybe I shall so like thy service that I shall grant thee atonement
for thy brother, or other honour not less than I granted him; but thou must know how to keep it better
than he did, if I make thee as great a man as was he.
Skallagrim answered: It is well known how far superior to me was Thorolf in every point, and he got
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