The Sagas of the Icelanders (88 page)

31
It is said that on one occasion when Helgi was sent again to spy in Geirthjofsfjord – where everyone believed Gisli to be staying – a man named Havard went with him. He had come to Iceland earlier that summer and was a kinsman of Gest Oddleifsson. They were sent into the woods to cut timber for building, and although that was the apparent purpose of their journey, it was really a ploy for them to look for Gisli and to see whether they could locate his hideout. One evening they saw a fire on the ridge, south of the river. This was at dusk, but it was very dark.

Then Havard asked Helgi what they should do – ‘For you are more used to all this than I am,’ he said.

‘There is only one thing to do,’ said Helgi, ‘and that is to build a cairn here on this hillock, where we are now, so that it can be found tomorrow when it grows light enough to see.’

This is what they decided to do. When they had built the cairn, Havard said that he was so drowsy that he could do nothing else than go to sleep -- which he then did. Helgi stayed awake and finished off building the cairn, and when he was done, Havard awoke and told him to sleep for a while, saying that he would keep watch. Then Helgi slept for a spell, and while he was sleeping, Havard began carrying away every single stone of the cairn under the cover of darkness. When he had done that, he took a great boulder and hurtled it down on the rock-face near Helgi’s head so hard that the ground shook. Helgi sprang to his feet, shaking with fear, and asked what had happened.

Havard said, ‘There’s a man in the woods. Many such boulders have been cast down here tonight.’

‘That must have been Gisli,’ said Helgi, ‘and he must know we’re here. You must surely realize, my friend, that every bone in our bodies would have been smashed to pieces if that rock had hit us. There’s nothing else to do but get out of here as quickly as possible.’

Then Helgi ran as fast as he could, and Havard went after him and asked him not to run so far ahead. But Helgi took no notice and ran as fast as his feet would carry him. Finally, they both reached the boat, jumped into it and rowed hard without pause until they came to Otradal. Helgi said that he now knew of Gisli’s whereabouts.

Eyjolf acted quickly. He left immediately with eleven men – Helgi and Havard among them – and journeyed until they came to Geirthjofsfjord. They scanned the whole wood for the cairn and Gisli’s hideout, but found neither. Then Eyjolf asked Havard where they had built the cairn.

He answered, ‘I couldn’t tell you. Not only was I so tired that I hardly knew what was going on around me, but it was Helgi who finished building the cairn while I slept. I think Gisli must have been aware of us being there, then taken the cairn apart when it was light and we were gone.’

Then Eyjolf said, ‘Fortune is not with us in this matter, so we will turn back.’

And they did just that. But first Eyjolf wanted to go and see Aud. They reached the farmhouse and went in, where Eyjolf sat down to talk to Aud, and these were his words – ‘I want to make a deal with you, Aud,’ he said. ‘You tell me where Gisli is and I will give you three hundred pieces of silver, which I have received as the price on his head, and you will not be present when we take his life. In addition, I will arrange a marriage for you that will be superior in every way to this one. And you must consider,’ he said, ‘how impractical it would be for you to linger in this deserted fjord and suffer from Gisli’s ill fortune, never seeing your family and kinfolk again.’

This was her reply: ‘I don’t expect,’ she said, ‘that we’ll reach agreement on your ability to find me as good a match as this one. Yet, it’s true what they say, “death’s best consolation is wealth”, so let me see whether this silver is as plentiful or as fine as you say.’

So he poured the silver into her lap, and she held it there while he counted it and showed her its value.

Gudrid, her foster-daughter, began to cry.

32
Then Gudrid went to meet Gisli and told him, ‘My foster-mother has lost her senses and means to betray you.’

Gisli said, ‘Think only good thoughts, for my death will never be the result of Aud’s treachery.’

Then he spoke a verse:

After that the girl went home, but did not say where she had been. By that time Eyjolf had counted all the silver.

Aud spoke: ‘By no means is this silver any less or worse than you have said. And now you must agree that I may do with it whatever I choose.’

Eyjolf gladly agreed, and told her that, of course, she might do as she wished with it. Aud took the silver and put it in a large purse, then she stood up and struck Eyjolf on the nose, and blood spurted all over him.

‘Take that for your gullibility,’ she said, ‘and all the harm that ensues from it. There was never any hope that I would render my husband into your hands, you evil man. Take this now for your cowardice and your shame, and remember, you wretch, for as long as you live, that a woman has struck you. And you will not get what you desire, either.’

Then Eyjolf said, ‘Seize the cur and kill it, though it be a bitch.’

Then Havard spoke. ‘Our expedition has gone badly enough without this disgraceful deed. Stand up to him, men. Don’t let him do this.’

Eyjolf said, ‘The old saying is true, “the treachery of a friend is worse than that of a foe”.’

Havard was a popular man, and many of the party were ready to show him their support, as well as to prevent Eyjolf from carrying out this disgraceful act. So Eyjolf conceded to them and having done that he left.

But before Havard left, Aud spoke to him: ‘It would be wrong to hold back the debt that Gisli owes you. Here is a gold ring I want you to have.’

‘But it is not a debt I was looking to recover,’ said Havard.

‘Even so,’ said Aud, ‘I want to pay you back.’

Actually, she gave him the gold ring for his help.

Havard got himself a horse and rode south to Gest Oddleifsson at Bardastrond, for he had no desire to remain any longer with Eyjolf. Eyjolf went back home to Otradal, and was thoroughly displeased with the outcome of his journey, especially since most people regarded it as disgraceful.

33
As the summer wore on, Gisli stayed in his underground hideout and was very much on his guard. He had no intention of leaving and, besides, he felt that no other refuge was left him since the tally of years in his dreams had now passed away.

It happened that one summer night Gisli once again had a very fitful and restless sleep, and when he awoke Aud asked him what he had dreamed.

He told her that the bad dream-woman had come to him and said, ‘Now I will destroy everything that the good dream-woman has said to you, and I will make certain that nothing comes of what she has promised.’ Then Gisli spoke a verse:

‘Then in a second dream,’ he said, ‘this woman came to me and tied a blood-stained cap on my head, and before that she bathed my head in blood and poured it all over me, covering me in gore.’

And he spoke a verse:

Then he spoke another verse:

Gisli began to have so many dreams that he became very frightened of the dark and dared not be alone any longer. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw the same woman. On yet another night, Gisli slept badly and Aud asked him what happened to him in his dream.

‘I dreamed,’ said Gisli, ‘that some men came upon us. Eyjolf was among them and many others. We confronted each other, and I know there was an exchange of blows between us. One of them came first, really howling, and I think I must have cut him in two at the waist. I thought he had the head of a wolf. Then many others attacked me. I felt I had my shield in my hand and that I fought them off for a long while.’

Then Gisli spoke a verse:

Then he spoke another:

And then another:

Now autumn drew near, but Gisli’s dreams did not ease; indeed, they grew more frequent. One night, after he had slept badly, Aud asked him again what had appeared to him. Gisli spoke a verse:

And then he spoke another:

And then another:

And yet again: