The story of Burnt Njal From the Icelandic of the Njals Saga

CHAPTER XXVIII.

HAL­LVARD COMES OUT TO ICE­LAND.

There came a ship out from Nor­way, and ran in­to Arn­bæl's Oyce,[10] and the mas­ter of the ship was Hal­lvard, the white, a man from the Bay.[11] He went to stay at Lithend, and was with Gun­nar that win­ter, and was al­ways ask­ing him to fare abroad with him. Gun­nar spoke lit­tle about it, but yet said more un­like­ly things might hap­pen; and about spring he went over to Bergth­orsknoll to find out from Njal whether he thought it a wise step in him to go abroad.

“I think it is wise,” says Njal; “they will think thee there an hon­ourable man, as thou art.”

“Wilt thou per­haps take my goods in­to thy keep­ing while I am away, for I wish my broth­er Kolskegg to fare with me; but I would that thou shouldst see af­ter my house­hold along with my moth­er.”

“I will not throw any­thing in the way of that,” says Njal; “lean on me in this thing as much as thou lik­est.”

“Good go with thee for thy words,” says Gun­nar, and he rides then home.

The East­er­ling [the Norse­man Hal­lvard] fell again to talk with Gun­nar that he should fare abroad. Gun­nar asked if he had ev­er sailed to oth­er lands? He said he had sailed to ev­ery one of them that lay be­tween Nor­way and Rus­sia, and so, too, I have sailed to Biar­ma­land.[12]

“Wilt thou sail with me east­ward ho?” says Gun­nar.

“That I will of a sure­ty,” says he.

Then Gun­nar made up his mind to sail abroad with him. Njal took all Gun­nar's goods in­to his keep­ing.