Lögberg-Heimskringla - 17.03.1995, Síða 5

Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 17. mars 1995 • 5
Grímkell
By Ragnhildur Guttormsson
Edited by Kirsten Wolf
Helga, Hörðr’s wife, as well as their
two sons, Grímkell and Björn,
were with the outlaws in
Geirhólmr. Hörðr wanted Helga to take
passage on a merchant ship and retum to
her brother in Gotland, but she refused
to leave him. Both she and Hörðr were
hopelessly tired of the life they led, but
also hopelessly tied to it. It was viking life
all over again, but with all the glamour
left out. Only the sordid necessity of rob-
bing friends and relatives for food
remained.
Again Hörðr suggested to the outlaws
that they seize a merchant ship and sail
to Norway and thus save their lives and
terminate this hopeless career of crime.
Some of the outlaws were willing, but
Geirr spoke up saying, “It’s unmanly to
flee into exile unless we first give those
who have always been against us some-
thing to remember us by, other than the
loss of a few pigs and sheep.”
“What do you suggest we might do?”
asked Hörðr.
“Some such feat as would keep our
name aloft, like the killing of Torfi or the
buming down of Indriðastaðr.”
The more lawless and blood-thirsty
among the outlaws raised a great shout
and beat their shields to show their
approval.
“Deeds like that are not to my liking,”
answered Hörðr. But Geirr had the
majority on his side, and again Hörðr’s
proposal was set aside.
Not long after that Helgi came from a
spying trip to the mainland. He was
telling Hörðr and the rest about his expe-
rience.
“Þorbjörg and Indriði with an escort
of thirty were returning from Hólmr,
where they had been visiting Illugi.”
“Yes,” commented Geirr. “They feast,
while we fast.”
“Þorbjörg grows more beautiful every
day,” Helgi kept on. “They were very
gay.” Nobody said anything. Hörðr
looked angry.
“They halted their horses quite close
to me where I lay hidden in the mire, and
I heard Þorbjörg say, laughingly, “I won-
der what the Earl’s daughter in
Geirhólmr does today?”’
“What did Indriði say to that?” asked
Geirr.
“He said,” answered Helgi with a leer.
“He said, “Are you stíll sorry you didn’t
marry Geirr?”’ Then they both laughed.”
Geirr’s round face went red as fire,
and his eyes blazed. Hörðr stood up hur-
riedly and went out. He was followed by
Geirr.
Helgi watched them go with an evil
smile.
“You lied, Helgi.” It was Helga who
spoke sharply.
“I kindled a spark,” said Helgi.
“Not the first one you’ve kindled, you
miserable scum,” Helga said with con-
tempt. And Hörðr pays.”
A while later Hörðr came in. He
walked to the high seat and girded on his
good sword, Sótanaut. Then he spoke to
Helga, who was tucking the boys into
their beds in the alcove behind the high
seat which served as a bedroom.
“We’re going to the mainland, Helga;
we may not be back for three or four
days.”
“Do nothing rash, that you’ll later
regret, Hörðr. Tonight Helgi lied.”
The twenty-second installment ofan unpublished novel
by Ragnhildur Guttormsson, discovered and
edited byKirsten Wolf, Chair, Dept. oflcelandic, University of Manitoba.
The story so far:
The exploits ofHörðr and his outlaw followers
earn them widespread notoriety.
cmAJFsnm -xnx
Q05>a>S)ij> VáoáQo Qmd]a>áSgfaQŒiS)G>
Chapel of the old traditional
“I’ve doubted Helgi’s truthfulness
often in the past, but something drives me
on, something stronger than myself.”
With a gentle caress he left her.
Sigurðr, who had been resting in his
seat, rose quickly and picked up his axe.
“Are you going too, Sigurðr?” Helga
asked in surprise.
Usually Sigurðr did not gp on these
trips. His duty was to fetch water from
the mainland with another man in a spe-
cial boat.
“They’ll need water,” Sigurðr mur-
mured.
“But you only brought some yester-
day,” Helga said.
But Sigurðr did not seem to hear her.
He was still muttering about water as he
rushed out.
Hörðr and Geirr were busy getting the
expedition underway. Hörðr, looking
across Whalefirth, remarked, “There goes
Sigurðr across in the water-boat. I
thought he always went to the south
shore.”
“He told me he’d promised Helga
some blueberries. The ground is blue with
them.” Geirr spoke casually as of the
whims of a child. “Sigurðr grows old and
has to be humored.” Then they forgot
Sigurðr.
It was getting dark as the boats set out
from Geirhólmr across Whalefirth. The
outlaws concealed the boats in a lonely
ravine, leaving a few men on guard. The
rest of the party, eighty men in all, fol-
lowed Hörðr and Geirr up the mountains
in the directíon of Skorradalr.
Daylight overtook them as they
reached the low range of mountains that
formed the southern boundary of
Skorradalr. After taking council, it was
decided to hide in the shrubs and thickets
on the mountain slopes during the day
and make the attack on Indriðastaðr at
daybreak next moming.
Hörðr moved to the top of the hill
type at Hof in South lceland.
apart from the rest and sank gratefully
down on the fragrant sward. He
breathed deeply of the bittersweet aroma
from the wild mountains herbage; some-
where near by a waterfall droned peace-
fully. It reminded him of the little dell
near Silver Falls and his sister Þorbjörg.
It also reminded him of the unhappy
errand on which he was bent. Why had
he come? Helgi had always been the
black shadow behind all his impulsive
acts that had led him into trouble, and
Geirr could ever influence him to do his
will. Why not call the whole thing off?
But he had given his word; oaths were
not to be taken lightly. Geirr was his fos-
ter-brother and his brother-in-arms; their
fates were bound together. And to luck-
less Helgi he had vowed his life-long
protection. There was not a loop-hole of
escape. There was a slight mstíe in the
thicket above him, and he tumed about
to look.
“Sigurðr!” he exclaimed. “Did you
have to come this far for the blueber-
ries?”
Sigurðr startled when spoken to.
When he saw it was Hörðr, he seemed
relieved.
“The blueberries? Of course, they are
nowhere bigger than here.”
He sat down in the grass beside
Hörðr. Though he looked tired, there
was a satísfied quietness about him, as if
he had successfully carried out a mis-
sion.
At Indriðastaðr nobody slept that
night. Þórólfr came down from the hills
early in the aftemoon and spoke quietly
to Þorbjörg.
• “I’ve had disturbing dreams lately,”
Þorbjörg said to Indriði, “and I believe
we may have unwelcome visitors.”
“Dreams are idle,” Indriði answered.
“My dreams.often come true,”
declared Þorbjörg. “And nobody shall
force upon my brother a nithing’s name,
if I can prevent it,” she added cryptical-
iy-
Soon all the household was at work,
obeying Þorbjörg’s orders.
Already she had had a channel made
leading from the brook beside the house
into the large manor hall. This was now
opened and the water allowed to run
freely into the hall. Large flues were hur-
riedly added to the hall. All furniture
and other goods were piled on the dais
as the water began to rise.
Some men were sent to neighboring
farms to summon armed help, but all of
these were at a considerable distance.
It was still dusky next moming when
a part of the woods along the hillside
seemed to come to life and move
towards Indriðastaðr. Each of the eighty
outlaws was carrying a bundle of fag-
gots.
Hörðr went boldly up to the door
and knocked. Þorbjörg answered the
Cont'd. page 7
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