Part 3

The Departure of the two Kinsmen from Wolf.
[13]        The two kinsmen stayed with Wolf till Sigmund was eighteen and Thore twenty winters old. Sigmund at that time was a wonderful man for bigness and might, and all feats of skill and strength, so that the quickest way to tell of him is to say that he came nearest of any man to Olave Tryggwesson in all feats of strength and skill.
        And now it came to pass on a day that Sigmund told his foster-father Wolf that he would fain go abroad, "for methinks," said he, "life will yield but a mean outcome for us two if we do not seek to know other men." "It shall be even as thou wilt," says Wolf. Now, they had found that every harvest and every spring they had been there Wolf would be abroad for seven nights or thereabout, and then bring home much stores and linen and clothes, or such other things as they needs must have. So Wolf had clothes made for them, and fitted them out well for their departure. It could be seen that the two women took the parting near to heart, and chiefly the younger one. And now they took leave of them and fared forth, and Wolf went on the way with them, and was with them over the Doverfell, till they could see north over Orcdale. Then Wolf sat down, and told them that he would rest awhile. So they all sat down. Then spake Wolf, "I have a mind to know now whom I have fostered, and of what kin ye be, and what is your land of birth." Then they told him all their life that was past, and Wolf was very sorry for them. Then spake Sigmund, "Now I would have thee, foster-father," said he, "tell us thy life, and what has happened in it." "So it shall be, then," said Wolf.

Thorkell tells the Tale of his Life to the two Kinsmen.
[14]        Then I betake me to my story. There was once a franklin whose name was Thoralf, dwelling in Heathmark in the Uplands. He was a mighty man, and reeve to the Upland kings. He was a married man, and his wife's name was Idun, and the name of his daughter Ragnhild, and she was well-nigh the fairest of all women to look on. Not far off there dwelt a yeoman whose name was Stangrim, a good yeoman and a wealthy. Thora was the name of his wife. They had a son whose name was Thorkell. He was a likely man, big and strong. And this was Thorkell's work while he was at home with his father: every fall, when the frost took and the ice lay on the water, he would lie out in the wilds, and certain fellows of his with him, hunting the wild beasts and he was the best of bowmen. This was his work when the dry frost took, and therefore he was nicknamed Thorkell Dry-frost. Now on a day Thorkell fell to talk with his father, and told him that he wished he would get him a match, and ask for Ragnhild, daughter of franklin Thoralf in marriage for him. His father told him that he was leaping high. But matters went so that father and son fared over to franklin Thoralf, and did their errand of asking his daughter Ragnhild of him in marriage for Thorkell. Thoralf was slow in answering them, and said that he had looked higher for her than Thorkell, but that he would give them a good answer for the sake of the friendship that was between him and Stangrim; nevertheless that this could not be: and with that they left and fared home.

Of Thorkell and Thoralf.
[15]        A little after this Thorkell went from home with another man one night, when he heard that Thoralf was away from home on his work as reeve, and went in with his mates by night where Ragnhild was sleeping, caught her up in his arms, and bore her out, and carried her home with him. His father was ill pleased at it, and told him he had got hold of a stone that was too heavy for him, and bade him take her back again quickly. But he answered, "I will not do that." Then Stangrim his father bade him go away. And Thorkell did so, and went off with Ragnhild and lay out in the wood, and there were with them on their path twelve men, fellows and mates of Thorkell. When franklin Thoralf came home and was aware of these tidings, he gathered men to him till they were an hundred together, and went up to yeoman Stangrim's, and bade him yield up his son and give back his daughter into his hands. Stangrim told him they were not there. And Thoralf and his men ransacked the homestead, but found not that they sought. After this they went up into the wood, and sought them there, and they dealt out the search between them, and there were over thirty men with Thoralf. Now it came to pass one day that Thoralf saw twelve men in the wood together, and a woman with them the thirteenth, and it seemed to him that he knew them, and he made towards them. But Thorkell told his fellows that there were men coming towards them; and they asked Thorkell what counsel or plan he would have them take. "There is a hillock hard by here," said he, "let us, therefore, all fare thither, for it is a good coign of vantage. We will get up stones ready on it, and defend ourselves as manfully as we can." So they all fared to the hillock, and made them ready there. Thoralf and his men quickly came up with them, and made at them with their weapons, but Thorkell and his men defended themselves well and manfully, and their meeting ended in this wise, that there fell twelve of Thoralf's men and six of Thorkell's, but the other five of those that were with him were wounded. Franklin Thoralf was hurt to the death. Then Thorkell fled into the woods, and his five fellows with him, and in this wise they parted. But Ragnhild stayed behind, and she was taken to the homestead with her father. But when Thoralf was come to his homestead, he died there of the wound that he had got, and it was said that Thorkell was his slayer, and these things were spread abroad. Thorkell went home to his father. He was but lightly hurt, but most of his fellows were badly wounded, yet they were all healed there.

Thorkell's Story.
[16].        Now after these things the Upland folk called a moot, and at that moot Thorkell Dry-frost was made an outlaw; and when father and son heard of it, Stangrim told Thorkell that he must not bide at home while they were seeking most hotly after him. "But thou shalt go, kinsman," says he, "to the river that falls hard by the homestead, for there are great cliffs along the river, and in those river-cliffs caves, and no man knows of that hidingplace but myself only. Thither shalt thou go, and take food with thee." And so did Thorkell, and he was in the caves while the search was hottest after him, but they found him not. But it seemed to him very dismal there, so that after some time he went abroad out of the caves, and up to the homestead that Yeoman Thoralf had owned, and carried off Ragnhild for the second time, and set forth for the fells and the wastes. "And here I took up my dwelling," said he, "and here I have been ever since with Ragnhild my wife, eighteen winters, and that is the age of my daughter Thurið. And now I have told you the story of my life." "This story of thine is, to my mind, no light one, foster-father," said Sigmund, "and now I must tell thee that I have ill repaid thee thy kindness and fostering, for thy daughter told me when we two parted that she was with child, and there is no other man in the case save myself, wherefore also I was the more willing to leave you, for I feared lest this matter should part us." "Long have I known that there were thoughts of love between you and her," answered Thorkell, "and I would not forbid it." Then said Sigmund, "I will beg this boon of thee, foster-father mine, that thou give thy daughter Thurið to no man else, for I mean to have her to wife, and no other will I wed." Thorkell answered him, "My daughter could not wed a better man, but I will ask this of thee, Sigmund, if thou find favour with any prince, that thou remember my name, and bring me into the law again and to a settlement with my countrymen, for I am become very weary of this desert." Sigmund told him that he surely would do so if he were able to bring it about.
        With that they parted. And the kinsmen fared on till they came to Earl Hacon at Lathe, for there he had his seat as Earl. Then they went up before the Earl and greeted him, and he took it well, and asked them who they were. Sigmund told him he was the son of Breste, "he that was thy reeve whilom in the Færeys, and was slain there. Therefore, lord, have I sought to find thee, for I hoped for thy good favour, and I would fain be bound in service to thee, lord, and my kinsman with me." Earl Hacon said that he wist not rightly who they were, "yet thou art not unlike Breste, but thou must prove thy kinship thyself. In the meantime I will not grudge thee thy meat at my board." And he showed them a seat beside his Guests. Now Sweyn, Hacon's son, was then a young man, and he was with his father's following in those days.