Part 5

Earl Hacon plays the Umpire between Sigmund and Thrond.
[25.]        Then Sigmund told the Earl he would fain have him make his award between him and Thrond, albeit he was not come. The Earl said it should be so: "I will give thee a weregild for each of the two brethren, a third weregild for Thrond's counsel against you, when he would have had you slain after he had slain your fathers, a fourth weregild you shall have because Thrond sold you into thraldom. To the headship over a quarter of the Færeys, which thou now hast, thou shalt add as much out of Thrond's lot and of Ossur's heritage as shall make thine own lot half the islands. And half shall fall to my keeping, because Hafgrim and Thrond slew my house-carles Breste and Beine. Halfgrim shall go without weregild, because of the slaying of Breste, and his onslaught on sackless men. There shall no weregild be paid for Ossur, because he wrought no uprightly when he sat him down in thy heritage, where also he was slain. Thou shalt share the weregilds between thee and Thore thy kinsman as it likes thee. Thrond shall have his holding if he keeps this settlement. Thou shalt hold all the islands in fee of me," said the Earl, "and pay me scot for my part." Sigmund thanked the Earl for this award, and abode with him all the winter. In the spring he went out to the Færeys, and Thore his kinsman with him, but Harold Ironhead stayed behind. Sigmund made a good passage and came to the Færeys and summoned Thrond to meet him at a moot at Thorshaven in Streamsey. Thither came Thrond and much people. Sigmund said that Thrond had taken but little heed of the settlement they had made, and gave out the Earl's award, and bade Thrond do one thing or the other, "now either keep the settlement or break it." Thrond bade Sigmund give his own award himself, and said that he would be best pleased, and also that he should come off best by so doing. Sigmund said that he would not shrink in this matter, and bade him "do quickly one thing or the other, yea or nay." Moreover, he told him that he was every whit as fain they should stay at odds as they were. Thrond chose rather to take the award, and prayed him to tarry a while for the paying of the fee, for the Earl had given it that the fee should be paid within a half-year. And at men's request Sigmund let it go so that the fee should be paid within three years. Thrond said that he thought it very well that his kinsman Sigmund should have the headship as long as he had had it before, and that it was fair that it should be so. Sigmund said that he need not use such vain compliments, and that he should never take them to himself. They parted with all men set at one. Thrond asked Laf Ossursson home to Gate to be fostered there, and there he grew up.
        In the summer Sigmund got his ship ready to fare to Norway, and Thrond paid up a third of the fee, but he stumbled a good deal over it. Sigmund got together Earl Hacon's scot before he sailed from the islands. He made a good passage and made Norway with his ship, and went straightway to see Earl Hacon and bring him his scot. The Earl welcomed Sigmund and Thore his kinsman and all their fellows, and they abode with the Earl all that winter.

Of Sigmund Breste's Son.
[26].        The summer after this winter, when he became Earl Hacon's liegeman at Yuletide, Sigmund fared up country with the Earl to the Frosta-moot, and there Sigmund opened the case of Thorkel his father-in-law to the Earl praying him that he would inlaw him and give him his land to hold freely. And Earl Hacon quickly gave Sigmund his asking. Moreover, he let send for Thorkel and his kindred, and Thorkel and his wife stayed with Earl Hacon that winter, and Thurið their daughter also. She had brought forth a woman-child the summer that Sigmund went away, and the maid was called Thora. The next spring Earl Hacon gave Thorkel Dryfrost a reeveship out in Orkdale, and there Thorkel set up his homestead, and there he abode all the time that this story tells of. Soon after this Sigmund rode out to Orkdale to see Thorkel, and he welcomed him kindly. Then Sigmund did his errand and asked for Thurið in marriage. Thorkel took his request well, and thought that honour and worship would come of it both to himself and his daughter and to them all. Sigmund drank his bride-ale with Earl Hacon at Hlathe, and the Earl kept the feast up for seven nights; and Thorkel Dryfrost was made Earl Hacon's henchman and became a dear friend of his. After that they fared home, but Sigmund and his wife abode with the Earl till the harvest-tide, when he went out to the Færeys, and Thurið his wife and Thora his daughter with him.
        There was peace in the islands that winter. In the spring men fared to the moot in Streamsey, and much people came thither, Sigmund also and his following with him. Thrond came thither, and Sigmund asked for the second third of his money, and told him that he ought by right to have all, but he would not, for the sake of them that begged him not to require it now. Thrond answered, "It hath so happened, kinsman," said he, "that the man named Laf the son of Ossur is abiding with me. I bade him to my home when we two were set at one. Now I pray thee, kinsman, give Laf some set-off for the sake of his father Ossur, whom thou slewest, and let me pay him the money of thine that I owe thee." "I shall not do so," said Sigmund, "but thou shalt pay me my money." "Nay, but it must seem best to thee [to do as I say]," said Thrond. Sigmund answered, "Pay thou the money or worse shall come of it." Then Thrond told out a half of the third, and then said that he was not ready to pay any more. Then Sigmund went up to Thrond, and he had the silver-mounted axe in his hand that he slew Ossur with, and set the axe-horn to Thrond's breast, and told him that he would thrust it deep enough for him to feel it sorely unless he told him out the money then and there. Then spake Thrond, "A troublesome man art thou," said he, and bade his men go into his booth for the money-bag that lay there and see whether there was any silver still over. He went and brought the money-bag to Sigmund, and the money was weighed and it did not come up to what Sigmund ought to have had. With that they parted.
        That same summer Sigmund fared to Norway with Earl Hacon's scot, and was welcomed of him there, and abode a short while with the Earl, and then fared back to the Færeys and sat there through the winter. His kinsman Thore was ever with him. Sigmund was much beloved out there in the islands. He and Swiney-Bearne kept the settlement that was between them well, and Bearne ever came between Sigmund and Thrond or worse would have happed. In the spring men fared to the Streamsey-moot, and much people came thither. Sigmund asked Thrond for his money, but Thrond asked for weregild in the name of Laf Ossursson for his father. And many men spoke up in the matter that they should make a good settlement. Sigmund answered, "Thrond will pay Laf no better than he pays me, but for the sake of good men's words the debt shall stand over, but I do not give it up and I do not pay it as weregild." With that they parted and went home from the moot.
        Sigmund gat him ready to fare to Norway in the summer with Earl Hacon's scot, and was late bound. He sailed for the deep sea as soon as he was bound. Thurið his wife stayed behind, but Thore his kinsman went with him. They made a good run, and made Throndham late in the harvest-tide. Sigmund went straight to Earl Hacon and was welcomed by him.
        Sigmund was seven and twenty winters old when this happened. He stayed on with Earl Hacon.

Sigmund and the Wickings of Iom.
[27.]        That winter the Wickings of Iom came to Norway and fought there with Earl Hacon and his sons. The kinsmen Sigmund and Thore were in the fight with Earls Hacon and Eric, and it is said that Sigmund was the first man to board the warship of Bue the Thick, who was fighting in the fiercest wise, and Thore was the next with thirty men after him. And when Sigmund and Bue came to sword-play with one another, Sigmund saw that he could not match Bue in main strength and great strokes, and betook him to his feat of arms, and cast his shield and sword up in the air, and so shifted them in his hands, as he was often wont to do. Bue had not warded himself against this, and Sigmund with his left hand hewed off Bue's hand at the wrist, and then leapt back to his ship and seven men with him, for all the rest were slain of them that had followed him and Thore. Then Bue leapt overboard and his ship was cleared. Next spring Earl Hacon gave great gifts to Sigmund before they parted, and the kinsmen sailed out to the Færeys and sat down there in peace, and Sigmund alone held sway over all. (2)


Notes:
2. Supply --- [As long as Earl Hacon was alive and after King Olave took his realm.]