ater
to wash, on the other side went many women towards the river, and in
that company was Helga the Fair. Then said Hermund,--

"Dost thou see thy friend Helga there on the other side of the river?"

"Surely, I see her," says Gunnlaug, and withal he sang:--

"Born was she for men's bickering:
Sore bale hath wrought the war-stemy
And I yearned ever madly
To hold that oak-tree golden.
To me then, me destroyer
Of swan-mead's flame, unneedful
This looking on the dark-eyed,
This golden land's beholding."

Therewith they crossed the river, and Helga and Gunnlaug spake awhile
together, and as the brothers crossed the river eastward back again,
Helga stood and gazed long after Gunnlaug.

Then Gunnlaug looked back and sang:--

"Moon of linen-lapped one,
Leek-sea-bearing goddess,
Hawk-keen out of heaven
Shone all bright upon me;
But that eyelid's moonbeam
Of gold-necklaced goddess
Her hath all undoing
Wrought, and me made nought of."

CHAPTER XV. How Gunnlaug and Raven agreed to go East to Norway,
to try the matter again.

Now after these things were gone by men rode home from the Thing, and
Gunnlaug dwelt at home at Gilsbank.

On a morning when he awoke all men had risen up, but he alone still lay
abed; he lay in a shut-bed behind the seats. Now into the hall came
twelve men, all full armed, and who should be there but Raven, Onund's
son; Gunnlaug sprang up forthwith, and got to his weapons.

But Raven spake, "Thou art in risk of no hurt this time," quoth he, "but
my errand hither is what thou shalt now hear: Thou didst call me to a
holmgang last summer at the Althing, and thou didst not deem matters to
be fairly tried therein; now I will offer thee this, that we both fare
away from Iceland, and go abroad next summer, and go on holm in Norway,
for there our kinsmen are not like to stand in our way."

Gunnlaug answered, "Hail to thy words, stoutest of men! this thine offer
I take gladly; and here, Raven, mayest thou have cheer as good as thou
mayest desire."

"It is well offered," said Raven, "but this time we shall first have to
ride away." Thereon they parted.

Now the kinsmen of both sore misliked them of this, but could in no wise
undo it, because of the wrath of Gunnlaug and Raven; and, after all,
that must betide that drew towards.

Now