Six Sagas of Adventure (30 page)

The king felt this was bad news. Again he sought out advice, and he adopted a plan to send Kolli the messenger to Sturlaug and his father, and invite them to a feast lasting half a month, with as many men as they wanted to have with them. These words passed between father and son: Sturlaug asked his father whether they should accept the invitation. His father said, “I want us to stay home and not go anywhere.”

Sturlaug said, “I have no mind to ignore the king’s invitation, but I know that there must be something behind it. Yet I want to go. The saga about us will be short, if we can’t visit another man when we are invited. One never knows whether what happens on our journey might bring us honor.”

Ingolf said, “You’ll want to decide about our travels, whether they go well or badly.”

After that, they prepared for their journey. They were sixty men all together, all well provided with weapons and clothes. They rode to meet King Harald and came there on the first evening of Yule. The king welcomed them gladly and set them on the high seat next to himself, and the finest feast was set. But when Yule was over, the king went to take counsel with Ingolf and his son Sturlaug.

Sturlaug told his men, “Make ready our horses while we talk.” They did so.

The king said, “I have been summoned to a single combat. I see that you, Sturlaug, such a man as you are, might redeem me from going to fight Kol the Crooked, because I am an old man.”

Sturlaug said, “Give over to me the betrothal that you forced from Jarl Hring, because this won’t be without a price.”

“The price you’ve set seems high to me,” said the king.

“If you accept it, then I’ll risk it,” said Sturlaug, “however it goes between me and Kol.”

The king said, “I wasn’t aware that you would impose this condition. It would be the greatest disgrace for me to agree to it.”

Sturlaug said, “It’s time to choose which option seems better for you.”

The king said, “Yet I will choose for you to go and fight the combat with Kol. It will go with us as it’s fated to go.”

Sturlaug replied, “Give up your betrothal first.”

The king did so, though he was unwilling, because the company of sworn brothers seemed paltry to him.

They rode away to meet with Jarl Hring. He welcomed them, and invited them to accept his hospitality. They told him how their dealings had gone, and how it had gone with them and King Harald. The jarl cheered up to hear that, and invited them to go to Asa’s bower, and so they did. And when they arrived, Asa welcomed them well.

Hring said, “You have to receive and give your answer to a suitor here, daughter.”

“Who is the man?” she asked.

“His name is Sturlaug.”

Asa said, “I’m not short of husbands now.”

Sturlaug said, “It’s been decided that I won’t wait for your answer any longer.”

Asa said that it would be as they willed. A splendid feast was prepared, and nothing needful was spared. Sturlaug went to marry Asa the Fair, and right away they went to lie in the same bed. The feasting continued, and men were sent home with good gifts. Ingolf and his men rode home, and Asa and Sturlaug stayed behind and were quite content with their marriage.
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CHAPTER IX

One morning, as Asa and Sturlaug were lying in their bed, Asa said to Sturlaug, “Have you been challenged to single combat, Sturlaug?”

“It’s true,” he said.

“With whom?” she said.

“With Kol the Crooked,” he said. “What can you tell me about him?”

She answered, “Go and find Vefreyja, my foster-mother. Take her advice, and it will serve you well. Here is a gold ring that you must bring her as a token. Tell her that it’s very important to me for her to receive you well.”

Sturlaug now went with his sworn brothers, twelve all together. They rode until they came to the home of the old woman. Sturlaug leaped from the back of his horse and rushed through the doors to the old woman. He laid his arms around her neck and kissed her, saying, “Greetings and blessings, my lady.”

She quickly turned away from him and stared at him. “Who is this son of a bitch who treats me so disgracefully? No one has ever dared to do anything like this. I’ll pay you back frightfully for this.”

Sturlaug said, “Do not be so angry, my lady, for Asa has sent me here to you.”

“What do you have to do with Asa?” said the old woman.

“She is my wife,” he said.

She asked, “Is the wedding over?”

“It is,” he said.

“Now that’s a shabby trick,” said the old woman, “that I wasn’t invited to the wedding. But I’ll do as Asa asks. Take off your clothes. I want to see the shape of your body.”

He did so. She stroked him all over, and he felt himself growing very strong because of it.
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Then she gave him a cup to drink from, and they went to the sitting-room. The old woman was most helpful that evening. She asked whether Sturlaug wanted to lie alone that night, or next to her—“but I certainly won’t betray my dear Asa.”

Sturlaug said, “I think it would be better, lady, if I were near you.”

Then the old woman put a log between them,
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and they both lay together on the same pillow and talked through the night. Sturlaug said, “What advice can you give me, since I have been summoned to a single combat with Kol the Crooked?”

“I believe that things have taken an unlucky turn,” said the old woman, “because no iron will cut him. I can hardly advise you here.”

In the morning, the sworn brothers prepared themselves for their journey. When they were ready, the old woman said to Sturlaug, “Take this shaggy cape
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which my father’s family owned, and this short sword—good fortune has always gone with it. And test whether there’s any strength in you.”

Sturlaug accepted the sword and struck at a stone that stood in the courtyard, and he cut off a corner of the stone. The rust fell off the sword, and it was as bright as silver. The old woman said, “You must bring that sword to the combat with Kol the Crooked. But you must not show him that sword, if he asks to see what you have to strike with.”
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Then the old woman said, “Farewell, my Sturlaug, and may everything turn out to bring you victory and prosperity as long as you live. I lay upon you all the luck which our kin has had, as much as I may. Yet I am afraid of how Kol the Crooked might deal with you. I have two sons, whom I want you to take into sworn brotherhood.”

“So be it,” said Sturlaug, and they swore brotherhood with each other. Then they turned away. When they had gone a short distance, the old woman called out after them and said, “You will want my foster-son Svipud to come with you, my dear Sturlaug. He is fleet-footed.”

“I am willing,” said Sturlaug. The old woman put a little purse into Svipud’s hand. He stuck it into his clothing and then he rushed out in front of their horses. Now they rode on and didn’t stop until they had gone east to the Gota River. Kol hadn’t arrived. Sturlaug pitched his tent where Kol usually pitched his tent.

CHAPTER X

Kol arrived a little later. Sturlaug went to meet him and greeted him. Kol said, “Who is this wicked son of a bitch, who is so impudent that he dares to pitch his tent where I usually pitch mine?”

Sturlaug said, “You know very well who the son of a bitch is, because he wasn’t here before you got here. But if it’s my name you’re asking for, I’m called Sturlaug.”

Kol said, “What do you mean by coming here?”

Sturlaug said: “I intend to fight you.”

Kol said, “Now this is hardly a fair move. You’re far too rash to have such arrogance, since I have killed so many warriors who have fought me. What drove you to do this?”

Sturlaug said, “This above all: Asa the Fair is my wife. You won’t take the maiden, even if I should fall before you.”

Kol said, “Listen to this outrageous thing that’s come into your rascally
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head to do. Just for that, I won’t show you any mercy, and soon you’ll lose your life. It’s too late for you. Yet it’s a shame for such a man as you.”

Sturlaug said, “Never shall I turn tail before you.”

Kol pitched his tent on another site that evening. When Kol had gone inside to eat, Svipud came into his tent and took the old woman’s little purse out of his cloak and shook it in the tent, and this created much smoke. Kol glared at him and said, “Go away, you wicked dog, and don’t come back, because you must be up to no good.” Svipud turned away, so that no one knew what had become of him. They slept that night.

In the morning, Sturlaug got up early, along with his sworn brothers. They went to the island, sat down and waited for Kol. Hrolf Nose stood up and went into the forest and cut himself a great big club. He picked it up and went back to his fellows. Kol got up in the morning, and the sun was shining all over the meadows. He said, “I suppose that wretched slave who came here yesterday evening had some sort of magic which hasn’t done us any good. This may truly be called a death-sleep that we’ve slept. Let’s go to the dueling-ground.”

They went to the dueling-ground and cast a cloak under their feet. Kol pronounced the law of combat between them, and each of them had to stake twenty marks of silver. Whoever won was to have it. And when they were ready, Kol spoke up: “Sturlaug my lad, show me the sword that you have.” He did so. Kol saw the edge and stared at it, and said, “You won’t beat me with that sword. Go home at once and say that you’ve been beaten. Give me your weapon, and send me Asa the Fair. Tell her that you didn’t dare to fight me, or to withhold her from me.”

Sturlaug said, “You won’t beat me with words alone, because you’re overcome with terror. Soon you’ll die a wretched death.”

Kol was angry at his words and said, “You’ll find out that I won’t show you mercy, you wretched dog.”

Then Sturlaug threw away the sword that he had shown to Kol, and he took Vefreyja’s Gift from under his cloak and drew it. Kol said, “Where did you get Vefreyja’s Gift? I would not have challenged you to combat had I known.”

Sturlaug answered, “It makes no difference to you. Things have gone badly for you if you’re afraid before you need to be.”

Sturlaug struck at Kol and split his shield completely. Kol struck back and split his shield in the same way. Then Sturlaug struck a second time against Kol’s helmet, and sheared off all the flesh from his cheek, and the stroke went on down to the shoulder and stuck in his shoulder-blade. Kol stood straight and didn’t pay any attention to the blow. Then Hrolf Nose rushed at him with the club and pounded the sword’s point, so that the sword drove down into his body. Kol fell there, and Sturlaug won the victory and became famous for this deed.

Sturlaug rode to Vefreyja. The old woman was outside, and she greeted Sturlaug warmly. Svipud was there ahead of him. They stayed there for the night. The old woman was pleased with this deed. “And it’s true,” she said, “that my Asa is blessed to have such a man as you, and from now on your wise plans will turn out well for you, if you’re careful. I am afraid of how things will turn out, but I hope that it goes well with you. This old woman won’t be worse than nothing to you.”

Sturlaug rode away to meet Jarl Hring. He welcomed them all gladly, and Asa was happy to see her husband. This news reached King Harald. The king was upset at what had happened, as later events will show, but all of Sturlaug’s kinsmen thought that he had been pulled out of Hel.

CHAPTER XI

One day when Jarl Hring was at the games with his men, as Hring and Sturlaug were playing before them all, they saw a man ride at them out of the forest, fully armored and riding a red horse. He was very tall, with a helm on his head, girded with a sword, with a gold-enameled shield at his side and a spear in his hand. He rode up to the jarl and greeted him warmly. He welcomed him in the same way, and asked who he was. He said, “I won’t withhold my name: I am called Framar, and Kol the Crooked and I were half-brothers. I have come here because I want to challenge you to combat, Sturlaug, for I will not carry my brother in my purse.”
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Sturlaug said, “I’m quite ready for combat whenever you want. You’re obliged to seek redress on behalf of a wicked man, such as Kol was.”

“That’s true,” said Framar, “but he was my kinsman, and for that I want to fight you where Kol fell, east on the Gota River, when half the winter has passed.”

“So be it,” said Sturlaug. Then Framar went on his way, and the others stayed behind. Summer passed.

One night, as Sturlaug and Asa lay together in their bed, Asa said, “Have you been challenged to combat, Sturlaug?”

“It’s true,” he said. “What advice can you give me about that?”

Asa said, “Go and find Vefreyja, my foster-mother, and take her advice.”

“So be it,” said Sturlaug. He went to meet Vefreyja. The old woman was outside, and she greeted him warmly, and they stayed there for the night.

In the morning, Sturlaug asked the old woman for advice. The old woman said, “Whom do you have to battle?”

“His name is Framar,” said Sturlaug, “the brother of Kol the Crooked.”

“They’re not like each other,” she said, “and it’s too bad that you two have to bear deadly spears against each other, because Framar is the bravest man and comes of the best family, but Kol was the worst man and descended from thralls. And it would be fortunate if it could come about that you two might become friends, rather than enemies. I can’t help you with that, and it must go with you as it’s fated. But Svipud, my foster-son, shall go with you.”

Now they went their way, and didn’t stop until they came east to the Gota, and Framar rode to the other bank. They met each other there and asked each other for news. They dismounted, and each set up his tent with the other’s help, and they slept there for the night.