s he always did when Kjartan was spoken ill of,
for his wont was either to hold his peace, or to gainsay them.

CHAP. XLVIII

The Men of Laugar and Gudrun plan an Ambush for Kjartan, A.D. 1003

Kjartan spent the fourth day after Easter at Hol, and there was the
greatest merriment and gaiety. [Sidenote: An's dream] The night after
An was very ill at ease in his sleep, so they waked him. They asked
him what he had dreamt. He answered, "A woman came to me most
evil-looking and pulled me forth unto the bedside. She had in one
hand a short sword, and in the other a trough; she drove the sword
into my breast and cut open all the belly, and took out all my inwards
and put brushwood in their place. After that she went outside."
Kjartan and the others laughed very much at this dream, and said he
should be called An "brushwood belly," and they caught hold of him and
said they wished to feel if he had the brushwood in his stomach. Then
Aud said, "There is no need to mock so much at this; and my counsel is
that Kjartan do one of two things: either tarry here longer, or, if he
will ride away, then let him ride with more followers hence than
hither he did." Kjartan said, "You may hold An 'brushwood belly' a man
very sage as he sits and talks to you all day, since you think that
whatever he dreams must be a very vision, but go I must, as I have
already made up my mind to, in spite of this dream." Kjartan got ready
to go on the fifth day in Easter week; and at the advice of Aud, so
did Thorkell Whelp and Knut his brother. They rode on the way with
Kjartan a band of twelve together. Kjartan came to Whitedale and
fetched the homespun for Thorhalla Chatterbox as he had said he would.
[Sidenote: Gudrun wakes her brothers] After that he rode south through
Swinedale. It is told how at Laugar in Saelingsdale Gudrun was early
afoot directly after sunrise. She went to where her brothers were
sleeping. She roused Ospak and he woke up at once, and then too the
other brothers. And when Ospak saw that there was his sister, he
asked her what she wanted that she was up so early. Gudrun said she
wanted to know what they would be doing that day. Ospak said he would
keep at rest, "for there is little work to do." Gudrun said, "You
would have the right sort of temper if you were the daughters of some
peasant, letting neither good nor bad be done by you. Why, after all
the disgrace and shame that Kjartan has done to you, you none the less
lie q