ison begged for Asgeir, son of Kjartan, to foster, as a
comfort to Hrefna. Hrefna went north with her brothers, and was much
weighed down with grief, nevertheless she bore her sorrow with
dignity, and was easy of speech with every man. Hrefna took no other
husband after Kjartan. She lived but a little while after coming to
the north; and the tale goes that she died of a broken heart.

CHAP. LI

Osvif's Sons are Banished

[Sidenote: The revenge for Kjartan] Kjartan's body lay in state for a
week in Herdholt. Thorstein Egilson had had a church built at Burg. He
took the body of Kjartan home with him, and Kjartan was buried at
Burg. The church was newly consecrated, and as yet hung in white. Now
time wore on towards the Thorness Thing, and the award was given
against Osvif's sons, who were all banished the country. Money was
given to pay the cost of their going into exile, but they were
forbidden to come back to Iceland so long as any of Olaf's sons, or
Asgeir, Kjartan's son, should be alive. For Gudlaug, the son of
Osvif's sister, no weregild (atonement) should be paid, because of his
having set out against, and laid ambush for, Kjartan, neither should
Thorolf have any compensation for the wounds he had got. Olaf would
not let Bolli be prosecuted, and bade him ransom himself with a money
fine. This Halldor and Stein, and all the sons of Olaf, liked mightily
ill, and said it would go hard with Bolli if he was allowed to stay in
the same countryside as themselves. Olaf saw that would work well
enough as long as he was on his legs. [Sidenote: Audun's drowning]
There was a ship in Bjornhaven which belonged to Audun Cable-hound. He
was at the Thing, and said, "As matters stand, the guilt of these men
will be no less in Norway, so long as any of Kjartan's friends are
alive." Then Osvif said, "You, Cable-hound, will be no soothsayer in
this matter, for my sons will be highly accounted of among men of high
degree, whilst you, Cable-hound, will pass, this summer, into the
power of trolls." Audun Cable-hound went out a voyage that summer and
the ship was wrecked amongst the Faroe Isles and every man's child on
board perished, and Osvif's prophecy was thought to have come
thoroughly home. The sons of Osvif went abroad that summer, and none
ever came back again. In such a manner the blood-suit came to an end
that Olaf was held to have shown himself all the greater a man,
because where it was due, in the case of the sons of