they can of thee. After that he will set
off west to the Firths, and Sigmund with him, for he will have to flit
all his goods home from the Firths west, and he will be away till the
summer is far spent. But when men ride to the Thing, and after all have
ridden from the Dales that mean to ride thither, then thou must rise
from thy bed and summon men to go along with thee to the Thing; and when
thou art all-boun, then shalt thou go to thy bed, and the men with thee
who are to bear thee company, and thou shalt take witness before thy
husband's bed, and declare thyself separated from him by such a lawful
separation as may hold good according to the judgment of the Great
Thing, and the laws of the land; and at the man's door [the main door of
the house] thou shalt take the same witness. After that ride away, and
ride over Laxriverdale Heath, and so on over Holtbeacon Heath; for they
will look for thee by way of Hrutfirth. And so ride on till thou comest
to me; then I will see after the matter. But into his hands thou shalt
never come more."

Now she rides home from the Thing, and Hrut had come back before her,
and made her hearty welcome. She answered him kindly, and was blithe and
forbearing towards him. So they lived happily together that half-year;
but when spring came she fell sick, and kept her bed. Hrut set off west
to the Firths, and bade them tend her well before he went. Now, when the
time for the Thing comes, she busked herself to ride away, and did in
every way as had been laid down for her; and then she rides away to the
Thing. The country folk looked for her, but could not find her. Mord
made his daughter welcome, and asked her if she had followed his advice;
and she says, "I have not broken one tittle of it".

Then she went to the Hill of Laws, and declared herself separated from
Hrut; and men thought this strange news. Unna went home with her father,
and never went west from that day forward.

CHAPTER VIII.

MORD CLAIMS HIS GOODS FROM HRUT.

Hrut came home, and knit his brows when he heard his wife was gone, but
yet kept his feelings well in hand, and stayed at home all that
half-year, and spoke to no one on the matter. Next summer he rode to the
Thing, with his brother Hauskuld, and they had a great following. But
when he came to the Thing, he asked whether Fiddle Mord were at the
Thing, and they told him he was; and all thought they would come to
words at once about their matter, but it was not