our father we will call
'the Beardless Carle'."

They did not fare home before all who were there had made themselves
guilty of uttering those words, save Thrain; he forbade men to utter
them.

Then Njal's sons went away, and fared till they came home; then they
told their father.

"Did ye call any men to witness of those words?" says Njal.

"We called none," says Skarphedinn; "we do not mean to follow that suit
up except on the battlefield."

"No one will now think," says Bergthora, "that ye have the heart to lift
your weapons."

"Spare thy tongue, mistress!" says Kari, "in egging on thy sons, for
they will be quite eager enough."

After that they all talk long in secret, Njal and his sons, and Kari
Solmund's son, their brother-in-law.

CHAPTER XCI.

THRAIN SIGFUS' SON'S SLAYING.

Now there was great talk about this quarrel of theirs, and all seemed to
know that it would not settle down peacefully.

Runolf, the son of Wolf Aurpriest, east in the Dale, was a great friend
of Thrain's, and had asked Thrain to come and see him, and it was
settled that he should come east when about three weeks or a month were
wanting to winter.

Thrain bade Hrapp, and Grani, and Gunnar Lambi's son, and Lambi Sigurd's
son, and Lodinn, and Tjorvi, eight of them in all, to go on this journey
with him. Hallgerda and Thorgerda were to go too. At the same time
Thrain gave it out that he meant to stay in the Mark with his brother
Kettle, and said how many nights he meant to be away from home.

They all of them had full arms. So they rode east across Markfleet, and
found there some gangrel women, and they begged them to put them across
the Fleet west on their horses, and they did so.

Then they rode into the Dale, and had a hearty welcome; there Kettle of
the Mark met them, and there they sate two nights.

Both Runolf and Kettle besought Thrain that he would make up his quarrel
with Njal's sons; but he said he would never pay any money, and answered
crossly, for he said he thought himself quite a match for Njal's sons
wherever they met.

"So it may be," says Runolf; "but so far as I can see, no man has been
their match since Gunnar of Lithend died, and it is likelier that ye
will both drag one another down to death."

Thrain said that was not to be dreaded.

Then Thrain fared up into the Mark, and was there two nights more; after
that he rode down into the Dale, and was sent away from both houses with
fitting gifts