crow. They shall ride from the east with thee. They are the
next of kin in the suit, and with them shall ride Thorgrim the big,
their brother. Ye shall ride to Mord Valgard's son's house, and tell him
this message from me, that he shall take up the suit for manslaughter
for Helgi Njal's son against Flosi. But if he utters any words against
this, then shalt thou make thyself most wrathful, and make believe as
though thou wouldst let thy axe fall on his head; and in the second
place, thou shalt assure him of my wrath if he shows any ill will. Along
with that shalt thou say, that I will send and fetch away my daughter
Thorkatla, and make her come home to me; but that he will not abide, for
he loves her as the very eyes in his head."

Kari thanked him for his counsel. Kari spoke nothing of help to him, for
he thought he would show himself his good friend in this as in other
things.

Thence Kari rode east over the rivers, and so to Fleetlithe, and east
across Markfleet, and so on to Selialandsmull. So they ride east to
Holt.

Thorgeir welcomed them with the greatest kindliness. He told them of
Flosi's journey, and how great help he had got in the east firths.

Kari said it was no wonder that he, who had to answer for so much,
should ask for help for himself.

Then Thorgeir said, "The better things go for them, the worse it shall
be for them; we will only follow them up so much the harder".

Kari told Thorgeir of Gizur's advice. After that they ride from the east
to Rangrivervale to Mord Valgard's son's house. He gave them a hearty
welcome. Kari told him the message of Gizur his father-in-law. He was
slow to take the duty on him, and said it was harder to go to law with
Flosi than with any other ten men.

"Thou behavest now as he [Gizur] thought," said Kari; "for thou art a
bad bargain in every way; thou art both a coward and heartless, but the
end of this shall be as is fitting, that Thorkatla shall fare home to
her father."

She busked her at once, and said she had long been "boun" to part from
Mord. Then he changed his mood and his words quickly, and begged off
their wrath, and took the suit upon him at once.

"Now," said Kari, "thou hast taken the suit upon thee, see that thou
pleadest it without fear, for thy life lies on it."

Mord said he would lay his whole heart on it to do this well and
manfully.

After that Mord summoned to him nine neighbours--they were all near
neighbours to the spot where the deed