Murder of Ondott Crow, and the vengeance Therefor

Onund went to Rogaland in the South and visited many of his

relations and friends. He lived there in concealment with a man

named Kolbeinn. He there learned that King Harald had taken all

his property and given it into the charge of a man named Harekr,

one of his officials. Onund went by night to Harekr's house and

caught him at home; he was led to execution. Then Onund took

possession of all the loose property which he found and burnt the

building.



That autumn Grim the Hersir murdered Ondott Crow because he had

not succeeded in getting the property for the king. Ondott's

wife Signy carried off all their loose property that same night

to a ship and escaped with her sons Asmund and Asgrim to her

father Sighvat. A little later she sent her sons to Hedin, her

foster-father in Soknadal, where they remained for a time and

then wanted to return to their mother. They left at last, and at

Yule-tide came to Ingjald the Trusty at Hvin. His wife Gyda

persuaded him to take them in, and they spent the winter there.

In the spring Onund came to northern Agdir, having learned of the

murder of Ondott. He met Signy and asked her what assistance

they would have of him. She said they were most anxious to

punish Grim for the death of Ondott. So the sons were sent for,

and when they met Onund Treefoot they all joined together and had

Grim's doings closely watched.



In the summer there was a beer-brewing at Grim's for a jarl named

Audun, whom he had invited. When Onund and the sons of Ondott

heard of it, they appeared at his house unexpectedly and set fire

to it. Grim the Hersir and about thirty men were burnt in the

house. They captured a quantity of valuables. Then Onund went

into the forest, while the two brothers took the boat of their

foster-father Ingjald, rowed away and lay in hiding a little way

off. Soon jarl Audun appeared, on his way to the feast, as had

been arranged, but on arriving he missed his host. So he

collected his men around him and stayed there a few nights, quite

unaware of Onund and his companions. He slept in a loft with two

other men. Onund knew everything that was going on in the house

and sent for the two brothers to come to him. On their arrival

he asked them whether they preferred to keep watch on the house

or to attack the jarl. They chose to attack. They then battered

the entrance of the loft with beams until the door gave way.

Asmund seized the two men who were with the jarl and threw them

to the ground with such violence that they were well-nigh killed.



Asgrim rushed at the jarl and demanded of him weregild for his

father, for he had been in league with Grim and took part in the

attack when Ondott was murdered. The jarl said he had no money

about him and asked for time. Asgrim then placed the point of

his spear against his breast and ordered him to pay up on the

spot. Then the jarl took a necklace from his neck and gave it to

him with three gold rings and a velvet mantle. Asgrim took the

things and bestowed a name upon the jarl. He called him Audun

Nannygoat.



When the farmers and people about heard of the disturbances they

all came out to help the jarl. Onund had a large force with him,

and there was a great battle in which many a good farmer and many

a follower of the jarl were slain. The brothers returned to

Onund and reported what had occurred with the jarl. Onund said

it was a pity they had not killed him. It would, he said, have

been something to make up for the losses which he had suffered

from King Harald. They said the disgrace was far worse for the

jarl as it was, and they went off to Surnadal to Eirik Beery, a

Landman there, who took them all in for the winter. At Yule-tide

they had a great drinking bout with a man named Hallsteinn,

nicknamed Stallion. Eirik opened the feast and entertained them

generously. Then it was Hallsteinn's turn, and they began to

quarrel. Hallsteinn struck Eirik with a deer's horn, for which

Eirik got no revenge, but had to go home with it, to the great

annoyance of Ondott's sons. A little later Asgrim went to

Hallsteinn's house and gave him a severe wound. All the people

who were present started up and attacked Asgrim. He defended

himself vigorously and escaped in the dark, leaving them under

the belief that they had killed him. Onund and Asmund, on

hearing that Asgrim had been killed, were at a loss what they

could do in the matter. Eirik's advice was that they should

betake themselves to Iceland, for it would never do for them to

remain in the land where the king could get at them. This they

determined to do. Each of them had his own ship and they made

ready for the voyage to Iceland. Hallsteinn was laid low with

his wound and died before Onund sailed with his party. Kolbeinn,

the man who was mentioned before, went in the ship with Onund.