Our hero remained in hiding at Sandheaps, but Thorir of Garth heard of
him and sent men to take him. Grettir accordingly left the place and
went to Maddervales, to Gudmund the Rich, of whom he begged shelter.
Gudmund, however, dared not harbour him, but advised him to seek
shelter in an isle called Drangey in Skagafirth. The place, he said,
was excellent for defence, for without ladders no one could land.
Grettir agreed to go, and went home to Biarg to bid his mother
farewell. His brother, Illugi, was now fifteen years old, a handsome
boy, and he overheard Grettir's conversation with his mother about his
proposed departure to Drangey. 'I will go with thee, brother,' said
he, 'though I know not that I shall be of any help to thee, unless
that I shall be ever true to thee, nor run from thee whiles thou
standest up.' Asdis bade them farewell, warning Grettir against
sorcery; yet well she knew that she would never see either of her sons
again. They left Biarg, going north towards Drangey; and on the way
met with a big ill-clad loon called Thorbiorn Noise, a man too lazy to
work, and a great swaggerer; but they allowed him to join them.
Now Drangey was an island whose cliffs rose sheer up from the sea;
there was good pasturage on it, and many sheep and cattle, owned by
about twenty men, who amongst them held the island in shares. Two men
called Hialti and Thorbiorn Angle, being the richest men, had the
largest shares. When the men got ready to fetch their beasts from the
island for slaughter, they found it occupied, which they thought
strange; but supposing the men in possession to be shipwrecked
sailors, they rowed to the place where the ladders were, but found
these drawn up. Persuasion was of no avail, so the baffled owners
retired, and in one way or another made over their respective shares
to Angle, on the understanding that he would free the island from
these unwelcome intruders. The months wore on, and brought no change;
but now Grettir said he would go to the mainland and get victuals.
Disguising himself, he carried out his plan, leaving Illugi and Noise
to guard the ladders. Sports were being held at a place called
Heron-ness, and the stranger was asked if he would wrestle. 'Time
was,' he said, 'when he had been fond of it, but he had now given it
up; yet, upon condition of peace and safe conduct being assured to him
until such time as he returned home, he was willing to try a bout.'
This was agreed to, whereupon he cast aside his disguise, and stood
revealed as Grettir the outlaw. All saw that they had been beguiled,
yet, for their oath's sake, they could do nothing. First Hialti alone
tried to throw Grettir, but met with nothing but a mighty fall; then
he and his brother Angle tried together, but though each of them had
the strength of two men they were no match for their antagonist, and
had to retire discomfited.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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