Chapter 74 - Egil claimed the tribute

Egil made him ready early next morning to continue his journey, as did his comrades, but at parting Egil gave Alf a fur cloak. Alf took the gift with thanks, saying, 'A good mantle have I here.' And he bade Egil visit him on the way back. They parted friends; and Egil going on his way came on the evening of a day to earl Arnvid's court, where he found a good reception. He and his comrades were placed next to the sitter in the seat opposite the earl.

When Egil had been there for a night, he declared his errand with the earl, and the message of the king from Norway, and said that he wished to have all that tribute from Vermaland that had been owing since Arnvid had been set over the land. The earl said that he had paid out of hand all the tribute, and delivered it into the hands of the king's messengers. 'But I know not,' he said, 'what they have since done with it, whether they brought it to the king or ran away with it out of the land. However, as ye bear sure tokens that the king has sent you, I will pay all the tribute to which he has a right, and deliver it into your hands: but I will not be answerable afterwards for how you fare with it.' Egil and his men remained there for awhile. But before Egil went away the earl paid them the tribute. Part was in silver, part in gray fur.

And when Egil's party were ready they started to return. At their parting Egil said to the earl: 'Now we will bear to the king this tribute which we have received. But know, earl, that this is much less money than the king deems to be his due here; and that too without counting that, as he thinks, thou oughtest to pay atonement for the messengers whom common rumour says thou didst cause to be slain.' The earl said that that was not true. With this they parted.

Now when Egil was gone, the earl called to him his two brothers, each of whom was named Ulf, and spoke thus: 'That big fellow Egil, who was here for awhile, will, I expect, do us an ill turn when he comes to the king. We may by this mark how he will bear our matter before the king, that he threw in our face such a charge, the taking the life of the king's men. Now must ye two go after their party and slay them all, and let none bear this slander before the king. Methinks the wisest plan were to lie in wait for them in Eida-wood. Take with you so many men as to make sure that not one of them escape, while ye get no less of men from them.'

Then did the brothers make them ready for their journey, and they took thirty men. They went to the wood, of which they knew every path: then they watched for Egil's coming. There were two roads through the wood. One led over a certain ridge, and there was a steep cliff, and only a path for one; this was the shorter road. The other led round the edge of the ridge, over wide bogs, across which hewn wood was laid, there too making a causeway for but one to pass. And they lay in wait fifteen in either place.

 



74. kafli - Egill heimti skatt.

Egill bjóst snemma um morgininn til farar ok þeir förunautar, en at skilnaði gaf Egill Álfi loðólpu. Álfr tók þakksamliga við gjöfinni, - "ok má hér gera mér af loðkápu," - ok bað Egil þar koma til sín, er hann færi aftr.

Skilðust þeir vinir, ok fór Egill ferðar sinnar ok kom aftan dags til hirðar jarlsins Arnviðar ok fekk þar allgóðar viðtökur. Var þeim förunautum skipat næst öndvegismanni.

Ok er þeir Egill höfðu þar verit um nótt, þá bera þeir upp erendi sín við jarl ok orðsending konungs ór Nóregi ok segja, at hann vill hafa skatt þann allan af Vermalandi, sem áðr hefir eftir staðit, síðan Arnviðr var þar yfir settr.

Jarlinn segir, at hann hefði af höndum greitt allan skatt ok fengit í hendr sendimönnum konungs, - "en eigi veit ek, hvat þeir hafa síðan við gert, hvárt þeir hafa fengit konungi eða hafa þeir hlaupit af landi á brott með. En því, at þér berið sannar jartegnir til, at konungr hefir yðr sent, þá mun ek greiða skatt þann allan, sem hann á at réttu, ok fá yðr í hönd, en eigi vil ek ábyrgjast síðan, hvernig yðr ferst með."

Dveljast þeir Egill þar um hríð, en áðr Egill færi í brott, greiðir jarl þeim skattinn. Var þat sumt í silfri, sumt í grávöru.

Ok er þeir Egill váru búnir, þá fóru þeir aftr á leið. Segir Egill jarli at skilnaði þeira: "Nú munum vér færa konungi skatt þenna, er vér höfum við tekit, en þat skaltu vita, jarl, at þetta er fé miklu minna en konungr þykkist hér eiga, ok er þat þó ekki talit, er honum mun þykkja, at þér eigið at gjalda aftr sendimenn hans manngjöldum, þá er menn kalla, at þér munuð hafa drepa látit."

Jarl segir, at þat var eigi satt. Skilðust þeir at þessu.

Ok er Egill var á brottu, þá kallaði jarl til sín bræðr tvá, er hvárrtveggi hét Úlfr. Hann mælti svá: "Egill sjá inn mikli, er hér var um hríð, ætla ek, at oss muni allóþarfr, er hann kemr til konungs. Megum vér af því marka, hvernig hann mun bera fyrir konung várt mál, er hann jós slíku í augu oss upp, aftöku konungsmanna. Nú skuluð þit fara eftir þeim ok drepa þá alla ok láta þá ekki bera róg þetta fyrir konung. Þykkir mér þat ráðligast, at þér sætið þeim á Eiðaskógi. Haf-ið með yðr menn svá marga, at þat sé víst, at engi þeira komist undan, en þér fáið ekki mannspell af þeim."

Nú búast þeir bræðr til ferðar ok höfðu þrjá tigu manna. Fóru þeir á skóginn, ok kunnu þeir þar hvern stíg fyrir. Heldu þeir þá njósn um ferð Egils.

Á skóginum váru tvennar leiðir. Var önnur at fara yfir ás nökkurn, ok var þar klif bratt ok einstigi yfir at fara, - var sú leiðin skemmri, - en önnur var fyrir framan ásinn at fara, ok váru þar fen stór ok höggnar á lágir, ok var þar einstigi yfir at fara, ok sátu fimmtán í hvárum stað.

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