Summary
82 - Thrain heads to Norway and is summoned by the king, Earl Hakon. Thrain says he is a close kinsman of Gunnar, and the earl lets him live there for the winter. A viking named Kol sets up an attack on Hallvard; though he surrenders, they set his hall on fire anyway, killing him in the worst imaginable way. The earl places a price on Kol's head and declares him an outlaw. Thrain offers to help, but his son Eirik reminds him that he's been "uneven in carrying [promises] out" (134) and this is the most difficult one he will ever take on. They head out with Gunnar Lambason and Lambi Sigurdarson. They find Kol in Denmark wearing a golden helmet. Kol kills many of Thrain's men, but after he smashes Thrain's shield, Thrain knocks out his sword with a stone and cuts off his leg. In the end, Thrain keeps Kol's head and throws the body in the sea. The earl gives Thrain a ship, the Griffin, which they take to visit the Swedish king with the earl.
83 - Grim and Helgi Njalsson get caught in many gales and thick fog on their trip and wind up on some foreign land. A massive fleet of viking ships comes toward them one morning; before they can make up their minds as to what to do, they are confronted with a choice: give up their property and live, or die in battle. They choose to defend themselves. Helgi shouts to obscure the grumblings of his merchant crew.
84 - The uneven battle begins. Another fleet arrives and asks Helgi who the contenders are in this fight. The captain's name is Kari and he is from the Hebrides; his fleet joins in on the merchants' side. Kari heroically kills the leading viking, Snaekolf, by pushing a boom across the ship at him; then, when his sword was stuck in the boom, Kari slices his arm off. He then narrowly avoids being impaled by a spear. The rest of the vikings beg for peace, and it is given to them. The Njalssons take much booty.
85 - Kari Solmundarson is a follower of Sigurd, the earl of Orkney, and the Njalssons decide to take their crew there. They find out that they had fought in the Scottish firths. Helgi becomes silent for the winter, and the earl inquires about this. Helgi says that the Scots have invaded and killed a man in charge on the coast. The earl is incredulous that Helgi has second sight—the ability to see the future—but he is urged to believe it, since Njal also has second sigh.
86 - The earl goes with the Njalssons to the coast to protect it against the intruders. Kari catches a spear thrown at him by Earl Melsnati and sends it right back through him. They fight intensely, but they turn back once they find out that a larger army is being built as a reinforcement unit. Later that year, the Njalssons go on several successful raids with Kari. They decide to leave for Norway in the spring with the earl's permission. He gives them his blessing and a ship. Kari says he will be coming later that summer with tribute money for Earl Hakon. They agree to meet at that time.
87 - A man named Kolbein is approached by Hrapp, killer of Olvir's son, to board his ship. When Kolbein takes him on the ship, Hrapp reveals that he has left his money back in Iceland and must pay him back later. Kolbein advises Hrapp to never betray the lord when he gets off in Norway. He comes to Gudbrand, a host of many men with a good reputation. When Gudbrand finds out that Hrapp has been aiming to seduce his daughter, Gudrun, he sends one of his servants to follow her everywhere she goes. This ends poorly when Hrapp and Gudrun are found lying together in some bushes: the servant tries to kill Hrapp, but instead winds up dead himself. Gudrun tells Hrapp she is pregnant. Hrapp confesses to Gudbrand what he has done, but does so in a mischievous and proud way. Gudbrand has him chased out of the hall. Hrapp runs into the forest until he finds a small abode owned by a man named Tofi. He wisely assesses that Tofi would not be living so far from other men if he did not have reason to be a recluse. Hrapp stays with the man and manages to continue seeing Gudrun. Earl Hakon sets a price on Hrapp's head.
88 - The Njalssons go to Norway to trade. Hrapp enters a private temple jointly owned by Gudbrand and Earl Hakon, and he takes many valuable items from it. He is ambushed outside the templel he manages to kill three of the attackers, and he chases the others into the forest so they cannot tell the earl. He decides not to kill Thrand, although he has given him a mortal wound already. The earl discovers the ravaged temple and sends another crew out to find Hrapp. They are unsuccessful, but they finally realize that Hrapp is right in front of them, hiding the whole time. He runs off swiftly and finds the Njalssons about to set sail. They reject him. He approaches Thrain further down the shore instead. He offers him the treasures he has stolen, so Thrain accepts him. The earl approaches the Njalssons; after heated discussion, they decide not to tell him about Hrapp's whereabouts because it is none of their business to get Thrain in trouble. When they approach Thrain, he recalls killing an outlaw for the earl and denies that Hrapp is aboard. The earl is discontented and asks to see the Njalssons again to force the truth out of them, but they've already left. The earl then spots two barrels which must be hiding Hrapp by Thrain's ship. The earl searches Thrain's ship, knowing for a fact that Hrapp is aboard, but he cannot find him because he has been moved in between sacks and out of the barrel. The earl leaves, but soon comes back again, very angry. Everybody thinks the earl has gone mad at this point, thinking Thrain is innocent. They search the ship again. They've moved Hrapp to the sail; the earl does not realize this until they've left. He predicts that Thrain and Hrapp's friendship will lead to both of their deaths. When Hrapp and Thrain get back to Iceland, Thrain gives him a piece of land and Hrapp begins to seduce Hallgerd.
89 - Earl Hakon says he wants to attack the Njalssons although his son advises against it since they were innocent in the matter with Hrapp. They intercept the Njalssons' ship, and the earl offers safe passage to any of those who will abandon Helgi Njalsson. Nobody takes him upon this offer. The Njalssons kill Egil and a persistent fighter named Aslak, but they are finally captured. Hakon's son, Svein, recommends they execute them tomorrow. At night, Helgi and Grim plot to escape by cutting their ropes with a loose axe. Helgi cuts his arm badly, but they escape. At dawn, they see Kari's ship coming, and they tell him of their situation. He appreciates their side of things but says that the earl cannot be killed. The earl awakes and approaches Kari, asking if he intended to attack his ship. The earl's other son, Eirik, says this is an unfair question, and that they should instead ask forgiveness from the Njalssons and go on their way. They accept this settlement from Eirik, but not from the earl. Eirik offers to house them and they also accept. Next, Kari and the Njalssons head to Earl Sigurd's, where they go on raids fighting alongside and against many earls and kings.
90 - Kari and the Njalssons return to Iceland, and Kari asks to marry Njal's daughter, Helga. This wish is granted.
91 - Ketil of Mork tells Njal about the Njalssons' shameful treatment in Norway, and Njal recommends that Ketil talk to his brother, Thrain. However, Thrain does not accept Ketil's reprimands. Njal recommends that Kari reprimand them, knowing that it may end in strong tension. Kari finally goes to Thrain and it does not go well. He is unwilling to repeat what Thrain has said to him, just as Ketil was unwilling earlier. Thrain likes to ride out in a black cloak and gilded helmet, a "great one for show" (154). Thrain's gang of men includes Grani Gunnarsson and Lambi Sigurdarson, as well as Killer-Hrapp. Grojta is where Hrapp spends most of his time, so finally the Njalssons come there with Kari. Hallgerd stands on the porch and says that they are not welcome. The Njalssons argue with Thrain that he owes his life to their actions, but he is belligerent—as is Hrapp. Hallgerd dismisses the 'Dung-beardlings', as he and the rest of his men (except Thrain) call them. They tell Njal, who asks about witnesses, but the Njalssons do not want to settle in court.
92 - Thrain and his men leave to visit his brother Ketil at Mork. There, Runolf and Ketil try to convince him to make peace with the Njalssons, warning that lives will be lost otherwise. Thrain does not care. Bergthora meets some women who were helped by the Sigfussons across a river, and they complain about how aggressively the men talked about the Njalssons. Bergthora transmits the knowledge of the Sigfussons' whereabouts to Kari in secret. That night, Njal hears Skarphedin's axe hit the wall outside, and he goes to see what is the matter. All the Njalssons and Kari are dressed in full armor. Skarphedin says they are going to look for sheep. Naturally, Njal recognizes this excuse from the last time they snuck out. The men wait on a hill for them, but they are seen. Thrain cannot determine the identities of these men, however, and is confused by their presence. As the Njalssons run down toward the river, Skarphedin's shoestring snaps and he must fall back. When they get to the river, they see Thrain and his men on the other side. Skarphedin leaps over it, seeing that it is too deep to ford. Before Thrain can put on his helmet, Skarphedin drives his axe down onto his head and "the molars fell out on the ice" (160). Hrapp attacks Grim and Helgi, but they disable him right away, cutting off his arm. Hrapp pleads with them saying that revenge has been taken, for it was his cut-off arm that had killed and wounded so many. Grim thrusts his spear into Hrapp to kill him. They spare Grani Gunnarsson because his brother Hogni is on their side.
93 - Since Ketil of Mork is Thrain's brother but also married to Njal's daughter Thorgerd, he is in a difficult position. He asks Njal for a settlement, which is given on the condition that Ketil convince his other brothers to agree to the settlement. In the saga's words: "After that a state of peace was declared and secured as well as possible" (161). Ketil offers to foster Hoskuld, Thrain's son. Thorgerd agrees to this on the condition of absolute loyalty to the boy if anything should happen.
94 - Njal comes to Mork and gives Hoskuld, Jr. a golden ring as a gift. He offers to foster-father the boy as well, and he takes him back to his home where he grows up with the Njalssons. Hoskuld grows up to be big, strong, handsome, even-tempered, and well-liked by everybody.
Analysis
These parallel and then converging storylines of the Sigfussons and the Njalssons have been a long time coming, and it is all the more satisfying for Thrain to be slain in such an epic fashion on the ice. The images associated with death only increase in their effectiveness: stalling death by looking at the ghost of one's lost limb; keeping the head in its golden helmet while disposing of the body into the sea; and now a set of molars crashing down on a frozen arch over a river.
As the story increases in its violent allure, so too does it increase in its linguistic allure. Hrapp is perhaps the most clever man in the saga, constantly overcoming his wretched reputation with only his words. It is remarkable that he is a man doing this: until this point, malicious language had been the craft of women and the rare Swede. Hrapp's misdoings do not stop at his language, though, for he also violates religious sanctimony by raping and pillaging the private temple and having the arrogance to simply hide in the temple instead of escaping right away. His malicious language presents itself not only as a way of getting hospitality when he doesn't deserve it, but also as a way of getting to do what he wants, such as seducing both Gudrun and Hallgerd. Indeed, the latter pairing is possibly the most evil and malicious couple ever imagined. Together, they spit the fire of such insults as "Dung-beardlings" and "Old Beardless" once again.
Hrapp's cleverness is not to be hated by the reader though: indeed, he is an anti-hero of sorts. When Gudbrand asks him why his axe is bloody, Hrapp responds, "I have been taking care of Asvard's bachache" (143). Then when Gudbrand asks what the reason was that he killed him, Hrapp drops yet another deliciously deviant line: "It will seem petty to you, but he was trying to cut off my leg" (143). Although the reader may enjoy his cocky comedy, Njal thinks that his abusive language will only increase hostilities. Skarphedin shows that two can play at this game however: "Let's not exchange words with Hrapp, but just pay him a red skin for his grey one" (156).
One of the stranger morals revealed in this section is the value of stubbornness and standing by decisions regardless of their quality. When Earl Hakon finally lets Thrain go with Hrapp, he composes this couplet: "Let Griffin fly forward, / Thrain does not flinch" (149). The Njalssons also choose not to condemn Thrain even though they know of his crime. The value seems to be dervied from not being a tattletale. This decision almost costs them their lives twice: once with the earl when he ties them up, and again with the battle between them and the Sigfussons.
