Egil was matched to play against a boy named Grim, son of Hegg, of Hegg-stead. Grim was ten or
eleven years old, and strong for his age. But when they played together Egil got the worst of it. And
Grim made all he could of his advantage. Then Egil got angry and lifted up the bat and struck Grim,
whereupon Grim seized him and threw him down with a heavy fall, and handled him rather roughly,
and said he would thrash him if he did not behave. But when Egil got to his feet, he went out of the
game, and the boys hooted at him.

Egil went to Thord and told him what had been done. Thord said:

’I will go with you, and we will be avenged on them.’

He gave into his hands a halberd that he had been carrying. Such weapons were then customary. They
went where the boys’ game was. Grim had now got the ball and was running away with it, and the
other boys after him. Then Egil bounded upon Grim, and drove the axe into his head, so that it at once
pierced his brain. After this Egil and Thord went away to their own people. The Myramen ran to their
weapons, and so did either party. Oleif Halt, with his following, ran to help the Borgarmen, who were
thus far the larger number, and they parted without doing more. But hence arose a quarrel between
Oleif and Hegg. They fought at Laxfit, by Grims-river; there seven men fell, but Hegg was wounded
to death, and his brother Kvig fell. But when Egil came home, Skallagrim said little about it; but Bera
said Egil had in him the makings of a freebooter, and that ’twould be well, so soon as he were old
enough, to give him a long-ship. Then Egil made a stave:

’Thus counselled my mother,

For me should they purchase

A galley and good oars

To go forth a-roving.

So may I high-standing,

A noble barque steering,

Hold course for the haven,

Hew down many foemen.’

When Egil was twelve years old, he was grown so big that there were but few men howso large and
strong that he could not overcome in games. In his twelfth winter he was often at games. Thord
Grani’s son was then twenty years old; he was very strong. As the winter wore on, if often chanced
that the two, Egil and Thord, were matched against Skallagrim. And once in the winter it so befell that
there was ball-play at Borg, southwards in Sandvik. Thord and Egil were set against Skallagrim in the
game; and he became weary before them, so that they had the best of it. But in the evening after sunset
it began to go worse with Egil and his partner. Skallagrim then became so strong and he caught up
Thord and dashed him down so violently that he was all bruised and at once got his bane. Then he
seized Egil. Now there was a handmaid of Skallagrim’s named Thorgerdr Brak, who had nursed Egil
when a child; she was a big woman, strong as a man, and of magic cunning. Said Brak:

’Dost thou turn they shape-strength, Skallagrim, against thy son?’