Ljot’s death was little mourned, for he had been a turbulent bully. He was a Swede by birth, and had
no kin there in the land. He had come thither and amassed him wealth by duels. He had slain many
worthy landowners, whom he had first challenged to wager of battle for their lands and heritages; he
had now become very wealthy both in lands and chattels.

Egil went home with Fridgeir from the field of combat. He stayed there but a short time before going
south to Mæri. Egil and Fridgeir parted with much affection. Egil charged Fridgeir with the securing
of those lands that had belonged to Ljot. Egil went on his way and came to the Firths, whence he went
into Sogn to seek Thord in Aurland. Thord received him well; he declared his errand and the message
of king Hacon. These words of Egil were taken well by Thord, who promised him his help in this
matter. Egil remained there with Thord far into the spring.

Chapter 68 - Of Egil’s journeyings.
Egil went on southwards to Hordaland, taking for this journey a rowing vessel, and thereon thirty men.
They came on a day to Askr on Fenhring island. Egil went up to the house with twenty men, while ten
guarded the ship.

Atli the Short was there with some men. Egil bade him be called out and told that Egil Skallagrimsson
had an errand with him. Atli took his weapons, as did all the fighting men that were there, and then
they went out.

Egil spoke: ’I am told, Atli, that you hold in keeping that property which of right belongs to me and
my wife Asgerdr. You will belike have heard it talked of ere now how I claimed the inheritance of
Bjorn Yeoman, which Bergonund your brother kept from me. I am now come to look after that
property, lands and chattels, and to beg you to give it up and pay it into my hands.’

Said Atli: ’Long have we heard, Egil, that you are a most unjust man, but now I shall come to prove it,
if you mean to claim at my hands this property, which king Eric adjudged to Bergonund my brother.
King Eric had then power to bid and ban in this land. I was thinking now, Egil, that you would be
come here for this end, to offer me a fine for my brothers whose lives you took, and that you would
pay atonement for the pillage committed by you here at Askr. I would make answer to this proposal, if
you should plead this errand; but here to this other I can make none.’

’I shall then,’ said Egil, ’offer you, as I offered Onund, that Gula-thing laws decide our cause. Your
brothers I declare to have fallen without claim for fine and through their own wrong deeds, because
they had first plundered me of law and land-right, and taken my property by force of arms. I have the
king’s leave herein to try the law with you in this cause. I summon you to the Gula-thing, there to have
lawful decision on this matter.’

’To the Gula-thing,’ said Atli, ’I will come, and we can there speak of this matter.’

Hereupon Egil with his comrades went away. He went north to Sogn, then into Aurland to Thord, his
wife’s kinsman, and there he stayed till the Gula-thing. And when men came to the Thing, then came
Egil thither. Atli the Short was also there. They began to declare their cause, and pleaded it before
those who were to judge. Egil made his demand of money due, but Atli offered against it as a lawful
defence the oath of twelve men that he, Atli, had in keeping no money that belonged to Egil. And
when Atli went before the court with his twelve who would swear, then went Egil to meet him, and
said that he would not accept Atli’s oaths for his own property. ’I will offer you other law, that we do
battle here at the Thing, and he shall have the property who wins the victory.’