Now Grettir looked hard at the horse and the goods thereon, and went to meet the man, and greeting him asked his name, but he said he was called Air.  “I wot well what thou art called,” said he, “for thou shalt be Grettir the Strong, the son of Asmund.  Whither art thou bound?”

“As to the place I have not named it yet,” said Grettir; “but as to my errand, it is to know if thou wilt lay down some of the goods thou farest with.”

Said Air, “Why should I give thee mine own, or what wilt thou give me therefor?”

Grettir answers, “Hast thou not heard that I take, and give no money again? and yet it seems to most men that I get what I will.”

Said Air, “Give such choice as this to those who deem it good, but not thus will I give up what I have; let each of us go his own way.”

And therewithal he rode forth past Grettir and spurred his horse.

“Nay, we part not so hastily,” said Grettir, and laid hold of the reins of Air’s horse in front of his hands, and held on with both hands.

Said Air, “Go thy ways, nought thou hast of me if I may hold mine own.”

“That will now be proven,” said Grettir.

Now Air stretched his hands down the head-gear and laid hold of the reins betwixt Grettir’s hands and the snaffle-rings and dragged at them so hard that Grettir’s hands were drawn down along the reins, till Air dragged all the bridle from him.

Grettir looked into the hollow of his hands, and saw that this man must have strength in claws rather than not, and he looked after him, and said, “Whither art thou minded to fare?”

Air answered and sang—­

  “To the Kettle’s side
  Now will I ride,
  Where the waters fall
  From the great ice-wall;
  If thou hast mind
  There mayest thou find
  With little stone[17]
  Fist’s land alone.”

[Footnote 17:  Hall, a “stone”:  mund, is hand, and by periphrasis “land of fist”; so that Hallmund is meant by this couplet, and that was the real name of “Air,” who is not a mere man, but a friendly spirit of the mountains.]

Grettir said, “It is of no avail to seek after thine abode if thou tellest of it no clearer than this.”

Then Air spake and sang—­

  “I would not hide
  Where I abide,
  If thou art fain
  To see me again;
  From that lone weald,
  Over Burgfirth field,
  That ye men name
  Balljokul, I came.”

Thereat they parted, and Grettir sees that he has no strength against this man; and therewithal he sang a stave—­

  “Too far on this luckless day,
  Atli, good at weapon-play,
  Brisk Illugi were from me;
  Such-like oft I shall not be
  As I was, when I must stand
  With the reins drawn through my hand
  By the unflinching losel Air. 
  Maids weep when they know I fear.”

Thereafter Grettir went to the south from the Keel; and rode to Hjalli and found Skapti, and prayed for watch and ward from him.