Here at Fareys they sat a month or more; but not in the Earl’s hall as when Eric came with honour in the Gudruda, but in a farmer’s stead.  For the tale of Eric’s dealings with Atli and Atli’s wife had reached Fareys, and the Earl there had been a friend of Atli’s.  Moreover, Eric was now a poor man, having neither ship nor goods, nor friends.  Therefore all looked coldly on him, though they wondered at his beauty and his might.  Still, they dared not to speak ill or make a mock of him; for, two men having done so, were nearly slain of Skallagrim, who seized the twain by the throat, one in either hand, and dashed their heads together.  After that men said little.

They sat there a month, till at length a chapman put in at Fareys, bound for Iceland, and they took passage with him, Eric paying the other half of his gold ring for ship-room.  The chapman was not willing to give them place at first, for he, too, had heard the tale; but Skallagrim offered him choice, either to do so or to go on holmgang with him.  Then the chapman gave them passage.

Now it is told that when his thralls and house-carles bore the corpse of Atli the Earl to his hall in Straumey, Swanhild met it and wept over it.  And when the spokesman among them stood forward and told her those words that Atli had bidden them to say to her, sparing none, she spoke thus: 

“My lord was distraught and weak with loss of blood when he spoke thus.  The tale I told him was true, and now Eric has added to his sin by shedding the blood of him whom he wronged so sorely.”

And thereafter she spoke so sweetly and with so much gentleness, craft, and wisdom that, though they still doubted them, all men held her words weighty.  For Swanhild had this art, that she could make the false sound true in the ears of men and the true sound false.

Still, being mindful of their oath, they hunted for Koll and found him.  And when the thrall knew that they would slay him he ran thence screaming.  Nor did Swanhild lift a hand to save his life, for she desired that Koll should die, lest he should bear witness against her.  Away he ran towards the cliffs, and after him sped Atli’s house-carles, till he came to the great cliffs that edge in the sea.  Now they were close upon him and their swords were aloft.  Then, sooner than know the kiss of steel, the liar leapt from the cliffs and was crushed, dying miserably on the rocks below.  This was the end of Koll the Half-witted, Groa’s thrall.

Swanhild sat in Straumey for a while, and took all Atli’s heritage into her keeping, for he had no male kin; nor did any say her nay.  Also she called in the moneys that he had out at interest, and that was a great sum, for Atli was a careful and a wealthy man.  Then Swanhild made ready to go to Iceland.  Atli had a great dragon of war, and she manned that ship and filled it with stores and all things needful.  This done, she set stewards and grieves over the Orkney lands and farms, and, when the Earl was six weeks dead, she sailed for Iceland, giving out that she went thither to set a blood-suit on foot against Eric for the death of Atli, her lord.  There she came in safety just as folk rode to the Thing.