Thorgeir Blund was there at the Thing, Egil's sister's son; he had given Thorstein much help in this suit. He begged father and son to give him some land out there on the Moors. Hitherto he had dwelt south of White-river below Blunds-water. Egil received the request well, and persuaded Thorstein to let him come thither. So they settled Thorgeir at Anabrekka, but Steinar moved house beyond Long-river and settled down at Leiru-brook. But Egil rode home southwards to Ness, father and son parting on friendly terms.

There was a man with Thorstein named Iri, fleet of foot and keen of sight above others; he was a foreigner, a freedman of Thorstein's, but he still had the care of his flocks, and especially to gather the wethers up to the fell in spring, and in autumn down to the fold. Now, after flitting days, Thorstein bade gather the wethers that had been left behind in spring, meaning to have them driven to the fell. Iri was there in the sheepfold, but Thorstein and his house-carles rode up to the fell, being eight in all. Thorstein was having a fence made across Grisar-tongue, between Long-water and Cleave-river; at which many of his men were employed in the spring. After inspecting his house-carles' work here, Thorstein rode homewards. Now as he came over against the Thing-field, Iri came running to meet them, and said that he wished to speak to Thorstein alone. Thorstein bade his companions ride on while they spoke together. Iri said he had gone up to Einkunnir that day, and looked to the sheep. 'But I saw,' said he, 'in the wood above the winter road the gleam of twelve spears and some shields.' Then Thorstein said in a loud voice, so that his companions could hear: 'Why can he be in such a hurry to see me that I may not ride on my way home? However Aulvald will think it strange that I refuse him the visit if he is sick.' Iri then ran up to the fell as fast as he could. Thorstein said to his companions: 'I think we must lengthen our way, for we must first ride south to Aulvaldstead. Aulvald send me word I am to go to him. And he will think it no more than a fair return for the ox that he gave me last autumn that I should go and see him, if he deems the matter important.' Whereupon Thorstein with his company rode south by the moor above Stangar-holt, and so on south to Gufa-river, and down along the river by the riding-path. And when they came down below the lake, they saw south of the river man cattle and a man with them. He was a house-carle of Aulvald's. Thorstein asked whether all was well there. He said that all was well, and that Aulvald was in the copse cutting wood. 'Then tell him,' said Thorstein, 'if he has an urgent errand with me, to come to Borg, for I will now ride home.' And so he did. It was afterwards learnt that Steinar, with eleven more, had lain in ambush at Einkunnir that same day. Thorstein made as though he had heard nought of it, and things remained quiet.

Þorgeirr blundr var þar á þinginu, systrsonr Egils, ok hafði mikit lið veitt Þorsteini í þessum málum. Hann bað þá feðga gefa sér land nökkut út þar á Mýrunum. Hann bjó áðr fyrir sunnan Hvítá fyrir neðan Blundsvatn. Egill tók vel á því ok fýsti Þorstein, at hann léti hann þangat fara. Þeir settu Þorgeir niðr at Ánabrekku, en Steinarr færði bústað sinn út yfir Langá ok settist niðr at Leirulæk. En Egill reið heim suðr á Nes, ok skilðust þeir með blíðskap feðgar.

Maðr sá var með Þorsteini, er íri hét, hverjum manni fóthvatari ok allra manna skyggnastr. Hann var útlendr ok lausingi Þorsteins, en þó hafði hann fjárgæzlur ok þær mest at safna geldfé upp til fjalls á várum, en á haust ofan til réttar. En nú eflir fardaga lét Þorsteinn safna geldfé því, er eftir hafði verit um várit, ok ætlaði at láta reka þat til fjalls. íri var þá í fjárréttinum, en Þorsteinn ok húskarlar hans reið upp til fjalls, ok váru þeir átta saman.

Þorsteinn lét gera garð um þvera Grísartungu milli Langavatns ok Gljúfrár. Lét hann þar at vera marga menn um várit. Ok er Þorsteinn hafði litit yfir verk húskarla sinna, þá reið hann heim, ok er hann kom gegnt þingstöð, þá kom íri þar hlaupandi í mót þeim ok sagði, at hann vill mæla við Þorstein einmæli. Þorsteinn mælti, at förunautar hans skyldi ríða fyrir, meðan þeir talaði.

íri segir Þorsteini, at hann hefði farit upp á Einkunnir um daginn ok sét til sauða, - "en ek sá," segir hann, "í skóginum fyrir ofan vetrgötu, at skinu við tólf spjót ok skildir nökkurir."

Þorsteinn segir hátt, svá at förunautar hans heyrðu svá beint: "Hví mun honum svá annt at hitta mik, at ek mega eigi ríða heim leiðar minnar, en þó mun Ölvaldi þykkja ósannligt, at ek synja honum máls, ef hann er sjúkr."

íri hljóp þá, sem mest mátti hann til fjalls upp.

Þorsteinn segir förunautum sínum: "Lengja ætla ek nú leiðina, ef vér skulum fyrst ríða suðr til Ölvaldsstaða. Ölvaldr sendi mér orð, at ek skylda finna hann. Mun honum þó eigi miklu þykkja launaðr uxinn, er hann gaf mér í fyrra haust, at ek hitta hann, ef honum þykkir máli skipta."

Síðan riðu þeir Þorsteinn suðr um mýrar fyrir ofan Stangarholt ok svá suðr til Gufuár ok ofan með ánni reiðgötur. Ok er hann kom niðr frá Vatni, þá sá þeir fyrir sunnan ána naut mörg ok mann hjá. Var þar húskarl Ölvalds. Spurði Þorsteinn, hvernig þar væri heilt. Hann sagði, at þar var vel heilt ok Ölvaldr var í skógi at viðarhöggvi.

"Þá skaltu," segir Þorsteinn, "segja honum, ef hann á við mik skylt erendi, at hann komi til Borgar, en ek mun nú ríða heim." Ok svá gerði hann.

En þat spurðist þó síðan, at Steinarr Sjónason hafði þenna sama dag setit upp við Einkunnir með tólfta mann. Þorsteinn lét sem hann hefði ekki spurt, ok var þat kyrrt síðan.