For him that is free of her doorway,
The fainer my love and my longing
For the lass that is sweeter than samphire."

Then leaped up Thorveig's sons, and fought Cormac for a time:
Narfi the while skulked and dodged behind them. Thorkel saw from
his house that they were getting but slowly forward, and he took
his weapons. In that nick of time Steingerd came out and saw
what her father meant. She laid hold on his hands, and he got no
nearer to help the brothers. In the end Odd fell, and Gudmund
was so wounded that he died afterwards. Thorkel saw to them, and
Cormac went home.

A little after this Cormac went to Thorveig and said he would
have her no longer live there at the firth. "Thou shalt flit and
go thy way at such a time," said he, "and I will give no blood-
money for thy sons."

Thorveig answered, "It is like enough ye can hunt me out of the
countryside, and leave my sons unatoned. But this way I'll
reward thee. Never shalt thou have Steingerd."

Said Cormac, "That's not for thee to make or to mar, thou wicked
old hag!"


CHAPTER SIX
Cormac Wins His Bride and Loses Her.

After this, Cormac went to see Steingerd the same as ever: and