Ingolf chose the men whom he considered best suited for such a mission, and bade them go to Gaulum and offer Haasten terms. Haasten received Ingolf's envoys silently, and without returning their salutations. They had, however, been his companions on a summer Viking expedition, and several of them had been his friends. They did not know Haasten again. He had aged, and all signs of youthfulness had been obliterated from his face. Though his skin was still soft and smooth it was deeply furrowed. His look was cold and solitary. When he had heard the object of their errand, he said in an icy tone: "I will answer some day. Meanwhile I offer you shelter and food."
Haasten let them wait a whole week for an answer. He had a hard battle to fight first with his father and then with himself. Atle Jarl would at first hear nothing about an agreement. He demanded unconditionally, although coldly and without passion, the lives of the sworn brothers. He blamed Haasten for what had happened, because he had at the time refused to follow his advice and offer Ingolf and Leif blood-brotherhood. Haasten did not answer at length. But he did not give up till Atle Jarl agreed to lay the matter in his hand. When Haasten had thus become solely responsible, he had a hard battle to fight with himself. His family instinct demanded blood and not compensation. Even multiplied weregeld could not compensate him for the loss of his brothers. But could Leif's and Ingolf's lives do it either? The fact was that nothing could compensate for the loss of his brothers. But large fines might sustain the outward honour of the family. To bear weapons against Ingolf, who had not committed any crime, was in itself unthinkable. Besides, Haasten remembered his vow to decide impartially if at any time a decision should be demanded from him.
When he had at last arrived at unity with himself he bade Ingolf's messengers be called, and spoke as follows: "The sworn brothers have desired me to judge between them and myself. My judgment is this. No compensation shall be asked for Holmsten because of his unjustified attack on Leif. But as compensation for Haersten, who went to take righteous vengeance for his brother, and by doing so lost his life at Leif's hand, I adjudge to myself all the sworn brothers' real property. Before three winters have passed they shall have left all their land and territory and fjords and hills. Otherwise they will be treated as outlaws wherever they may be found in the district."
The messengers went home and informed the brothers of Haasten's sentence. When Ingolf had heard it, he said quietly: "That was to be expected."
Leif, on the other hand, was furious. He never remembered to have heard of such an unreasonable sentence. Ingolf bade him take the matter quietly. "The sentence is certainly hard," he said, "but Haasten's loss is harder. I would not willingly change my circumstances with his."
All bitterness against Haasten vanished comparatively quickly from Leif's mind. The question, where they should now go and settle, absorbed him, all at once, so completely that he had no thoughts to spare for anything else. Leif was glad enough to go and settle in a new country. One day he wished to go to England. Another day Ireland had suddenly assumed a great attraction for him. The Faroe Islands, Hjaltland, the Southern Islands—at least once a day in his thoughts he settled in all these. All at once the idea of Iceland occurred to him; strange to think that he had not come upon it at once.
Making a leap in the air, he went there in his own thoughts and settled in a strange land, and so sought Ingolf in hot haste. "We will go to Iceland!" he shouted in his delight, and was already absorbed, body and soul, in his idea. "There we shall have a whole country to ourselves."
"Is it not somewhat lonely?" asked Ingolf, smiling.
Leif thought over that, and conceded that in the long run it might be rather lonely. "But you will see many will follow after us. Many in Norway are discontented with Harald, who will not tolerate any will by the side of his own. The best people will follow us thither—people who can no more find complete freedom in this country. Harald is already seeking to kill many of the best men. There his arm cannot reach them. Sooner or later the land will be colonized; it is said to be fertile. Let us be the first. Ingolf, do you hear, let us be the first."
There was something in Leif's plan which attracted Ingolf. If he had to depart and find himself a new dwelling, why not seek it in a new country? Ingolf the Imperturbable felt his heart beat.