"I have not made up my mind yet about that," said Grettir. "My present business is to know whether you will lay off some of the property which you are travelling with."
"Why should I give you what belongs to me? What will you give me for the things?"
"Have you not heard that I never pay anything? And yet it seems to most people that I get what I want."
Lopt said: "Make this offer to those who seem good to you; I am not going to give my property away for nothing. Let us each go our own way." Then he whipped on his horse and was about to ride away from Grettir.
"We shall not part so quickly as that," said Grettir, and seized the bridle of Lopt's horse in front of his hands, pulled it from him and held it with both hands.
"Go your own way," said Lopt; "you will get nothing from me as long as I am able to hold it."
"That shall now be tried," said Grettir.
Lopt reached down along the cheek-strap and got hold of the reins between the end ring and Grettir's hands, pulling with such force that Grettir let go, and at last Lopt wrenched the whole bridle away from him. Grettir looked at his palms and thought that this man must have strength in his claws rather than not. Then he looked at him and said: "Where are you going to now?"
He answered:
"To the storm-driven den, over ice-clad heights,
I ride to the rock and the rest of the hand."