Now the brothers came up and leaped off their horses. Atli welcomed them, and asked for tidings: "Perchance, Gunnar, thou wilt give me some atonement for my house-carle."
Gunnar answered, "Something else is your due, men of Biarg, than that I should lay down aught good therefor; yea, atonement is due withal for the slaying of Thorbiorn, whom Grettir slew."
"It is not for me to answer thereto," said Atli; "nor art thou a suitor in that case."
Gunnar said he would stand in that stead none-the-less. "Come, let us set on them, and make much of it, that Grettir is not nigh them now."
Then they ran at Atli, eight of them altogether, but Atli and his folk were six.
Atli went before his men, and drew the sword, Jokul's gift, which Grettir had given him.
Then said Thorgeir, "Many like ways have those who deem themselves good; high aloft did Grettir bear his short-sword last summer on the Ramfirth-neck."
Atli answered, "Yea, he is more wont to deal in great deeds than I."
Thereafter they fought; Gunnar set on Atli exceeding[127] fiercely, and was of the maddest; and when they had fought awhile, Atli said,
"No fame there is in thus killing workmen each for the other; more seeming it is that we ourselves play together, for never have I fought with weapons till now."