matter on eagerly, seeing what great avail an alliance with Bolli
would be to them; so the long and short of the matter was that the
betrothal took place then and there, and the wedding was to be held at
the time of the winter nights.[5] Thereupon Bolli rode home and told
this settlement to Olaf, who did not hide his displeasure thereat.
[Sidenote: The wedding] Bolli stayed on at home till he was to go to
the wedding. He asked his uncle to it, but Olaf accepted it nowise
quickly, though, at last, he yielded to the prayers of Bolli. It was a
noble feast this at Laugar. Bolli stayed there the winter after. There
was not much love between Gudrun and Bolli so far as she was
concerned. When the summer came, and ships began to go and come
between Iceland and Norway, the tidings spread to Norway that Iceland
was all Christian. King Olaf was very glad at that, and gave leave to
go to Iceland unto all those men whom he had kept as hostages, and to
fare whenever they liked. Kjartan answered, for he took the lead of
all those who had been hostages, "Have great thanks, Lord King, and
this will be the choice we take, to go and see Iceland this summer."
Then King Olaf said, "I must not take back my word, Kjartan, yet my
order pointed rather to other men than to yourself, for in my view
you, Kjartan, have been more of a friend than a hostage through your
stay here. My wish would be, that you should not set your heart on
going to Iceland though you have noble relations there; for, I take
it, you could choose for yourself such a station in life in Norway,
the like of which would not be found in Iceland." Then Kjartan
answered, "May our Lord reward you, sire, for all the honours you have
bestowed on me since I came into your power, but I am still in hopes
that you will give leave to me, no less than to the others you have
kept back for a while." The king said so it should be, but avowed
that it would be hard for him to get in his place any untitled man
such as Kjartan was. [Sidenote: Kjartan prepares to leave Norway] That