Egil’s Saga. E. Eddison R.
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to hold out against that strength of men that Thorolf had, they gave themselves up. Thorolf took that ship with all her lading, and put Thorir-up aland on the island.
Thorolf held his way then with both those ships north along the land: but when he was come off the Elf, then lay they there and waited for night; but when it was dark they rowed the long-ship up into the river and set on against that house that belonged to Hallvard and Sigtrygg. They come there before day and threw a ring of men about it: therewith they whooped the war-whoop, and those waked thereat that were within and straightway leaped up and to their weapons. Thorgeir fled out straightway out of the sleeping-bower. There was a high wood fence about the dwelling: Thorgeir leapt at the fence and grabbed hold with his hand high up on a stake of it and cast himself forth of the garth. There was stood a-nigh Thorgils the Yeller. He slashed after Thorgeir with his sword, and it came on the hand of him and took it off against the fence-stake. After that, Thorgeir ran to the woods, but Thord, his brother, was felled there, and more than twenty men.
After that, they robbed all the goods and burnt the house, and so went back again down the river to the main sea. They had a fair wind, and sailed north to the Wick. There they found fair before them a great cheaping-ship that belonged to the men of the Wick, laden with malt and meal. Thorolf and his set on against that ship, but they that were on board thought they had no means to hold out against them, and gave themselves up. They went up aland weaponless. But Thorolf and his took the ship with her cargo, and went their ways.
Thorolf had then three ships when he sailed from the east about the Fold. So sailed they by the highway to Lidandisness; fared then at their speediest, but lifted ness-liftings whereso they came and hewed them strand-hewings. But when they sailed north from Lidandisness they fared more on the outer course. Still, wheresoever they came nigh land then robbed they.
But when Thorolf was come north off the Firths, then turned he in from his way and went to see Kveldulf his father and found there a good welcome. Thorolf said to his father what tidings had befallen in his faring that summer. Thorolf tarried there a little while, and Kveldulf and Grim led him down to his ship. But before they parted they talked together. Said Kveldulf: “Not far from that hath it fared, Thorolf, even that which I said to thee then when thou wentest into the bodyguard of Harald the King: that it should so turn out for thee as that neither unto thee nor unto us thy kinsfolk should good luck betide from it. Thou hast now taken to that rede that I warned thee most against, to pit thyself against Harald the King; and for all thou be well furnished of valour and of all prowess yet hast thou not the gift for this, to hold thine own against Harald the King: a thing that hath been given in the end to no man here in the land, had he never so great power aforetime and throng of men. And now my mind forebodeth me that this may fall to be our last meeting together. That were the right way of it (for our ages’ sake), that of us twain thou shouldst live the longer. But another way I am apt to think it shall come about”.
Now stepped Thorolf aboard of his ship and departed on his ways. Nought is said of his journey to tell of until he came home to Sandness, and let flit to his house all that spoil of war that he had had home with him, and let lay up the ships. He had then no scant of provision to feed his folk through the winter. Thorolf sat at home all this while, and had a throng of men no smaller than the winters before.
CHAPTER XX. OF SKALLAGRIM’S WEDDING.
THERE was a man named Yngvar, powerful and wealthy. He had been landed man unto the former kings, but since Harald was come into kingdom, Yngvar sat at home and served not the King. Yngvar was a married man and had a daughter that was named Bera. Yngvar dwelt in the Firths. Bera was his only child,1 and stood to take the heritage after him.
Grim Kveldulfson sought the hand of Bera, and that matter was settled betwixt them. Grim gat Bera to wife that same winter after their parting with Thorolf the summer before. Grim was then twenty-five years of age, and was bald-headed:2 from thenceforth was he called Skallagrim. He had then the overseeing over all the household of him and his father and all the supply thereof; howbeit Kveldulf was a hale man and a well able. A mort of freedmen had they about them, and many men withal that had grown up at home there and were nigh of an age with Skallagrim. They were mostly men of great prowess and strength, because Kveldulf and his sons carefully picked out men of strength to follow them, and broke them in to their own bent of mind.
Skallagrim was like his father in growth and strength, and so too in outward seeming and in bent of mind.
CHAPTER XXI. OF REDE TAKEN FOR AN ONSET AGAINST THOROLF.
HARALD the King was in the Wick when Thorolf was a-harrying. He fared in the autumn to the Uplands and thence north to Thrandheim, and sat there for the winter and had great throng of men.
Then were Sigtrygg and Hallvard with the King, and had heard tell what way Thorolf had put in order their abode in Hising, and what man-scathe and fee-scathe he had there wrought them. They minded the King oft of that, and moreover of this too, that Thorolf had robbed the King and his thanes, and had fared with harrying there within the land. They prayed leave of the King that they two brethren should fare with that band which was wont to follow them and set upon Thorolf in his home.
The King answereth thus: “Well may ye think ye have cause thereto, though ye should rid Thorolf of his life; and yet methinks ye come greatly short of the luck to carry this work. Thorolf is no make of yours, albeit ye think you to be men of valour and of doughty deeds”.
Those brethren said that this would soon be proven, if the King will give them leave therefor: they say, withal, that they have oft put themselves in great hazard with men in whose affairs they had less to avenge them of, and oftenest had they gotten the victory.
Now when it began to be spring, then men made them ready for their farings. Then was it even as aforesaid, that Hallvard and his brother held yet by their prayer, that they may go to Thorolf and take his life. He said he would give them leave for this, to take Thorolf’s life, “And I wot, ye may bring me his head when ye come back again, and many costly treasures besides. And yet ’tis the guess of some men,” saith the King, “if ye sail north, that from the north ye are like both to sail and to row”.
Now they make them ready at their swiftest, and had two ships and a hundred and eighty men, and when they were ready they stood out down the firth with a north-east wind. But that is a head-wind going north along the land.
CHAPTER XXII. THE FALL OF THOROLF KVELDULFSON.
HARALD the King sate then at Hladir when Hallvard and his folk set forth. And straightway, with a like speed the King made him ready at his swiftest and went ashipboard, and they rowed in along the firth by Skarnsound, and so by Beitsea inland to Elda-eid.1 He left the ship behind there, and fared north across the neck to Naumdale; there took he long-ships that the bonders had and gat him ashipboard with his folk: he had his bodyguard and nigh three hundred men. He had five ships or six, and all big.
They had a sharp head-wind and rowed night and day as fast as they might go. Night was then light for travelling. They came at eventide to Sandness after sundown, and saw there before the house a great long-ship a-floating, with her tilt rigged. They knew her for that ship which Thorolf owned; he had let array her, and was minded to fare abroad out of the land; and even then had he let brew his parting-ale.
The King bade his men go ashore from the ships, every man of them. He let set up his banner. It was but a short way to go to the house; moreover Thorolf’s watchmen sat within-door a-drinking and were not gone to set the watch, and there was not any man without: all the folk sat within-door a-drinking. The King let throw a ring of men about the hall. Then set they up the war-whoop, and in the King’s trumpet was blown the war-blast. But when Thorolf and his hear that, they leapt to their weapons, for every man’s weapons hung all at hand over his seat.
The King let call to them in the hall and bade go out2 women and young men and old men and thralls and bondmen. And now went out Sigrid the housewife,