iorn's neighbourhood.

Olaf Meets Thorbiorn

That summer Thorbiorn decided to marry. He wooed a maiden who was
sister of the wise Guest, who dwelt at the Mead, and Guest agreed to
the match, on condition that Thorbiorn should renounce his injustice
and evil ways; to this Thorbiorn assented, and the wedding was held
shortly after. Thorbiorn had said nothing to his household of his
proposed marriage, and Sigrid first heard of it when the wedding was
over, and the bridal party would soon be riding home to Bathstead.
Sigrid was very wroth that she must give up her control of the
household to another, and refused to stay to serve under Thorbiorn's
wife; accordingly she withdrew from Bathstead to a kinsman's house,
taking all her goods with her. Thorbiorn raged furiously on his
return, when he found that she was gone, for her wealth made a great
difference to his comfort, and threatened dire punishment to all who
had helped her. Olaf continued his wooing of Sigrid, and went to see
her often in her kinsman's abode, and they loved each other greatly.

One day when Olaf had been seeking some lost sheep he made his way to
Sigrid's house, to talk with her as usual. As they stood near the
house together and talked Sigrid looked suddenly anxious and said:

"I see Thorbiorn and Vakr coming in a boat over the firth with weapons
beside them, and I see the gleam of Thorbiorn's great sword Warflame.
I fear they have done, or will do, some evil deed, and therefore I
pray thee, Olaf, not to stay and meet them. He has hated thee for a
long time, and the help thou didst give me to leave Bathstead did not
mend matters. Go thy way now, and do not fall in with them."

"I am not afraid," said Olaf. "I have done Thorbiorn no wrong, and I
will not flee before him. He is only one man, as I am."

"Alas!" Sigrid replied, "how canst thou, a stripling of eighteen, hope
to stand before a grown man, a mighty champion, armed with a magic
sword? Thy words and thoughts are brave, as thou thyself art, but the
odds are too great for thee: they are two to one, since Vakr, ever
spiteful and malicious, will not stand idle while thou art in combat
with Thorbiorn."

"Well," said Olaf, "I will not avoid them, but I will not seek a
contest. If it must be so, I will fight bravely; thou shalt hear of my
deeds."

"No, that will never be; I will not live after thee to ask of them,"
said Sigrid.

"Farewell now; live long and happily!" said Olaf; and so they