rald was with his forces at a
place called Fors in Ranrike, and went from thence towards the sea. The
evening before Saint Lawrence day (August 10), they had their supper at
a place called Fyrileif, while the guard kept a watch on horseback all
around the house. The watchmen observed King Magnus's army hastening
towards the house, and consisting of full 6000 men, while King Harald
had but 1500. Now come the watchmen who had to bring the news to King
Harald of what was going on and say that King Magnus's army was now very
near the town.

The king says, "What will my relation King Magnus Sigurdson have? He
wants not surely to fight us."

Thjostolf Alason replies, "You must certainly, sire, make preparation
for that, both for yourself and your men. King Magnus has been drawing
together an army all the summer for the purpose of giving you battle
when he meets you."

Then King Harald stood up, and ordered his men to take their arms. "We
shall fight, if our relative King Magnus wants to fight us."

Then the war-horns sounded, and all Harald's men went out from the house
to an enclosed field, and set up their banners. King Harald had on two
shirts of ring-mail, but his brother Kristrod had no armour on; and a
gallant man he was. When King Magnus and his men saw King Harald's troop
they drew up and made their array, and made their line so long that
they could surround the whole of King Harald's troop. So says Haldor
Skvaldre:--

"King Magnus on the battle-plain
From his long troop-line had great gain;
The plain was drenched with warm blood,
Which lay a red and reeking flood."

3. BATTLE AT FYRILEIF.

King Magnus had the holy cross carried before him in this battle, and
the battle was great and severe. The king's brother, Kristrod, had
penetrated with his troop into the middle of King Magnus's array,
and cut down on each side of him, so that people gave way before him
everywhere. But a powerful bonde who was in King Harald's array raised
his spear with both hands, and drove it through between Kristrod's
shoulders, so that it came out at his breast; and thus fell Kristrod.
Many who were near asked the bonde why he had done so foul a deed.

The bonde replies, "He knows the consequences now of slaughtering my
cattle in summer, and taking all that was in my house, and forcing me
to follow him here. I determined to give him some return when the
opportunity came."

After this King Harald's army t