Hvelp (Whelp), or
Hunde (Dog), as an hostage; and the king took Hvelp to Norway with him.
Thereafter Olaf went out to sea to the eastward, and made the land at
Morster Island, where he first touched the ground of Norway. He had
high mass sung in a tent, and afterwards on the spot a church was built.
Thorer Klakka said now to the king, that the best plan for him would
be not to make it known who he was, or to let any report about him get
abroad; but to seek out Earl Hakon as fast as possible and fall upon
him by surprise. King Olaf did so, sailing northward day and night, when
wind permitted, and did not let the people of the country know who it
was that was sailing in such haste. When he came north to Agdanes,
he heard that the earl was in the fjord, and was in discord with the
bondes. On hearing this, Thorer saw that things were going in a very
different way from what he expected; for after the battle with the
Jomsborg vikings all men in Norway were the most sincere friends of
the earl on account of the victory he had gained, and of the peace and
security he had given to the country; and now it unfortunately turns out
that a great chief has come to the country at a time when the bondes are
in arms against the earl.

53. EARL HAKON'S FLIGHT.

Earl Hakon was at a feast in Medalhus in Gaulardal and his ships lay out
by Viggja. There was a powerful bonde, by name Orm Lyrgja, who dwelt in
Bunes, who had a wife called Gudrun, a daughter of Bergthor of Lundar.
She was called the Lundasol; for she was the most-beautiful of women.
The earl sent his slaves to Orm, with the errand that they should bring
Orm's wife, Gudrun, to the earl. The thralls tell their errand, and
Orm bids them first seat themselves to supper; but before they had done
eating, many people from the neighbourhood, to whom Orm had sent notice,
had gathered together: and now Orm declared he would not send Gudrun
with the messengers. Gudrun told the thralls to tell the earl that she
would not come to him, unless he sent Thora of Rimul after her. Thora
was a woman of great influence, and one of the earl's best beloved. The
thralls say that they will come another time, and both the bonde and his
wife would be made to repent of it; and they departed with many threats.
Orm, on the other hand, sent out a message-token to all the neighbouring
country, and with it the message to attack Earl Hakon with weapons and
kill him. He sent also a message to Haldor in Sker