gard to the loss of
people, no man must mention it if peace there is to be; for the Swedish
king cannot with money pay for the men the Swedes have deprived us of."
Thereupon the king rose, and went out with Bjorn and his followers; and
he took a gold-mounted sword and a gold ring, and said, in handing over
the sword to Bjorn, "This I give thee: it was given to me in summer by
Earl Ragnvald. To him ye shall go; and bring him word from me to advance
your errand with his counsel and strength. This thy errand I will think
well fulfilled if thou hearest the Swedish king's own words, be they
yea or nay: and this gold ring thou shalt give Earl Ragnvald. These are
tokens (1) he must know well."

Hjalte went up to the king, saluted him, and said, "We need much, king,
that thy luck attend us;" and wished that they might meet again in good
health.

The king asked where Hjalte was going.

"With Bjorn," said he.

The king said, "It will assist much to the good success of the journey
that thou goest too, for thy good fortune has often been proved; and be
assured that I shall wish that all my luck, if that be of any weight,
may attend thee and thy company."

Bjorn and his followers rode their way, and came to Earl Ragnvald's
court, where they were well received. Bjorn was a celebrated and
generally known man,--known by sight and speech to all who had ever
seen King Olaf; for at every Thing, Bjorn stood up and told the king's
message. Ingebjorg, the earl's wife, went up to Hjalte and looked
at him. She recognized him, for she was living with her brother Olaf
Trygvason when Hjalte was there: and she knew how to reckon up the
relationship between King Olaf and Vilborg, the wife of Hjalte; for
Eirik Bjodaskalle father of Astrid, King Olaf Trygvason's mother, and
Bodvar father of Olaf, mother of Gissur White the father of Vilborg,
were brother's sons of the lenderman Vikingakare of Vors.

They enjoyed here good entertainment. One day Bjorn entered into
conversation with the earl and Ingebjorg, in which he set forth his
errand, and produced to the earl his tokens.

The earl replies, "What hast thou done, Bjorn, that the king wishes thy
death? For, so far from thy errand having any success, I do not think a
man can be found who could speak these words to the Swedish king without
incurring wrath and punishment. King Olaf, king of Sweden, is too proud
for any man to speak to him on anything he is angry at."

Then Bjorn says, "Nothing