his bad health, and above all his years; but offered himself
to fight in his place, explaining that it would be shameful to decline a
duel on behalf of the man for whom he had come to make a war. Then
they fought without delay: Alrik was killed, and Erik was most severely
wounded; it was hard to find remedies, and he did not for long time
recover health. Now a false report had come to Frode that Erik had
fallen, and was tormenting the king's mind with sore grief; but Erik
dispelled this sadness with his welcome return; indeed, he reported to
Frode that by his efforts Sweden, Wermland, Helsingland, and the islands
of the Sun (Soleyar) had been added to his realm. Frode straightway
made him king of the nations he had subdued, and also granted to him
Helsingland with the two Laplands, Finland and Esthonia, under a yearly
tribute. None of the Swedish kings before him was called by the name of
Erik, but the title passed from him to the rest.

At the same time Alf was king in Hethmark, and he had a son Asmund.
Biorn ruled in the province of Wik, and had a son Aswid. Asmund was
engaged on an unsuccessful hunt, and while he was proceeding either to
stalk the game with dogs or to catch it in nets, a mist happened to
come on. By this he was separated from his sharers on a lonely track,
wandered over the dreary ridges, and at last, destitute of horse and
clothing, ate fungi and mushrooms, and wandered on aimlessly till he
came to the dwelling of King Biorn. Moreover, the son of the king and
he, when they had lived together a short while, swore by every vow, in
order to ratify the friendship which they observed to one another, that
whichever of them lived longest should be buried with him who died. For
their fellowship and love were so strong, that each determined he would
not prolong his days when the other was cut off by death.

After this Frode gathered together a host of all his subject nations,
and attacked Norway with his fleet, Erik being bidden to lead the land
force. For, after the fashion of human greed, the more he gained the
more he wanted, and would not suffer even the dreariest and most rugged
region of the world to escape this kind of attack; so much is increase
of wealth wont to encourage covetousness. So the Norwegians, casting
away all hope of self-defence, and losing all confidence in their power
to revolt, began to flee for the most part to Halogaland. The maiden
Stikla also withdrew from her country to save her