quarrel
(The chiefs' arrogance waxeth).
With danger fraught will be
Wrath of the princes be
If peace be agreed on,
Those who are peace-makers
In scales must weigh all things.
Seemly for Kings to say
What e'er the host liketh;
Bad will would it cause
Were the yeomen's state worsened.'

|| Then the best men and the wisest conferred together, and peace was
made betwixt the Kings, in such wise that King Harald was to have Norway
& King Svein Denmark as far as the marches which had aforetime divided
the kingdoms; neither was to make redress to other; there where the land
had been pillaged the matter was to be passed over; and he who had taken
plunder was to keep it.

This peace was to ensue even so long as the twain were Kings; the
covenant was bounden with oaths, & thereafter gave the Kings one another
hostages; even as is said hereafter:

'Thus have I heard it said
That Svein and Harald both
(God works it) gladly gave
Hostages one to other.
Let them so keep their vows
(All ended was with witness)
And the whole peace so fully
That the folk break it not.'

|| King Harald tarried in Vik during the summer, and sent men to the
Uplands to collect the dues & taxes he had there; but the peasants in
plain words said that they would bide the coming of Earl Hakon, until
such time as he should come to them. Earl Hakon was then up in Gautland
with a large host. When summer was wearing to a close sailed King Harald
south to Konungahella (King's Rock), and he took all the light craft
whereon he could lay hands & went up the River, and at the falls thereof
had the boats haled across land and so put onto Lake Wenern. Thereafter
rowed he east across the lake where he asked tidings of Earl Hakon.

Now when the Earl gat news of the journey of the King, came he down from
the country and made endeavour to prevent the King from harrying, for to
Earl Hakon was a large host which the Gauts had given him. King Harald
laid his boats up the mouth of a river, and thereafter made a landing,
but left some of his men behind to watch the craft. And the King himself
and some of his men rode on horseback, but many more went afoot. Their
way led them through a wood, & thereafter a bog lay before them on which
were small bushes, then after that a copse, and when they were come up
to the copse sighted they the host of the Earl; and a bog there was
betwixt them and it.

Then both hosts arrayed themselves,