shouted loud, and said that Olaf should never
escape alive if he came to meet them. 'Never will he dare to go further
south by the Dales,' said they. Then they appointed seven hundred men to
go and reconnoitre northwards to Breida. This force was commanded by
Gudbrand's son, then eighteen years old, and many other men of renown
with him; and they came to the village called Hof and were there for
three nights, where they were joined by much people who had fled from
Lesja Loa and Vagi, not being willing to submit to Christianity.

But King Olaf and Bishop Sigurd, after appointing teachers of religion
at Loa and Vagi, crossed over the channel between Vagi and the land and
came to Sil, and were there for the night; and they heard the tidings
that a large force was before them. And the people of the country who
were at Breida heard of the King's movements, and prepared for battle
against him. But when the King rose in the morn, then he clad him for
war, and marched south by Silfield, nor stayed till he came to Breida,
where he saw a large army arrayed for battle.

Then the King set his men in array and rode himself before them, and,
addressing the country-folk, bade them embrace Christianity.

They answered: 'Thou wilt have other work to do to-day than to mock us.'

And they shouted a war-shout and smote their shields with their weapons.
Then the King's men ran forward and hurled their spears; but the
country-folk turned and fled, few of them standing their ground.
Gudbrand's son was there taken prisoner; but King Olaf gave him quarter
and kept him near himself. Three nights the King was there. Then spake
he with Gudbrand's son, saying: 'Go thou back now to thy father and tell
him that I shall come there soon.'

Whereupon he went back home and told his father the ill tidings, how
they had met the King and fought with him; 'but our people all fled at
the very first,' said he, 'and I was taken prisoner. The King gave me
quarter, and bade me go and tell thee that he would come here soon. Now
have we left no more than two hundred men out of that force with which
we met him, and I advise thee, father, not to fight with that man.'

'One may hear,' said Gudbrand, 'that all vigour is beaten out of thee.
Ill luck went with thee, and long will thy journey be spoken of. Thou
believest at once those mad fancies which that man brings who hath
wrought foul shame on thee and thine.'

In the following night Gudbrand dreamed a dream.