King Harold long held his residence in Hordaland or Rogaland, at those large estates that he owned, at Outstone or Augvalds-ness, or at Afreksted in Fitjar, or at Seaham in Lygra. But this winter the king was in the north part of the land.

Now, when Bjorn and Thorolf had been one winter in Norway and spring came, they made ready a ship and gathered men. And in the summer they went a-freebooting eastwards, and came home in the autumn, having won much wealth. But when they came home they heard that King Harold was in Rogaland and would remain there for the winter. King Harold was beginning to age much and fail in strength, but many of his sons were come to vigour. His son Eric, by-named Bloodaxe, was then quite young. He was being fostered with lord Thorir Hroaldsson. The king loved Eric above all his sons. Thorir was on most intimate terms with the king then.

Bjorn and Thorolf, when they came home, went first to Aurland, but afterwards turned their way northwards to visit lord Thorir at his home. They had a certain galley rowed by thirteen or fourteen oarsmen on either side, and they had about thirty men with them. This ship they had taken in their summer freebooting. It was gaily painted above the sea-line, and was very beautiful. But when they came to Thorir they were made welcome, and abode there some time; while the ship, tented over, floated opposite the house. It happened one day that, as Thorolf and Bjorn were going down to the ship, they saw that Eric, the king's son, was there; he went now out on to the ship, now up to the land, and stood there looking at the ship. Then said Bjorn to Thorolf:

'The king's son admires the ship much; do you offer it to him as a present, for I know it will much help us with the king if Eric be our pleader with him. I have heard it said that the king bears a heavy grudge against you for your father's sake.'

Thorolf said that this would be a good plan.

They then went down to the ship, and Thorolf spoke:

'Thou regardest the ship carefully, prince; how dost thou like it?'

'Right well,' said he, 'it is a perfect beauty.'

'Then will I give it thee,' said Thorolf, 'if thou wilt take the present.'

'Take it I will,' said Eric, 'and thou wilt deem it but poor payment therefor though I should offer thee my friendship; but this thou mayest look for if I live.'

Thorolf said that he thought the ship were thus far overpaid.

Then they separated. But thenceforward the king's son was right cheerful with Thorolf and his friend.

Bjorn and Thorolf, talking with Thorir, asked him whether he thought it true that the king bore a heavy grudge against Thorolf.

Thorir did not deny that he had heard so.

'Then I would fain,' said Bjorn, 'that you should go and plead Thorolf's cause before him, for one lot shall befall me and Thorolf; he did as much for me when I was in Iceland.'

The end was that Thorir promised to go to the king, and bade them try whether the king's son would go with him. But when Thorolf and Bjorn spake of this with Eric, he promised his influence with his father.

After that Thorolf and Bjorn went their way to Sogn. But Thorir and Eric the king's son set in order the newly-given galley, and went south to meet the king, and found him in Hordaland. He received them joyfully. They remained there for awhile, watching for a fit time to approach the king when he should be in a good humour. Then they opened this matter before the king, and said that a certain man had come named Thorolf, Skallagrim's son. 'We would pray thee,' they said, 'O king, to bear in mind this: that his kinsmen have done good to thee, and not to make him pay for what his father did in avenging his brother.'

Thorir spoke herein soft words, but the king answered rather shortly that to him and his much mischance had come from Kveldulf and his sons, and 'twas to be looked for that this Thorolf would be like-minded with his kin. 'They are all,' said he, 'overbearing men, who know no measure, and care not with whom they have to deal.'

Then Eric took the word. He said that Thorolf had made friends with him, and given him a noble present that ship which they had there. 'I have,' said he, 'promised him my hearty friendship. There will be few to become friends with me if this man get nothing by it. Thou wilt not let it be so, father, with him who has been the first to give me such a treasure.'

The end was that the king promised them before they parted that Thorolf should be in peace with him. 'But I will not,' said he, ' that he come into my presence. And thou, Eric, mayst make him as close to thee as thou wilt, him or more of his kin. But one of two things will happen, either they will be softer to thee than to me, or thou wilt rue this thy intercession, and that thou lettest them be long in thy company.'

Thereafter went Eric Bloodaxe and Thorir home to the Firths; then they sent word to Thorolf how their errand to the king had sped. Thorolf and Bjorn were for that winter with Brynjolf. Many summers they were out a-freebooting, but the winters they spent with Brynjolf, or sometimes with Thorir.

Haraldr konungr hafði löngum atsetu sína á Hörðalandi eða Rogalandi at stórbúum þeim, er hann átti at Útsteini eða Ögvaldsnesi eða á Fitjum, á Álreksstöðum eða á Lygru, á Sæheimi. En þann vetr, er nú var frá sagt, var konungr norðr í landi. En er þeir Björn ok Þórólfr höfðu verit einn vetr í Nóregi ok vár kom, þá bjuggu þeir skip ok öfluðu manna til, fóru um sumarit í víking í Austrveg, en fóru heim at hausti ok höfðu aflat fjár mikils. En er þeir kómu heim, þá spurðu þeir, at Haraldr konungr var á Rogalandi ok myndi þar sitja um vetrinn. Þá tók Haraldr konungr at eldast mjök, en synir hans váru þá mjök á legg komnir margir.

Eiríkr, sonr Haralds konungs, er kallaðr var blóðöx, var þá á ungum aldri. Hann var á fóstri með Þóri hersi Hróaldssyni. Konungr unni Eiríki mest sona sinna. Þórir var þá í inum mestum kærleikum við konung.

Björn ok þeir Þórólfr fóru fyrst á Aurland, er þeir kómu heim, en síðan byrjuðu þeir ferð sína norðr í Fjörðu at sækja heim Þóri hersi. Þeir höfðu karfa þann, er reru á borð tólf menn eða þrettán, ok höfðu nær þrjá tigu manna. Skip þat höfðu þeir fengit um sumarit í víking. Þat var steint mjök fyrir ofan sjó ok var it fegrsta. En er þeir kómu til Þóris, fengu þeir þar góðar viðtökur ok dvölðust þar nökkura hríð, en skipit flaut tjaldat fyrir bænum.

Þat var einn dag, er þeir Þórólfr ok Björn gengu ofan til skipsins, þeir sá, at Eiríkr konungsson var þar, gekk stundum á skipit út, en stundum á land upp, stóð þá ok horfði á skipit.

Þá mæfti Björn til Þórólfs: "Mjök undrast konungsson skipit, ok bjóð þú honum at þiggja at þér, því at ek veit, at okkr verðr þat at liðsemð mikilli við konung, ef Eiríkr er flutningsmaðr okkarr. Hefi ek heyrt þat sagt, at konungr hafi þungan hug á þér af sökum föður þíns."

Þórólfr sagði, at þat myndi vera gott ráð. Gengu þeir síðan ofan til skipsins, ok mælti Þórólfr: "Vandliga hyggr þú at skipinu, konungsson. Hversu lízt þér á?"

"Vel," segir hann, "it fegrsta er skipit," segir hann.

"Þá vil ek gefa þér," sagði Þórólfr, "skipit, ef þú vill þiggja."

"Þiggja vil ek," segir Eiríkr, "en þér munu lítil þykkja launin, þótt ek heita þér vináttu minni, en þat stendr þó til vánar, ef ek held lífi."

Þórólfr segir, at þau laun þótti honum miklu meira verð en skipit, skilðust þá síðan, en þaðan af var konungsson allkátr við þá Þórólf.

Þeir Björn ok Þórólfr koma á ræðu við Þóri, hvat hann ætlar, hvárt þat sé með sannendum, at konungr hafi þungan hug á Þórólfi. Þórir dylr þess ekki, at hann hefði þat heyrt.

"Þá vilda ek þat," sagði Björn, "at þú færir á fund konungs ok flyttir mál Þórólfs fyrir honum, því at eitt skal ganga yfir okkr Þórólf báða. Gerði hann svá við mik, þá er ek var á Íslandi."

Svá kom, at Þórir hét ferðinni til konungs ok bað þá freista, ef Eiríkr konungsson vildi fara með honum. En er þeir Þórólfr ok Björn kómu á þessar ræður fyrir Eirík, þá hét hann sinni umsýslu við föður sinn. Síðan fóru þeir Þórólfr ok Björn leið sína í Sogn, en Þórir ok Eiríkr konungsson skipuðu karfa þann inn nýgefna ok fóru suðr á fund konungs ok hittu hann á Hörðalandi. Tók hann feginsamliga við þeim.

Dvölðust þeir þar um hríð ok leituðu þess dagráðs at hitta konung, at hann var í góðu skapi, báru þá upp þetta mál fyrir konung, sögðu, at sá maðr var þar kominn, er Þórólfr hét, sonr Skalla-Gríms. "Vildum vér þess biðja, konungr, at þú minnist þess, er frændr hans hafa vel til þín gert, en létir hann eigi gjalda þess, er faðir hans gerði, þótt hann hefndi bróður síns."

Talaði Þórir um þat mjúkliga, en konungr svaraði heldr stutt, sagði, at þeim hefði ótili mikill staðit af Kveld-Úlfi ok sonum hans, ok lét þess ván, at sjá Þórólfr myndi enn vera skaplíkr frændum sínum. "Eru þeir allir," sagði hann, "ofsamenn miklir, svá at þeir hafa ekki hóf við ok hirða eigi, við hverja þeir eigu at skipta."

Síðan tók Eiríkr til máls, sagði, at Þórólfr hefði vingazt við hann ok gefit honum ágætan grip, skip þat, er þeir höfðu þar. "Hefi ek heitit honum vináttu minni fullkominni. Munu fáir til verða at vingast við mik, ef þessum skal ekki tjóa. Muntu eigi þat vera láta, faðir, um þann mann, er til þess hefir fyrstr orðit at gefa mér dýrgripi."

Svá kom, at konungr hét þeim því, áðr létti, at Þórólfr skyldi í friði vera fyrir honum. "En ekki vil ek," kvað hann, "at hann komi á minn fund. En gera máttu, Eiríkr, hann svá kæran þér sem þú villt eða fleiri þá frændr, en vera mun annathvárt, at þeir munu þér verða mjúkari en mér hafa þeir orðit eða þú munt þessar bænar iðrast ok svá þess, ef þú lætr þá lengi með þér vera."

Síðan fór Eiríkr blóðöx ok þeir Þórir heim í Fjörðu, sendu síðan orð ok létu segja Þórólfi, hvert þeira erendi var orðit til konungs.

Þeir Þórólfr ok Björn váru þann vetr með Brynjólfi. En mörg sumur lágu þeir í víking, en um vetrum váru þeir með Brynjólfi, en stundum með Þóri.