Thorolf stood northwards with his force past Holland, and they put into a harbour there, as the wind drove them back. They did not plunder there. A little way up the country dwelt an earl named Arnfid. But when he heard that freebooters had come to land there, he sent his men to meet them with this errand, to know whether they wished for peace or war. Upon the messengers' coming to Thorolf with their errand, he said that they would not harry there, that there was no need to harry there or come with warshield, the land being not wealthy. The messengers went back to the earl, and told him the issue of their errand: but when the earl knew that he need not gather men for this cause, then he rode down without any armed force to meet the freebooters. When they met, all went well at the conference. The earl bade Thorolf to a banquet with him, and as many of his men as he would. Thorolf promised to go.

On the appointed day the earl had riding-horses sent down to meet them. Thorolf and Egil went, and they had thirty men with them. When they came to the earl, he received them well; they were led into the dining-hall. At once beer was brought in and given them to drink. They sate there till evening.

But before the tables were removed the earl said that they should cast lots to drink together in pairs, man and woman, so far as numbers would allow, but the odd ones by themselves. They cast then their lots into the skirt of a cloak, and the earl drew them out. The earl had a very beautiful daughter then in the flower of youth; the lot decreed that Egil should sit by her for the evening. She was going about the floor of the hall amusing herself. Egil stood up and went to the place in which the earl's daughter had sat during the day. But when all took their several seats, then the earl's daughter went to her place. She said in verse:

'Why sittest in my seat, youth?
Thou seldom sure hast given
To wolf his warm flesh-banquet.
Alone I will mine own.
O'er carrion course thou heard'st not
Croak hoarse the joying raven,
Nor wentest where sword-edges
In warfare madly met.'

Egil took her, and set her down by him. He sang:

'With bloody brand on-striding
Me bird of bane hath followed:
My hurtling spear hath sounded
In the swift Vikings' charge.
Raged wrathfully our battle,
Ran fire o'er foemen's rooftrees;
Sound sleepeth many a warrior
Slain in the city gate.'

They two then drank together for the evening, and were right merry. The banquet was of the best, on that day and on the morrow. Then the rovers went to their ships, they and the earl parting in friendship with exchange of gifts.

Thorolf with his force then stood for the Brenn-islands. At that time these were a great lair of freebooters, because through the islands sailed many merchant-ships. Aki went home to his farms, and his sons with him. He was a very wealthy man, owning several farms in Jutland. He and Thorolf parted with affection, and pledged them to close friendship. But as autumn came on, Thorolf and his men sailed northward along the Norway coast till they reached the Firths, then went to lord Thorir.

He received them well, but Arinbjorn his son much better, who asked Egil to be there for the winter. Egil took this offer with thanks. But when Thorir knew of Arinbjorn's offer, he called it rather a hasty speech. 'I know not,' said he, 'how king Eric may like that; for after the slaying of Bard he said that he would not have Egil be here in the land.'

'You, father, can easily manage this with the king,' said Arinbjorn, 'so that he will not blame Egil's stay. You will ask Thorolf, your niece's husband, to be here; I and Egil will have one winter home.'

Thorir saw from this talk that Arinbjorn would have his way in this. So father and son offered Thorolf winter-home there, which he accepted. They were there through the winter with twelve men.

Two brothers there were named Thorvald Proud and Thorfid Strong, near kinsmen of Bjorn Yeoman, and brought up with him. Tall men they were and strong, of much energy and forward daring. They followed Bjorn so long as he went out roving; but when he settled down in quiet, then these brothers went to Thorolf, and were with him in his harrying; they were forecastle men in his ship. And when Egil took command of a ship, then Thorfid was his forecastle man. These brothers followed Thorolf throughout, and he valued them most of his crew.

They were of his company this winter, and sate next to the two brothers. Thorolf sate in the high seat over against Thorir, and drank with him; Egil sate as cup-mate over against Arinbjorn. At all toasts the cup must cross the floor.

Lord Thorir went in the autumn to king Eric. The king received him exceedingly well. But when they began to talk together, Thorir begged the king not to take it amiss that he had Egil with him that winter. The king answered this well; he said that Thorir might get from him what he would, but it should not have been so had any other man harboured Egil. But when Gunnhilda heard what they were talking of, then said she: 'This I think, Eric, that 'tis now going again as it has gone often before; thou lendest easy ear to talk, nor bearest long in mind the ill that is done thee. And now thou wilt bring forward the sons of Skallagrim to this, that they will yet again smite down some of thy near kin. But though thou mayest choose to think Bard's slaying of no account, I think not so.'

The king answered: 'Thou, Gunnhilda, more than others provokest me to savageness; yet time was when thou wert on better terms with Thorolf than now. However I will not take back my word about those brothers.'

'Thorolf was well here,' said she, 'before Egil made him bad; but now I reckon no odds between them.'

Thorir went home when he was ready, and told the brothers the words of the king and of the queen.

Þórólfr helt liði sínu norðr fyrir Halland ok lögðu þar til hafnar, er þeim bægði veðr, ræntu þar ekki. Þar var skammt á land upp jarl sá, er Arnfiðr er nefndr. En er hann spurði, at víkingar váru þar komnir við land, þá sendi hann menn sína á fund þeira þess erendis at vita, hvárt þeir vildi þar friðland hafa eða hernað. En er sendimenn váru komnir á fund Þórólfs með sín erendi, þá sagði hann, at þeir myndi þar ekki herja, sagði, at þeim var engi nauðsyn til at herja þar ok fara herskildi, sagði, at þar var land ekki auðigt.

Sendimenn fara aftr til jarlsins ok sögðu honum erendislok sín. En er jarlinn varð þess varr, at hann þurfti ekki liði at safna fyrir þá sök, þá reið hann ofan með ekki lið til fundar við víkinga. En er þeir fundust, þá fóru þar allt vel ræður með þeim. Jarl bauð Þórólfi til veizlu með sér ok liði hans, því er hann vildi. Þórólfr hét ferðinni.

En þá er á var kveðit, lét jarlinn senda reiðskjóta ofan móti þeim. Réðust þeir til ferðar, bæði Þórólfr ok Egill, ok höfðu með sér þrjá tigu manna. En er þeir kómu til jarlsins, fagnaði hann þeim vel. Var þeim fylgt inn í stofu. Var þar þegar inni mungát ok gefit þeim at drekka. Sátu þeir þar til kvelds.

En áðr borð skyldi upp fara, þá sagði jarl, at þar skyldi sæti hluta, skyldi drekka saman karlmaðr ok kona, svá sem til ynnist, en þeir sér, er fleiri væri. Menn báru þá hluti sína í skaut, ok tók jarlinn upp. Jarl átti dóttur allfríða ok þá vel frumvaxta. Svá sagði hlutr til, at Egill skyldi sitja hjá jarlsdóttur um kveldit. Hon gekk um gólf ok skemmti sér. Egill stóð upp ok gekk til rúms þess, er dóttir jarlsins hafði setit um daginn. En er menn skipuðust í sæti sín, þá gekk jarlsdóttir at rúmi sínu. Hon kvað:

Hvat skaltu, sveinn, í sess minn,
þvít þú sjaldan hefr gefnar
vargi varmar bráðir?
Vesa vilk ein of mína.
Sáttaðu hrafn í hausti
of hræsolli gjalla.
Vastaðu at, þars eggjar
á skelþunnar runnusk.

Egill tók til hennar ok setti hana niðr hjá sér. Hann kvað:

Farit hefk blóðgum brandi,
svát mér benþiðurr fylgði,
ok gjallanda geiri.
Gangr vas harðr af víkingum.
Gerðum reiðir róstu.
Rann eldr of sjöt manna.
Létum blóðga búka
í borghliðum sæfask.

Þá drukku þau saman um kveldit ok váru allkát. Var þar veizla in bezta ok svá um daginn eftir. Fóru þá víkingar til skipa sinna. Skilðust þeir jarl með vináttu ok skiptust gjöfum við. Heldu þeir Þórólfr liðinu til Brenneyja. Þar var í þann tíma víkingabæli mikit, því at þar sigldu kaupskip mjök í gegnum eyjarnar.

Áki fór heim til búa sinna ok synir hans. Hann var maðr vellauðigr ok átti mörg bú á Jótlandi. Skilðust þeir með kærleik ok mæltu til vináttu mikillar milli sín.

En er haustaði, sigldu þeir Þórólfr norðr fyrir Nóreg ok koma fram í Fjörðum, fara á fund Þóris hersis. Tók hann vel við þeim, en Arinbjörn, sonr hans, miklu betr. Býðr hann, at Egill skal þar vera um vetrinn. Egill tók þat með þökkum.

En er Þórir vissi boð Arinbjarnar, þá kallaði hann þat heldr bráðmælt. "Veit ek eigi," sagði hann, "hversu þat líkar Eiríki konungi, því at hann mælti svá eftir aftöku Bárðar, at hann vildi ekki, at Egill væri hér í landi."

"Ráða máttu vel, faðir," segir Arinbjörn, "því við konung, at hann teli ekki at um vist Egils. Þú munt bjóða Þórólfi, mági þínum, hér at vera, en vit Egill munum hafa eitt vetrgrið báðir."

En af þessi ræðu sá Þórir, at Arinbjörn myndi þessu ráða. Buðu þeir feðgar þá Þórólfi þar vetrgrið, en hann þekkðist þat. Váru þeir þar við tólf menn um vetrinn.

Bræðr tveir eru nefndir Þorvaldr ofsi ok Þorfiðr strangi. Þat váru náfrændr Bjarnar hölðs ok höfðu með honum fæðzt. Þeir váru menn miklir ok sterkir, kappsmenn miklir ok framgjarnir. Þeir fylgðu Birni, þá er hann var í víking, en síðan er hann settist um kyrrt, þá fóru þeir bræðr til Þórólfs ok váru með honum í hernaði. Þeir váru í stafni á skipi hans, en þá er Egill tók skipstjórn, þá var Þorfiðr hans stafnbúi. Þeir bræðr fylgðu Þórólfi jafnan, ok mat hann þá mest skipverja sinna. Þeir bræðr váru þann vetr í hans sveit ok sátu næst þeim bræðrum. Þórólfr sat í öndvegi ok átti drykkju við Þóri, en Egill sat fyrir ádrykkju Arinbjarnar. Skyldi þar um gólf ganga at minnum öllum.

Þórir hersir fór um haustit á fund Eiríks konungs. Tók konungr við honum forkunnar vel. En er þeir tóku ræður sínar, þá bað Þórir konung, at hann skyldi eigi fyrirkunna hann þess, er hann hafði Egil með sér um vetrinn.

Konungr svarar því vel, sagði, at Þórir mátti þiggja af honum slíkt, er hann vildi, - "en ekki myndi þetta svá fara, ef annarr maðr hefði við Agli tekit."

En er Gunnhildr heyrði, hvat þeir ræddu, þá mælti hon: "Þat ætla ek, Eiríkr, at nú fari enn sem oftar, at þú sér mjök talhlýðinn, ok mant þat eigi lengi, er illa er gert til þín, enda muntu til þess draga fram sonu Skalla-Gríms, at þeir munu enn drepa niðr nökkura náfrændr þína. En þótt þú látir þér engis þykkja vert um dráp Bárðar, þá þykkir mér eigi svá þó."

Konungr segir: "Meir frýr þú mér, Gunnhildr, grimmleiks en aðrir menn, en verit hefir kærra við Þórólf af þinni hendi en nú er. En ekki mun ek orð mín aftr taka við þá bræðr."

"Vel var Þórólfr hér," sagði hon, "áðr Egill spillti fyrir honum, en nú ætla ek engan mun."

Þórir fór heim, þá er hann var búinn, ok sagði þeim bræðrum orð konungs ok dróttningar.