King Harold was in Vik while Thorolf was harrying, and in the autumn he went to Upland, and thence northward to Throndheim, where he stayed through the winter with a large force. Sigtrygg and Hallvard were with him: they had heard what Thorolf had done at their house on Hising, what scathe he had wrought on men and property. They often reminded the king of this, and withal how Thorolf had plundered the king and his subjects, and had gone about harrying within the land. They begged the king's leave that they two brothers might go with their usual following and attack Thorolf in his home.

The king answered thus: 'Ye may think ye have good cause for taking Thorolf's life, but I doubt your fortune falls far short of this work. Thorolf is more than your match, brave and doughty as ye may deem yourselves.'

The brothers said that his would be put to the proof, if the king would grant them leave; they had often run great risk against men on whom they had less to avenge, and generally they had won the day.

And when spring came, and men made ready to go their several ways, then did Hallvard and his brother again urge their request that they might go and take Thorolf's life. So the king gave them leave. 'And I know,' he said, 'ye will bring me his head and many costly things withal when ye come back; yet some do guess that if ye sail north ye will both sail and row south.'

They made them ready with all speed, taking two ships and two hundred men; and when they were ready they sailed with a north-east wind out of the firth, but that is a head-wind for those coasting northward.

Haraldr konungr var í Víkinni, þá er Þórólfr var í hernaðinum, ok fór um haustit til Upplanda ok þaðan norðr til Þrándheims ok sat þar um vetrinn ok hafði fjölmenni mikit.

Þar váru þá með konungi Sigtryggr ok Hallvarðr ok höfðu spurt, hvernig Þórólfr hafði búit at herbergjum þeira í Hísing ok hvern mannskaða ok fjárskaða, er hann hafði þar gert. Þeir minntu konung oft á þat ok svá þat með, at Þórólfr hafði rænt konung ok þegna hans ok farit með hernaði þar innan lands. Þeir báðu konung orlofs til, at þeir bræðr skyldi fara með liði því, er vant var þeim at fylgja, ok sækja heim at Þórólfi.

Konungr svarar svá: "Vera munu ykkr þykkja sakar til, þó at þit ráðið Þórólf af lífi, en ek ætla, at ykkr skorti mikit hamingju til þess verks. Er Þórólfr ekki ykkarr maki, þó at þit þykkizt vera menn hraustir eða vel at ykkr gervir."

Þeir bræðr sögðu, at þat myndi brátt reynt verða, ef konungr vill þeim lof til gefa, ok segja, at þeir hafa oft lagt á hættu mikla við þá menn, er þeir áttu minna í at hefna, ok hafði þeim oftast orðit sigrs auðit.

En er váraði, þá bjuggust menn ferða sinna. Þá var enn, sem fyrr sagt, at þeir Hallvarðr bræðr heldu á því máli við konung.

Hann kvaðst þá lofa, at þeir tæki Þórólf af lífi, - "ok veit ek, at þit munuð færa mér höfuð hans, er þit komið aftr, ok með marga dýrgripi. En þó geta þess sumir menn," segir konungr, "ef þit siglið norðr, at þit munið bæði sigla ok róa norðan."

Nú búast þeir sem skjótast ok höfðu tvau skip ok hálft annat hundrað manna, ok er þeir váru búnir, taka þeir landnyrðing út eftir firðinum, en þat er andviðri norðr með landi.