neck with such a sharp blow, that his head spun off on to the
board before the king and the earls, and the board was all one
gore of blood, and the earl’s clothing too.
Earl Sigurd knew the man that had done the deed, and called out,
“Seize Kari and kill him.”
Kari had been one of Earl Sigurd’s bodyguard, and he was of all
men most beloved by his friends; and no man stood up a whit more
for the earl’s speech.
“Many would say, Lord,” said Kari, “that I have done this deed on
your behalf, to avenge your henchman.”
Then Flosi said, “Kari hath not done this without a cause; he is
in no atonement with us, and he only did what he had a right to
do.”
So Kari walked away, and there was no hue and cry after him.
Kari fared to his ship, and his fellows with him. The weather
was then good, and they sailed off at once south to Caithness,
and went on shore at Thraswick to the house of a worthy man whose
name was Skeggi, and with him they stayed a very long while.
Those behind in the Orkneys cleansed the board, and bore out the
dead man.
The earl was told that they had set sail south for Scotland, and
King Sigtrygg said, “This was a mighty bold fellow, who dealt his
stroke so stoutly, and never thought twice about it!”
Then Earl Sigurd answered, “There is no man like Kari for dash
and daring.”
Now Flosi undertook to tell the story of the burning, and he was
fair to all; and therefore what he said was believed.
Then King Sigtrygg stirred in his business with Earl Sigurd, and
bade him go to the war with him against King Brian.
The earl was long steadfast, but the end of it was that he let
the king have his way, but said he must have his mother’s hand
for his help, and be king in Ireland, if they slew Brian. But
all his men besought Earl Sigurd not to go into the war, but it
was all no good.
So they parted on the understanding that Earl Sigurd gave his
word to go; but King Sigtrygg promised him his mother and the
kingdom.
It was so settled that Earl Sigurd was to come with all his host
to Dublin by Palm Sunday.
Then King Sigtrygg fared south to Ireland, and told his mother
Kormlada that the earl had undertaken to come, and also what he
had pledged himself to grant him.
She showed herself well pleased at that, but said they must
gather greater force still.
Sigtrygg asked whence this was to be looked for?
She said there were two vikings lying off the west of Man; and
that they had thirty ships, and, she went on, “They are men of
such hardihood that nothing can withstand them. The one’s name
is Ospak, and the other’s Brodir. Thou shalt fare to find them,
