Styrbiorn said to Earl Wolf, “I will not have thee with me in this battle, foster-father. For if ill came to ill, hard put to it were our Swede-folk then, and these that followed me from the East, to hold by our oaths for me, and me battle-slain. But if thou wert there to bridle their high mettle, that might yet be done.”
“It is wonderful,” said the Earl, “that I do love thee well enough to humour thee even in this.”
So now was a ram slain and oaths taken betwixt them of either side, calling ancient witnesses to hear their vow: by the southing sun, and by the bright lightning-stream, and by the rock of Victory-Tyr, and by the ring of Ulli. And therewith must each man say, “If I do not according to this oath, then let the ship that saileth under me sail not, though a fair wind blow; and let the sword I draw bite not, save when it shall sing about mine own head. And so let it fare with me as it fareth with a wolf out in the wildwood: poor and joyless and without all meat, save that which is gotten with leaping on carrion corpses.” Right eager was Bui the Thick to be at this battle, but Palnatoki would have none go with him save his own ship’s company only, the same which were wont to man his ship when they went to war. “Thou art more stubborn,” said Sigvaldi, “than a kinked hawser in cold weather. And much thou temptest the fates of death. Yet thou hast ever had good luck in thine undertakings, and may be that shall save thee again.” Palnatoki bade Sigvaldi take command while himself was away, and man the ships and keep them in the harbour; “And see that no man of you is guilty of any unpeaceful deed unless they shall first break oath with us.”
Now Earl Wolf held his fleet away to the northward, and the Jomsburgers lay in their ships within the open sea-gates. But Palnatoki rowed out with his ship against Styrbiorn’s and they lay aboard of one another and fell to fighting without more ado. But the other ships of either side abode two bowshots’ distance from them of either hand. Palnatoki was a man well skilled with arrow and bow, and three or four men of Styrbiorn’s he slew in that manner ere they were come to handy-strokes. But when they were well grappled ship to ship, then was there a rattle of iron, and weapon play of the sharpest. And now the fight waxed grim and woundsome to men, and they of Palnatoki’s following began to go up upon the ship of Styrbiorn, and many of the Swede-folk gat their deaths.
There was with Styrbiorn a man named Eystein the Fox, a Norseman by kin out of Halogaland. He had fared abroad from Norway because of Earl Hakon, for he had slain one of the Earl’s men. So he fared east across the Keel, and thence east overseas to Holmgarth. Styrbiorn took to him there in Garthrealm, and thence had him with him when he made war in the coasts of Biarmaland. He was a man well skilled in arms, and most of all with the axe, and was a great manslayer. So now Styrbiorn called Eystein to him in the fight, and biddeth him go with him and put back the vikings out of the ship. Now was the weapon-brunt harder yet than afore as they went forth, and in short space the Jomsburgers were fain to give back some little under that onset. And now was Eystein in the act to have leaped upon Palnatoki’s ship; but Palnatoki thrust at him so hard a thrust with a spear on the boss of his shield that he leaped not well aboard of the ship, but his foot landed in air between the two ships’ sides and he came pitching forward across the gunwale of Palnatoki’s. And in that nick of time, or ever he might right himself, Bessi Thorlakson fetched him with an axe-hammer so mighty a blow on the head that all the brains were beaten out of it. Men say there was a blood-feud of old betwixt those two, Eystein and Bessi, and that Bessi when he smote him cried out these words: “So knock we the harns out of Foxes.”
With that, Palnatoki egged on his men right fiercely, and himself leaped again aboard of Styrbiorn’s ship and slew a man on this side and on that. And now he drave at Styrbiorn with his spear, but Styrbiorn set his shield against the thrust and budged no whit. Oft said Palnatoki in after-days that never till then, nor never since, had he known the like strength in a man, that he should stand so starkly under the onset of his spear that he budged not an inch aback for all his thrusting. But the Jomsburgers set on now with so fierce an onslaught that no man might withstand them; and it came to this at last, that they cleared Styrbiorn’s ship, in such wise that he himself stood on the poop fronting them alone, but all his men were dead or felled.
Palnatoki spake: “That is well seen, Styrbiorn, that you did set us a hard sword-game; and this too, that thou art a mighty man of thine hands, and a man of a high heart and a stubborn. And now I will offer thee this, which methinks thou mayest take with much honour: that you shall all go your ways now in peace, and have with you all your ships and gear.”
“I will not take that,” answered he. “But let me and thee
