Now they rowed back, and looked to their wounds, and Palnatoki leeched them that were badly hurt, for he was skilled in leechcraft as in many a matter beside. But the slain they brought ashore in the ships and laid them in howe by the seashore a little east of Jomsburg. But Styrbiorn and well an hundred of his men that were of right age and the likeliest among them, these they took into Jomsburg to be vikings of Jomsburg from that day forth. Men say that never before was any man had into Jomsburg that was less than eighteen winters old, nor, after Styrbiorn, was any man else had in by them under age save only Vagn Akison alone. But Palnatoki took to Styrbiorn after their fight together, for he said that never such a man-at-arms had he known in all his life aforetime, and he said that there should be no counting of age for such a champion as Styrbiorn had shown himself to be. And dear friendship grew up between Palnatoki and Styrbiorn, and there was good liking and friendship between Styrbiorn and all those lords of Jomsburg. Styrbiorn was with them in their harrying now until winter, and gat renown, and that winter he sat with Palnatoki in Fion.
Now that same year in Upsala, at winter’s end, Queen Sigrid bare a son to Eric the King.
V
Yule in Denmark
Now was another year come and gone, and the third winter come of Styrbiorn’s being abroad. He was held now for so great a man of war amongst them, and for so wise and foresighted a man for all his youth and his sometimes heat and rashness, and withal he was so well loved of every man of them, that none thought it ill that Styrbiorn should be called captain in Jomsburg whensoever Palnatoki was away out of the burg about his own affairs whether in Fion or otherwhere.
There was in those days in Jomsburg Biorn Asbrandson of Coombe, a man of Iceland that was come to Jomsburg a little afore Styrbiorn himself came thither. Biorn was now in the twenty-ninth year of his age, and this by-name he had that men called him Biorn the Broadwickers’ Champion. Of most goodly countenance he was, and pleasant of speech, and (by the talk of folk) as big a champion in wooing of women as in holding of his own against men; in both which games there were few might match him. There was good liking betwixt him and Styrbiorn, well nigh from that day when Styrbiorn was first taken into Jomsburg; and now Styrbiorn had bounden Biorn to him with oaths of brotherhood, and had they been brothers born there could scarce closer love and friendship have been betwixt them.
It was the wont of those lords of Jomsburg, when all the booty was brought home at summer’s end and safely bestowed, to go every one to his own place, leaving force to hold the burg through winter. Only one of their chiefest men must bide there as captain in Jomsburg the winter through. They determined by lot year by year who should have that duty, nor was any eager to have it, but they took it turn and turn about. This year was the lot fallen on Heming, the second son of Strut-Harald the Earl, to be captain in Jomsburg and abide there until the spring of the year, when they should all gather thither again against their summer harryings.
And now were the more part of them ready for their homeward faring, but Styrbiorn yet debated whither he should go, for it was not till spring should be well begun that his due time should come when he might come home again to Sweden and take up kingdom there, according to the word of Eric the King.
Now many would have had Styrbiorn go home with them and spend Yuletide as their guest, in so much that there was like to be very mischief amongst them out of argument which of them should have him. Until in the end, Biorn said in his ear, “There is good guesting, Styrbiorn, with King Harald Gormson in Denmark. For thither fared I when first I came east out of Iceland, and King Harald was good to me and welcomed me well. There is this too, that he hath a daughter young and meet for wedlock. And this thou hast told me many a time, that thou was minded to take a wife, so as thou shouldst be not an heirless man when thou shalt be set in kingdom in Upsala.”
Styrbiorn laughed. Taking Biorn by the arm, he spake and said among them, “Here be we two, fosterlings unfostered for the while. Were it not just if the Dane-King should foster me and thee, Biorn, this Yuletide, sith Palnatoki fostereth his brat?”
So those two with their following, when they had bid farewell to Palnatoki and the rest, sailed west along the land and so up into the Dane-realm, and there asked tidings and found that King Harald sat that winter in Sealand in his great house at Roiskeld. So they sailed to Sealand and up the firth into the land till they were come to the head of the firth where it opens as it were into a great mere or inland sea. As soon as King Harald heard that the Jomsburgers were come thither, he sent messengers to bring them greetings and bid them come to him in his hall which stood up not far from the seaside on a little eminence overlooking the gray land and the gray sea. So they came, and greeted well the King, and he gave them good welcome, and bade them be with him over Yuletide.
King Harald was a man of the greatest largesse, and he set good fare before his guests and good drink and of the strongest. That night, ere
