Oft would the King take Styrbiorn and show him all that was there, both old and new, and among other good things the old house of the King his father, King Olaf’s, where he dwelt when he was yet alive and where Styrbiorn was born; and King Eric had let mend and dight it within and without, both the main hall and the chambers thereof, and fit it with new hangings and all kind of gear: “And this shall be thine own house, Styrbiorn, to dwell in when thou takest kingdom. And I think it is no worser an house than mine own.” Styrbiorn showed the King the great sword that hung at his thigh, the same which the King had given him when he went first abroad three years ago. The King asked if that were a good sword. Styrbiorn said it was the best of swords. He said he had had no other sword with him in battle all these years, and it was better now than at the first. He said it seemed to him that if he should lose that sword he should lose all his good luck. “It is like enough,” said the King, “that there is somewhat of me in that sword, who gave it thee. And like enough my good will goeth with it, and maketh it do good for thee.”
The King sent Earl Wolf now in embassage to King Harald Gormson to bespeak his daughter in marriage for Styrbiorn. King Harald at first boggled at this, saying she was promised to the Wend-King. Yet in the end he was fain to own that this was yet but talked on and naught settled nor agreed yet; and when he saw how much King Eric was set upon the match, and bethought him too that the Swede-King’s friendship should profit him well, and that Styrbiorn withal was an ill foe to quarrel with, and that Jomsburg lay at his own door too, in the end he gave Earl Wolf the answer he would have, and promised to send her to Upsala with as short delay as might be. And yet it was with little good will that he consented in this; for there weighed ever on his mind (like as weigheth a surfeit of tough meat on the belly that cannot deal with it) the memory of Styrbiorn’s lording it over him last winter in Roiskeld, and of his saying (albeit in jest) that he would do of him and the Dane-realm as he should think fit.
It was not long before every man that was there in Upsala knew in his bones what manner of lord they had gotten now in Styrbiorn. And they saw very well that he had slipped his neck out of the collar, and was King already in deed, and bare him like a King and let all feel the weight of the might of him. And they marked too how those two, the King and Styrbiorn, were ever in company and were so glad of each other that it was a wonder to see; and most men praised these things and deemed well of their boding, but some wagged their heads in secret.
Only Thorgnyr came on an evening to the King, if he might sway him yet afore it should be too late. The King let him say his say. “You have heard, King,” said that old man, “all that I have heard: you have seen what I see. He is altered not a whit. In Holmgarth and the east he hath overborne all. Jomsburg he holdeth in his hand. He hath browbeat the Dane-King in his stead, and gone forth of the Dane-realm with threats and scornings. He is tied to no place, but all are tied to him. Save you only, there is none here in Sweden he entreateth in other wise than as his thrall or bondman. Give him all the world else, King, but give him not Sweden.”
The King heard him out with so much good temper and patience it was a strange thing to see; then told him kindly ’twas but sawing in the air, since as touching his taking of Styrbiorn into kingdom his mind was set, and not Thorgnyr nor the Swede-folk nor all the Northlands might avail to shift it. Thorgnyr spake no more of that.
Well nigh every day Styrbiorn would still divert himself with wrastling and sporting with Moldi, that he had left with a thrall of his named Erland to tend for him whiles he fared abroad. Moldi was now come to his full growth: not big as other oxen, but exceeding sturdy and heavy. He was something cross-grained in his temper, and the thralls durst not touch him save when he was in the mood for it. But he knew Styrbiorn when he first came home, and ran to him as soon as he saw him, which was
