They brought in the Earl now to the mid part of the camp where Styrbiorn slept; and there was there a great fire burning, and Styrbiorn slept in his cloak beside the fire, for he loved not tents, and the men of his bodyguard were asleep there round about him. There was a house-carle of his named Thorhall kept guard at that hour. He greeted the Earl and asked him if he brought any tidings. The Earl said he would tell that to Styrbiorn. “If you bring peace,” said Thorhall, “tell him now. But if it is as we think likely, then that will be better to let him sleep his sleep out.”
The Earl stood silent a minute, looking down on Styrbiorn, and the sleeping face of him was tranquil as a man’s that is cast in his first sleep beside his bride. And that seemed wondrous in him that slept there on the cold ground in a camp of war, on the eve of doings that he was well minded should break either himself or all the rest of the North.
“Let it wait till morning,” said the Earl.
When the morrow dawned and men were astir again, the Earl came to Styrbiorn and told him all. Styrbiorn said, “I could have saved thee thy journey, foster-father.”
The Earl paused. Then he said, “Wilt thou not turn back, even now?”
Styrbiorn shook his head. “No,” he answered.
Styrbiorn bade strike camp now. He brought his army by great journeys all that day and the next, north through the woods and uplands till they came at even of the next day down to the flats of Fyrisfield below Upsala, and there lay the King his uncle with a very great host. Styrbiorn took a stand now and stayed his army in the open meadow-land over against the King. And so great were the armies of Styrbiorn and of the King that no man that was there had ever seen so great a war-gathering in all the Northlands. They deemed it over-late in the day to join battle, and both hosts camped there on the field.
Now when it was high day men busked them for war, and Styrbiorn let cast his host into battle array and set up the banners, and his captains and lords of the Jomsburgers gave out the word and bade their men take heed to their places whereas each man was marshalled. Styrbiorn set up his banner and there were the men of his bodyguard arrayed, Bessi and Gunnstein and Ere-Skeggi to wit and Valdimar of Holmgarth and many more with their messmates and housecarles; and Biorn the Broadwickers’ Champion was there, for he was minded that in this fight as in others aforetime he should be not afar from Styrbiorn. There were also in the mid battle those Swedes that had taken Styrbiorn’s side at his landing, and over these was Earl Wolf now set in command. But on the right hand from the main battle was the battle of Bui, and there fared along with him Sigurd Cape his brother and a great host of the Jomsburgers and the Wendish levies and others from the east. And on the left had those sons of Strut-Harald place, Heming and Thorkell the High, lacking their eldest brother: for Sigvaldi had sneaked away under the cloak of darkness on Skaney-side. Yet was there not the tenth part even of his own men would go with him, but bade him go to the devil and went all under Heming and Thorkell. And that made great wonder, for Sigvaldi was commonly a man well followed and obeyed. And on the left went also the Danes, King Harald Gormson’s following, and their captains were Ivar of Weatherisle and Hiort the son of Sighvat and Einar the Red. But King Harald himself Styrbiorn would not suffer to depart from under his own hand, so that he went willy-nilly in the mid battle with Styrbiorn. Styrbiorn let make a shield-burg about King Harald.
Styrbiorn now said to Biorn his foster-brother, “I was never a talker, and now thou must talk to them for me: and say thus and thus.” And therewith he taught Biorn, in his ear, with swift stuttering speech, what he should say. And Biorn, standing forth beside Styrbiorn in the face of that great army, spake to them and said: “Thus saith Styrbiorn the Strong, and for that he is a man of deeds more than a man of talk, he charged me say it unto you; and thus saith Styrbiorn: ‘I have this to say, that I shall not flee from this battle. I shall either have the victory here over King Eric, or I shall fall here else. So that if it be my fate to overlive this battle, then will it lie in my hand to do you good; for in my hand will lie then all the lands and fee that be in the realm of Sweden, to deal them out unto them that deserved well of me. And now, the swiftlier we fall upon them the better hope have we of victory, for delay fighteth of their side. For so long as King Eric shall stand yet in the field against us, those that yet flock to Upsala to his host-bidding will follow him and strengthen him with fresh folk when we shall have foughten unto weariness; but if we put him to a rout now, then will they go quietly under our hand and submit them to me. So now let us make
