sun came forth again, blood-red, black-veiled, terrible as in anger.
The Jomsvikings were seized with fear. Had the old gods truly been avenged? Then Earl Sigvalde cried aloud, “The angry gods have forsaken us,” and he turned his vessel to fly. Earl Erik sprang upon the deck of Vagn’s ship. The great Jomsviking, finding he had but thirty men, gave himself up.
So ended, in disaster and defeat for Earl Sigvalde and his wild followers, the sea-fight of Hjornungavaag. Earl Sigvalde was no longer their chief, and he retired in sullen mood to Nidaros.
As they sat upon the shore after the battle, Vagn and his thirty men, the prisoners of Earl Erik, Thorkell Leira determined that he would not be cheated out of his vengeance on Vagn, because of any soft-heartedness Earl Erik might feel for the valiant Jomsviking. Seeing Vagn stretched out upon a log, at rest, Thorkell sprang forward to cleave him with an ax. One of the Jomsvikings, to save Vagn’s life, threw himself in Thorkell’s way, and as Thorkell stumbled and fell, Vagn seized the ax that was aimed at his own head, and clove it through the neck of Thorkell Leira into the very earth.
Jarl Haakon’s anger was great; but Erik spared Vagn’s life to be his friend for many years.
After the battle, Earl Erik asked his father, “And the boy Erling? Thou didst leave him in safety when the fight was on?”
