king Eric's foster-brother, and foster-father of his son.
Dear to the king was he above all his barons; the king had
set him as ruler over all the Firth-folk. Arinbjorn was with
the king when he left the land; they first went westwards
over the main to the Orkneys. There Eric gave his daughter
Ragnhildr in marriage to earl Arnfinn. After that he went
south with his force along the coast of Scotland, and harried
there; thence still south to England, and harried there.
And when king Athelstan heard of this, he gathered force
and went against Eric. But when they met, terms were
proposed, and the terms were that king Athelstan gave to
Eric the government of Northumberland; and he was to be
for king Athelstan defender of the land against the Scots
and Irish. Athelstan had made Scotland tributary under
him after the death of king Olaf, but that people were con-
stantly disloyal to him. The story goes that Gunnhilda had
a spell worked, this spell being that Egil Skallagrimsson
should find no rest in Iceland till she had seen him. But
in that summer when Hacon and Eric had met and con-
tended for Norway, all travel to any land from Norway was
forbidden; so in that summer there came to Iceland from
Norway neither ship nor tidings. Egil Skallagrimsson abode
at his home.
But during the second winter that he was living at Borg after Skallagrim's death Egil became melancholy, and this was more marked as the winter wore on. And when summer came, Egil let it be known that he meant to make ready his ship for a voyage out in the summer. He then got a crew. He purposed to sail to England. They were thirty men on the ship. Asgerdr remained behind, and took charge of the house. Egil's purpose was to seek king Athelstan and look after the promise that he had made to Egil at their last parting.
It was late ere Egil was ready, and when he put to sea, the winds delayed him. Autumn then came on, and rough weather set in. They sailed past the north coast of the Orkneys. Egil would not put in there, for he thought king Eric's power would be supreme all over the islands. Then they sailed southwards past Scotland, and had great storms
