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Arngeir held out his hand, and on it was the ring of Orwenna the queen, which Alsi had last seen here on the high place. "There is the token, King Alsi, and it is one which you know well," he answered. "Ay, I know it," answered the king with a grin that was not pleasant.
I crept from the fore cabin about this time, after trying in vain to sleep, and found the men sheltering under the break of the deck and looking always to leeward. Two of them were at the steering oar with my father, for Arngeir was worn out, and I had left him in the cabin, sleeping heavily in spite of the noise of waves and straining planking.
We sent to Arngeir and to Ragnar at once, and next day the Grimsby folk were with us, but long before any word could come to Norwich, Alsi had set about gathering a host against us. But we had not come to fight him for Lindsey, and our errand was to bid him give up her own rights to Goldberga.
"If it were a friend of mine and a man he would do well enough at my house for the night," said Arngeir, smiling; "but the one for whom I have come is a lady, and, I think, one in sore trouble." "Who is she?" asked my mother, wondering much. "From the king's town, certainly," answered Arngeir, "but I do not know her name.
In the days to come, when time is ripe, Arngeir shall tell you more of Havelok your foster-brother, and there will be signs enough by which he shall know that it is time to speak. And then Havelok will need all the help that you can give him; and as your lord shall you serve him, with both hands, and with life itself if need be.
The whole fray was over in a few minutes, and it seemed that the Vikings half expected somewhat of the sort. Then they took all the linen and woollen goods, and our spare sails, and all the arms and armour from the men and from the chests to their own ship. Only they left my father and Arngeir their war gear, saying that it were a shame to disarm two brave men.
Thereat my father smiled, as well content, but he said that the ancient way must he kept. "But I am sorely weak," he added. "Fetch hither Arngeir." It was because of this illness that none of us were at the fishing on that day, and Arngeir was not long in coming.
Thereat one of the thanes rose up and said, "If a kingdom has been handed over to our king, it is not to be taken again without our having a good deal to say about it. I do not know, moreover, if we can have a foreigner over any part of our land." "Goldberga never gave up her right to the kingdom," Arngeir answered, "as anyone who was here at the wedding would tell you.
As for me, I thought that it was hardly likely to be the latter. Then came three thanes from the hail with the message, and it was this, "Alsi bids Havelok go back to his own land and bide content therewith." "What word is there for Goldberga, then?" asked Arngeir. "None. She has thrown in her lot with the Dane, and it is he with whom we will not deal."
Thorsteinn said that his enemies were now becoming so numerous that few would care to take him in; but told him to go to Myrar and see what he found there. So in the autumn he went to Myrar. There lived in Holm Bjorn the Hitdale Warrior, who was the son of Arngeir, the son of Bersi the Godless, the son of Balki, who was the first settler in Hrutafjord, as has already been told.
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