After the peace-meeting, Earl Harald went to Gáreksey, and used Swein’s corn and other property rather wastefully. When Swein heard this he complained of his loss to Earl Rögnvald, and said, that “this was a breach of their agreement, and that he would go home to look after his property.”
Earl Rögnvald said: “Stay with me, Swein: I shall send a message to Earl Harald, for he will be more than a match for you to deal with, strong and brave as you are.”
Swein was not to be dissuaded, and went with ten men in a boat to Gáreksey, and arrived there late in the evening. They went behind the houses, and Swein wished to set fire to the hall, and burn down the homestead, and the Earl within it. A man named Swein, Blákári’s son, the most notable of Swein’s companions, dissuaded him from doing so, saying that the Earl was not perhaps in the homestead; and if he was there, he would neither permit Swein’s wife nor his daughter to go out, and it was never to be thought of to burn them. Then they went up to the door, and into the entry. Those who were inside the hall jumped up and closed the door, and then Swein and his men became aware that the Earl was not in the house. Those who were within soon ceased resisting, surrendered their weapons to Swein, and went out unarmed. Swein gave quarter to all Earl Harald’s men. He poured out all his beer, and took away his wife and daughter. He asked his wife Ingirid where Earl Harald was, but she would not tell him. He then said: “Say nothing then, but point to where he is.” She would not do that either, because she was related to the Earl. Swein gave up some of the arms, when they came on board the ships. But the effect of this was that their agreement of peace was at an end.
Earl Harald had gone out to a certain island to hunt hares.[[428]] Swein went to Hellisey.[[429]] It rises abruptly from the sea, and there is a large cave in the cliffs, the mouth of which is flooded at high-water. When the Earl’s men got their weapons from Swein, they went to Earl Harald and informed him of these doings of Swein’s. The Earl had his ship set afloat, and ordered his men to row after him. He said: “This time our meeting with Swein shall be decisive.” Then they rowed in pursuit of him, and soon they saw and recognised each other.
When Swein saw that they gained on him, he said: “We must devise some scheme, because I do not care to meet the Earl with so great odds against me as I suspect there are. Let us go to the cave and see how we fare.”
When Swein came to the cave it was ebb tide. They hauled up the boat into the cave, which ran into the cliff, and the water rose before the mouth of the cave. During the day Earl Harald and his men searched for Swein throughout the island, and did not find him, neither did they see any boat leave the island. They wondered very much at this, as they thought it unlikely that Swein’s boat had gone down. They rowed round the island in search of the boat, but did not find it. Then they concluded that he must have gone to some of the other islands, and they went where they thought it most likely. It so happened that, when the Earl rowed away, the tide was back from the mouth of the cave. Swein had overheard the talk between the Earl and his men. He left his own boat in the cave, and took a small boat which the monks[[430]] had, and went to Sandey. There they landed, and pushed off the small boat, which drifted about till it was wrecked. They came to a homestead called Völuness,[[431]] where a man lived by name Bárd, who was Swein’s kinsman. They made themselves known to him secretly, and Swein said he wished to stay there. Bárd said he might do as he liked, but that he dared not keep him here unless in hiding. They went in, and sat by themselves in a part of the house separated from the other inmates by a partition-wall. There was a secret door to it, filled up with loose stones. That evening Jón Vœng, Earl Harald’s steward, arrived there with six men, and Bárd received them well. Large fires were made, at which they warmed themselves. Jón was excited, and spoke of the dealings of Swein and the Earls. He blamed Swein very much, said he was a truce-breaker, and faithful to no one. He had lately made peace with Earl Harald, and yet he went to attack him and burn him in the house, adding that there would never be peace in the land till Swein was banished from it. Bárd and Jón’s companions put in some words in Swein’s defence. Then Jón began to blame Earl Erlend, saying there was no loss in his death, as he was a violent man, and nobody could live in safety for him. When Swein heard this, he could not restrain himself, but seized his weapons, and ran to the secret door. He pushed the stones down, thus making a great noise. Swein’s design was to leap before the hall-door. Jón was sitting in his shirt and linen breeches, and when he heard Swein coming he tied on his shoes and sprang out from the fire and away from the house. The night was pitch dark, and it was hard frost. During the night he came to another farm. His feet were very much frost-bitten, and some of his toes fell off. Through the intercession of Bárd, Swein gave peace to Jón’s companions. He remained there during the night, but in the morning he and his men went away in a boat belonging to Bárd, which he gave to him. They went south to Bardsvík,[[432]] and stayed in a certain cave. Sometimes Swein took his meals at a house during the day, but slept during the night down by his boat, and thus he guarded himself against his enemies.
CHAPTER C
OF ROGNVALD AND SWEIN.
One morning early Swein and his men saw a large long-ship coming from Hrólfsey (Hrossey?) to Rögnvaldsey,[[433]] and Swein recognised it immediately as Earl Rögnvald’s ship, which he used to command himself. They put in at Rögnvaldsey, where Swein’s boat was lying, and five of them went on shore. Swein and his men were on a certain headland, and threw stones at the Earl’s men. When those on board saw this, they drew forth their arms; and when that was seen by Swein, they ran down to the beach, and pushed their boat afloat, and jumped into it. The long-ship stuck fast on the beach. When they rowed past it, Swein was standing up with a spear in his hand. When Earl Rögnvald perceived it, he took a shield and held it before him, but Swein did not throw the spear. When the Earl saw that they would get away from them, he ordered a truce-shield to be held aloft, and asked Swein to go on shore. When Swein saw this, he told his men to put to land, saying that it was his greatest satisfaction to be at peace with Earl Rögnvald.
CHAPTER CI
OF EARL HARALD AND SWEIN.
Then Earl Rögnvald and Swein went on shore, and had a long conversation by themselves, and agreed very well. While they were talking, they saw Earl Harald sailing from Caithness to Vagaland (Walls), and when the ship approached the island, Swein asked what was to be done. The Earl said Swein should go over to Ness immediately. This was during Lent. They left Rögnvaldsey at the same time. The Earl went to Hrossey,[[434]] but Swein went west to Straumsey (Stroma). Earl Harald saw the boat, and thought he recognised it as Swein’s, and went immediately into the Firth in pursuit. When Swein saw the pursuit, they left the boat, and hid themselves. When Earl Harald came to Straumsey (Stroma) he saw the boat, and suspected that the men were somewhere near, and would not therefore go on shore. A man named Amundi, the son of Hnefi, who was Earl Harald’s friend, and father’s brother to Swein, Asleif’s son’s stepchildren, went between them, and succeeded so far that they agreed to keep the agreement of peace which they had made the previous winter. A gale arose, and they were both obliged to remain there during the night, and Amundi put Earl Harald and Swein in the same bed, and many of their men slept in the same house.