Leif twisted himself to one side, seized the spear, aimed at Holmsten, and sent it back. "I have enough weapons, friend Holmsten! I will test the ax you once gave me on your own skull." Holmsten avoided the spear at the last moment by a leap to one side.
Now Leif was close to the gunwale. The fight went on energetically on both sides of him. The ships reeled violently and crashed noisily against each other. Salt spray concealed now and then the hot faces. Leif held his ax raised and shook it towards Holmsten. "Now, when I cleave your head before long, it will not be through carelessness! Remember that, Holmsten."
Holmsten laughed derisively. He could not properly reach Leif because of his men. "It will double my joy, friend Leif, to know you are lying cold at the bottom of the sea, by the side of your spear, while your friend Helga makes me comfortable."
Leif leaped up on the quarter-deck boards, swinging his ax high over his head, but was forced back. He tried again and again, but was met by a wall of weapons. One of Atle's sons' other ships hooked itself fast on to the other side of the dragon-ship. The battle raged furiously along both gunwales.
During an involuntary pause in the battle, Leif found time to look round him a little. One of his ships was already overpowered, and the other surrounded by three of the enemy's smaller ships; his own was so hard pressed that it was obviously only a question of how long he could hold out.
Leif saw clearly how untenable his position was. He did not envy Atle's sons their victory. He called those who had followed him on many bold expeditions to him, and said in a choked voice: "If we are going to Valhalla, friends, let us take Holmsten with us, and as many of his men as we can!"
So he stormed the gunwale, followed by his best men, and succeeded in obtaining a foothold on Holmsten's dragon-ship. And now Leif was at his ease. Generously he dealt out blows and thrusts, and devoted himself energetically to the battle. He saw his men falling round him, and he himself had several wounds which he had not time to think about. He was not afraid of death, but meant to take Holmsten with him.
While Leif stood there, and dealt doughty blows around him in order to get at Holmsten, there came in sight a fleet of five ships by Hisargavl. The five ships were sailing swiftly, and the water foamed round their bows as they approached. At last Olmod the Old was about to overtake Leif. And he had bestirred himself, as it appeared. He gave himself no time to survey the situation, but drove his ships right in among the combatants. In his green cloak, with a golden helmet on his head, he stood in a dignified attitude by the mast and issued his orders.
"It looks as if you wanted a little help, Cousin Leif!" he shouted in the joy of battle. All other talking he left to his weapons.