Then said Sigmund: “Thou, Feargus, art an overmatch for any man I have yet seen, save it might be Penda in his youth, though he was of lesser stature, or thine own captain Duncan, and little worship would be thine in the slaying of the thane in single fight.”
“Three times hath my foot been upon his throat, yet I have spared him for Penda’s and for thy sakes, for all he hath ever done hurt to me and mine, the like of which did to me no other man. Canst thou then wonder that my soul thirsteth for his blood? And I know that the world would be the better of his killing, for troth kept he never since breath he drew. So if he will not let me forth the hall with Torfrida, let his men fall to.”
Thus saying, Feargus fitted an arrow to his bow and drew the string.
Then said Torfrida: “Now, king, and thou, Osbert, if ye have aught of good in ye spare these men’s lives; for an ye should not, ye will stand in heavy need of them in some right battle ere the days of ye be over.”
Feargus wrenched the sword from Osbert’s hand and struck him to the earth.
But Osbert was now wroth, and the more so that he saw his men had dread of him whom they deemed a madman; for they knew him to be the greatest swordsmith in all the land. And when Osbert shouted, “Now fall upon him!” unwillingly the captain stepped forward with his men. And Feargus, who knew him to be a brave man erstwhile of the host of Penda, little liked to slay him, so, letting his bow drop, he suddenly gripped him by the middle and flung him at his follower, and the follower fell among the remainder of them, causing confusion, and so in the strife Feargus gained the side of Osbert by a mighty leap. Taking him unwares, he wrenched the sword from his hand and struck him to the earth, and laying a foot on his breast held his sword to his throat.
“Now,” said he, “if a man among ye move the thane shall die, and if you, king Sigmund, give not thine oath and the thane himself his oath that ye will leave the lady Torfrida and me unmolested till I list to depart from among ye Osbert shall die.”
After long pause the thane cried, “I swear.”
And the king swore and all the warriors were witness thereof. Then Torfrida passed out, and Feargus as he followed bent and picked up the sword of the captain of Osbert’s host and handed it to him saying: “Thou wert ever a true man. I little liked to have blows with thee or to put thee to shame, but no worship hast thou lost, for never man but had his better.” And Osbert’s sword he left lying so that the thane had to stoop to lift it. And the captain was well pleased to be counted of so great worth by the captain of Penda.