To the royal town. In sooth
Destruction ne’er should have been done.’
¶ After this fared Harald northward and with him had he sixty ships, the greater number were large & well laden with what plunder had been taken in the summer. But as they were faring northward and past Thioda came down King Svein from the land with a large host; & he proffered King Harald to come ashore & do battle. Now King Harald had less than half as many men as Svein and so he bade Svein fight with him at sea. Thus saith Thorleik the Fair:
‘Svein, even he who was born to success in Midgard,
Called on the mighty King in fight on land to meet him;
But Harald shy of failing would liefer fight, quoth he,
Aboardship, since the bold King held the land.’
¶ Thereafter sailed Harald northward past Vendilskagi; but the wind was against them & they brought-to under Lesey where they remained the night. Then were the ships encompassed with a thick sea-fog, but when it was morning, & the sun rose, beheld they on the other side of the sea what seemed to them like burning fires. And King Harald being informed thereof gazed thereat, & said straightway: ‘Strike the ships’ tilts, and let the men fall to their oars. The Danish host hath come after us. The darkness hath lifted, I ween, there where they are, and the sun is shining on their dragon-heads the which are overlaid with gold.’ And it was even as Harald said for behold there was come Svein, the Danish King, with a mighty host. ¤ Both the fleets now rowed with all speed, but the Danish ships were lighter under oars, the Norwegian ships being both water-logged and heavy laden. So the Danes drew on apace. ¤ Then did Harald perceive that this would never serve his purpose. Now his dragon was faring astern of all his other ships, and he commanded that some timber should be thrown overboard and apparel with other wares be placed thereon, and as the water was calm these things drifted with the current. ¤ When the Danes saw these goods drifting along on the sea those who were rowing ahead swerved aside after them, for they deemed it easier to take the goods as they were floating loose on the water than to seek them on board the Norwegian ships, and in this manner did their ships linger. When King Svein overtook them in his ship bade he them proceed, and said shame was it that with an host as large as his they could not take the Norwegians, to whom was but few men, and get the fellows into their power. ¤ Then began the Danes to row the harder again, and when King Harald saw that they were making way bade he his men lighten their ships by throwing overboard malt and wheat and swine-flesh, even to chopping open their kegs of drink, and for a while these aids availed them well. Then did King Harald command that the war-hurdles should be taken, also casks, and empty barrels, and be cast overboard and on them and in them were placed prisoners of war. ¤ Now when King Svein saw all of these floating together on the sea he ordered that the men should be rescued, and accordingly was this done. While his men were occupied in this their task, grew greater the distance between the fleets, and when the Danes were again about the chase had the Norwegians already made good their escape. Thus saith Thorleik the Fair:
‘I heard tell in what manner Svein
The eastmen put to flight at sea,