Grit and wind-squalls ugly
Chafe at the anchor flukes.’
¶ As soon as there was come to him a fair wind, took King Harald the host east to the River, and thither came towards nightfall. Thus saith Thiodolf:
‘Now drave King Harald hotly the war-ships towards the River,
At nightfall Norway’s King anigh the marches is.
A Thing the King now holds at Thumla, there where Svein
Will meet to war if so be the Danes shirk not the tryst.’
¶ When the Danes learned that the hosts of the Norwegians were come, all those that were able to do so fled away. ¤ The Norwegians likewise learnt that the Danish King had his host out, and was lying south off Funen and the small-isles; but when King Harald saw that King Svein would not come to meet him as had been agreed, nor do battle with him, then did he after the same fashion as before & let the peasant host return to Norway; but manned he one hundred and fifty[§] ships, & with these steered a course alongside Halland. There he plundered widely; and he put in also to Lofufjord with his host, and going up onto the land harried there likewise. Somewhile later came King Svein to the encounter with the Danish host, and to him was a tale of three hundred[§] ships. When the Norwegians saw this fleet bade King Harald a blast be blown to summon his host together, & many spake saying that they ought to flee, & that it was unavailing for them to fight, but the King answered thus: ‘We will fall one atop of the other rather than flee!’ Thus saith Stein Herdason:
‘Said the chief high-minded, what now he awaited.
Here (said the King) he had all hope of peace lost.