had often been in fear
of his life for him, he slew him. King Hakon and Sigurd escaped, but
many of their people were killed. Thereafter Gregorius returned home
to Konungahella. Soon after King Hakon and Sigurd went to Haldor
Brynjolfson's farm of Vettaland, set fire to the house, and burnt it.
Haldor went out, and was cut down instantly with his house-men; and in
all there were about twenty men killed. Sigrid, Haldor's wife, was a
sister of Gregorius, and they allowed her to escape into the forest in
her night-shift only; but they took with them Amunde, who was a son
of Gyrd Amundason and of Gyrid Dag's daughter, and a sister's son of
Gregorius, and who was then a boy about five years old.

14. OF THE FALL OF GREGORIUS DAGSON.

When Gregorius heard the news he took it much to heart, and inquired
carefully where they were. Gregorius set out from Konungahella late in
Yule, and came to Fors the thirteenth day of Yule, where he remained a
night, and heard vespers the last day of Yule, which was a Saturday, and
the holy Evangel was read before him. When Gregorius and his followers
saw the men of King Hakon and Sigurd, the king's force appeared to them
smaller than their own. There was a river called Befia between them,
where they met; and there was unsound ice on the river, for there went
a stream under the ice from it. King Hakon and his men had cut a rent
in the ice, and laid snow over it, so that nobody could see it. When
Gregorius came to the ice on the river the ice appeared to him unsound,
he said; and he advised the people to go to the bridge, which was close
by, to cross the river. The bonde-troops replied, that they did not know
why he should be afraid to go across the ice to attack so few people
as Hakon had, and the ice was good enough. Gregorius said it was seldom
necessary to encourage him to show bravery, and it should not be so now.
Then he ordered them to follow him, and not to be standing on the land
while he was on the ice, and he said it was their council to go out upon
the dangerous ice, but he had no wish to do so, or to be led by them.
Then he ordered the banner to be advanced, and immediately went out
on the ice with the men. As soon as the bondes found that the ice was
unsound they turned back. Gregorius fell through the ice, but not very
deep, and he told his men to take care. There were not more than twenty
men with him, the others having turned back. A man of King Hakon's troop
shot an arro