tually acquiring the sovereignty of Denmark. She began her attack on
the region of Halland, but was met by Homod and Thode, whom the king
had sent over. Beaten, she retreated to her fleet, of which only thirty
ships managed to escape, the rest being taken by the enemy. Thrond
encountered his sister as she was eluding the Danes, but was conquered
by her and stripped of his entire army; he fled over the Dovrefjeld
without a single companion. Thus she, who had first yielded before the
Danes, soon overcame her brother, and turned her flight into a victory.
When Omund heard of this, he went back to Norway with a great fleet,
first sending Homod and Thole by a short and secret way to rouse the
people of Tellemark against the rule of Rusla. The end was that she was
driven out of her kingdom by the commons, fled to the isles for safety,
and turned her back, without a blow, upon the Danes as they came up.
The king pursued her hotly, caught up her fleet on the sea, and utterly
destroyed it, the enemy suffered mightily, and he won a bloodless
victory and splendid spoils. But Rusla escaped with a very few ships,
and rowed ploughing the waves furiously; but, while she was avoiding the
Danes, she met her brother and was killed. So much more effectual
for harm are dangers unsurmised; and chance sometimes makes the less
alarming evil worse than that which threatens. The king gave Thrond a
governorship for slaying his sister, put the rest under tribute, and
returned home.

At this time Thorias (?) and Ber (Biorn), the most active of the
soldiers of Rusla, were roving in Ireland; but when they heard of the
death of their mistress, whom they had long ago sworn to avenge, they
hotly attacked Omund, and challenged him to a duel, which it used to be
accounted shameful for a king to refuse; for the fame of princes of
old was reckoned more by arms than by riches. So Homod and Thole came
forward, offering to meet in battle the men who had challenged the king.
Omund praised them warmly, but at first declined for very shame to allow
their help. At last, hard besought by his people, he brought himself
to try his fortune by the hand of another. We are told that Ber fell in
this combat, while Thorias left the battle severely wounded. The king,
having first cured him of his wounds, took him into his service, and
made him prince (earl) over Norway. Then he sent ambassadors to exact
the usual tribute from the Sclavs; these were killed, and he was even