he awaited.
Here (said the King) he had all hope of peace lost.
Rather than yield, cried the King,
should each man fall one on the top of the other.
Their arms then took the men.'

|| Then let King Harald his ships be cleared for action, and brought his
great dragon forward into the very midst of the host. Thus saith
Thiodolf:

'The giver of kindly gifts
Who oft to the wolf gave food,
His dragon-ship put forward
Midmost in the war-host.'

|| This ship was well fitted out, and had a large crew.

And again saith Thiodolf:

'The peace wishing King his ranks bade
Bind fast the war-shields on the ships' sides;
The prince's friends well ordered stand methinks.
The leader of manly deeds,
The doughty dragon closed,
Outside the Niz, with shields, and one o'erlapped the other.'

|| Ulf the Marshal brought his ship up alongside the royal ship, & bade
her men place her well forward. Stein Herdason was on Ulf's ship, and he
chanted thus:

'Ulf, the Marshal of the King,
Cheered us all on to battle;
The spears trembled when
The ships were rowed to the fight.
And, no doubt, the wise King's
Valiant friend did bid his men
His ship advance beside
The prince's; the lads obeyed.'

|| Stationed farthest out on one of the arms was Ivar Hakonson; under him
had he many and the men to him were well equipped. Farthest out on the
other arm were the chiefs of Throndhjem, and to them likewise was a
large and goodly host.

|| And King Svein likewise ranged his host, and his ship laid he over
against ye ship of Harald, in the midst of the host, and nighest to him
was Earl Fin, and next to him again the Danes ranked all of their host
that was bravest and best equipped. Thereafter either side lashed their
ships together in the midmost part of the fleet, but the hosts being so
large it befell that there was a great number of ships faring loose, and
so each captain placed his ship as far forward as he had courage for;
but that was exceeding varied. Now though the odds were so great yet
nevertheless had either side a vast host, and in his to King Svein
pertained as many as seven earls. Thus saith Stein Herdason:

'The "hersirs'" valiant lord a risk did take him,
With ships fifty and a hundred he waited for the Danes.
Next was it that the ruler dear who dwells in LeidraSec.
The sea cleft thither with three hundred sea-steeds.'

|| Even so soon as he had made read