HKB
made he ready his host and parted them, some to fare and some to tarry; and of each company he let two men go up for every one left behind.
And Tosti the Earl prepared him to go up with his company, but to guard his ship there tarried behind Olaf own son to the King, Paal and Erling the Orkney Earls, and Eystein Blackcock, the son of Thorberg Arnason, who was in those days the man of most renown and withal dearest to the King of all feudatories, & King Harald had at that time promised him the hand of his daughter Maria. Very fine was the weather with warm sunshine, and wherefore because of this left the men their shirts of mail behind them and went with their shields and helms and spears, with their swords girded on; and many had likewise bows and arrows, and withal were they very merry. But as they advanced on the city, behold a great host rode out towards them and they saw the smoke of horses, and here and there fair shields and white coats of mail. Then halted the King his host and summoned Earl Tosti to him, and asked what manner of host this was like to be.
And the Earl answered and said that he deemed it might be strife, yet nevertheless it might be that they were some of his kinsmen who were seeking for protection & friendship, & would promise the King their support and fealty in return. Then the King said that they would first of all keep quiet and learn more particulars anent this host. So they did this, & the host waxed greater the nearer it came, and everywhere was it like a sheet of ice to behold, so white was the gleaming of the weapons.
|| Then King Harald Sigurdson spake and said: 'Let us now take goodly & wise counsel together, for it cannot be hidden that this forebodes strife, and most like it is the King himself.' To which the Earl answered: 'Our first course is to turn back and go our swiftest to the ships that we may fetch folk and weapons, and thereafter offer what resistance we can; or even might we also let the ships protect us and then no power would the horsemen have over us.' Then said King Harald: 'Another counsel will I choose, namely to send three bold fellows on our swiftest horses and let them ride hotly a'pace and impart to our men what hath befallen; then will they the sooner come to our aid, and a right sharp combat shall the Englishmen fight or ever we suffer defeat.' The Earl answered and said that the King should decide in this matter as in all else: 'no manner of desire had he either to flee.' Then caused the King his banner 'Land-waster' to be borne aloft, and Fridrek was the man hight who bore the banner.
|| After these things arrayed King Harald his host.
And he let the muster be long and not dense, and then after doing this doubled he both the arms thereof backward so that they reached together and made a wide ring thick and even on all sides without, shield by shield, and the same within likewise; and the King's company was without the ring and there too was his banner.