And they shouted a war-shout and smote their shields with their weapons.
Then the King's men ran forward and hurled their spears; but the
country-folk turned and fled, few of them standing their ground.
Gudbrand's son was there taken prisoner; but King Olaf gave him quarter
and kept him near himself. Three nights the King was there. Then spake
he with Gudbrand's son, saying: 'Go thou back now to thy father and tell
him that I shall come there soon.'
Whereupon he went back home and told his father the ill tidings, how
they had met the King and fought with him; 'but our people all fled at
the very first,' said he, 'and I was taken prisoner. The King gave me
quarter, and bade me go and tell thee that he would come here soon. Now
have we left no more than two hundred men out of that force with which
we met him, and I advise thee, father, not to fight with that man.'
'One may hear,' said Gudbrand, 'that all vigour is beaten out of thee.
Ill luck went with thee, and long will thy journey be spoken of. Thou
believest at once those mad fancies which that man brings who hath
wrought foul shame on thee and thine.'
In the following night Gudbrand dreamed a dream. A man came to him, a
shining one, from whom went forth great terror. And thus he spake: 'Thy
son went not on a path of victory against King Olaf; and far worse wilt
thou fare if thou resolvest to do battle with the King, for thou wilt
fall, thyself and all thy people, and thee and thine will wolves tug and
ravens rend.'
Much afraid was Gudbrand at this terror, and told it to Thord
Fat-paunch, a chief man of the Dales.