There was a king named Ring, who ruled over Ringrealm, which also was in
Norway: a mighty folk-king he was, and a great man, but come by now unto
his latter days.
Now he spake to his men: “Lo, I have heard that the sons of King Beli
have brought to nought their friendship with Frithiof, who is the
noblest of men; wherefore will I send men to these kings, and bid them
choose whether they will submit them to me and pay me tribute, or else
that I bring war on them: and all things then shall lie ready to my hand
to take, for they have neither might nor wisdom to withstand me; yet
great fame were it to my old age to overcome them.”
After that fared the messengers of King Ring, and found those brethren,
Helgi and Halfdan, in Sogn, and spake to them thus: “King Ring sends
bidding to you to send him tribute, or else will he war against your
realm.”
They answered and said that they would not learn in the days of their
youth what they would be loth to know in their old age, even how to
serve King Ring with shame. “Nay, now shall we draw together all the
folk that we may.”
Even so they did; but now, when they beheld their force that it was but
little, they sent Hilding their fosterer to Frithiof to bid him come
help them against King Ring. Now Frithiof sat at the knave-play when
Hilding came thither, who spake thus: “Our kings send thee greeting,
Frithiof, and would have thy help in battle against King Ring, who
cometh against their realm with violence and wrong.”
Frithiof answered him nought, but said to Biorn, with whom he was
playing: “A bare place in thy board, foster-brother, and nowise mayst
thou amend it; nay, for my part I shall beset thy red piece there, and
wot whether it be safe.”
Then Hilding spake again:
“King Helgi bade me say thus much, Frithiof, that thou shouldst go on
this journey with them, or else look for ill at their hands when they at
the last come back.”
“A double game, foster-brother,” said Biorn; “and two ways to meet thy
play.”
Frithiof said: “Thy play is to fall first on the knave, yet the double
game is sure to be.”
No other outcome of his errand had Hilding: he went back speedily to the
kings, and told them Frithiof's answer.
They asked Hilding what he made out of those words. He said:
“Whereas he spake of the bare place he will have been thinking of the
lack in this journey of yours; but when he said he would beset the red
piece, that will mean Ingibiorg, your sister; so give ye all the heed ye
may to her. But whereas I threatened him with ill from you, Biorn deemed
the game a double one; but Frithiof said that the knave must be set on
first, speaking thereby of King Ring.”
So then the brethren arrayed them for departing; but, ere they went,
they let bring Ingibioig and eight women with her to Baldur's Meads,
saying that Frithiof would not be so mad rash as to go see her thither,
since there was none who durst make riot there.
Then fared those brethren south to Jadar, and met King Ring in
Sogn-Sound.
Now, herewith was King Ring most of all wroth that the brothers had said
that they accounted it a shame to fight with a man so old that he might
not get a-horseback unholpen.