Asbjorn had a long-ship standing in the noust (shipshed), and it was
a snekke (cutter) of twenty benches; and after Candlemas (February
2, 1023), he had the vessel put in the water, brought out all his
furniture, and rigged her out. He then summoned to him his friends and
people, so that he had nearly ninety men all well armed. When he was
ready for sea, and got a wind, he sailed south along the coast, but as
the wind did not suit, they advanced but slowly. When they came farther
south they steered outside the rocks, without the usual ships' channel,
keeping to sea as much as it was possible to do so. Nothing is related
of his voyage before the fifth day of Easter (April 18, 1023), when,
about evening, they came on the outside of Karmt Island. This island is
so shaped that it is very long, but not broad at its widest part; and
without it lies the usual ships' channel. It is thickly inhabited;
but where the island is exposed to the ocean great tracts of it are
uncultivated. Asbjorn and his men landed at a place in the island that
was uninhabited. After they had set up their ship-tents Asbjorn said,
"Now ye must remain here and wait for me. I will go on land in the isle,
and spy what news there may be which we know nothing of." Asbjorn had
on mean clothes, a broadbrimmed hat, a fork in his hand, but had girt on
his sword under his clothes. He went up to the land, and in through the
island; and when he came upon a hillock, from which he could see the
house on Augvaldsnes, and on as far as Karmtsund, he saw people in all
quarters flocking together by land and by sea, and all going up to the
house of Augvaldsnes. This seemed to him extraordinary; and therefore
he went up quietly to a house close by, in which servants were cooking
meat. From their conversation he discovered immediately that the king
Olaf had come there to a feast, and that he had just sat down to table.
Asbjorn turned then to the feasting-room, and when he came into the
ante-room one was going in and another coming out; but nobody took
notice of him. The hall-door was open, and he saw that Thorer Sel stood
before the table of the high-seat. It was getting late in the evening,
and Asbjorn heard people ask Thorer what had taken place between him
and Asbjorn; and Thorer had a long story about it, in which he evidently
departed from the truth. Among other things he heard a man say, "How did
Asbjorn behave when you discharged his vessel?" Thorer replied, "When we
were taking out the cargo he bore it tolerably, but not well; and when
we took the sail from him he wept." When Asbjorn heard this he suddenly
drew his sword, rushed into the hall, and cut at Thorer. The stroke took
him in the neck, so that the head fell upon the table before the king,
and the body at his feet, and the table-cloth was soiled with blood from
top to bottom. The king ordered him to be seized and taken out. This
was done. They laid hands on Asbjorn, and took him from the hall. The
table-furniture and table-cloths were removed, and also Thorer's corpse,
and all the blood wiped up. The king was enraged to the highest; but
remained quiet in speech, as he always was when in anger.