The lenderman Sigurd Ulstreng, a son of Lodin Viggiarskalle, collected
men by sending round the war-token, as soon as he heard of Thorer and
the troop which followed him, and had a rendezvous with all the men
he could raise at Viggia. Svein and Thorer also met there with their
people, fought with Sigurd, and gained the victory after giving him a
great defeat; and Sigurd fled, and joined King Magnus. Thorer and his
followers proceeded to the town (Nidaros), and remained there some time
in the fjord, where many people joined them. King Magnus hearing this
news immediately collected an army, and proceeded north to Throndhjem.
And when he came into the fjord Thorer and his party heard of it while
they lay at Herring, and they were ready to leave the fjord; and they
rowed their ships to the strand at Vagnvik, and left them, and came into
Theksdal in Seliuhverfe, and Thorer was carried in a litter over the
mountains. Then they got hold of ships and sailed north to Halogaland.
As soon as King Magnus was ready for sea, he sailed from Throndhjem in
pursuit of them. Thorer and his party went north all the way to Bjarkey;
and Jon, with his son Vidkun, fled from thence. Thorer and his men
robbed all the movable goods, and burnt the house, and a good long-ship
that belonged to Vidkun. While the hull was burning the vessel keeled
to one side, and Thorer called out, "Hard to starboard, Vidkun!" Some
verses were made about this burning in Bjarkey:--
"The sweetest farm that I have seen
Stood on Bjarkey's island green;
And now, where once this farmhouse stood,
Fire crackles through a pile of wood;
And the clear red flame, burning high,
Flashes across the dark-night sky.
Jon and Vidkun, this dark night,
Will not be wandering without light."