Then King Sigurd stood up and said it was a false accusation that King
Inge had made against him and his brother, and insisted that Gregorius
had invented it; and insinuated that it would not be long, if he had
his will, before they should meet so that the golden helmet should be
doffed; and ended his speech by hinting that they could not both live.
Gregorius replied, that Sigurd need not long so much for this, as he
was ready now, if it must be so. A few days after, one of Gregorius's
house-men was killed out upon the street, and it was Sigurd's house-men
who killed him. Gregorius would then have fallen upon King Sigurd and
his people; but King Inge, and many others, kept him back. But one
evening, just as Queen Ingerid, King Inge's mother, was coming from
vespers, she came past where Sigurd Skrudhyrna, a courtman of King Inge,
lay murdered. He was then an old man, and had served many kings. King
Sigurd's courtmen, Halyard Gunnarson, and Sigurd, a son of Eystein
Trafale, had killed him; and people suspected it was done by order of
King Sigurd. She went immediately to King Inge, and told him he would
be a little king if he took no concern, but allowed his court-men to be
killed, the one after the other, like swine. The king was angry at her
speech; and while they were scolding about it, came Gregorius in helmet
and armour, and told the king not to be angry, for she was only saying
the truth. "And I am now," says he, "come to thy assistance, if thou
wilt attack King Sigurd; and here we are, above 100 men in helmets and
armour, and with them we will attack where others think the attack may
be worst." But the most dissuaded from this course, thinking that Sigurd
would pay the mulct for the slaughter done. Now when Gregorius saw
that there would be no assault, he accosted King Inge thus: "Thou wilt
frighten thy men from thee in this way; for first they lately killed my
house-man, and now thy court-man, and afterwards they will chase me,
or some other of thy lendermen whom thou wouldst feel the loss of, when
they see that thou art indifferent about such things; and at last, after
thy friends are killed, they will take the royal dignity from thee.
Whatever thy other lendermen may do, I will not stay here longer to be
slaughtered like an ox; but Sigurd the king and I have a business to
settle with each other to-night, in whatever way it may turn out. It is
true that there is but little help in thee on account of thy ill health,
but I should think thy will should not be less to hold thy hand over thy
friends, and I am now quite ready to go from hence to meet Sigurd, and
my banner is flying in the yard."
Then King Inge stood up, and called for his arms, and ordered every man
who wished to follow him to get ready, declaring it was of no use to try
to dissuade him; for he had long enough avoided this, but now steel must
determine between them.