The meat was scarcely put on the table, when a man came into the house
to tell Nikolas that the Birkebeins were roving up the river. Then
Nikolas called to his men to take their weapons. When they were armed
Nikolas ordered them to go up into the loft. But that was a most
imprudent step; for if they had remained in the yard, the townspeople
might have come to their assistance; but now the Birkebeins filled the
whole yard, and from thence scrambled from all sides up to the loft.
They called to Nikolas, and offered him quarter, but he refused it. Then
they attacked the loft. Nikolas and his men defended themselves with
bow-shot, hand-shot, and stones of the chimney; but the Birkebeins hewed
down the houses, broke up the loft, and returned shot for shot from bow
or hand. Nikolas had a red shield in which were gilt nails, and about it
was a border of stars. The Birkebeins shot so that the arrows went in
up to the arrow feather. Then said Nikolas, "My shield deceives me."
Nikolas and a number of his people fell, and his death was greatly
lamented. The Birkebeins gave all the towns-people their lives.