OF EARL ROGNVALD AND SWEIN.
WHILE Swein was in the Sudreyar, Earl Rögnvald went over to Caithness,
and was entertained at Vík (Wick) by a man named Harald. His son was
named Swein, an active fellow. While the Earl was there, Thorbiörn Klerk
came up from Scotland, and said that his father, Thorstein Höld, had
been killed by a certain Earl. People talked of how frequently Earl
Rögnvald and Thorbiörn spoke together, because the Earl scarcely took
leisure to discharge his duties for that reason. Thorbiörn went with the
Earl out to the Islands (Orkneys), and Swein, Harald’s son, became the
Earl’s tableboy Thorbiörn had been in Scotland for some time. He had
slain two men who had been with Swein, Asleif’s son, at the burning of
Frákork.
When Swein came from the Sudreyar, he went home to his farm in Gáreksey
(Gairsay), and not to Earl Rögnvald, as he used to do when he came from
his expeditions. So when the Earl heard that Swein had come home from
the Sudreyar in the summer, he asked Thorbiörn for what reason he
thought Swein did not come to him.
Thorbiörn replied: “I suppose Swein is offended with me because I had
those men slain who were with him at the burning of Frákork.”
The Earl said: “I do not like you to be enemies.”
Then Earl Rögnvald went to Gáreksey, and tried to reconcile them, which
was easy, because they both wished the Earl to judge between them. Then
he made peace between them, and it lasted for a long time after.