Hildirida's sons went to the king and bade him to a three nights' banquet. The king accepted their bidding, and fixed when he would come. So at the appointed time he and his train came thither. The company was not numerous, but the feast went off very well, and the king was quite cheerful. Harek entered into talk with the king, and their talk turned on this, that he asked about the king's journeys in those parts during the summer.

The king answered his questions, and said that all had received him well, each after his means.

'Great will have been the difference,' said Harek, 'and at Torgar the company at the banquet will have been the most numerous.'

The king said that it was so.

Harek said: 'That was to be looked for, because on that banquet most was spent; and thou, O king, hadst great luck in matters so turning out that thy life was not endangered. The end was as was likely; thou wert very wise and very fortunate; for thou at once suspectedst all was not for good on seeing the numerous company there gathered; but (as I am told) thou madest all thy men remain armed constantly and keep watch and ward night and day.'

The king looked at him and said: 'Why speakest thou thus, Harek? What canst thou tell of this?'

Harek answered: 'May I speak with permission what I please?'

'Speak,' said the king.

'This I judge,' said Harek, 'that thou wouldst not deem it to be well, if thou, O king, heardest every one's words, what men say when speaking their minds freely at home, how they think that it is a tyranny thou exercisest over all people. But the plain truth is, O king, that to rise against thee the people lack nothing but boldness and a leader. Nor is it wonderful in a man like Thorolf that he thinks himself above everyone; he wants not for strength and comeliness; he keeps a guard round him like a king; he has wealth in plenty, even though he had but what is truly his, but besides that he holds others' property equally at his disposal with his own. Thou, too, hast bestowed on him large grants, and he had now made all ready to repay them with ill. For this is the truth that I tell thee: when it was learnt that thou wert coming north to Halogaland with no more force than three hundred men, the counsel of people here was that an army should assemble and take thy life, O king, and the lives of all thy force. And Thorolf was head of these counsels, and it was offered him that he should be king over the Halogalanders and Naumdalesmen. Then he went in and out of each firth and round all the islands, and got together every man he could find and every weapon, and it was no secret that this army was to muster for battle against king Harold. But the truth is, O king, that though thou hadst somewhat less force than those who met thee, yet the farmer folk took flight when they saw thy fleet. Then this counsel was adopted, to meet thee with friendly show and bid thee to a banquet: but it was intended, when thou wert well drunk and lying asleep, to attack thee with fire and weapon. And here is a proof whether I am rightly informed; ye were led into a granary because Thorolf was loth to burn up his new and beautiful hall; and a further proof is that every room was full of weapons and armour. But when all their devices against thee miscarried, then they chose the best course they could; they hushed up their former purpose. And I doubt not that all may deny this counsel, because few, methinks, know themselves guiltless, were the truth to come out. Now this is my counsel, O king, that thou keep Thorolf near thee, and let him be in thy guard, and bear thy standard, and be in the forecastle of thy ship; for this duty no man is fitter. Or if thou wilt have him to be a baron, then give him a grant southwards in the Firths, where are all his family: thou mayest then keep an eye on him, that he make not himself too great for thee. But the business here in Halogaland put thou into the hands of men who are moderate and will serve thee faithfully, and have kinsfolk here, men whose relatives have had the same work here before. We two brothers are ready and willing for such service as thou wilt use us in; our father long had the king's business here, and it prospered in his hands. It is difficult, O king, to place men as managers here, because thou wilt seldom come hither thyself. The strength of the land is too little to need thy coming with an army, yet thou must not come hither again with few followers, for there are here many disloyal people.'

The king was very angry at these words, but he spoke quietly, as was always his wont when he heard tidings of great import. He asked whether Thorolf were at home at Torgar. Harek said this was not likely.

'Thorolf,' said he, 'is too wise to be in the way of thy followers, O king, for he must guess that all will not be so close but thou wilt get to know these things. He went north to Alost as soon as he heard that thou wert on thy way south.'

The king spoke little about this matter before other men; but it was easy to see that he inclined to believe the words that had been spoken.

After this the king went his way, Hildirida's sons giving him honourable escort with gifts at parting, while he promised them his friendship. The brothers made themselves an errand into Naumdale, and so went round about as to cross the king's path now and again; he always received their words well.

Hildiríðarsynir fóru á fund konungs ok buðu honum heim til þriggja nátta veizlu. Konungr þekkðist boð þeira ok kvað á, nær hann myndi þar koma. En er at þeiri stefnu kom, þá kom konungr þar með lið sitt, ok var þar ekki fjölmenni fyrir, en veizla fór fram it bezta. Var konungr allkátr.

Hárekr kom sér í ræðu við konung, ok kom þar ræðu hans, at hann spyrr um ferðir konungs, þær er þá höfðu verit um sumarit. Konungr sagði slíkt, er hann spurði, kvað alla menn hafa sér vel fagnat ok mjök hvern eftir föngum sínum.

"Mikill munr," sagði Hárekr, "mun þess hafa verit, at í Torgum mundi veizla fjölmennust."

Konungr sagði, at svá var.

Hárekr segir: "Þat var vís ván, því at til þeirar veizlu var mest aflat, ok báruð þér, konungr, þar stórligar gæfur til, er svá snerist, at þér kómuð í engan lífsháska. Fór þat, sem líkligt var, at þú vart vitrastr ok hamingjumestr, því at þú grunaðir þegar, at eigi mundi allt af heilu vera, er þú sátt fjölmenni þat it mikla, er þar var saman dregit. En mér var sagt, at þú létir allt lið þitt jafnan með alvæpni vera eða hafðir varðhöld örugg bæði nótt ok dag."

Konungr sá til hans ok mælti: "Hví mælir þú slíkt, Hárekr, eða hvat kanntu þar af at segja?"

Hann segir: "Hvárt skal ek mæla í orlofi, konungr, þat, er mér líkar?"

"Mældu," segir konungr.

"Þat ætla ek," segir Hárekr, "ef þú, konungr, heyrðir hvers manns orð, er menn mæla heima eftir hugþokka sínum, hver ákúrun þat þykkir, at þér veitið öllu mannfólki, at þér þætti ekki vel vera. En yðr er þat sannast at segja, konungr, at alþýðuna skortir ekki annat til mótgangs við yðr en dirfð ok forstjóra. En þat er ekki undarligt," sagði hann, "um slíka menn sem Þórólfr er, at hann þykkist um fram hvern mann. Hann skortir eigi afl, eigi fríðleik. Hann hefir ok hirð um sik sem konungr. Hann hefir morð fjár, þótt hann hefði þat eina, er hann ætti sjálfr, en hitt er meira, at hann lætr sér jafnheimilt annarra fé sem sitt. Þér hafið ok veitt honum stórar veizlur, ok var nú búit við, at hann myndi þat eigi vel launa, því at þat er yðr sannast frá at segja, þá er spurðist, at þér fóruð norðr á Hálogaland með eigi meira liði en þér höfðuð, þremr hundruðum manna, þá var þat hér ráð manna, at hér skyldi herr saman koma ok taka þik af lífi, konungr, ok allt lið þitt, ok var Þórólfr höfðingi þeirar ráðagerðar, því at honum var þat til boðit, at hann skyldi konungr vera yfir Háleygjafylki ok Naumdælafylki. Fór hann síðan út ok inn með hverjum firði ok um allar eyjar ok dró saman hvern mann, er hann fekk, ok hvert vápn, ok fór þat þá ekki leynt, at þeim her skyldi stefna í móti Haraldi konungi til orrostu. En hitt er satt, konungr, þótt þér hefðit lið nökkuru minna, þá er þér funduzt, at búandkörlum skaut skelk í bringu, þegar þeir sá siglingu yðra. Var þá hitt ráð tekit at ganga á móti yðr með blíðu ok bjóða til veizlu. En þá var ætlat, ef þér yrðið drukknir ok lægið sofandi, at veita yðr atgöngu með eldi ok vápnum, ok þat til jartegna, ef ek hefi rétt spurt, at yðr var fylgt í kornhlöðu eina, því at Þórólfr vildi eigi brenna upp stofu sína, nýja ok vandaða mjök. Þat var enn til jartegna, at hvert hús var fullt af vápnum ok herklæðum. En þá er þeir fengu engum vélræðum við yðr komit, tóku þeir þat ráð, sem helzt var til, drápu öllu á dreif um þessa fyrirætlan. Ætla ek þat alla kunna at dylja þessa ráða, því at fáir, hygg ek, at sik viti saklausa, ef it sanna kemr upp. Nú er þat mitt ráð, konungr, at þú takir Þórólf til þín ok látir hann vera í hirð þinni, bera merki þitt ok vera í stafni á skipi þínu. Til þess er hann fallinn allra manna bezt. En ef þú vill, at hann sé lendr maðr, þá fá honum veizlur suðr í Fjörðum. Þar er ætterni hans allt. Meguð þér þá sjá yfir, at hann gerist eigi of stórr. En fá hér sýslu á Hálogalandi í hönd þeim mönnum, er hófsmenn sé ok yðr munu með trúleik þjóna ok hér eigu kyn ok þeira frændr hafa hér áðr haft þvílíkt starf. Skulum vit bræðr vera búnir ok boðnir til slíks, sem þér vilið okkr til nýta. Hafði faðir okkarr hér lengi konungssýslu. Varð honum þat vel í höndum. Eru yðr, konungr, vandsettir hér menn yfir til forráða, því at þér munuð hér sjaldan koma sjálfir. Hér er lítit landsmegin til þess, at þér farið með her yðvarn, ok munuð þat eigi oftar gera at fara hingat með fá liði, því at hér er ótryggt lið margt."

Konungr reiddist mjök við ræður þessar ok mælti þó stilliliga, sem hann var vanr jafnan, þá er hann frétti þau tíðendi, er mikils váru verð. Hann spurði þá, hvárt Þórólfr væri heima í Torgum.

Hárekr sagði, at þess var engi ván. "Er Þórólfr svá viti borinn, at hann mundi kunna sér at vera eigi fyrir liði yðru, konungr, því at honum mundi þess ván, at eigi skyldi allir svá haldinorðir, at þú, konungr, myndir eigi varr verða við þessi tíðendi. Fór hann norðr í Álöst, þegar er hann spurði, at þér váruð norðan á leið."

Konungr ræddi fátt um þessi tíðendi fyrir mönnum, en fannst þat á, at hann myndi trúnað á festa þessa orðræðu, er honum var sagt. Fór konungr síðan ferðar sinnar. Leiddu Hildiríðarsynir hann virðuliga á brott með gjöfum, en hann hét þeim vináttu sinni. Þeir bræðr gáfu sér erendi inn í Naumudal ok fóru svá í svig við konung, at þeir hittu hann at öðru hverju. Tók hann jafnan vel máli þeira.