There was in Sogn a lord named Bjorn, a rich man; he dwelt at Aurland. His son was Brynjolf, who was sole heir to all his father's wealth. Brynjolf's sons were Bjorn and Thord. They were young when what has been just told happened. Bjorn was a great traveller, sometimes on free-booting, sometimes on trading voyages. He was a right doughty man. It so chanced that one summer Bjorn was present at a banquet attended by many. He saw there a fair maiden who pleased him well. He asked of what family she was, and was told that she was sister of lord Thorir Hroaldsson, and was named Thora, with the by-name Lacehand. Bjorn made his suit and asked Thora to wife. But Thorir refused his offer, and with this they parted. But that same autumn Bjorn took men and went with a cutter well equipt northwards to the Firths, and came to Thorir's when he was not at home. Bjorn took Thora away thence, and home with him to Aurland. They two were there for the winter, and Bjorn would fain hold a wedding with her. Brynjolf his father ill liked what Bjorn had done; he thought there was dishonour therein, whereas there had been ere this long friendship between Thorir and Brynjolf.

'So far,' said he, 'Bjorn, from your holding a wedding with Thora here in my house without the leave of her brother, she shall be here as well respected as if she were my daughter and your sister.' And all had to be as Brynjolf ordered in his household, whether Bjorn liked it well or ill. Brynjolf sent men to Thorir to offer him atonement and redress for what Bjorn had done. Thorir bade Brynjolf send Thora home; no atonement could there be else. But Bjorn would in no wise let her go away, though Brynjolf begged it. And so the winter wore on.

But when spring came, then Brynjolf and Bjorn were talking one day of their matters. Brynjolf asked what Bjorn meant to do. Bjorn said 'twas likeliest that he should go away out of the land.

'Most to my mind is it,' said he, 'that you should give me a long-ship and crew therewith, and I go a free-booting.'

'No hope is there of this,' said Brynjolf, 'that I shall put in your hands a warship and strong force, for I know not but you will go about just what is against my wish; why even now already I have enough trouble from you. A merchant-ship I will give you, and wares withal: go you then southwards to Dublin. That voyage is now most highly spoken of. I will get you a good crew.'

Bjorn said he would take this as his father willed. So he had a good merchant-ship made ready, and got men for it. Bjorn now made him ready for this voyage, but was some time about it. But when he was quite ready and a fair wind blew, he embarked on a boat with twelve men and rowed in to Aurland, and they went up to the homestead and to his mother's bower. She was sitting therein with many women. Thora was there. Bjorn said Thora must go with him, and they led her away. But his mother bade the women not dare to let them know this within in the hall: Brynjolf, she said, would be in a sad way if he knew it, and this would bring about great mischief between father and son. But Thora's clothes and trinkets were all laid there ready to hand, and Bjorn and his men took all with them.

Then they went that night out to their ship, at once hoisted their sail, and sailed out by the Sogn-sea, and so to the main. They had an ill wind, before which they must needs run, and were long tossed about on the main, because they were bent on shunning Norway at all hazards. And so it was that one day they were sailing off the east coast of Shetland during a gale, and brake their ship in making land at Moss-ey. They got out the cargo, and went into the town that was there, carrying thither all their wares, and they drew up their ship and repaired damages.

Björn hét hersir ríkr í Sogni, er bjó á Aurlandi. Hans sonr var Brynjólfr, er arf allan tók eftir föður sinn. Synir Brynjólfs váru þeir Björn ok Þórðr. Þeir váru menn á ungum aldri, er þetta var tíðenda. Björn var farmaðr mikill, var stundum í víking, en stundum í kaupferðum. Björn var inn gerviligsti maðr.

Þat barst at á einu hverju sumri, at Björn var staddr í Fjörðum at veizlu nökkurri fjölmennri. Þar sá hann mey fagra, þá er honum fannst mikit um. Hann spurði eftir, hverrar ættar hon var. Honum var þat sagt, at hon var systir Þóris hersis Hróaldssonar ok hét Þóra hlaðhönd. Björn hóf upp bónorð sitt ok bað Þóru, en Þórir synjaði honum ráðsins, ok skilðust þeir at svá gervu.

En þat sama haust fekk Björn sér liðs ok fór með skútu alskipaða norðr í Fjörðu ok kom til Þóris ok svá, at hann var eigi heima. Björn nam Þóru á brott ok hafði heim með sér á Aurland. Váru þau þar um vetrinn, ok vildi Björn gera brúðlaup til hennar. Brynjólfi, feðr hans, líkaði þat illa, er Björn hafði gert, þótti svívirðing í því, þar sem áðr hafði löng vinátta verit með Þóri ok Brynjólfi.

"Því síðr skaltu, Björn," segir Brynjólfr, "brúðlaup til Þóru gera hér með mér at óleyfi Þóris, bróður hennar, at hon skal hér svá vel sett sem hon væri mín dóttir, en systir þín."

En svá varð at vera allt, sem Brynjólfr kvað á, þar í hans hýbýlum, hvárt er Birni líkaði vel eða illa.

Brynjólfr sendi menn til Þóris at bjóða honum sætt ok yfirbætr fyrir för þá, er Björn hafði farit. Þórir bað Brynjólf senda heim Þóru, sagði, at ekki myndi af sætt verða ella. En Björn vildi fyrir engan mun láta hana í brott fara, þó at Brynjólfr beiddi þess. Leið svá af vetrinn.

En er vára tók, þá ræddu þeir Brynjólfr ok Björn einn dag um ráðagerðir sínar. Spurði Brynjólfr, hvat hann ætlaðist fyrir.

Björn sagði þat líkast, at hann myndi fara af landi á brott. "Er mér þat næst skapi," sagði hann, "at þú fáir mér langskip ok þar lið með ok fara ek í víking."

"Engi ván er þess," sagði Brynjólfr, "at ek fá þér í hendr herskip ok lið mikit, því at ek veit eigi nema þá komir þú þar niðr, er mér er öll óaufúsa á, ok stendr þó nú áðr ærin óró af þér. Kaupskip mun ek fá þér í hendr ok þar með kaupeyri. Farðu síðan suðr til Dyflinnar. Sú er nú ferð frægst. Mun ek fá þér föruneyti gott."

Björn segir svá, at hann myndi þat verða upp at taka, sem Brynjólfr vildi. Lét hann þá búa kaupskip gott ok fekk menn til. Bjóst Björn þá til þeirar ferðar ok varð ekki snemmbúinn.

En er Björn var albúinn ok byrr rann á, þá steig hann á bát með tólf menn ók reri inn á Aurland, ok gengu upp til bæjar ok til dyngju þeirar, er móðir hans átti. Sat hon þar inni ok konur mjök margar. Þar var Þóra. Björn sagði, at Þóra skyldi með honum fara. Leiddu þeir hana í brott, en móðir hans bað konurnar vera eigi svá djarfar, at þær gerði vart við inn í skálann, sagði, at Brynjólfr myndi illa í höndum hafa, ef hann vissi, ok sagði, at þá væri búit við geig miklum með þeim feðgum. En klæðnaðr Þóru ok gripir váru þar allir lagðir til handargagns, ok höfðu þeir Björn þat allt með sér. Fóru þeir síðan um nóttina út til skips síns, drógu þegar segl sitt ok sigldu út eftir Sognsæ ok síðan í haf.

Þeim byrjaði illa ok höfðu réttu stóra ok velkði lengi í hafi, því at þeir váru öruggir í því at firrast Nóreg sem mest. Þat var einn dag, at þeir sigldu austan at Hjaltlandi hvasst veðr ok lestu skipit í landtöku við Mósey, báru þar af farminn ok fóru í borg þá, er þar var, ok báru þangat allan varning sinn ok settu upp skipit ok bættu, er brotit var.