King Harold lay with his fleet in the Firths, whence he sent messengers round the land to such as had not come to him, but with whom he thought he had business. The messengers came to Kveldulf, and were well received. They set forth their errand, said that the king would have Kveldulf come to him.

'He has heard,' said they, 'that you are a man of renown and high family. You will get from him terms of great honour, for the king is very keen on this, to have with him such as he hears are men of mark for strength and bravery.'

Kveldulf answered that he was an old man, not fit for war or to be out in warships. 'I will now,' said he, 'sit at home and leave serving kings.'

Upon this the messengers said, 'Then let your son go to the king; he is a tall man and a likely warrior. The king will make you a baron,' said they to Grim, 'if you will serve him.'

'I will be made baron under none,' said Grim, 'while my father lives; he, while he lives, shall be my liege-lord.'

The messengers went away, and when they came to the king told him all that Kveldulf had said before them. Whereat the king looked sullen, but he spoke little; these men, he said, were proud, or what were they aiming at? Aulvir Hnuf was standing near, and he bade the king not be wroth. 'I will go,' said he, 'to Kveldulf; and he will consent to come to you, as soon as he knows that you think it a matter of moment.'

So Aulvir went to Kveldulf and told him that the king was wroth, and it would not go well unless one of the two, father or son, came to the king; he said, too, that he would get them great honour from the king if they would but pay homage. Further he told them at length, as was true, that the king was liberal to his men both in money and in honours.

Kveldulf said, 'My foreboding is that I and my sons shall get no luck from this king: and I will not go to him. But if Thorolf returns this summer, he will be easily won to this journey, as also to be made the king's man. Say you this to the king, that I will be his friend, and will keep to his friendship all who heed my words; I will also hold the same rule and authority from his hand that I held before from the former king, if he will that it continue so still, and I will see how I and the king agree.'

Then Aulvir went back and told the king that Kveldulf would send him his son, and he (said Aulvir) would suit better; but he was not then at home. The king let the matter rest. In the summer he went inland to Sogn, but in autumn made ready to go northwards to Throndheim.

Haraldr konungr lá með her sinn í Fjörðum. Hann sendi menn þar um land á fund þeira manna, er eigi höfðu komit til hans, er hann þóttist erendi við eiga.

Konungs sendimenn kómu til Kveld-Úlfs ok fengu þar góðar viðtökur. Þeir báru upp erendi sín, sögðu, at konungr vildi, at Kveld-Úlfr kæmi á fund hans. "Hann hefir," sögðu þeir, "spurn af, at þú ert göfugr maðr ok stórættaðr. Muntu eiga kost af honum virðingar mikillar. Er konungi mikit kapp á því at hafa með sér þá menn, at hann spyrr, at afreksmenn eru at afli ok hreysti."

Kveld-Úlfr svarar, sagði, at hann var þá gamall, svá at hann var þá ekki til færr at vera úti á herskipum. "Mun ek nú heima sitja ok láta af at þjóna konungum."

Þá mælti sendimaðr: "Láttu þá fara son þinn til konungs. Hann er maðr mikill ok garpligr. Mun konungr gera þik lendan mann, ef þú vill þjóna honum."

"Ekki vil ek," sagði Grímr, "gerast lendr maðr, meðan faðir minn lifir, því at hann skal vera yfirmaðr minn, meðan hann lifir."

Sendimenn fóru í brott, en er þeir kómu til konungs, sögðu þeir honum allt þat, er Kveld-Úlfr hafði rætt fyrir þeim. Konungr varð við styggr ok mælti um nökkurum orðum, sagði, at þeir myndi vera menn stórlátir, eða hvat þeir myndi fyrir ætlast.

Ölvir hnúfa var þá nær staddr ok bað konung vera eigi reiðan. "Ek mun fara á fund Kveld-Úlfs, ok mun hann vilja fara á fund yðvarn, þegar er hann veit, at yðr þykkir máli skipta."

Síðan fór Ölvir á fund Kveld-Úlfs ok sagði honum, at konungr var reiðr ok eigi myndi duga, nema annarr hvárr þeira feðga færi til konungs, ok sagði, at þeir myndi fá virðing mikla af konungi, ef þeir vildi hann þýðast, sagði frá mikit, sem satt var, at konungr var góðr mönnum sínum bæði til fjár ok metnaðar.

Kveld-Úlfr sagði, at þat var hans hugboð, - "at vér feðgar munim ekki bera gæfu til þessa konungs, ok mun ek ekki fara á fund hans. En ef Þórólfr kemr heim í sumar, þá mun hann auðbeðinn þessar farar ok svá at gerast konungs maðr. Segðu svá konungi, at ek mun vera vinr hans ok alla menn, þá er at mínum orðum láta, halda til vináttu við hann. Ek mun ok halda inu sama um stjórn ok umboð af hans hendi sem áðr hafða ek af fyrra konungi, ef konungr vill, at svá sé, ok enn síðar sjá, hversu semst með oss konungi."

Síðan fór Ölvir aftr til konungs ok sagði honum, at Kveld-Úlfr myndi senda honum son sinn, ok sagði, at sá var betr til fallinn, er þá var eigi heima. Lét konungr þá vera kyrrt. Fór hann þá um sumarit inn í Sogn, en er haustaði, bjóst hann at fara norðr til Þrándheims.