During the day Earl Rögnvald rode always ahead of his men, and a man with him called Asólf, and another by name Jómar, his kinsman. They rode five together along Kálfadal; and when they came to the farm, farmer Höskuld was on the top of a corn-stack piling up the corn, which his servants brought to him. Earl Harald was some distance behind. When Höskuld recognised Earl Rögnvald, he saluted him by name, and asked for news, speaking very loud, so that he could be heard far away. This was a short distance from the sitting-room of the house. The homestead stood on an eminence, and one had to go through narrow and very steep passages up to it. Thorbiörn was at this farm, and was sitting indoors drinking. The passages led to the end of the house close to the gable, which had a door filled loosely with stones. Thorbiörn and his men, hearing the words of Höskuld when he saluted Earl Rögnvald, seized their weapons, pushed the stones from the concealed door, and ran out. Thorbiörn ran round the gable, and on to the wall of the passage. The Earl was then close to the door. Thorbiörn struck at him, and Asólf warded off the blow with his hand, and it was cut off; and then the sword touched the Earl’s chin, inflicting a great wound.
On receiving the blow Asólf said: “Let them serve the Earl better who have to thank him for greater gifts.” He was then eighteen winters old, and had lately entered the Earl’s service.
Earl Rögnvald was going to jump off his horse, and his foot stuck fast in the stirrup. At that moment Stefán arrived and stabbed him with a spear; and Thorbiörn wounded him again; but Jómar stabbed Thorbiörn in the thigh, the spear entering the bowels. Then Thorbiörn and his men ran behind the homestead, and down a steep bank, into a wet morass. Then Earl Harald and his men arrived and met Thorbiörn. They recognised each other, and the Earl’s men, when they knew his intentions, advised to pursue him; but Earl Harald dissuaded them from it, saying that he wished to wait for Earl Rögnvald’s opinion, “Because,” said he, “I am very intimately connected with Thorbiörn, as you know, both through relationship and other ties.”
Those who were with Earl Rögnvald stood sorrowing over his dead body, and some time passed before Earl Harald heard the news. Thorbiörn and his men had got out on the bog, and across the moss-hag running along it. But through the urgency of the Earl’s followers, he and his men ran down to the bog, and they met at the moss-hag—the two parties standing one on either side. Thorbiörn’s party defended themselves from the bank, and his followers ran to his assistance from the neighbouring homesteads, until they were fifty in number. They defended themselves bravely, for they had a strong position. The moss-hag was both deep and broad, and the bog was soft; so they could only hurl spears at each other. Thorbiörn told his men to throw none back; and when the Earl’s party had exhausted their missiles they spoke to each other, and Thorbiörn called to Earl Harald, saying, “Kinsman! I wish to ask you to give me quarter, and I am willing to leave the decision of this case entirely in your hands. I will reserve nothing which may contribute to your honour. I also think, kinsman, you must remember that there have been quarrels in which you would not have made such a difference between Earl Rögnvald and me that you would have killed me for having done this deed, when he had you under his thumb, and left you no more power than if you had been his page; but I gave you the best gifts, and endeavoured to further your honour in every way I could. The deed which I have committed is indeed a great crime, and weighs heavily upon me, but the whole of his dominions revert to you. You may also know that Earl Rögnvald intended for me the same fate which he met at my hands. And I suspect, kinsman, that if it had so happened that I were dead, and Earl Rögnvald alive, you would not have quarrelled with him; and yet you wish to take away my life.”