Guest replied: "I was only with them for a short time; I joined them when they were making an expedition to the south in the neighbourhood of the Alps, and when they destroyed Vifilsborg. Panic spread everywhere at their approach, for they were victorious wherever they went. They were intending at the time to go to Rome. It chanced one day that a certain man came up to King Bjˆrn Ironside and saluted him. The King received him in a friendly way and asked him whence he came. He said that he had come from the south, from Rome. The King asked him: 'How long is the journey there?' He replied: 'You can see here, O King, the shoes which I am wearing.' Then he took iron-bound shoes from his feet, and the tops of them were very thick, but underneath they were all torn. 'You can see now how severely my shoes have suffered,' said he, 'and tell by that what a long way it is from here to Rome.' 'It must be a very long way,' said the King; 'I shall turn back and give up the idea of attacking the territories of Rome.' And the result was that they went no further on their way; and everyone thought it extraordinary that they should change their minds so suddenly at the word of one man, when they had all their plans laid. So after this the sons of Lothbrok went back to their homes in the north, and made no further raids in the south." The King said: "It is clear that the saints in Rome would not allow them to make their way there. The man you spoke of must have been a Spirit sent from God to make them change their minds so quickly, so as not to bring destruction on Rome, the most holy place of Jesus Christ." X. Then the King asked Guest: "Amongst the kings whom you have visited, whose was the court that you liked best?" Guest replied: "I enjoyed most being with Sigurth and the sons of Gjuki; but the sons of Lothbrok were those who allowed most freedom to their followers to live as they liked. Then again the richest place was that of Eric at Upsala; but King Harold the Fairhaired was more exacting than any of the kings I have mentioned in the duties that he imposed on his followers. I was with King Hlˆthver too in the land of the Saxons, and there I was prime-signed; for it was not possible to remain with him otherwise, because the Christian religion was carefully observed there. That was the place I liked best on the whole." The King said: "You can give us a great deal of information whatever question we ask you." The King then asked Guest many further questions, and Guest told him everything clearly, and finally he said: "Now I must tell you why I am called Norna-gest." The King said he would like to hear.