When the King had prepared his ship, he removed all his army from the capital to Eidsvags;[22] afterwards he himself returned to the city, where he remained some nights, and then set out for Herlover.[23] Here all the troops, both from the Northern and Southern districts, assembled, as is described in the Ravens-ode, which Sturla[24] sung. 1. From the recesses of Finland,[25] bands, keen for battle, sought the potent Ruler of the storm of Javelins. The boisterous deep, that girds this earth, bore the ships of the Protector of thrones west from the streams of Gotelfa. King Haco mustered all his force at Herlover. It was a mighty and splendid armament. The King had many large and well-appointed ships, as is thus described. 2. No terrifier of dragons,[26] guardians of the hoarded treasure,[27] e'er in one place beheld more numerous hosts. The stainer of the sea-fowl's beak,[28] resolved to scour the main, far distant shores connected by swift fleets. 3. A glare of light blazed from the powerful, far-famed monarch while, carried by the sea-borne wooden coursers[29] of Gestils,[30] he broke to the roaring waves. The swelling sails, of keels that ride the surge, reflected the beams of the unsullied sun around the umpire of wars. Some nights after King Haco had arrived at Herlover, Ronald and Erling sailed out of the bay with their squadron. Ronald was separated from the rest at sea, and made for the Orkneys with some of the ships. But, Erling, and Andrew, and Halvard steered south before Shetland, and so to the west of Tharey-fiord;[31] and they saw no land; except Sulna-stapa[32] west of the Orkneys. Afterwards they sailed in to Scotland under Dyrness.[33] They went up into the country and destroyed a castle, but the garrison had fled. They burned more than twenty hamlets. Next they steered for the Hebrides, and found there Magnus King of Man. Three nights before the Selian vigils[34] King Haco set sail for the German sea with all his fleet. He had now been King of Norway six and forty winters.[35] He had a favourable breeze; the weather was fair and the armament beautiful to behold, as Sturlas relates. 4. The Abyss returned the flaming gleam of war, darted from the bright glittering concave shields of the Goddesses of battle.[36] This voyage, by the bands of the Troubler of peace, through the sea that streams around the world, was unwelcome to the foe--they dreaded the exactor of rings.[37]