Reddened were the wolf’s-bit’s edges At a place—men call it Torfness;— It was by a youthful ruler This was done, upon a Monday. Pliant swords were loudly ringing At this War-Thing, south of Ekkial, When the prince had joined in battle Bravely with the King of Scotland. High his helm the Lord of Hjaltland Bore amid the clang of weapons; In the battle ever foremost, Reddened he his gleaming spear-point In the wounds it gave the Irish. Thus my lord his mighty prowess Showed beneath his British buckler— Taking many warriors captive; Hlödver’s kinsman burnt the country. Earl Thorfinn drove the fugitives before him through Scotland, and subdued the country wherever he went, and all the way south to Fife. Then he sent Thorkel Fóstri away with some of his men. When the Scots heard that the Earl had sent away some of his men, those that had submitted to him meant to attack him. As soon, however, as he was aware of their treachery, he called his men together and went to meet them; but when they knew he was prepared, they hesitated to make the attack. Earl Thorfinn resolved to give battle to the Scots as soon as he met them; but they had not the manliness to defend themselves, and ran away into woods and deserted places; and when he had pursued the fugitives, he called his men together, and said he would burn the whole district, and thus pay the Scots for their treachery. Then the Earl’s men went over hamlets and farms, and burnt everything, so that scarcely a hut was left standing. Those of the men whom they found they killed, but the women and old people dragged themselves into woods and deserted places, with wailings and lamentations. Some of them they drove before them, and many were taken captives. Thus says Arnór Jarlaskáld: Fast the flames devoured the homesteads; Lives that day were in great peril; Fire the Scottish kingdom ravaged— All reduced to smoking ashes; Great the mischief done that summer By the mighty Slaughter-Teacher; Three times were the luckless Scotsmen By the Prince completely vanquished. After this Thorfinn went through Scotland to the north, till he reached his ships, and subdued the country wherever he went, and did not stop till he came to Caithness, where he spent the winter; but every season after this he went out on expeditions, and plundered in the summer time with all his men. CHAPTER VII OF THE FAMOUS DEEDS OF EARL THORFINN.