Earl Paul replied, “I will not offer them my possessions now, since I refused peremptorily when they asked civilly. Besides, I think it would be unworthy of a chief to flee from my lands without a trial of strength. My counsel is to send men to-night to collect troops throughout all the Islands. Let us then go to meet Earl Rögnvald, and have matters decided between us before the Sudreymen come.” Earl Paul’s plan was adopted. With Earl Paul there was a man by name Swein, called Brióstreip (breast-rope), who was his henchman, and highly esteemed by him. In the summer he was always on viking-raids, but in the winter [he stayed] with the Earl. Swein was a man of large stature and great strength, swarthy and ill-favoured. He was greatly skilled in ancient lore, and had frequently been engaged in outsittings.[325] His place was in the forecastle of the Earl’s ship. During the night the following chiefs came to Earl Paul:—Eyvind, Melbrigdi’s son, in a ship fully manned; Olaf, Rólf’s son, from Gáreksey (Gairsay), had another; Thorkel Flettir the third; Sigurd the fourth; and the Earl himself the fifth. With these five vessels they went to Hrólfsey (Rousay), and arrived there in the evening about sunset. Troops gathered to him during the night, but more ships were not to be had. The next day they were going to sail to Hjaltland to meet Earl Rögnvald; but in the morning, shortly after sunrise, some men came to Earl Paul, who said they had seen longships coming from the Pentland Firth; whether ten or twelve they did not know. The Earl and his men were convinced that this was Frákork’s party, and the Earl ordered his men to row against them as fast as possible. Olaf and Sigurd advised them to go leisurely, saying that their troops might arrive at any moment. When they were east of Tannskáruness (Tankerness), the longships, twelve together, sailed to the west from Múli.[326] The Earl and his men fastened their ships together; then the Bondi, Erling from Tannskáruness, and his sons, came to the Earl and offered him their assistance; and then their ships were so crowded that they thought they could not use more men. The Earl asked Erling and his men to bring stones to them, until they were prevented by the fighting. When they had prepared themselves, Olvir came up and made the attack with a superior force, but his ships were smaller. Olvir (himself) had a large ship, which he placed beside the Earl’s ship, and there was the severest fighting. Olaf, Rólf’s son, attacked the smallest ships of Olvir, and cleared three of them in a short time. Olvir attacked the Earl’s ships so fiercely that all the forecastle men were driven abaft the mast. Then Olvir urged his men strongly to board, and jumped himself from the quarterdeck to the forepart of the ship, and was the first to board.