The Guests of Odin by Gavin Chappell

from his saddle with his lance so that the king was flung more than forty feet and every bone in his body was broken. Gellir attacked Sval and they wrestled.
    When Sval felled Gellir, he called upon the troll woman who had fostered him. She came invisibly and dragged Sval away, whereupon Gellir leapt upon Sval. But then Hogni regained his senses and he cut Gellir in two with Dainsleif. Then King Harald struck Hogni across the shoulders so that he was almost slain. Hogni turned on Harald and split him in half with a single blow of Dainsleif. Then he attacked Sigvald, decapitating him with one blow. The remaining Norwegians now retreated to the town where they told the queen what had happened.
    The next day Hogni entered the town and he went to the king’s hall but found it deserted except for thralls.
    He asked, “Where is the queen?”
    ‘She has gone to her daughter’s bower,” the thralls told him.
    When he reached the plank wall that surrounded the bower, a mist came down and he and his men could see neither the fence nor the bower. They found a river before them and tried to cross it and climb up the cliffs on the far side, which took them all night. But when morning came, they saw that there was no river and they had been clawing at the fence. Hogni told them to break down the gate and when it was done he entered to find no one in there, he had the treasure chests broken into and took away all the treasure and fine clothes and went away.
    Looking back as he did so, he saw an old woman and a fair maiden standing on the walls. Sval thought that it was Erling’s daughter Ingibjorg and her foster mother but he advised against return after the trouble they had had already. They returned to the tents and broke camp, embarking their ships, including Skrauti and sailed away to Rugen.
    Sorli sent messengers to the hall in Rugen and Sverri led them. They offered a settlement for Halfdan’s death, along with friendship and sworn brotherhood. When Hakon heard this, he was angry and told Sverri to prepare for war. Sorli readied his forces and faced Hakon and Thorir as they rode out from the town. Battle broke out and Sorli repeatedly broke Hakon’s ranks. Hakon encountered two of Sorli’s men, Fal and Frodel, both Finns. He cut at Frodel who vanished into the earth. When Hakon tried to drag Frodel back out Fal came up behind him, stabbed him in the belly, and slew him. Thorir saw this and retreated into the town with his surviving men.
    Sorli moved his camp closer to the town and tried to break down the walls but Thorir’s men poured boiling pitch and brimstone down on them. Then Sorli moved his lines farther away from the town. Meanwhile Duke Astro came from England with a vast force and attacked Sorli. The battle went on for two days and neither side gained the upper hand.
    On the third day, more ships were sighted . Leading them was the dragonship Skrauti, and men guessed that these were the forces of Hogni. Sorli realised what must have happened and grieved for the fate of his people in Norway. Hogni weighed anchor and pitched his tents. When Duke Astro and Thorir saw this, they rode to his camp and greeted him joyfully. They told Hogni all that had happened, including Hakon’s death, then rode to the town and remained there.
    The next day Hogni sent men to Sorli’s camp, told him to ready himself for further fighting, and assured him that it would mark the end of their contest. Sorli led his army forth and a fierce battle ensued, during which Thorir slew Karmon and Sorli pursued him. He encountered Hogni who said it would be better for them to fight single combat.
    They rode against each other and fought fiercely but both wore excellent armour and they barely wounded each other. Then Sorli flung away his sword and grappled Hogni. They wrestled and Sorli tried to fling Hogni into a nearby brook, but Hogni escaped this trick and pinned Sorli.
    Hogni observed, “Dainsleif lies somewhere on the battlefield and if you are