if the king demands it. Also, if ye want to have some men from hence for this journey, this will be
granted you, and all such furtherance of your journey as ye may name to Thorstein.’

Then the messengers talked among themselves, and agreed that they would accept these terms, if Egil
would go with them on the journey. ’The king,’ they said, ’bears him great ill-will, and he will think
our journey a right good one if we bring it about that Egil be slain. He can then drive Thorstein out of
the land if he pleases.’ So they told Thorstein that they would be content if Egil went and Thorstein
stayed at home.

’So shall it be,’ said Egil. ’I will release Thorstein from this journey. But how many men think ye that
ye need to take from hence?’

’We are eight,’ said they; ’we would fain have four men go from hence; then are we twelve.’

Egil said it should be so. Aunund Sjoni and some of Egil’s company had gone out to sea, to look after
their ship and another cargo which they had given into safe keeping in the autumn, and they had not
yet returned. Egil thought this a great pity, but the king’s men were impatient to be gone, and would
not wait.

Chapter 74 - Journey to Vermaland.
Egil with three comrades made him ready for the journey. They had horses and sledges, and so had the
king’s men. There was then deep snow, and all the roads were effaced. They betook them to their
journey when they were ready, and sledged up the land; and when they came eastwards near Eida, it
happened one night that so much fresh snow fell that they could not see the way. On the morrow they
traveled slowly, because there were snowdrifts directly one left the track. And as the day wore on they
stopped to bait their horses; this was near a wooded ridge. Then spoke the king’s men with Egil: ’Here
now the roads divide; forward below the ridge dwells a landowner named Arnold, our friend; we with
our party will go and lodge there. But you shall go yonder up the ridge, and when you come over it
you will soon have before you a large house where you are sure of lodging. A wealthy man dwells
there, Armod Beard by name. But to-morrow early we will again join company and go on the next
evening to Eida-wood. There dwells a worthy landowner named Thorfinn.’

Upon this they separated, Egil and his men going up the ridge. But of the king’s men this is to be told,
that no sooner were they and Egil out of sight of each other, than they took their snow-shoes (which
they had brought with them) and put them on; then they retraced their way as fast as they could. Night
and day they travelled, and turned toward Upland, thence north by the Dovre-fell, nor stayed they till
they came before king Hacon, and told him of their journey, how it had sped.

Egil and his comrades crossed the ridge that evening. To be brief, so soon as they left the main road
and got upon the ridge, they found deep snow, steep rocks, tangled copsewood. Now and again in the
snow the horses so plunged and lay that they had to be pulled up out of it, and over rocks and crags
was a hard struggle. Much ado had they with the horses; but the walking for the men was of the
heaviest, and sorely wearied were they when they came off the ridge and saw before them a large
house, for which they made.

And when they came to the enclosure, they saw men standing outside, Armod and some of his
household. They exchanged words and asked each other’s tidings, and when Armod knew that they
were messengers of the king, he offered them lodging. This they accepted. Armod’s house-carles took
their horses and harness; but the master bade Egil go into the hall, and they did so.