Then spoke Gunnhilda:
'Cease, Arinbjorn, nor prate so at length of this.
Thou hast done much good to king Eric,
and this he hath fully rewarded.
Thou owest far more duty to king Eric than to Egil.
It is not for thee to ask that Egil go unpunished
hence from king Eric's presence,
seeing what crimes he hath wrought.'
Then said Arinbjorn:
'If thou, O king, and thou Gunnhilda,
if ye two have resolved that Egil shall here get no terms,
then is this the manly course, to give him respite and leave to go for a week,
that he may look out for himself;
of his own free will any way he came hither to seek you, and therefore hoped for peace. Thereafter, this done, let your dealings together end as they may.'
Gunnhilda said,
'Well can I see by this, Arinbjorn, that thou art more faithful to Egil than to king Eric.
If Egil is to ride hence for a week, then will he in this time be come to king Athelstan.
But king Eric cannot now hide this from himself, that every king is now stronger than is he, whereas a little while ago it had been deemed incredible that king Eric would not have the will and energy to avenge his wrongs on such a one as Egil.'

Said Arinbjorn:
'No one will call Eric a greater man for slaying a yeoman's son, a foreigner,
who has freely come into his power.
But if the king wishes to achieve greatness hereby, then will I help him in this,
so that these tidings shall be thought more worthy of record;
for I and Egil will now back each other, so that we must both be met at once.
Thou wilt then, O king, dearly buy the life of Egil, when we be all laid dead on the field,
I and my followers.
Far other treatment should I have expected of thee,
than that thou wouldst prefer seeing me laid dead
on the earth to granting me the boon
I crave of one man's life.'