He was then in Throndheim;
the messengers were to go to Vik and seek Thorstein Thora's son with these words,
that he should go eastwards to Vermaland and gather in the tribute for the king,
or else he must leave the land.
For the king had heard that Arinbjorn Thorstein's mother's brother was gone
southwards to Denmark and was with Eric's sons,
and further that they had a large following and spent the summer in harrying.
King Hacon mistrusted the loyalty of all this company,
expecting as he did hostilities from Eric's sons if they had but strength
to raise rebellion against him.
And to Arinbjorn's kinsmen and friends he showed great dislike,
putting some to death, driving some from the land,
or laying on them other hard conditions.
And so it was that before Thorstein the king put this choice.
The man who bore this message was named Kol;
he was a man of all lands; he had been long in Denmark and in Sweden,
and knew all about ways and men there.
In Norway too he had travelled widely.
And when he brought this proposal to Thorstein Thora's son,
then Thorstein told Egil upon what errand these men came,
and asked how he should answer them;
he said that it seemed a hard thing for him to lose his possessions
and be driven out of the land.