Now as he came over against the Thing-field,
Iri came running to meet them,
and said that he wished to speak to Thorstein alone.
Thorstein bade his companions ride on while they spoke together.
Iri said he had gone up to Einkunnir that day,
and looked to the sheep.
'But I saw,' said he,
'in the wood above the winter road the gleam
of twelve spears and some shields.'
Then Thorstein said in a loud voice,
so that his companions could hear:
'Why can he be in such a hurry to see
me that I may not ride on my way home?
However Aulvald will think it strange that
I refuse him the visit if he is sick.'
Iri then ran up to the fell as fast as he could.
Thorstein said to his companions:
'I think we must lengthen our way,
for we must first ride south to Aulvaldstead.
Aulvald send me word I am to go to him.
And he will think it no more than a fair return for the ox that he gave me
last autumn that I should go and see him, if he deems the matter important.'
Whereupon Thorstein with his company rode south by the moor above Stangar-holt,
and so on south to Gufa-river, and down along the river by the riding-path.
And when they came down below the lake,
they saw south of the river man cattle and a man with them.
He was a house-carle of Aulvald's.
Thorstein asked whether all was well there.
He said that all was well, and that Aulvald was in the copse cutting wood.
'Then tell him,' said Thorstein, 'if he has an urgent errand with me,
to come to Borg, for I will now ridehome.'
And so he did.
It was afterwards learnt that Steinar, with eleven more, had lain in ambush at Einkunnir that sameday.
Thorstein made as though he had heard nought of it, and things remained quiet.