Aulvir spoke fully and fluently, for he was a man ready of words.
And many other friends of Aulvir went before the king and pleaded this cause.
The king looked round, and saw that a man stood at
Aulvir's back taller than the others by a head, and bald.
'Is that Skallagrim,' asked the king, 'that tall man?'
Grim said he guessed rightly.
'I will then,' said the king, 'if thou cravest atonement for Thorolf,
that thou become my liege-man, and enter my guard here and serve me.
Maybe I shall so like thy service that I shall grant thee atonement for thy brother,
or other honour not less than I granted him;
but thou must know how to keep it better than he did,
if I make thee as great a man as was he.'

Skallagrim answered:
'It is well known how far superior to me was Thorolf in every point,
and he got no luck by serving thee,
O king. Now will I not take that counsel;
serve thee I will not, for I know I should get no luck by yielding
thee such service as I should wish and as would be worthy.
Methinks I should fail herein more than Thorolf.'
The king was silent, and his face became blood-red.
Aulvir at once turned away, and bade Grim and his men go out.
They did so. They went out, and took their weapons,
and Aulvir bade them begone with all haste.
He and many with him escorted them to the water-side.
Before parting with Skallagrim, Aulvir said:
'Kinsman, thy journey to the king ended otherwise than I would have chosen.
I urged much thy coming hither; now, I entreat thee, go home with all speed,
and come not in the way of king Harold,
unless there be better agreement between you than now seems likely,
and keep thee well from the king and from his men.'