The sons replied that they did not fear that, for they had always obtained the victory before.
“All men go the day they have been fated to die,” rejoined Hervard, and they spoke no more on the subject that day.
The next morning the twelve brothers went to their ship, and their father followed them to the shore, and gave good armor and weapons to them all. “I think,” said he, “you have need of the best weapons now, for you are to fight against most valiant champions,” after which he bade them farewell, and they departed. They reached Samsey, and landed at a bay called Unavog, on the other side of the island from where Hjalmar and his men were.
After the sons of Hervard had landed, the berserk fury came over them all, and they wrestled with trees, large rocks, and boulders, as they were wont when this madness seized them. After a time they became quiet again and rested, for they had become weak, as was always the case after the berserk fury.
The next morning they walked all over the island to see if they could discover traces of Hjalmar and his foster-brothers’ arrival. After crossing to the other coast, they saw two ships, and knew that they must belong to Hjalmar. Then they drew their swords, bit the edges of their shields, and the berserk fury came over them all again. They boarded the ships in an onset of irresistible rage, six of them attacking each ship in the centre. So brave were the men on them that no one fled from his place, or spoke a word of fear, or changed color. Six of the brothers went forward to the bow, and the other six towards the stern, and slew every man they encountered. After this they went ashore, howling and shouting.
Hjalmar and the foster-brothers had gone ashore also, and walked over the island to see if Bui and his brothers had come. When they reached a hillock from which they could see their own ships, they saw men coming out of them with bloody weapons and swords, and recognized the sons of Hervard.
When Hjalmar perceived them, he said to his foster-brothers: “Our men are slain; and they were so brave and so skilful in the handling of weapons, that it seems to me most likely that we shall all lodge with Odin in Valhalla to-night.”
This was the only word of fear that Hjalmar had ever spoken in his life, and his foster-brothers wondered why he had done so. Had he a presentiment that his Disir would prove faithless to him?
