Before leaving Eirik summoned all his Landmen and the larger bondis to meet him.  Eirik the jarl was an able ruler, and they had much discussion regarding the laws and their administration.  It was considered a scandal in the land that pirates and berserks should be able to come into the country and challenge respectable people to the holmgang for their money or their women, no weregild being paid whichever fell.  Many had lost their money and been put to shame in this way; some indeed had lost their lives.  For this reason jarl Eirik abolished all holmgang in Norway and declared all robbers and berserks who disturbed the peace outlaws.  Thorfinn the son of Kar of Haramarsey, being a man of wise counsel and a close friend of the jarl, was present at the meeting.

The worst of these ruffians were two brothers named Thorir Paunch and Ogmund the Bad.  They came from Halogaland and were bigger and stronger than other men.  When angry they used to fall into the berserk’s fury, and nothing escaped that was before them.  They used to carry off men’s wives, keep them for a week or two and then send them back.  Wherever they came they committed robberies and other acts of violence.  Jarl Eirik had declared them outlaws throughout Norway.  The man who had been most active in getting them outlawed was Thorfinn, and they were determined to pay him out in full for his hostility.

The jarl’s expedition is told of in his saga, and the government of Norway was left in the hands of jarl Sveinn, with the regency.

Thorfinn returned home and remained there until about Yule-tide, as has already been told.  Towards Yule-tide he made ready to go on a journey to his farm called Slysfjord on the mainland, whither he had invited a number of his friends.  He could not take his wife with him, because their grown-up daughter was lying sick, so they both had to stay at home.  Grettir and eight of the serving men remained with them.  Thorfinn went with thirty freemen to the Yule festival, at which there was much gladness and merriment.

Yule-eve set in with bright and clear weather.  Grettir, who was generally abroad in the daytime, was watching the vessels which came along the coast, some from the North, some from the South, meeting at the places agreed upon for their drinking-bouts.  The bondi’s daughter was then better and could go out with her mother.  So the day passed.  At last Grettir noticed a ship rowing up to the island, not large, covered with shields amidships and painted above the water-line.  They were rowing briskly and making for Thorfinn’s boat-houses.  They ran the boat on to the beach and all sprang ashore.  Grettir counted the men; there were twelve in all, and their aspect did not look peaceful.