The country was now quieter and law and justice prevailed between man and man; their power was then greatest who held the King’s authority or had served in the royal body-guard and won the King’s trust. But the Steinfinnssons stayed at home upon their lands and were content to govern their own estates.

They were yet a wealthy kindred. The Steinfinnssons had been the last of the great Uppland lords to own thralls, and they still took the offspring of their freedmen into service or made them tenants on their land. Among the people round about, it was whispered that the Steinfinnssons were a race greedy of power, but they had the wit to choose such liegemen as should be easy to deal with. The men of the kin had no name for being of the wisest; but foolish they could not be called, since they had shown such good sense in the preserving of their estates. And they were not harsh lords toward those of less degree, so long as none offered to raise his voice against them.

Now, two years before King Haakon the Old died, young Tore Toresson of Hov sent his youngest son, Steinfinn, to the royal body-guard. His age was then eighteen; he was a handsome, well-grown man, but it was with him as with his kinsmen: folk knew them by their horses and their clothes, their arms and jewels. But if young Steinfinn had donned a coarse peasant’s cloak, many a man would hardly have known him, of those who had called him friend and boon companion over the ale tankards the night before. The Steinfinnssons were goodly men for the most, but, as the saying was, they were lost in the crowd of church folks; and of this Steinfinn his fellows used to say that his wit was none too bad, but that it was as naught to his arrogance.

Now, Steinfinn was in Björgvin, and there he met a maiden, Ingebjörg Jonsdatter, who had her place at the King’s court with Queen Ingebjörg. She and Steinfinn took a liking for each other, and he had his suit preferred with her father; but Jon answered that his daughter was already promised to Mattias Haraldsson, a dear friend of young King Magnus and one of his body-guard. But it seemed Steinfinn could not take his rejection in earnest: he came again many times, and had men of mark and at last Queen Ingebjörg herself to plead his cause. It availed nothing, for Jon Paalsson would not break his word to Mattias.

Steinfinn followed King Haakon in his last warfaring west oversea. In the fight at Largs he won fair renown for valour. While the King lay sick at Kirkevaag, Steinfinn often had the night watch by his side, and at least he himself thought that King Haakon had shown him great favour.

The next summer Steinfinn was again in Björgvin. And one fine morning just after John’s Mass, as some of the Queen’s maidens were coming from Nonneseter toward the King’s house, they met Steinfinn and his body-servant riding through the street. They were leading a fine horse which Steinfinn said he had bought that morning, as they saw it, with bridle and woman’s saddle. He greeted the damsels with courtesy and blithe jesting and would have them try this horse of his. They then went all together to a meadow and diverted themselves awhile. But when Ingebjörg Jonsdatter was in the saddle, Steinfinn said that she must have the loan of the horse to ride back to the King’s court, and he would go with her.—The next that was heard of these two was that they had passed through Vors and taken to the hills. At last they reached Hov; Tore seemed at first ill pleased at his son’s misdeed, but afterwards he gave him a homestead, Frettastein, which lay remote in the forest tracts. There he lived with Ingebjörg Jonsdatter as though they had been lawfully wedded, and he held a christening ale with the most lavish hospitality when she bore him a daughter next spring.

Nothing was done to him, either for the rape of the woman or for his flight from the body-guard. Folk said he could thank Queen Ingebjörg for that. And at last the Queen made a reconciliation between the young couple and Jon Paalsson; he gave Steinfinn his daughter in marriage and held their wedding at the King’s court in Oslo, where he was then a courtier.

At that time Ingebjörg was expecting her third child; but neither she nor Steinfinn showed becoming humility toward Jon or thanked him as they ought for his fatherly kindness. Steinfinn gave costly gifts to his wife’s father and her kinsmen, but in other ways both he and his wife were very overweening and behaved as though all their life had been honourable, nor had they any need to humble themselves in order to retrieve their position. They brought their elder daughter, Ingunn, to the wedding, and Steinfinn danced with her on his arm and showed her to all who were there; she was three years old, and her parents were proud beyond measure of this fair child.

But their first son died, whom Ingebjörg bore close upon their marriage, and after that she had still-born twins, both boys. Then the two bowed the knee to Jon Paalsson and besought his pardon with contrite hearts. Thereafter Ingebjörg had two sons who lived. She grew fairer with every year that passed; she and Steinfinn lived together in affection, maintained a great house, and were merry and of good cheer.

One man there was of whom none seemed to take thought: Mattias Haraldsson, Ingebjörg’s rightful bridegroom, whom she had played false. He went into foreign lands at the time Steinfinn’s wedding was held and he stayed away for many years. Mattias was a little man and ill-favoured, but mettlesome, hardy, and of great wealth.

Steinfinn and Ingebjörg had been married seven years or thereabouts and their daughters, Ingunn and Tora, were ten and eight winters old, but the sons were quite small—when Mattias Haraldsson came one night with an armed band to Frettastein.