"No token have I but my bare words," answered Olaf proudly.

Sigurd caught him by the hand and led him up the beach to a ledge
of rock, and sat him down before him, bidding him tell how it came
about that he was here in bondage in a foreign land.

So Olaf answered him thus:

"I came into the world an orphan," said he, "and never heard
my father's voice. But my mother bade me ever remember that I was
a king's son, and to make myself worthy. Astrid was the name of
my mother. She was the daughter of Erik Biodaskalli, who dwelt at
Ofrestead, in the Uplands, a mighty man. Now, after the slaying of
Triggvi, Queen Astrid was forced to fly from the realm of Viken,
lest she too should fall into the hands of Gunnhild and her wicked
sons and be slain. And she travelled as a fugitive through many
lands. In her company was her foster father, Thoralf Loosebeard by
name. He never departed from her, but always helped her and defended
her wheresoever she went. There were many other trusty men in her
train, so no harm came to her. And at last she took refuge on a
certain islet in the middle of Rand's fiord, and lay hidden there
for many days. On that islet I was born, and I am told that they
sprinkled me with water and named me Olaf, after my father's father.
There, through the summer tide she stayed in safety. But when the
days grew short and the nights weary and long, and when the wintry
weather came upon us, then she left her hiding place and set forth
with her folk into the Uplands, travelling under the shelter of
night. And after many hardships and dangers she came to Ofrestead,
her father's dwelling, and there we abode through the winter.