In way of insurance, against treachery and ambush, each earl was to appear at the meeting place with 40 men. Sigurd, however, not trusting the Scots brought a total of 80 men, mounted on 40 horses. This was immediately noticed by Earl Mælbrigte.

The Orkneyinga Saga (that famous medieval chronicle) picks up the tale -
When Mælbrigte realised Sigurd's deception he spoke to his men,‘Now,’ he said, ‘Sigurd has made fools of us. I can see two men’s legs on the flanks of each horse, so there must be twice as many men as there are horses. Still, we must show our courage. Each of us must try to kill at least one man before we die ourselves.’

But as the Scots prepared themselves to face the enemy, Sigurd saw what they had in mind.

‘Now,’he said, ‘I want half our men to dismount and outflank them when we come to blows, while the rest of us ride at them as hard as we can and break their ranks.’

Fighting ensued which, according to the saga, Sigurd quickly won. As trophies of his victory and for all to see, he beheaded his adversaries and strapped their heads to his saddle.

Sigurd rode home triumphant, the head of Mælbrigte bouncing off his saddle. Then, as Sigurd spurred his horse, he struck his calf against a tooth protruding from Mælbrigte's mouth - a tooth which turned out to be poisonous. The Viking's leg began to swell causing him great pain and eventual death.

Even beyond the grave Mælbrigte had his revenge for Sigurd's treachery, and one can imagine a ghostly smile of satisfaction from the severed head as it hung from its victim's saddle. A dark tale of revenge for a Dark Age audience obsessed by the notion of revenge. Revenge and justice came hand in hand - and justice from beyond the grave was all many people could hope for in that era.