By midnight, Sigurd"s men had recruited a few dozen men from the lands close to his estate. Most were freemen of middling income and possessed neither the equipment nor the training to make them much of a fighting force. But all were driven by a desire to protect their homes and families, and that, in Hakon"s mind, counted for more than fancy weapons and armor.
Since they didn"t know where Erik and his men were camped, Sigurd and Hakon decided to stay clear of the waterways altogether. Running into Erik on the water with an inferior fighting force would eliminate the element of surprise. Besides, with the rugged landscape that bordered the Trondheimsfjord, Erik would be expecting it. Though they would have to walk for some distance to reach the foe, the forest trails offered too many adva
