olaf set sail for ireland with orn to find his mother's people, taking with him tokens and gifts from melkorka to her father and her nursemaid. during the voyage, their ship became lost in a fog. when the fog lifted, an argument arose between orn and most of the rest of olaf's men about the proper course to reach ireland. when asked if the decision should be put to a vote of the majority, olaf is supposed to have said, "i want only the shrewdest to decide; in my opinion the counsel of fools is all the more dangerous the more of them there are." with those words, the matter was accepted as settled, and orn took charge of the navigation.