The House of the Wolfings [65]
saddled them, and mounted, and from mouth to mouth went the word that the Romans were gotten into Mid-mark, and were burning the Bearing abodes. So speedily was the whole host ready for the way, the Wolfings at the head of all. Then came forth Thiodolf from the midst of his kindred, and they raised him upon a great war-shield upheld by many men, and he stood thereon and spake:
"O sons of Tyr, ye have vanquished, and sore hath been your pain; But he that smiteth in battle must ever smite again; And thus with you it fareth, and the day abideth yet When ye shall hold the Aliens as the fishes in the net. On the Ridge ye slew a many; but there came a many more From their strongholds by the water to their new-built garth of war, And all these have been led by dastards o'er the way our feet must tread Through the eastern heaths and the beechwood to the door of the Bearing stead, Now e'en yesterday I deemed it, but I durst not haste away Ere the word was borne to Otter and 'tis he bids haste to-day; So now by day and by night-tide it behoveth us to wend And wind the reel of battle and weave its web to end. Had ye deemed my eyes foreseeing, I would tell you of my sight, How I see the folk delivered and the Aliens turned to flight, While my own feet wend them onwards to the ancient Father's Home. But belike these are but the visions that to many a man shall come When he goeth adown to the battle, and before him riseth high The wall of valiant foemen to hide all things anigh. But indeed I know full surely that no work that we may win To-morrow or the next day shall quench the Markmen's kin. On many a day hereafter shall their warriors carry shield; On many a day their maidens shall drive the kine afield, On many a day their reapers bear sickle in the wheat When the golden wind-wrought ripple stirs round the feast-hall's feet. Lo, now is the day's work easy--to live and overcome, Or to die and yet to conquer on the threshold of the Home."
And therewith he gat him down and went a-foot to the head of the Wolfing band, a great shout going with him, which was mingled with the voice of the war-horn that bade away.
So fell the whole host into due array, and they were somewhat over three thousand warriors, all good and tried men and meet to face the uttermost of battle in the open field; so they went their ways with all the speed that footmen may, and in fair order; and the sky cleared above their heads, but the distant thunder still growled about the world. Geirbald and Viglund joined themselves to the Wolfings and went a-foot along with Wolfkettle; but Hiarandi went with his kindred who were second in the array.
CHAPTER XX--OTTER AND HIS FOLK COME INTO MID-MARK
Otter and his folk rode their ways along Mirkwood-water, and made no stay, except now and again to breathe their horses, till they came to Battleford in the early morning; there they baited their horses, for the grass was good in the meadow, and the water easy to come at.
So after they had rested there a short hour, and had eaten what was easy for them to get, they crossed the ford, and wended along Mirkwood-water between the wood and the river, but went slower than before lest they should weary their horses; so that it was high-noon before they had come out of the woodland way into Mid-mark; and at once as soon as the whole plain of the Mark opened out before them, they saw what most of them looked to see (since none doubted Hrosshild's tale), and that was a column of smoke rising high and straight up into the air, for the afternoon was hot and windless. Great wrath rose in their hearts thereat, and many a strong man trembled for anger, though none for fear, as Otter raised his right hand and stretched it out towards that token of wrack and ruin; yet they made no stay, nor did they quicken their pace much; because they knew that they should come to Bearham before night-fall, and they would not meet the Romans way-worn and haggard; but they rode on steadily, a terrible company of wrathful men.
They passed by the dwellings of the kindreds, though
"O sons of Tyr, ye have vanquished, and sore hath been your pain; But he that smiteth in battle must ever smite again; And thus with you it fareth, and the day abideth yet When ye shall hold the Aliens as the fishes in the net. On the Ridge ye slew a many; but there came a many more From their strongholds by the water to their new-built garth of war, And all these have been led by dastards o'er the way our feet must tread Through the eastern heaths and the beechwood to the door of the Bearing stead, Now e'en yesterday I deemed it, but I durst not haste away Ere the word was borne to Otter and 'tis he bids haste to-day; So now by day and by night-tide it behoveth us to wend And wind the reel of battle and weave its web to end. Had ye deemed my eyes foreseeing, I would tell you of my sight, How I see the folk delivered and the Aliens turned to flight, While my own feet wend them onwards to the ancient Father's Home. But belike these are but the visions that to many a man shall come When he goeth adown to the battle, and before him riseth high The wall of valiant foemen to hide all things anigh. But indeed I know full surely that no work that we may win To-morrow or the next day shall quench the Markmen's kin. On many a day hereafter shall their warriors carry shield; On many a day their maidens shall drive the kine afield, On many a day their reapers bear sickle in the wheat When the golden wind-wrought ripple stirs round the feast-hall's feet. Lo, now is the day's work easy--to live and overcome, Or to die and yet to conquer on the threshold of the Home."
And therewith he gat him down and went a-foot to the head of the Wolfing band, a great shout going with him, which was mingled with the voice of the war-horn that bade away.
So fell the whole host into due array, and they were somewhat over three thousand warriors, all good and tried men and meet to face the uttermost of battle in the open field; so they went their ways with all the speed that footmen may, and in fair order; and the sky cleared above their heads, but the distant thunder still growled about the world. Geirbald and Viglund joined themselves to the Wolfings and went a-foot along with Wolfkettle; but Hiarandi went with his kindred who were second in the array.
CHAPTER XX--OTTER AND HIS FOLK COME INTO MID-MARK
Otter and his folk rode their ways along Mirkwood-water, and made no stay, except now and again to breathe their horses, till they came to Battleford in the early morning; there they baited their horses, for the grass was good in the meadow, and the water easy to come at.
So after they had rested there a short hour, and had eaten what was easy for them to get, they crossed the ford, and wended along Mirkwood-water between the wood and the river, but went slower than before lest they should weary their horses; so that it was high-noon before they had come out of the woodland way into Mid-mark; and at once as soon as the whole plain of the Mark opened out before them, they saw what most of them looked to see (since none doubted Hrosshild's tale), and that was a column of smoke rising high and straight up into the air, for the afternoon was hot and windless. Great wrath rose in their hearts thereat, and many a strong man trembled for anger, though none for fear, as Otter raised his right hand and stretched it out towards that token of wrack and ruin; yet they made no stay, nor did they quicken their pace much; because they knew that they should come to Bearham before night-fall, and they would not meet the Romans way-worn and haggard; but they rode on steadily, a terrible company of wrathful men.
They passed by the dwellings of the kindreds, though