The House of the Wolfings
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 save for the
Galtings the houses on the east side of the water between the Bearings
and the wild-wood road were but small; for the thicket came somewhat near
to the water and pinched the meadows. But the Galtings were great
hunters and trackers of the wild-wood, and they of the Geddings, the
Erings and the Withings, which were smaller Houses, lived somewhat on the
take of fish from Mirkwood-water (as did the Laxings also of the Nether-
mark), for thereabout were there goodly pools and eddies, and sun-warmed
shallows therewithal for the spawning of the trouts; as there were eyots
in the water, most of which tailed off into a gravelly shallow at their
lower ends.
Now as the riders of the Goths came over against the dwellings of the
Withings, they saw people, mostly women, driving up the beasts from the
meadow towards the garth; but upon the tofts about their dwellings were
gathered many folk, who had their eyes turned toward the token of ravage
that hung in the sky above the fair plain; but when these beheld the
riding of the host, they tossed up their arms to them and whatever they
bore in them, and the sound of their shrill cry (for they were all women
and young lads) came down the wind to the ears of the riders. But down
by the river on a swell of the ground were some swains and a few thralls,
and among them some men armed and a-horseback; and these, when they
perceived the host coming on turned and rode to meet them; and as they
drew near they shouted as men overjoyed to meet their kindred; and indeed
the fighting-men of their own House were riding in the host. And the
armed men were three old men, and one very old with marvellous long white
hair, and four long lads of some fifteen winters, and four stout carles
of the thralls bearing bows and bucklers, and these rode behind the
swains; so they found their own kindred and rode amongst them.
But when they were all jingling and clashing on together, the dust
arising from the sun-dried turf, the earth shaking with the thunder of
the horse-hoofs, then the heart of the long-hoary one stirred within him
as he bethought him of the days of his youth, and to his old nostrils
came the smell of the horses and the savour of the sweat of warriors
riding close together knee to knee adown the meadow. So he lifted up his
voice and sang:
"Rideth lovely along
The strong by the strong;
Soft under his breath
Singeth sword in the sheath,
And shield babbleth oft
Unto helm-crest aloft;
How soon shall their words rise mid wrath of the battle
Into wrangle unheeded of clanging and rattle,
And no man shall note then the gold on the sword
When the runes have no meaning, the mouth-cry no word,
When all mingled together, the war-sea of men
Shall toss up the steel-spray round fourscore and ten.
"Now as maids burn the weed
Betwixt acre and mead,
So the Bearings' Roof
Burneth little aloof,
And red gloweth the hall
Betwixt wall and fair wall,
Where often the mead-sea we sipped in old days,
When our feet were a-weary with wending the ways;
When the love of the lovely at even was born,
And our hands felt fair hands as they fell on the horn.
There round about standeth the ring of the foe
Tossing babes on their spears like the weeds o'er the low.
"Ride, ride then! nor spare
The red steeds as ye fare!
Yet if daylight shall fail,
By the fire-light of bale
Shall we see the bleared eyes
Of the war-learned, the wise.
In the acre of battle the work is to win,
Let us live by the labour, sheaf-smiting therein;
And as oft o'er the sickle we sang in time past
When the crake that long mocked us fled light at the last,
So sing o'er the sword, and the sword-hardened hand
Bearing down to the reaping the wrath of the land."
So he sang; and a great shout went up from his kindred and those around
him, and it was taken up all along the host, though many knew not why
they shouted, and the whole host quickened its pace, and went a great
trot over the smooth meadow.
So in no long while were they come over against the stead of the Erings,
and thereabouts were no beasts afield, and no women, for all the neat
were driven into the garth of the House; but all they who were not war-
fit were standing without doors looking down the Mark towards the reek of
the Bearing dwellings, and these also sent a cry of welcome toward the
host of their kindred. But along the river-bank came to meet the host an
armed band of two old men, two youths who were their sons, and twelve
thralls who were armed with long spears; and all these were a-horseback:
so they fell in with their kindred and the host made no stay for them,
but pressed on over-running the meadow. And still went up that column of
smoke, and thicker and blacker it grew a-top, and ruddier amidmost.
So came they by the abode of the Geddings, and there also the neat and
sheep were close in the home-garth: but armed men were lying or standing
about the river bank, talking or singing merrily none otherwise than
though deep peace were on the land; and when they saw the faring of the
host they sprang to their feet with a shout and gat to their horses at
once: they were more than the other bands had been, for the Geddings were
a greater House; they were seven old men, and ten swains, and ten thralls
bearing long spears like to those of the Erings; and no sooner had they
fallen in with their kindred, than the men of the host espied a greater
company yet coming to meet them: and these were of the folk of the
Galtings; and amongst them were ten warriors in their prime, because they
had but of late come back from the hunting in the wood and had been
belated from the muster of the kindreds; and with them were eight old men
and fifteen lads, and eighteen thralls; and the swains and thralls all
bore bows besides the swords that they were girt withal, and not all of
them had horses, but they who had none rode behind the others: so they
joined themselves to the host, shouting aloud; and they had with them a
great horn that they blew on till they had taken their place in the
array; and whereas their kindred was with Thiodolf, they followed along
with the hinder men of the Shieldings.
So now all the host went on together, and when they had passed the
Galting abodes, there was nothing between them and Bearham, nor need they
look for any further help of men; there were no beasts afield nor any to
herd them, and the stay-at-homes were within doors dighting them for
departure into the wild-wood if need should be: but a little while after
they had passed these dwellings came into the host two swains of about
twenty winters, and a doughty maid, their sister, and they bare no
weapons save short spears and knives; they were wet and dripping with the
water, for they had just swum Mirkwood-water. They were of the Wolfing
House, and had been shepherding a few sheep on the west side of the
water, when they saw the host faring to battle, and might not refrain
them, but swam their horses across the swift deeps to join their kindred
to live and die with them. The tale tells that they three fought in the
battles that followed after, and were not slain there, though they
entered them unarmed, but lived long years afterwards: of them need no
more be said.
Now, when the host was but a little past the Galting dwellings men began
to see the flames mingled with the smoke of the burning, and the smoke
itself growing thinner, as though the fire had over-mastered everything
and was consuming itself with its own violence; and somewhat afterwards,
the ground rising, they could see the Bearing meadow and the foemen
thereon: yet a little further, and from the height of another swelling of
the earth they could see the burning houses themselves and the array of
the Romans; so there they stayed and breathed their horses a while. And
they beheld how of the Romans a great company was gathered together in
close array betwixt the ford and the Bearing Hall, but nigher unto the
ford, and these were a short mile from them; but others they saw
streaming out from the burning dwellings, as if their work were done
there, and they could not see that they had any captives with them. Other
Romans there were, and amongst them men in the attire of the Goths,
busied about the river banks, as though they were going to try the ford.
But a little while abode Otter in that place, and then waved his arm and
rode on and all the host followed; and as they drew nigher, Otter, who
was wise in war, beheld the Romans and deemed them a great host, and the
very kernel and main body of them many more than all his company; and
moreover they were duly and well arrayed as men waiting a foe; so he knew
that he must be wary or he would lose himself and all his men.
So he stayed his company when they were about two furlongs from them, and
the main body of the foe stirred not, but horsemen and slingers came
forth from its sides and made on toward the Goths, and in three or four
minutes were within bowshot of them. Then the bowmen of the Goths
slipped down from their horses and bent their bows and nocked their
arrows and let fly, and slew and hurt many of the horsemen, who endured
their shot but for a minute or two and then turned rein and rode back
slowly to their folk, and the slingers came not on very eagerly whereas
they were dealing with men a-horseback, and the bowmen of the Goths also
held them still.
Now turned Otter to his folk and made them a sign, which they knew well,
that they should get down from their horses; and when they were afoot the
leaders of tens and hundreds arrayed them, into the wedge-array, with the
bowmen on either flank: and Otter smiled as he beheld this adoing and
that the Romans meddled not with them, belike because they looked to have
them good cheap, since they were but a few wild men.
But when they were all arrayed he sat still on his horse and spake to
them short and sharply, saying:
"Men of the Goths, will ye mount your horses again and ride into the wood