House of the Wolfings: The William Morris Book that Inspired J. R. R. Tolkiena *s The Lord of the Rings (17 page)

So the ten got together, and the others fell
off from them, and there stood the ten maidens with Hrosshild, well
nigh as strong as men, clean-limbed and tall, tanned with sun and
wind; for all these were unwearied afield, and oft would lie out
a-nights, since they loved the lark’s song better than the mouse’s
squeak; but as their kirtles shifted at neck and wrist, you might
see their skins as white as privet-flower where they were wont to
be covered.

Then said the Hall-Sun: “Ye have heard the
word, see ye to it, Hrosshild, and take this other word also: Bid
the Bearing stay-at-homes bide not the sword and the torch at home
if the Romans come, but hie them over hither, to hold the Hall or
live in the wild-wood with us, as need may be; for might bides with
many.

“But ye maidens, take this counsel for
yourselves; do ye each bear with you a little keen knife, and if ye
be taken, and it seem to you that ye may not bear the smart of the
Roman torments (for they be wise in tormenting), but will speak and
bewray us under them, then thrust this little edge tool into the
place of your bodies where the life lieth closest, and so go to the
Gods with a good tale in your mouths: so may the Almighty God of
Earth speed you, and the fathers of the kindred!”

So she spoke; and they made no delay but
each one took what axe or spear or sword she liked best, and two
had their bows and quivers of arrows; and so all folk went forth
from the Hall.

Soon were the horses saddled and bridled,
and the maidens bestrode them joyously and set forth on their way,
going down the lanes of the wheat, and rode down speedily toward
the shallows of the water, and all cried good speed after them. But
the others would turn to their day’s work, and would go about their
divers errands. But even as they were at point to sunder, they saw
a swift runner passing by those maidens just where the acres joined
the meadow, and he waved his hand aloft and shouted to them, but
stayed not his running for them, but came up the lanes of the wheat
at his swiftest: so they knew at once that this was again a
messenger from the host, and they stood together and awaited his
coming; and as he drew near they knew him for Egil, the
swiftest-footed of the Wolfings; and he gave a great shout as he
came among them; and he was dusty and wayworn, but eager; and they
received him with all love, and would have brought him to the Hall
to wash him and give him meat and drink, and cherish him in all
ways.

But he cried out, “To the Speech-Hill first,
to the Speech-Hill first! But even before that, one word to thee,
Hall-Sun! Saith Thiodolf, Send ye watchers to look to the entrance
into Mid-mark, which is by the Bearing dwelling; and if aught
untoward befalleth let one ride on the spur with the tidings to the
Wain-burg. For by that way also may peril come.”

Then smiled some of the bystanders, and the
Hall-Sun said: “Good is it when the thought of a friend stirreth
betimes in one’s own breast. The thing is done, Egil; or sawest
thou not those ten women, and Hrosshild the eleventh, as thou
camest up into the acres?”

Said Egil; “Fair fall thine hand, Hall-Sun!
thou art the Wolfings’ Ransom. Wend we now to the Speech-Hill.”

So did they, and every thrall that was about
the dwellings, man, woman, and child fared with them, and stood
about the Speech-Hill: and the dogs went round about the edge of
that assembly, wandering in and out, and sometimes looking hard on
some one whom they knew best, if he cried out aloud.

But the men-folk gave all their ears to
hearkening, and stood as close as they might.

Then Egil clomb the Speech-Hill, and
said.

Chapter 15

They Hear Tell of the Battle on the
Ridge

“Ye have heard how the Daylings were
appointed to go to help Thiodolf in driving the folk-spear home to
the heart of the Roman host. So they went; but six hours thereafter
comes one to Otter bidding him send a great part of the kindreds to
him; for that he had had tidings that a great host of Romans were
drawing near the wood-edge, but were not entered therein, and that
fain would he meet them in the open field.

“So the kindreds drew lots, and the lot fell
first to the Elkings, who are a great company, as ye know; and then
to the Hartings, the Beamings, the Alftings, the Vallings (also a
great company), the Galtings, (and they no lesser) each in their
turn; and last of all to the Laxings; and the Oselings prayed to go
with the Elkings, and this Otter deemed good, whereas a many of
them be bowmen.

“All these then to the number of a thousand
or more entered the wood; and I was with them, for in sooth I was
the messenger.

“No delay made we in the wood, nor went we
over warily, trusting to the warding of the wood by Thiodolf; and
there were men with us who knew the paths well, whereof I was one;
so we speedily came through into the open country.

“Shortly we came upon our folk and the
War-duke lying at the foot of a little hill that went up as a
buttress to a long ridge high above us, whereon we set a watch; and
a little brook came down the dale for our drink.

“Night fell as we came thither; so we slept
for a while, but abode not the morning, and we were afoot (for we
had no horses with us) before the moon grew white. We took the road
in good order, albeit our folk-banners we had left behind in the
burg; so each kindred raised aloft a shield of its token to be for
a banner. So we went forth, and some swift footmen, with Fox, who
hath seen the Roman war-garth, had been sent on before to spy out
the ways of the foemen.

“Two hours after sunrise cometh one of
these, and telleth how he hath seen the Romans, and how that they
are but a short mile hence breaking their fast, not looking for any
onslaught; ‘but,’ saith he, ‘they are on a high ridge whence they
can see wide about, and be in no danger of ambush, because the
place is bare for the most part, nor is there any cover except here
and there down in the dales a few hazels and blackthorn bushes, and
the rushes of the becks in the marshy bottoms, wherein a snipe may
hide, or a hare, but scarce a man; and note that there is no way up
to that ridge but by a spur thereof as bare as my hand; so ye will
be well seen as ye wend up thereto.’

“So spake he in my hearing. But Thiodolf
bade him lead on to that spur, and old Heriulf, who was standing
nigh, laughed merrily and said: ‘Yea, lead on, and speedily, lest
the day wane and nothing done save the hunting of snipes.’

“So on we went, and coming to the hither
side of that spur beheld those others and Fox with them; and he
held in his hand an arrow of the aliens, and his face was all astir
with half-hidden laughter, and he breathed hard, and pointed to the
ridge, and somewhat low down on it we saw a steel cap and three
spear-heads showing white from out a little hollow in its side, but
the men hidden by the hollow: so we knew that Fox had been chased,
and that the Romans were warned and wary.

“No delay made the War-duke, but led us up
that spur, which was somewhat steep; and as we rose higher we saw a
band of men on the ridge, a little way down it, not a many; archers
and slingers mostly, who abode us till we were within shot, and
then sent a few shots at us, and so fled. But two men were hurt
with the sling-plummets, and one, and he not grievously, with an
arrow, and not one slain.

“Thus we came up on to the ridge, so that
there was nothing between us and the bare heavens; thence we looked
south-east and saw the Romans wisely posted on the ridge not far
from where it fell down steeply to the north; but on the south,
that is to say on their left hands, and all along the ridge past
where we were stayed, the ground sloped gently to the south-west
for a good way, before it fell, somewhat steeply, into another long
dale. Looking north we saw the outer edge of Mirkwood but a little
way from us, and we were glad thereof; because ere we left our
sleeping-place that morn Thiodolf had sent to Otter another
messenger bidding him send yet more men on to us in case we should
be hard-pressed in the battle; for he had had a late rumour that
the Romans were many. And now when he had looked on the Roman array
and noted how wise it was, he sent three swift-foot ones to take
stand on a high knoll which we had passed on the way, that they
might take heed where our folk came out from the wood and give
signal to them by the horn, and lead them to where the battle
should be.

“So we stood awhile and breathed us, and
handled our weapons some half a furlong from the alien host. They
had no earth rampart around them, for that ridge is waterless, and
they could not abide there long, but they had pitched sharp pales
in front of them and they stood in very good order, as if abiding
an onslaught, and moved not when they saw us; for that band of
shooters had joined themselves to them already. Taken one with
another we deemed them to be more than we were; but their hauberked
footmen with the heavy cast-spears not so many as we by a good
deal.

“Now we were of mind to fall on them ere
they should fall on us; so all such of us as had shot-weapons
spread out from our company and went forth a little; and of the
others Heriulf stood foremost along with the leaders of the
Beamings and the Elkings; but as yet Thiodolf held aback and led
the midmost company, as his wont was, and the more part of the
Wolfings were with him.

“Thus we ordered ourselves, and awaited a
little while yet what the aliens should do; and presently a
war-horn blew amongst them, and from each flank of their mailed
footmen came forth a many bowmen and slingers and a band of
horsemen; and drew within bowshot, the shooters in open array yet
wisely, and so fell to on us, and the horsemen hung aback a little
as yet.

“Their arrow-shot was of little avail, their
bowmen fell fast before ours; but deadly was their sling-shot, and
hurt and slew many and some even in our main battle; for they slung
round leaden balls and not stones, and they aimed true and shot
quick; and the men withal were so light and lithe, never still, but
crouching and creeping and bounding here and there, that they were
no easier to hit than coneys amidst of the fern, unless they were
very nigh.

“Howbeit when this storm had endured a
while, and we moved but little, and not an inch aback, and gave
them shot for shot, then was another horn winded from amongst the
aliens; and thereat the bowmen cast down their bows, and the
slingers wound their slings about their heads, and they all came on
with swords and short spears and feathered darts, running and
leaping lustily, making for our flanks, and the horsemen set spurs
to their horses and fell on in the very front of our folk like good
and valiant men-at-arms.

“That saw Heriulf and his men, and they set
up the war-whoop, and ran forth to meet them, axe and sword aloft,
terribly yet maybe somewhat unwarily. The archers and slingers
never came within sword-stroke of them, but fell away before them
on all sides; but the slingers fled not far, but began again with
their shot, and slew a many. Then was a horn winded, as if to call
back the horsemen, who, if they heard, heeded not, but rode hard on
our kindred like valiant warriors who feared not death. Sooth to
say, neither were the horses big or good, nor the men fit for the
work, saving for their hardihood; and their spears were short
withal and their bucklers unhandy to wield.

“Now could it be seen how the Goths gave way
before them to let them into the trap, and then closed around
again, and the axes and edge weapons went awork hewing as in a
wood; and Heriulf towered over all the press, and the Wolf’s-sister
flashed over his head in the summer morning.

“Soon was that storm over, and we saw the
Goths tossing up their spears over the slain, and horses running
loose and masterless adown over the westward-lying slopes, and a
few with their riders still clinging to them. Yet some, sore hurt
by seeming, galloping toward the main battle of the Romans.

“Unwarily then fared the children of Tyr
that were with Heriulf; for by this time they were well nigh within
shot of the spears of those mighty footmen of the Romans: and on
their flanks were the slingers, and the bowmen, who had now gotten
their bows again; and our bowmen, though they shot well and strong,
were too few to quell them; and indeed some of them had cast by
their bows to join in Heriulf’s storm. Also the lie of the ground
was against us, for it sloped up toward the Roman array at first
very gently, but afterwards steeply enough to breathe a
short-winded man. Also behind them were we of the other kindreds,
whom Thiodolf had ordered into the wedge-array; and we were all
ready to move forward, so that had they abided somewhat, all had
been well and better.

“So did they not, but straightway set up the
Victory-whoop and ran forward on the Roman host. And these were so
ordered that, as aforesaid, they had before them sharp piles stuck
into the earth and pointed against us, as we found afterwards to
our cost; and within these piles stood the men some way apart from
each other, so as to handle their casting spears, and in three
ranks were they ordered and many spears could be cast at once, and
if any in the front were slain, his fellow behind him took his
place.

“So now the storm of war fell at once upon
our folk, and swift and fierce as was their onslaught yet were a
many slain and hurt or ever they came to the piles aforesaid. Then
saw they death before them and heeded it nought, but tore up the
piles and dashed through them, and fell in on those valiant
footmen. Short is the tale to tell: wheresoever a sword or spear of
the Goths was upraised there were three upon him, and saith Toti of
the Beamings, who was hurt and crawled away and yet lives, that on
Heriulf there were six at first and then more; and he took no
thought of shielding himself, but raised up the Wolf’s-sister and
hewed as the woodman in the thicket, when night cometh and hunger
is on him. There fell Heriulf the Ancient and many a man of the
Beamings and the Elkings with him, and many a Roman.