House of the Wolfings: The William Morris Book that Inspired J. R. R. Tolkiena *s The Lord of the Rings (24 page)

Therewith he turned about, and went his way
at once, running like a colt which has never felt halter or
bit.

But Otter rode back hastily and roused
certain men in whom he trusted, and bid them rouse the captains and
all the host and bid men get to horse speedily and with as little
noise as might be. So did they, and there was little delay, for men
were sleeping with one eye open, as folk say, and many were already
astir. So in a little while they were all in the saddle, and the
mist yet stretched low over the meadow; for the morning was cool
and without wind. Then Otter bade the word be carried down the
ranks that they should ride as quietly as may be and fare through
the mist to do the Romans some hurt, but in nowise to get entangled
in their ranks, and all men to heed well the signal of turning and
drawing aback; and therewith they rode off down the meadow led by
men who could have led them through the dark night.

But for the Romans, they were indeed getting
ready to cross the ford when the mist should have risen; and on the
bank it was thinning already and melting away; for a little air of
wind was beginning to breathe from the north-east and the sunrise,
which was just at hand; and the bank, moreover, was stonier and
higher than the meadow’s face, which fell away from it as a shallow
dish from its rim: thereon yet lay the mist like a white wall.

So the Romans and their friends the dastards
of the Goths had well nigh got all ready, and had driven stakes
into the water from bank to bank to mark out the safe ford, and
some of their light-armed and most of their Goths were by now in
the water or up on the Wolfing meadow with the more part of their
baggage and wains; and the rest of the host was drawn up in good
order, band by band, waiting the word to take the water, and the
captain was standing nigh to the river bank beside their God the
chief banner of the Host.

Of a sudden one of the dastards of the Goths
who was close to the Captain cried out that he heard horse coming;
but because he spake in the Gothic tongue, few heeded; but even
therewith an old leader of a hundred cried out the same tidings in
the Roman tongue, and all men fell to handling their weapons; but
before they could face duly toward the meadow, came rushing from
out of the mist a storm of shafts that smote many men, and
therewithal burst forth the sound of the Markmen’s war-horn, like
the roaring of a hundred bulls mingled with the thunder of horses
at the gallop; and then dark over the wall of mist showed the
crests of the riders of the Mark, though scarce were their horses
seen till their whole war-rank came dark and glittering into the
space of the rising-ground where the mist was but a haze now, and
now at last smitten athwart by the low sun just arisen.

Therewith came another storm of shafts,
wherein javelins and spears cast by the hand were mingled with the
arrows: but the Roman ranks had faced the meadow and the storm
which it yielded, swiftly and steadily, and they stood fast and
threw their spears, albeit not with such good aim as might have
been, because of their haste, so that few were slain by them. And
the Roman Captain still loth to fight with the Goths in earnest for
no reward, and still more and more believing that this was the only
band of them that he had to look to, bade those who were nighest
the ford not to tarry for the onset of a few wild riders, but to go
their ways into the water; else by a sudden onrush might the Romans
have entangled Otter’s band in their ranks, and so destroyed all.
As it was the horsemen fell not on the Roman ranks full in face,
but passing like a storm athwart the ranks to the right, fell on
there where they were in thinnest array (for they were gathered to
the ford as aforesaid), and slew some and drave some into the deeps
and troubled the whole Roman host.

So now the Roman Captain was forced to take
new order, and gather all his men together, and array his men for a
hard fight; and by now the mist was rolling off from the face of
the whole meadow and the sun was bright and hot. His men serried
their ranks, and the front rank cast their spears, and slew both
men and horses of the Goths as those rode along their front casting
their javelins, and shooting here and there from behind their
horses if occasion served, or making a shift to send an arrow even
as they sat a-horseback; then the second rank of the Romans would
take the place of the first, and cast in their turn, and they who
had taken the water turned back and took their place behind the
others, and many of the light-armed came with them, and all the
mass of them flowed forward together, looking as if it might never
be broken. But Otter would not abide the shock, since he had lost
men and horses, and had no mind to be caught in the sweep of their
net; so he made the sign, and his Company drew off to right and
left, yet keeping within bow-shot, so that the bowmen still loosed
at the Romans.

But they for their part might not follow
afoot men on untired horses, and their own horse was on the west
side with the baggage, and had it been there would have been but of
little avail, as the Roman Captain knew. So they stood awhile
making grim countenance, and then slowly drew back to the ford
under cover of their light-armed who shot at the Goths as they rode
forward, but abode not their shock.

But Otter and his folk followed after the
Romans again, and again did them some hurt, and at last drew so
nigh, that once more the Romans stormed forth, and once more smote
a stroke in the air; nor even so would the Markmen cease to meddle
with them, though never would Otter suffer his men to be mingled
with them. At the last the Romans, seeing that Otter would not walk
into the open trap, and growing weary of this bickering, began to
take the water little by little, while a strong Company kept face
to the Markmen; and now Otter saw that they would not be hindered
any longer, and he had lost many men, and even now feared lest he
should be caught in the trap, and so lose all. And on the other
hand it was high noon by now, so that he had given respite to the
stay-at-homes of the Wolfings, so that they might get them into the
wood. So he drew out of bowshot and bade his men breathe their
horses and rest themselves and eat something; and they did so
gladly, since they saw that they might not fall upon the Romans to
live and die for it until Thiodolf was come, or until they knew
that he was not coming. But the Romans crossed the ford in good
earnest and were soon all gathered together on the western bank
making them ready for the march to Wolfstead. And it must be told
that the Roman Captain was the more deliberate about this because
after the overthrow of his light-armed there the morning before, he
thought that the Roof was held by warriors of the kindreds, and not
by a few old men, and women, and lads. Therefore he had no fear of
their escaping him. Moreover it was this imagination of his, to wit
that a strong band of warriors was holding Wolf-stead, that made
him deem there were no more worth thinking about of the warriors of
the Mark save Otter’s Company and the men in the Hall of the
Wolfings.

Chapter 22

Otter Falls on Against his Will

It was with the same imagination working in
him belike that the Roman Captain set none to guard the ford on the
westward side of Mirkwood-water. The Romans tarried there but a
little hour, and then went their ways; but Otter sent a man on a
swift horse to watch them, and when they were clean gone for half
an hour, he bade his folk to horse, and they departed, all save a
handful of the swains and elders, who were left to tell the tidings
to Thiodolf when he should come into Mid-mark.

So Otter and his folk crossed the ford, and
drew up in good order on the westward bank, and it was then
somewhat more than three hours after noon. He had been there but a
little while before he noted a stir in the Bearing meadow, and lo,
it was the first of Thiodolf’s folk, who had gotten out of the wood
and had fallen in with the men whom he had left behind. And these
first were the riders of the Bearings, and the Wormings, (for they
had out-gone the others who were afoot). It may well be thought how
fearful was their anger when they set eyes on the smouldering ashes
of the dwellings; nor even when those folk of Otter had told them
all they had to tell could some of them refrain them from riding
off to the burnt houses to seek for the bodies of their kindred.
But when they came there, and amidst the ashes could find no bones,
their hearts were lightened, and yet so mad wroth they were, that
some could scarce sit their horses, and great tears gushed from the
eyes of some, and pattered down like hail-stones, so eager were
they to see the blood of the Romans. So they rode back to where
they had left their folk talking with them of Otter; and the
Bearings were sitting grim upon their horses and somewhat scowling
on Otter’s men. Then the foremost of those who had come back from
the houses waved his hand toward the ford, but could say nought for
a while; but the captain and chief of the Bearings, a grizzled man
very big of body, whose name was Arinbiorn, spake to that man and
said; “What aileth thee Sweinbiorn the Black? What hast thou
seen?”

He said:

Now red and grey is the pavement of the
Bearings’ house of old:

Red yet is the floor of the dais, but the
hearth all grey and cold.

I knew not the house of my fathers; I could
not call to mind

The fashion of the building of that Warder
of the Wind.

O wide were grown the windows, and the roof
exceeding high!

For nought there was to look on ’twixt the
pavement and the sky.

But the tie-beam lay on the dais, and
methought its staining fair;

For rings of smoothest charcoal were round
it here and there,

And the red flame flickered o’er it, and
never a staining wight

Hath red earth in his coffer so clear and
glittering bright,

And still the little smoke-wreaths curled
o’er it pale and blue

Yea, fair is our hall’s adorning for a feast
that is strange and new.

Said Arinbiorn: “What sawest thou therein, O
Sweinbiorn, where sat thy grandsire at the feast? Where were the
bones of thy mother lying?”

Said Sweinbiorn:

We sought the feast-hall over, and nought we
found therein

Of the bones of the ancient mothers, or the
younglings of the kin.

The men are greedy, doubtless, to lose no
whit of the prey,

And will try if the hoary elders may yet
outlive the way

That leads to the southland cities, till at
last they come to stand

With the younglings in the market to be sold
in an alien land.

Arinbiorn’s brow lightened somewhat; but ere
he could speak again an ancient thrall of the Galtings spake and
said:

“True it is, O warriors of the Bearings,
that we might not see any war-thralls being led away by the Romans
when they came away from the burning dwellings; and we deem it
certain that they crossed the water before the coming of the
Romans, and that they are now with the stay-at-homes of the
Wolfings in the wild-wood behind the Wolfing dwellings, for we hear
tell that the War-duke would not that the Hall-Sun should hold the
Hall against the whole Roman host.”

Then Sweinbiorn tossed up his sword into the
air and caught it by the hilts as it fell, and cried out: “On, on
to the meadow, where these thieves abide us!” Arinbiorn spake no
word, but turned his horse and rode down to the ford, and all men
followed him; and of the Bearings there were an hundred warriors
save one, and of the Wormings eighty and seven.

So rode they over the meadow and into the
ford and over it, and Otter’s company stood on the bank to meet
them, and shouted to see them; but the others made but little noise
as they crossed the water.

So when they were on the western bank
Arinbiorn came among them of Otter, and cried out: “Where then is
Otter, where is the War-duke, is he alive or dead?”

And the throng opened to him and Otter stood
facing him; and Arinbiorn spake and said: “Thou art alive and
unhurt, War-duke, when many have been hurt and slain; and methinks
thy company is little minished though the kindred of the Bearings
lacketh a roof; and its elders and women and children are gone into
captivity. What is this? Was it a light thing that gangrel thieves
should burn and waste in Mid-mark and depart unhurt, that ye stand
here with clean blades and cold bodies?”

Said Otter: “Thou grievest for the hurt of
thine House, Arinbiorn; but this at least is good, that though ye
have lost the timber of your house ye have not lost its flesh and
blood; the shell is gone, but the kernel is saved: for thy folk are
by this time in the wood with the Wolfing stay-at-homes, and among
these are many who may fight on occasion, so they are safe as for
this time: the Romans may not come at them to hurt them.”

Said Arinbiorn: “Had ye time to learn all
this, Otter, when ye fled so fast before the Romans, that the
father tarried not for the son, nor the son for the father?”

He spoke in a loud voice so that many heard
him, and some deemed it evil; for anger and dissension between
friends seemed abroad; but some were so eager for battle, that the
word of Arinbiorn seemed good to them, and they laughed for pride
and anger.

Then Otter answered meekly, for he was a
wise man and a bold: “We fled not, Arinbiorn, but as the sword
fleeth, when it springeth up from the iron helm to fall on the
woollen coat. Are we not now of more avail to you, O men of the
Bearings, than our dead corpses would have been?”

Arinbiorn answered not, but his face waxed
red, as if he were struggling with a weight hard to lift: then said
Otter:

“But when will Thiodolf and the main battle
be with us?”

Arinbiorn answered calmly: “Maybe in a
little hour from now, or somewhat more.”