In the grey of the morning was Otter1 afoot with the watchers, and presently he got on his horse and peered over the plain, but the mist yet hung low on it, so that he might see nought2 for a while; but at last he seemed to note something coming toward the host from the upper water above the ford3, so he rode forward to meet it, and lo, it was a lad of fifteen winters, naked save his breeches, and wet from the river; and Otter drew rein4, and the lad said to him: “Art thou the Warduke?” “Yea,” said Otter.
Said the lad, “I am Ali, the son of Grey, and the Hall-Sun hath sent me to thee with this word: ‘Are ye coming? Is Thiodolf at hand? For I have seen the Roof-ridge red in the sunlight as if it were painted with cinnabar.’”
Said Otter, “Art thou going back to Wolfstead, son?”
“Yea, at once, my father,” said Ali.
“Then tell her,” said Otter, “that Thiodolf is at hand, and when he cometh we shall both together fall upon the Romans either in crossing the ford or in the Wolfing meadow; but tell her also that I am not strong enough to hinder the Romans from crossing.”
“Father,” said Ali, “the Hall-Sun saith: Thou art wise in war; now tell us, shall we hold the Hall against the Romans that ye may find us there? For we have discomfited5 their vanguard already, and we have folk who can fight; but belike the main battle of the Romans shall get the upper hand of us ere ye come to our helping6: belike it were better to leave the hall, and let the wood cover us.”
“Now is this well asked,” said Otter; “get thee back, my son, and bid the Hall-Sun trust not to warding7 of the Hall, for the Romans are a mighty8 host: and this day, even when Thiodolf cometh hither, shall be hard for the Gothfolk: let her hasten lest these thieves come upon her hastily; let her take the Hall-Sun her namesake, and the old men and children and the women, and let those fighting folk she hath be a guard to all this in the wood. And hearken moreover; it will, maybe, be six hours ere Thiodolf cometh; tell her I will cast the dice9 for life or death, and stir up these Romans now at once, that they may have other things to think of than burning old men and women and children in their dwellings10; thus may she reach the wood unhindered. Hast thou all this in thine head? Then go thy ways.”
But the lad lingered, and he reddened and looked on the ground and then he said: “My father, I swam the deeps, and when I reached this bank, I crept along by the mist and the reeds toward where the Romans are, and I came near to them, and noted11 what they were doing; and I tell thee that they are already stirring to take the water at the ford. Now then do what thou wilt12.”
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 entangled13 in their ranks, and all men to heed14 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 stonier15 and higher than the meadow’s face, which fell away from it as a shallow dish from its rim16: 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 drawn17 up in good order, band by band, waiting the word to take the water, and the captain was standing18 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 heeded19; 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 shafts20 that smote21 many men, and therewithal burst forth22 the sound of the Markmen’s war-horn, like the roaring of a hundred bulls mingled23 with the thunder of horses at the gallop24; and then dark over the wall of mist showed the crests25 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 haze26 now, and now at last smitten27 athwart by the low sun just arisen.
Therewith came another storm of shafts, wherein javelins28 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 steadily29, and they stood fast and threw their spears, albeit30 not with such good aim as might have been, because of their haste, so that few were slain31 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 onset32 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 slew33 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 serried34 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 abide35 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 countenance36, and then slowly drew back to the ford under cover of their light-armed who shot at the Goths as they rode forward, but abode37 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 meddle38 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 bickering39, 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 respite40 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 overthrow41 of his light-armed there the morning before, he thought that the Roof was held by warriors42 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.
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1
otter
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n.水獭 | |
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2
nought
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n./adj.无,零 | |
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Ford
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n.浅滩,水浅可涉处;v.涉水,涉过 | |
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rein
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n.疆绳,统治,支配;vt.以僵绳控制,统治 | |
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discomfited
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v.使为难( discomfit的过去式和过去分词);使狼狈;使挫折;挫败 | |
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helping
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n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的 | |
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warding
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监护,守护(ward的现在分词形式) | |
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mighty
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adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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dice
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n.骰子;vt.把(食物)切成小方块,冒险 | |
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10
dwellings
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n.住处,处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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noted
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adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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wilt
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v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎;(指人)疲倦,衰弱 | |
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entangled
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adj.卷入的;陷入的;被缠住的;缠在一起的v.使某人(某物/自己)缠绕,纠缠于(某物中),使某人(自己)陷入(困难或复杂的环境中)( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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heed
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v.注意,留意;n.注意,留心 | |
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stonier
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多石头的( stony的比较级 ); 冷酷的,无情的 | |
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16
rim
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n.(圆物的)边,轮缘;边界 | |
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drawn
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v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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standing
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n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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heeded
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v.听某人的劝告,听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 );变平,使(某物)变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20
shafts
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n.轴( shaft的名词复数 );(箭、高尔夫球棒等的)杆;通风井;一阵(疼痛、害怕等) | |
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21
smote
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v.猛打,重击,打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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22
forth
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adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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23
mingled
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混合,混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 ); 混进,与…交往[联系] | |
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24
gallop
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v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔;飞速发展 | |
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25
crests
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v.到达山顶(或浪峰)( crest的第三人称单数 );到达洪峰,达到顶点 | |
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26
haze
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n.霾,烟雾;懵懂,迷糊;vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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smitten
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猛打,重击,打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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28
javelins
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n.标枪( javelin的名词复数 ) | |
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steadily
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adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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albeit
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conj.即使;纵使;虽然 | |
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31
slain
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杀死,宰杀,杀戮( slay的过去分词 ); (slay的过去分词) | |
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onset
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n.进攻,袭击,开始,突然开始 | |
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slew
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v.(使)旋转;n.大量,许多 | |
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serried
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adj.拥挤的;密集的 | |
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abide
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vi.遵守;坚持;vt.忍受 | |
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countenance
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n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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abode
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n.住处,住所 | |
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meddle
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v.干预,干涉,插手 | |
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39
bickering
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v.争吵( bicker的现在分词 );口角;(水等)作潺潺声;闪烁 | |
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respite
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n.休息,中止,暂缓 | |
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overthrow
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v.推翻,打倒,颠覆;n.推翻,瓦解,颠覆 | |
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42
warriors
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武士,勇士,战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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