Now rose up a mighty1 shout when Thiodolf came back to the battle of the kindreds, for many thought he had been slain2; and they gathered round about him, and cried out to him joyously4 out of their hearts of good-fellowship, and the old man who had rebuked5 Thiodolf, and who was Jorund of the Wolfings, came up to him and reached out to him the Hauberk, and he did it on scarce heeding6; for all his heart and soul was turned toward the battle of the Romans and what they were a-doing; and he saw that they were falling back in good order, as men out-numbered, but undismayed. So he gathered all his men together and ordered them afresh; for they were somewhat disarrayed7 with the fray8 and the chase: and now he no longer ordered them in the wedge array, but in a line here three deep, here five deep, or more, for the foes10 were hard at hand, and outnumbered, and so far overcome, that he and all men deemed it a little matter to give these their last overthrow11, and then onward12 to Wolf-stead to storm on what was left there and purge13 the house of the foemen. Howbeit Thiodolf bethought him that succour might come to the Romans from their main-battle, as they needed not many men there, since there was nought14 to fear behind them: but the thought was dim within him, for once more since he had gotten the Hauberk on him the earth was wavering and dream-like: he looked about him, and nowise was he as in past days of battle when he saw nought but the foe9 before him, and hoped for nothing save the victory. But now indeed the Wood-Sun seemed to him to be beside him, and not against his will, as one besetting15 and hindering him, but as though his own longing16 had drawn17 her thither18 and would not let her depart; and whiles it seemed to him that her beauty was clearer to be seen than the bodies of the warriors19 round about him. For the rest he seemed to be in a dream indeed, and, as men do in dreams, to be for ever striving to be doing something of more moment than anything which he did, but which he must ever leave undone20. And as the dream gathered and thickened about him the foe before him changed to his eyes, and seemed no longer the stern brown-skinned smooth-faced men under their crested21 iron helms with their iron-covered shields before them, but rather, big-headed men, small of stature22, long-bearded, swart, crooked23 of body, exceeding foul24 of aspect. And he looked on and did nothing for a while, and his head whirled as though he had been grievously smitten25.
Thus tarried the kindreds awhile, and they were bewildered and their hearts fell because Thiodolf did not fly on the foemen like a falcon26 on the quarry27, as his wont28 was. But as for the Romans, they had now stayed, and were facing their foes again, and that on a vantage-ground, since the field sloped up toward the Wolfing dwelling29; and they gathered heart when they saw that the Goths tarried and forbore them. But the sun was sinking, and the evening was hard at hand.
So at last Thiodolf led forward with Throng-plough held aloft in his right hand; but his left hand he held out by his side, as though he were leading someone along. And as he went, he muttered: “When will these accursed sons of the nether30 earth leave the way clear to us, that we may be alone and take pleasure each in each amidst of the flowers and the sun?”
Now as the two hosts drew near to one another, again came the sound of trumpets31 afar off, and men knew that this would be succour coming to the Romans from their main-battle, and the Romans thereon shouted for joy, and the host of the kindreds might no longer forbear, but rushed on fiercely against them; and for Thiodolf it was now come to this, that so entangled32 was he in his dream that he rather went with his men than led them. Yet had he Throng-plough in his right hand, and he muttered in his beard as he went, “Smite33 before! smite behind! and smite on the right hand! but never on the left!”
Thus then they met, and as before, neither might the Goths sweep the Romans away, nor the Romans break the Goths into flight; yet were many of the kindred anxious and troubled, since they knew that aid was coming to the Romans, and they heard the trumpets sounding nearer and more joyous3; and at last, as the men of the kindreds were growing a-wearied with fighting, they heard those horns as it were in their very ears, and the thunder of the tramp of footmen, and they knew that a fresh host of men was upon them; then those they had been fighting with opened before them, falling aside to the right and the left, and the fresh men passing between them, fell on the Goths like the waters of a river when a sluice-gate is opened. They came on in very good order, never breaking their ranks, but swift withal, smiting34 and pushing before them, and so brake through the array of the Goth-folk, and drave them this way and that way down the slopes.
Yet still fought the warriors of the kindred most valiantly36, making stand and facing the foe again and again in knots of a score or two score, or maybe ten score; and though many a man was slain, yet scarce any one before he had slain or hurt a Roman; and some there were, and they the oldest, who fought as if they and the few about them were all the host that was left to the folk, and heeded37 not that others were driven back, or that the Romans gathered about them, cutting them off from all succour and aid, but went on smiting till they were felled with many strokes.
Howbeit the array of the Goths was broken and many were slain, and perforce they must give back, and it seemed as if they would be driven into the river and all be lost.
But for Thiodolf, this befell him: that at first, when those fresh men fell on, he seemed, as it were, to wake unto himself again, and he cried aloud the cry of the Wolf, and thrust into the thickest of the fray, and slew38 many and was hurt of none, and for a moment of time there was an empty space round about him, such fear he cast even into the valiant35 hearts of the foemen. But those who had time to see him as they stood by him noted39 that he was as pale as a dead man, and his eyes set and staring; and so of a sudden, while he stood thus threatening the ring of doubtful foemen, the weakness took him again, Throng-plough tumbled from his hand, and he fell to earth as one dead.
Then of those who saw him some deemed that he had been striving against some secret hurt till he could do no more; and some that there was a curse abroad that had fallen upon him and upon all the kindreds of the Mark; some thought him dead and some swooning. But, dead or alive, the warriors would not leave their War-duke among the foemen, so they lifted him, and gathered about him a goodly band that held its own against all comers, and fought through the turmoil40 stoutly41 and steadily42; and others gathered to them, till they began to be something like a host again, and the Romans might not break them into knots of desperate men any more.
Thus they fought their way, Arinbiorn of the Bearings leading them now, with a mind to make a stand for life or death on some vantage-ground; and so, often turning upon the Romans, they came in array ever growing more solid to the rising ground looking one way over the ford43 and the other to the slopes where the battle had just been. There they faced the foe as men who may be slain, but will be driven no further; and what bowmen they had got spread out from their flanks and shot on the Romans, who had with them no light-armed, or slingers or bowmen, for they had left them at Wolf-stead. So the Romans stood a while, and gave breathing-space to the Markmen, which indeed was the saving of them: for if they had fallen on hotly and held to it steadily, it is like that they would have passed over all the bodies of the Markmen: for these had lost their leader, either slain, as some thought, or, as others thought, banned from leadership by the Gods; and their host was heavy-hearted; and though it is like that they would have stood there till each had fallen over other, yet was their hope grown dim, and the whole folk brought to a perilous44 and fearful pass, for if these were slain or scattered45 there were no more but they, and nought between fire and the sword and the people of the Mark.
But once again the faint-heart folly46 of the Roman Captain saved his foes: for whereas he once thought that the whole power of the Markmen lay in Otter47 and his company, and deemed them too little to meddle48 with, so now he ran his head into the other hedge, and deemed that Thiodolf’s company was but a part of the succour that was at hand for the Goths, and that they were over-big for him to meddle with.
True it is also that now dark night was coming on, and the land was unknown to the Romans, who moreover trusted not wholly to the dastards of the Goths who were their guides and scouts49: furthermore the wood was at hand, and they knew not what it held; and with all this and above it all, it is to be said that over them also had fallen a dread50 of some doom51 anear; for those habitations amidst of the wild-woods were terrible to them as they were dear to the Goths; and the Gods of their foemen seemed to be lying in wait to fall upon them, even if they should slay52 every man of the kindreds.
So now having driven back the Goths to that height over the ford, which indeed was no stronghold, no mountain, scarce a hill even, nought but a gentle swelling53 of the earth, they forebore them; and raising up the whoop54 of victory drew slowly aback, picking up their own dead and wounded, and slaying55 the wounded Markmen. They had with them also some few captives, but not many; for the fighting had been to the death between man and man on the Wolfing Meadow.
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1
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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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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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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rebuked
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| 责难或指责( rebuke的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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heeding
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的现在分词 ) | |
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disarrayed
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| vt.使混乱（disarray的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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fray
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| v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗 | |
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foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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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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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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purge
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| n.整肃，清除，泻药，净化；vt.净化，清除，摆脱；vi.清除，通便，腹泻，变得清洁 | |
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nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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besetting
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| adj.不断攻击的v.困扰( beset的现在分词 )；不断围攻；镶；嵌 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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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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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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undone
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| a.未做完的，未完成的 | |
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crested
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| adj.有顶饰的，有纹章的，有冠毛的v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的过去式和过去分词 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点 | |
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stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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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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falcon
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| n.隼，猎鹰 | |
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quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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nether
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| adj.下部的，下面的；n.阴间；下层社会 | |
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31
trumpets
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| 喇叭( trumpet的名词复数 )； 小号； 喇叭形物； （尤指）绽开的水仙花 | |
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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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smite
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| v.重击；彻底击败；n.打；尝试；一点儿 | |
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smiting
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的现在分词 ) | |
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35
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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valiantly
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| adv.勇敢地，英勇地；雄赳赳 | |
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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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38
slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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40
turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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41
stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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42
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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43
Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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45
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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46
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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47
otter
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| n.水獭 | |
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48
meddle
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| v.干预，干涉，插手 | |
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49
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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50
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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51
doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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52
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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53
swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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54
whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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55
slaying
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| 杀戮。 | |
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