der of
the horse-hoofs, looked and saw that it was the company of Otter, and so
slacked their speed till they were all joined together with joyous
shouting and laughter. So then they ordered the ranks anew and so set
forward in great joy without haste or turmoil toward Wolfstead and the
Romans. For now the bitterness of their fury and the sourness of their
abiding wrath were turned into the mere joy of battle; even as the clear
red and sweet wine comes of the ugly ferment and rough trouble of the
must.

CHAPTER XXIII--THIODOLF MEETETH THE ROMANS IN THE WOLFING MEADOW

It was scarce an hour after this that the footmen of Thiodolf came out of
the thicket road on to the meadow of the Bearings; there saw they men
gathered on a rising ground, and they came up to them and saw how some of
them were looking with troubled faces towards the ford and what lay
beyond it, and some toward the wood and the coming of Thiodolf. But
these were they whom Otter had bidden abide Thiodolf there, and he had
sent two messengers to them for Thiodolf's behoof that he might have due
tidings so soon as he came out of the thicket: the first told how Otter
had been compelled in a manner to fall on the Romans along with the
riders of the Bearings and the Wormings, and the second who had but just
then come, told how the Markmen had been worsted by the Romans, and had
given back from the Wolfing dwellings, and were making a stand against
the foemen in the meadow betwixt the ford and Wolfstead.

Now when Thiodolf heard of these tidings he stayed not to ask long
questions, but led the whole host straightway down to the ford, lest the
remnant of Otter's men should be driven down there, and the Romans should
hold the western bank against him.

At the ford there was none to withstand them, nor indeed any man at all;
for the men whom Otter had set there, when they heard that the battle had
gone against their kindred, had ridden their ways to join them. So
Thiodolf crossed over the ford, he and his in good order all afoot, he
like to the others; but for him he was clad in the Dwarf-wrought Hauberk,
but was unhelmeted and bare no shield. Throng-plough was naked in his
hand as he came up all dripping on to the bank and stood in the meadow of
the Wolfings; his face was stern and set as he gazed straight onward to
the place of the fray, but he did not look as joyous as his wont was in
going down to the battle.

Now they had gone but a short way