ooked on his left hand and saw
how Roman men were pouring thick from the wood out of all array, followed
by a close throng of the kindreds: for on this side the Romans were
outnumbered and had stumbled unawares into the ambush of the Markmen, who
had fallen on them straightway and disarrayed them from the first. This
flight of their folk the Romans saw also, and held their men together,
refraining from the onset, as men who deem that they will have enough to
do to stand fast.

But the second battle of the Markmen, (who were of the Nether-mark,
mingled with the Mid-mark) fought wisely, for they swept those fleers
from before them, slaying many and driving the rest scattering, yet held
the chase for no long way, but wheeling about came sidelong on toward the
battle of the Romans and Thiodolf. And when Thiodolf saw that, he set up
the whoop of victory, he and his, and fell fiercely on the Romans,
casting everything that would fly, as they rushed on to the handplay; so
that there was many a Roman slain with the Roman spears that those who
had fallen had left among their foemen.

Now the Roman captains perceived that it availed not to tarry till the
men of the Mid and Nether-marks fell upon their flank; so they gave
command, and their ranks gave back little by little, facing their foes,
and striving to draw themselves within the dike and garth, which, after
their custom, they had already cast up about the Wolfing Roof, their
stronghold.

Now as fierce as was the onset of the Markmen, the main body of the
Romans could not be hindered from doing this much before the men of the
second battle were upon them; but Thiodolf and Arinbiorn with some of the
mightiest brake their array in two places and entered in amongst them.
And wrath so seized upon the soul of Arinbiorn for the slaying of Otter,
and his own fault towards him, that he cast away his shield, and heeding
no strokes, first brake his sword in the press, and then, getting hold of
a great axe, smote at all before him as though none smote at him in turn;
yea, as though he were smiting down tree-boles for a match against some
other mighty man; and all the while amidst the hurry, strokes of swords
and spears rained on him, some falling flatwise and some glancing
sideways, but some true and square, so that his helm was smitten off and
his hauberk rent adown, and point and edge reached his living flesh; and
he had thrust himself so far amidst the foe that none could follow