st to the least;
E'en so is the tale now fashioned, that many a time and oft
Shall be told on the acre's edges, when the summer eve is soft;
Shall be hearkened round the hall-blaze when the mid-winter night
The kindreds' mirth besetteth, and quickeneth man's delight,
And we that have lived in the story shall be born again and again
As men feast on the bread of our earning, and praise the grief-born
grain."

As she made an end of singing, those about her understood her words, that
she was foretelling victory, and the peace of the Mark, and for joy they
raised a shrill cry; and the warriors who were nighest to her took it up,
and it spread through the whole host round about the garth, and went up
into the breath of the summer morning and went down the wind along the
meadow of the Wolfings, so that they of the wain-burg, who were now
drawing somewhat near to Wolf-stead heard it and were glad.

But the Romans when they heard it knew that the heart of the battle was
reached, and they cast back that shout wrathfully and fiercely, and made
toward the foe.

Therewithal those mighty men fell on each other in the narrow passes of
the garth; for fear was dead and buried in that Battle of the Morning.

On the North gate Hiarandi of the Elkings was the point of the Markmen's
wedge, and first clave the Roman press. In the Eastern gate it was
Valtyr, Otter's brother's son, a young man and most mighty. In the South
gate it was Geirbald of the Shieldings, the Messenger.

In the west gate Thiodolf the War-duke gave one mighty cry like the roar
of an angry lion, and cleared a space before him for the wielding of
Ivar's blade; for at that moment he had looked up to the Roof of the
Kindred and had beheld a little stream of smoke curling blue out of a
window thereof, and he knew what had betided, and how short was the time
before them. But his wrathful cry was taken up by some who had beheld
that same sight, and by others who saw nought but the Roman press, and
terribly it rang over the swaying struggling crowd.

Then fell the first rank of the Romans before those stark men and mighty
warriors; and they fell even where they stood, for on neither side could
any give back but for a little space, so close the press was, and the men
so eager to smite. Neither did any crave peace if he were hurt or
disarmed; for to the Goths it was but a little thing to fall in hot blood
in that hour of love of the kindred, and long