e ships was open, with a chance of meeting Ragnar
on the way, moreover.

Very long and deep seemed the line as we neared it, and it was formed on
the banks of a stream that runs down the valley, so that we must cross
the water to attack. But the stream was shallow now with the August
heat, and it was not much sunk between its banks.

When he saw that, Sigurd, who was a man of many fights, said that we had
better send the marshmen round to fall on the wings of the foe, while we
went straight for the centre of the line in the wedge formation that the
Viking loves. For so we should have no trouble in crossing the stream,
and should cut the force against us in two.

So the two Welsh thanes led their wild levies out on either side of us
Danes, who were in the centre, and then we formed the wedge. Havelok
himself would have gone first of all at its point: but that we would not
suffer, for if he fell the battle was lost at its beginning.

"Nay," he said, "for we fight for Goldberga."

"And what would she say were we to set you foremost of us all?" asked
Withelm. "Little love were there to either of you in that. You are the
heart of the host, and one shields that although it gives strength to
all the hands which obey it."

So Withelm and Arngeir and I went foremost, and behind us came the
courtmen, and in the midst of their shield wall was Havelok, with Raven
and the banner at his side. After them, rank on rank and with
close-locked shields, was such a force as had not been seen in Lindsey
for many a long day. Alsi's men grew very silent as they saw us come on,
until we reached, through a storm of arrows that could not stay us, the
bank of the stream, and then they raised a war song that roared and
thundered among the hills as though the tide was coming up the valley in
one great wave. But we saved our breath until the first of us were on
the banks of the stream, and then I shouted, and with a great shout of
"Ahoy!" in answer, we charged through the stream and up the far bank,
where Alsi's spearmen waited for us.

They crowded together as they saw how narrow our front was, and there
was a hedge of steel before us three brothers; but the spear is not the
weapon to use if one would check the onrush of the Northman's wedge, and
shield and axe between them dashed and hewed a way to the men who got to
their swords too late, and then we were in the midst of Alsi's line,
with the gap that we had made widening behind us with eac