Egil’s Saga by E. R. Eddison

ere he turned back thither where the battle was and there made onset. But when Thorolf saw that, turned he to meet the Earl and bade thither bear the banner: bade his men follow up well and stand close: “Move we toward the wood,” he said, “and let that cover our back, so that they may not go at us on all sides”. They did so: drew up along the wood side. Then was the battle hard. Set on Egil against Adils, and hard dealings they had betwixt them. The odds of strength was exceeding great, and yet fell more folk on the side of Adils.
    Thorolf began then to be so wood-wroth 5 that he cast his shield over his back and took his spear in two hands: leapt he then forth and hewed or thrust on either hand. Sprang men back from him then either way, but he slew many. Cleared he so a path forward to the banner of Earl Hring, and then was no holding against him. He slew that man that bare Earl Hring’s banner, and hewed down the banner-pole. And now laid he his spear through the Earl’s chest, through byrny and body, so as out it went betwixt the shoulders, and heaved him up on thehalberd over his head and shot down the tail of the spear into the earth. But the Earl perished on the spear; and that in the sight of all, both his own men and his unfriends likewise.
    And now Thorolf drew his sword, and hewed he then on either hand. Then withal set on his men there. Fell then much folk, Welsh and Scots, but some turned to flight. But when Earl Adils saw his brother’s fall, and great man-fall in his host, and some fled, and he thought a hard thing was come upon him, then turned he to flight and ran to the wood. He fled into the wood, and his company with him. Took then to fleeing all that host that had followed them. There befell then great man-fall among the men that fled, and the flight drifted then wide about the heath. Earl Adils had flung down his banner, and none knew then whether ’twas he that fared there or other men.
    It began soon now to darken toward night, and Thorolf and Egil and their men turned back to their war-booths, and in that same hour came there King Athelstane with all his war-host and set up then their land-tents 6 and put them in order. A little later came King Olaf with his host of war. They pitched their tents and put them in order, there where their men had pitched. It was then said unto King Olaf that fallen were both those Earls of his, Hring and Adils, 7 and a great multitude besides of his men.
    CHAPTER LIV. THE SECOND DAY’S BATTLE ON WINA-HEATH: WITH THE FALL OF THOROLF SKALLAGRIMSON.
    K ING ATHELSTANE had been the night before in that burg which was aforesaid, and there heard he that there had been fighting on the heath: made ready then straightway, and all his war-host, and set forth north to the heath: learned then plainly of all that had betided, what way that battle had gone.
    Came then to see the King those brethren, Thorolf and Egil. He thanked them well for their forwardness and for that victory which they had won: promised them his friendship full and perfect. Tarried they there all together for that night.
    King Athelstane waked up his war-host straightway in the morning at point of day. He held talk with his captains and said what ordering there should be of his host. He ordered first his own battle, and then set he in the front of that battle those companies that were the keenest in fight. Then spake he, that over that host should be Egil; “But Thorolf”, said he, “shall be with his own host and that other host that I set there. That shall be the second battle of our host, that he shall be captain over, because the Scots be ever loose in battle-array: leap they to and fro, and come forth in this place and in that. Oft can they give good scratches, if men be not wary of them, but they scatter on the field if face be made against them”.
    Egil answered the King: “I will not that we two, I and Thorolf, be parted in the fight. But well do I think it, if we be posted there where most