Then Ingvar thought for a moment, and said to me, still frowning: 

“Go and tell your king those terms, and bring word again.”

So I went back and told Eadmund, knowing full well what his answer would be.  And it was as I thought.

“Go and tell this Ingvar that I will not give my land into the hands of the heathen, or own them as lords.”

Now what I told Ingvar and Guthrum was this only, knowing that to give the full message was to enrage Ingvar: 

“Eadmund refuses.”

“Your king is a wise man,” said Guthrum, “for who knows how a fight will go?”

Ingvar reined round his horse to go to his own men, and he and Guthrum left me standing there.  I was turning away also, when the hoof beats of one horse stayed, and Ingvar called me in the voice he would use when most friendly with me.

“Wulfric,” he said, “glad was I to find you gone, for I should surely have had to slay you before the shrine; but Thor is far off now, and I have forgotten that, and only do I remember that good comrade to us all you have been in hall and forest.  And ere I sailed—­one whom you know—­that one who stayed my hand from Beorn—­made me promise—­aye, and swear by my sword—­that you at least I would not harm.  And I will not.  Stand aside from this fight.”

Now, had I not known the great love and reverence in which those three wild brothers held Osritha, I should have been amazed at these words from Ingvar; but there is somewhat of good to be found in every man.

Then I answered: 

“I must fight for my land, Ingvar, but I also would fain not fight against yourself.  Where stand you in your line?”

“On the right,” he said; “Guthrum is on the left.”

“Where is Hubba?” I asked, wondering.

“He is not far from us.  He will come when I need his help.”

“Then we need not meet,” I said; “I am in the centre.”

Now we both returned to our places, and again Eadmund, after I had told him that we must fight, asked me to stand out.

“For,” said he, “you are in her father’s place to Eadgyth.”

“Until after the wedding, my king,” I said; “but you are in my father’s place to me always.  Should I have left him?”

So I said no more, but stood in my place before him, for I loved him now best of all men in the world since my father was gone, and it seemed well to me to die beside him if die he must.

Now our king gave the word, crying, “Forward, Christian men!” and we shouted and charged with a good will on the Danes, and the battle began.  Hard fighting it was on both sides, but our men in their want of order jostled and hindered one another, so that I saw more than one struck down by mischance by his own comrades.  But the Danes kept their even line, bent round into half a circle so that we could not outflank them, and our numbers were nearly equal.

Men have said that I did well in that fight, but so did we all, each in his way.  All I know of my own deeds is that I kept my own life, and that once a ring of men stood before me out of reach of my axe, not one seeming to care to be first within its swing.  And ever Eadmund’s clear voice cheered on his men from behind me.