“It means that axe is better than sword for this fight,” he said, for he had armed me like himself after the Norse manner, than which is none better or more handsome.  He had given me a byrnie {10} of the best ring mail, and a helm gold-inlaid as became a king’s kinsman, and axe and shield like his own.  He and his men alone of all Norsemen in those days bore the cross on both helm and shield.  Nor would Olaf have any unchristened man in all his host.  Many a stout warrior did he turn away because he was not and would not be a Christian, for many Danes were yet heathen, and most Norway men.

Some of the men who had gone out to see the Danish force came back soon after midnight, and they said that there would seem to be close on a thousand of them in all.

After that we knew that a hard fight was before us, and the king bade us sleep and take what rest we might.  Then, very early, came men to say that the Sudbury folk had come, and Olaf and I went down to the village to meet them.  Close on two hundred men had come with Prat, the son of the sheriff of Sudbury, at their head, and they were not to be despised, for they were sturdy spearmen, and many had mail, though the most wore the stout leathern jerkin that will turn a sword cut well enough.

And Prat asked that they should have the first place in the fight, seeing that they fought for their own land.

“That is the place of my own ship’s crew,” said Olaf, “nor will they be denied it.  Now shall you fight under Redwald, your own thane, and he will have the next place to me.”

That pleased both them and me well, and after that Olaf sent me on as advance guard, for we knew the country.

We were nine hundred strong in all, and when I took my men to the hilltop I met a man who said that the Danes mustered some fifteen hundred strong.  There were Anglian Danes there besides thingmen.  But Olaf had said that we would fight two to one if necessary, and so I held on; he would send after me if he would make any change in his plans when he heard this.  It was well that we had settled with the Sudbury force already or we should have had them to deal with besides.

We left Bures hill and went down the steep valley beyond it, and I thought that the Danes might wait for us in the wood that is on the opposite slope.  But there were none, and we came out on the open ground that stretches away in a fairly level upland for many a mile northward and eastward before us.  There I waited, for we needed no advance guard beyond these last woodlands.  One could see to the dip that is by Leavenheath, and there the Danes would be.  And indeed across the open rode a few men in that direction, and I knew that they were scouts who would take the news of our coming; but they were too far away to be stopped even had I wished to do so.  Olaf would not be led far from Bures and the river, but would have the foe come to him.