Now other shouts arose of “Olaf!  Olaf!  Olaf!  Where is our General Olaf?  Where is Red-Sword?”

“Here, comrades!” roared Jodd, and up they came those fierce, bearded men, glad with the lust of battle, and ranged themselves by companies before us.  Again the great voice of Jodd was heard, calling,

“Empress, do you give us Olaf and his girl and swear by your Christ that no harm shall come to them?  Or must we take them for ourselves?”

“Never!” she cried back.  “The only thing I give to you is death.  On to these rebels, soldiers!”

Now, seeing what must come, I strove to speak, but Jodd shouted again,

“Be silent, Olaf.  For this hour you are not our general; you are a prisoner whom it pleases us to rescue.  Ring him round, Northmen, ring him round.  Bring the Empress, too; she will serve as hostage.”

Now some of them drew behind us.  Then they began to advance, taking us along with them, and I, who was skilled in war, saw their purpose.  They were drawing out into the open glade, where they could see to fight, and where their flanks would be protected by a stream of water on the one hand and a dense belt of trees on the other.

In her rage the Empress threw herself upon the ground, but two great fellows lifted her up by the arms and thrust her along with us.  Marching thus, we reached the point that they had chosen, for the Greeks were in confusion and not ready to attack.  There we halted, just on the crest of a little rise of ground.

“Augusta,” I said, “in the name of God, I pray you to give way.  These Northmen hate your Byzantines, and will take this chance to pay off their scores.  Moreover, they love me, and will die to a man ere they see me harmed, and then how shall I protect you in the fray?”

She only glared at me and made no answer.

The attack began.  By this time fifteen hundred or so of the Imperial troops had collected, and against them stood, perhaps, four hundred men in all, so that the odds were great.  Still, they had no horsemen or archers, and our position was very good, also we were Northmen and they were Grecian scum.

On came the Byzantines, screaming “Irene!  Irene!” in a formation of companies ranged one behind the other, for their object was to break in our centre by their weight.  Jodd saw, and gave some orders; very good orders, I thought them.  Then he sheathed his short-sword, seized the great battle-axe which was his favourite weapon, and placed himself in front of our triple line that waited in dead silence.

Up the slope surged the charge, and on the crest of it the battle met.  At first the weight of the Greeks pressed us back, but, oh! they went down before the Northmen’s steel like corn before the sickle, and soon that rush was stayed.  Breast to breast they hewed and thrust, and so fearful was the fray that Irene, forgetting her rage, clung to me to protect her.