Part 57 (1/2)
Draw nigh! draw nigh! Out sword! up shi+eld! and on, thou son of Ospakar!”
Swanhild spoke no more, and Gizur had no word
”On, Gizur! Eric calls thee,” quoth Ketel Viking; but Gizur slunk back, not forward
Then Ketel grew e and shaht, and looked doubtfully at the pair who stood before thenawed the edge of his shi+eld Eric laughed aloud and the sound of his laughter ran up the rocks
”We are but two,” he cried, ”and ye areyou will stand face to face with a Baresark and a helh into the air and caught it by the hilt
Then Ketel and anotherforith an oath, and their axes thundered loud on the shi+elds of Eric and of Skallagririm crashed, and at once their knees were loosened, so that they sank down dead
”More ht was little More men for the Grey Wolf's maw!”
Then Swanhild lashed the folk with bitter words, and two of the on like hounds upon a deer at bay, and they rolled back as gored hounds roll from the deer's horns
”More men! more men!” cried Eric ”Here lie but four and a hundred press behind Now he shall win great honour who lays Brighteyes low and brings down the helain two came on, but they found no luck, for presently they also were down upon the bodies of those ent before Now none could be found to coht like Baldur and Thor, and none could touch theht of their blows that shore through shi+eld and helrim leaned upon their weapons and mocked their foes, while these cursed and tore their beards with rage and shame
Now it is to be told that when the thrall and those with hirim had escaped their rocks and spears, they took counsel, and the end of it was that they slid down a rope to the platforh they could see nothing, they could hear the clang of blows and the shouts of those who fought and fell--ay! and the oes thus,” said the thrall, as a cunning riainst them This, then, is my rede: that we turn the rock and take the, and one by one they stood upon the little rock and won the narroay They crept along this till they were near to Eric and Skallagririlanced over his shoulder, and that not too soon, for, as he looked, the thrall lifted sword to smite the head of Eric
With a shout of ”Back to back!” the Baresark swung round and ere ever the sword ht fall his axe was buried deep in the thrall's breast
”Noe rim, ”and, if it may be, win the space that is before the cave Keep them off in front, and I willwhat had come about, took heart and fell upon Eric with a rush, and those ith the dead thrall rushed at Skallagriht as has not been known in Iceland But the as so narrow that scarce more than one man could come to each of them at a tirim that of those who came on feent back Down they fell, and where they fell they died, and for every rim won a pace towards the point of rock Whitefire flamed so swift and swept so wide that it seeh three swords were aloft at once, and the axe of Skallagriainst a tree, and those groaned on who tree Now the shi+elds of these tere hewn through and through, and cast away, and their blood ran from many wounds Still, their life hole in them and they plied axe and sith both hands And everhard, they drew nearer to the point of rock
Noon, and now all the company that came with the thrall from over the mountain broere dead or sorely wounded at the hands of black Skallagris on Eric, and Gizur creeps behind him
Whitefire leaps to meet the man and does not leap in vain; but Gizur smites a coward blow at Eric's uncovered head, and wounds him sorely, so that he falls to his knee
”Now I arim,” cries Eric ”Win the rock and leave rim turns, red with blood and terrible to see
”'Tis but a scratch Cli like a horse, eapon aloft he leaps alone upon the foe
They break before the Baresark rush; they break, they fall--they are cloven by Baresark axe and trodden of Baresark feet! They roll back, leaving the way clear--save for the dead Then Skallagriore fro brain, he steps down upon the giddy point He goes near to falling, yet does not fall, for now he lies upon the open space, and creeps on hands and knees to the rock-wall that is by the cave, and sits resting his back against it, Whitefire on his knee
Before he is there, Skallagriers to his side with a rush
”Noe have tiasps ”See, here is water,”
and he takes a pitcher that stands by, and gives Eric to drink from the pool, then drinks himself and pours the rest of the water on Eric's wound Then new life comes to them, and they both stand on their feet and win back their breath
”We have not done so badly!” says Skallagrim, ”and we are still a match for one or two See, they come! Say, where shall we meet them, lord?”
”Here,” quoth Eric; ”I cannot stand well upon s without the help of the rock Now I aht”