第266章

King Rettibur made an offer to those who were in the castle that they should go out, and he would give them their lives, weapons, clothes, silver, and gold; but all exclaimed against it, and went out on the fortification; some shot, some threw stones, some sharp stakes.It was a great battle, in which many fell on both sides, but by far the most of the Vindlanders.Solveig came up to a large farm called Solbjorg, and brought the news.A message war-token was there split, and sent out to Skurbagar, where there happened to be a joint ale-drinking feast, and many men were assembled.A bonde called Olver Miklimun (Mickle Mouth) was there, who immediately sprang up, took helmet and shield, and a great axe in his hand, and said, "Stand up, brave lads, and take your weapons.Let us go help the townspeople; for it would appear shameful to every man who heard of it, if we sit here sipping our ale, while good men in the town are losing their lives by our neglect."Many made an objection, and said they would only be losing their own lives, without being of any assistance to the townspeople.

Then said Olver, "Although all of you should hold back, I will go alone; and one or two heathens, at any rate, shall fall before Ifall."He ran down to the town, and a few men after him to see what he would do, and also whether they could assist him in any way.

When he came near the castle, and the heathens saw him, they sent out eight men fully armed against him; and when they met, the heathen men ran and surrounded him on all sides.Olver lifted his axe, and struck behind him with the extreme point of it, hitting the neck of the man who was coming up behind him, so that his throat and jawbone were cut through, and he fell dead backwards.Then he heaved his axe forwards, and struck the next man in the head, and clove him down to the shoulders.He then fought with the others, and killed two of them; but was much wounded himself.The four who remained took to flight, but Olver ran after them.There was a ditch before them, and two of the heathens jumped into it, and Olver killed them both; but he stuck fast himself in the ditch, so that two of the eight heathens escaped.The men who had followed Olver took him up, and brought him back to Skurbagar, where his wounds were bound and healed;and it was the talk of the people, that no single man had ever made such a bloody onset.Two lendermen, Sigurd Gyrdson, a brother of Philip, and Sigard, came with 600 men to Skurbagar; on which Sigurd turned back with 400 men.He was but little respected afterwards, and soon died.Sigard, on the other hand, proceeded with 200 men towards the town; and they gave battle to the heathens, and were all slain.While the Vindlanders were storming the castle, their king and his chiefs were out of the battle.At one place there was a man among the Vindlanders shooting with a bow, and killing a man for every arrow; and two men stood before him, and covered him with their shields.Then Saemund Husfreyja said to his son Asmund, that they should both shoot together at this bowman."But I will shoot at the man who holds the shield before him." He did so, and he knocked the shield down a little before the man; and in the same instant Asmund shot between the shields, and the arrow hit the bowman in the forehead, so that it came out at his neck, and he fell down dead.When the Vindlanders saw it they howled like dogs, or like wolves.Then King Rettibur called to them that he would give them safety and life, but they refused terms.The heathens again made a hard assault.One of the heathens in particular fought so bravely, and ventured so near, that he came quite up to the castle-gate, and pierced the man who stood outside the gate with his sword; and although they used both arrows and stones against him, and he had neither shield nor helmet, nothing could touch him, for he was so skilled in witchcraft that weapon could not wound him.Then priest Andres took consecrated fire; blew upon it; cut tinder in pieces, and laid it on the fire; and then laid the tinder on the arrow-point, and gave it to Asmund.He shot this arrow at the warlock; and the shaft hit so well that it did its business, and the man of witchcraft fell dead.Then the heathens crowded together as before, howling and whining dreadfully; and all gathered about their king, on which the Christians believed that they were holding a council about retreating.The interpreters, who understood the Vindland tongue, heard the chief Unibur make the following speech: "These people are brave, and it is difficult to make anything of them;and even if we took all the goods in their town, we might willingly give as much more that we had never come here, so great has been our loss of men and chiefs.Early in the day, when we began to assault the castle, they defended themselves first with arrows and spears; then they fought against us with stones; and now with sticks and staves, as against dogs.I see from this that they are in want of weapons and means of defense; so we shall make one more hard assault, and try their strength." It was as he said, that they now fought with stakes; because, in the first assault, they had imprudently used up all their missile weapons and stones; and now when the Christians saw the number of their stakes diminishing, they clave each stake in two.The heathens now made a very hot attack, and rested themselves between whiles, and on both sides they were exhausted.During a rest the Vindland king Rettibur again offered terms, and that they should retain the weapons, clothes, and silver they could carry out of the castle.Saemund Husfreyja had fallen, and the men who remained gave the counsel to deliver up the castle and themselves into the power of the heathens; but it was a foolish counsel; for the heathens did not keep their promises, but took all people, men, women, and children, and killed all of them who were wounded or young, or could not easily be carried with them.