Six Sagas of Adventure (43 page)

Mondul said, “We won’t all come back to Denmark if Grim Aegir has anything to say about it, because he was the walrus that destroyed our ships.
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He would have treated all our ships the same way if I had not gone last, because he couldn’t come any closer than that stick which I was dragging behind me. He’s sent an ice storm at you, so that all of you would have met your deaths if the tents hadn’t saved you. Now twelve men have come down into the forest a short way from here, whom Grim has sent to King Eirek. They have come down from Ermland and are now working sorcery.
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They must be intending to use sorcery against you, Hrolf and Stefnir, to make you kill each other yourselves. Seven of us must go out to face them together and see what happens.”

They set out until they entered the forest, where they saw a single house. They could hear evil howls as the men worked their sorcery. They went into the house and saw a high platform there, held up by four pillars.
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Mondul went underneath the platform and carved counterspells on the pillars, with a charm to trap the sorcerers themselves. They went right out into the forest and stayed there for a while. But the sorcerers were affected so powerfully that they smashed the platform down and charged out of the house shrieking, each in a different direction. Some leaped into swamps or the sea, and some over crags and cliffs, and all of them killed themselves in this fashion.
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Hrolf’s men went right back to their ships, which were in good shape. They saw that the storm had reached no farther than a circle around the ships and tents.

Mondul said, “Hrolf, it’s come to this. I won’t go into battle, because I don’t have the valor or bravery. But you’d be short of men if you had seen to this alone. You and Stefnir were meant to die as those sorcerers died, as you see now.”

They thanked him for his stratagems, and prepared themselves to land.

CHAPTER XXIX

Soon after Hrolf and his men left Jutland and traveled to Russia, Tryggvi the berserk, whom we mentioned earlier in this saga, invaded the country. His great multitude of men gave him an overwhelming force. Since fleeing from Hrolf and Stefnir, he had most often been in Scotland and England, but now he had heard that they were out of the country and there would be little resistance.

As soon as Jarl Thorgnyr heard the news of war, he summoned his forces, but since Tryggvi had come quite unexpectedly, and also since all the best men were out of the country, the jarl got a small force against such a huge host. The two sides met a short distance from the fort, where the fiercest battle broke out at once. Both sides advanced boldly. Jarl Thorgnyr had his banner borne forward bravely and advanced beside it himself. He fought most bravely, killing many men. Bjorn the Counsellor followed him manfully and killed many men, because they were accustomed to warlike deeds and eager to advance. Tryggvi also came on fiercely, charging right through the jarl’s ranks so that no one withstood him, and the battle turned against the jarl’s men. The battle lasted all day. In the end Jarl Thorgnyr fell, winning great glory, and Tryggvi killed him. Bjorn the Counsellor fled to the fort with the survivors, where they held their position. But Tryggvi surrounded the fort.

Late that evening, men saw three ships sailing to land, all of them large and painted black on the sides. They laid up in an anchorage and set up awnings over their ships. By now the fort’s defenders were sick at heart over their situation. But as soon as morning came, the men from the ships advanced towards the fort with their forces arrayed in ranks. Twelve men led them, and two of them had masks before their faces. Tryggvi also deployed his forces, and when they met, there weren’t many greetings, because the masked men rushed into battle and attacked fiercely. When the fort’s defenders saw that, they came out of the fort and attacked the enemy’s left flank.
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Tryggvi was penned in tightly, and many of his men fell. Men attacked Tryggvi fiercely, and in the end, he and the better part of his forces all fell. The defenders claimed much plunder. The masked men went straight to their ships without speaking with anyone else. The men of the land wondered what sort of men these might be that couldn’t say anything.

Afterwards there was peace, and Jarl Thorgnyr was laid in a mound. Thorir keenly felt the death of his father, as did many other men of that land, for he had been a good and capable ruler and had governed the kingdom for a long time and kept it at peace. Everyone lamented his passing.

CHAPTER XXX

Now we pick up the story where we left off, telling how Hrolf summoned all his forces against King Eirek. They encountered each other a short distance from Ladoga. The king had a large force of stalwart men. Many were the great chieftains with King Eirek. One of them was a jarl named Imi. He was huge and strong and a great fighter, of Russian descent. With him was his half-brother named Rondolf. He might well be called a troll on account of his size and strength. His mother’s family came from Aluborg in Jotunheim, and there he had grown up. He had a club for a weapon, six ells long and very thick at the far end. Most iron couldn’t cut the fur cloak that he wore. Rondolf went into a berserk rage and bellowed like a troll when he got angry. Brynjolf was with the king, but Thord and Grim hadn’t arrived, because they had assembled their forces farther inland.

Both sides pitched their tents on a level plain, not far from the sea, and slept for the night. Early in the morning, they prepared for battle. The king arranged his forces on two wings, commanding one himself, with Brynjolf bearing the king’s banner. In front of the banner the king set Rondolf and all the greatest champions. Jarl Imi commanded the other wing with more men of rank, although they aren’t named. A man named Arnodd, a great champion, bore his banner.

Hrolf also arranged his forces on two wings. He placed himself opposite King Eirek, with the Swedes and Frisians under his command. Stefnir took the other wing with the Jutes. A man named Ali, the most valiant of men, bore his banner before him. Hrolf wore the mailcoat Hreggvid’s Gift and rode Dulcifal. Both armies fielded huge forces of knights. Stefnir wore Hrolf’s other cape. Mondul wasn’t in the battle, because he wasn’t used to bearing weapons.

Once both sides were drawn up, they screamed their battle cries, and the ranks closed together. At once there was hard fighting and terrible slaughter on both sides. Mounted knights made the first charge, but then there was a fierce battle with cuts and thrusts. Rondolf charged, striking right and left with the club and killing both men and horses. No knight was strong enough to endure one of his blows. Everyone retreated before him. Brynjolf bore the standard forward manfully, and there was unrest in Hrolf’s army.

Hrolf rode forth on Dulcifal, and no one who faced him and his blows was strong enough to stay in the saddle. He struck both men and horses with the sword Hreggvid’s Gift, and he killed many men, because the sword bit as if it were slashing through water and was never checked in its stroke. The battle was dreadful, with men falling one across the other.

Now we must tell how Stefnir charged forward into Jarl Imi’s ranks, doing harm to many knights, until Jarl Imi came against him. Each rode at the other with great prowess, aiming at the other’s shield. When they met, Imi’s spear shaft broke in the middle, but Stefnir knocked the jarl backwards out of the saddle so that he landed far away, beneath the horses. He quickly sprang to his feet and drew his sword. Stefnir leaped from his horse’s back and struck at Imi, but he brought up his sword to block the blow. Stefnir’s sword struck Imi’s spiked hilt and cut off his hand along with it. Then Stefnir ran him through with his sword, and thus the jarl lost his life. Stefnir charged ahead.

In another place, Ali and Arnodd encountered each other and attacked with great valor. They struck each other until all their armor was cut off. Both of them had thrown away their banners, and their encounter ended when Arnodd stabbed Ali in the belly with his sword, leaving it sticking out through his back. But Ali took the blow and struck a two-handed blow at Arnodd’s head, leaving his sword sticking in his teeth. They both fell to the ground dead.

Now Hrolf saw the havoc that Rondolf had wreaked in his ranks, and he saw that this couldn’t go on as it was. He leaped from Dulcifal’s back and charged Rondolf. When they met, Rondolf swung his iron club at Hrolf, but he dodged it; he didn’t believe he could withstand such a heavy blow. The club hit two men who had been standing right behind Hrolf and broke every bone in their bodies. Hrolf whipped his sword around at Rondolf’s hand and cut it off at the wrist, and sliced off all the toes on his other foot. Rondolf brandished the cudgel with his other hand and swung at Hrolf with all his might. The club hit the ground and sank up to its middle, but Hrolf wasn’t hurt. Hrolf cut off Rondolf’s other hand so that it fell down. Rondolf turned and ran, waving his stumps and bellowing like a bull. At that moment, Hrolf sliced off both his buttocks so that they were left hanging from the backs of his knees.
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Dragging a trail behind him, Rondolf charged howling into King Eirek’s ranks so that everyone shrank away, and he killed many men.

Hrolf and Stefnir and their men made good use of this. They struck down and laid low every man who faced them. King Eirek’s men fell in droves. Rondolf had no idea what was in front of him, and he charged Brynjolf, who fell on his back holding the banner. He staggered to his feet and ran away. But when King Eirek’s men saw the banner fall, every one of them fled. And when Eirek saw that, he fled to the forts like the others. Hrolf and Stefnir pursued the fleeing host, killing everyone they caught. There was such a great slaughter that the dead could scarcely be numbered. Rondolf leaped out into the river and drowned himself, but King Eirek and the survivors barricaded themselves in the fort, and with that the battle ended.

By that time, evening had come on. Hrolf went to his tent and had his men’s wounds bound. Many of his men had fallen. But as evening was passing, Hrolf’s men saw three warships sailing towards land. They laid up at an anchorage and dropped anchor. Three hundred men came out of the ships, a most valiant and well-equipped host, led by the largest of the men. These men went to Hrolf’s tent, and when they met, Hrolf realized that his father Sturlaug had come, along with Eirek his brother. There was a joyous reunion for them all together. Hrolf asked his father for news and inquired about his journey. At that time, Sturlaug was very old and hadn’t been on any war expeditions for a long time. He said that he had heard about Hrolf’s journey, and so he had come from Norway to Russia to offer Hrolf assistance. They drank through the evening and enjoyed much merriment. Sturlaug had his own mailcoat and the knife Vefreyja’s Gift. Many champions and bold men from Ringerike were with him. One of them was named Torfi the Strong, another was Bard, the third was Gardi, the fourth was Atli, the fifth was Birgir, the sixth was Solvi, the seventh was Lodin, and the eighth was Knut Boil. All of them were the boldest of men, and Torfi and Knut were the best of them. They took their rest through the night, keeping a strong watch.

CHAPTER XXXI

Many men flocked to King Eirek that night, mustering from the surrounding district. Grim Aegir and Thord the Bald Man of Hlesey arrived in the evening with a countless host. There were many champions and berserks with them, and twelve are named:
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Ein and Orn of Ermland, Ulf, Harr and Gellir, Sorli Longnose and Tjorfi, Tjosnir, Lodmund, Haki, Lifolf, Styr the Strong and Brusi Bonejack.
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All of them were dangerous to meet, more like trolls than men, but four of them were the worst: Tjosnir and Gellir and the brothers Styr and Brusi.

King Eirik was cheered by their arrival. He told them that he had suffered heavy losses, and that Hrolf was unlike most men on account of his prowess and the armor that he owned. “It was terrible luck for us that Hrolf got the sword Hreggvid’s Gift.”

Grim said, “I’ll help. In the morning, we’ll make up for the slaughter that you suffered today.”

The night passed, and day came. Both sides now prepared for battle. King Eirek came out of the fort with all his forces and drew up his ranks. Brynjolf bore his banner, and under the banner stood eight berserks: Orn of Ermland, Ulf, Harr, Sorli, Lifolf, Lodmund, Haki,
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and Tjorfi, along with Grim Aegir. On the other wing stood Thord the Bald Man of Hlesey, with a standard carried before him. Tjosnir and Gellir were there, with Styr and Brusi and many other men.

Hrolf and Stefnir drew up their forces opposite King Eirek, with Knut Boil and Torfi the Strong with them. Sturlaug and Eirek his son were deployed against Thord, with their six champions: Hadd, Gardi, Atli, Birgir, Solvi and Lodinn. Aside from Brynjolf, we’re not told who bore the banners. The forces were so greatly mismatched that the king had a three to one advantage.

A trumpet sounded, and then the ranks closed together, with battle-cries and shouts of encouragement and a great clashing of weapons. First there was a sharp volley of arrows, and then fighting at close quarters as each side charged towards the other. Many things and events happened at the same moment, yet must be told one by one.

Mondul the dwarf was not in the battle, but he was standing on a certain hill, shooting arrows from his bow and making a terrible slaughter.
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Both sides charged so fiercely that there was no need to question their ferocity. Knut Boil and Torfi the Strong came against Grim Aegir. Both of them were strong and sorcerous, and they battled him all day long. Their fighting was so fierce that men had to watch out that they didn’t get too close.

The king’s berserks fought hard and broke through Hrolf’s ranks, so that everyone retreated. Many a good warrior never returned to his own kingdom. There was no helm so stout, nor shield so thick, that it did not have to yield before their blows. Hrolf’s army was on the verge of fleeing. Hrolf and Stefnir had advanced into King Eirek’s ranks and done great damage there, before they saw the berserks charging. They turned to face them, and when they met, there was no question of the mighty blows that each had ready for the others. Hrolf struck at Orn, but he brought up his shield, which split in two—but the sword point ripped open his entire belly, so that his bowels fell out. After that, Hrolf ran Haki through and cut both feet out from under Lifolf. Stefnir stabbed at Ulf with a spear, but he brought up his shield to block the blow. The spear broke through the shield and pierced his thigh, making a terrible wound, but Ulf chopped the spearhead from the shaft. Har charged at Hrolf and struck him on the outside of his helm with a spiked club, so hard that Hrolf was on the verge of fainting—but he fell upon Ulf and stabbed him with his sword. Ulf’s mailcoat was of no use, and the sword ran him through. Lodmund thrust his spear at Stefnir; it struck his calf and pierced it. Hrolf came at him, swinging his sword at Lodmund’s head with both hands. He cleaved him completely in two, leaving his sword sticking in the ground. At that moment, Sorli and Tjorfi struck at Hrolf, and Har struck Hrolf’s back with the club. That would have been the death of him if the cloak and armor hadn’t saved him. He fell to his knees, but he quickly sprang up and struck at Har’s leg, cutting it off at the knee. Hrolf also swung the sword into Tjorfi’s side and chopped him apart in the middle. Sorli fled, and Har pulled himself up on the other leg and bashed anyone in front of him with his club. He killed eleven men before Stefnir struck him a deadly blow. He laid down his life in good honor.