CC 20220801
Bernard Cornwell: Siege at Srirangapattana /Seringapatam\nThe Battle of MaldonVerse Indeterminate Saxon brocen wurde. Het þa hyssa hwæne hors forlætan, feor afysan, and forð gangan, hicgan to handum and to hige godum.5þa þæt Offan mæg ærest onfunde, þæt se eorl nolde yrhðo geþolian, he let him þa of handon leofne fleogan hafoc wið þæs holtes, and to þære hilde stop; be þam man mihte oncnawan þæt se cniht nolde10wacian æt þam wige, þa he to wæpnum feng. Eac him wolde Eadric his ealdre gelæstan, frean to gefeohte, ongan þa forð beran gar to guþe. He hæfde god geþanc þa hwile þe he mid handum healdan mihte15bord and bradswurd; beot he gelæste þa he ætforan his frean feohtan sceolde. ða þær Byrhtnoð ongan beornas trymian, rad and rædde, rincum tæhte hu hi sceoldon standan and þone stede healdan,20and bæd þæt hyra randas rihte heoldon fæste mid folman, and ne forhtedon na. þa he hæfde þæt folc fægere getrymmed, he lihte þa mid leodon þær him leofost wæs, þær he his heorðwerod holdost wiste.25þa stod on stæðe, stiðlice clypode wicinga ar, wordum mælde, se on beot abead brimliþendra ærænde to þam eorle, þær he on ofre stod: "Me sendon to þe sæmen snelle,30heton ðe secgan þæt þu most sendan raðe beagas wið gebeorge; and eow betere is þæt ge þisne garræs mid gafole forgyldon, þon we swa hearde hilde dælon. Ne þurfe we us spillan, gif ge spedaþ to þam;35we willað wið þam golde grið fæstnian. Gyf þu þat gerædest, þe her ricost eart, þæt þu þine leoda lysan wille, syllan sæmannum on hyra sylfra dom feoh wið freode, and niman frið æt us,40we willaþ mid þam sceattum us to scype gangan, on flot feran, and eow friþes healdan." Byrhtnoð maþelode, bord hafenode, wand wacne æsc, wordum mælde, yrre and anræd ageaf him andsware:45"Gehyrst þu, sælida, hwæt þis folc segeð? Hi willað eow to gafole garas syllan, ættrynne ord and ealde swurd, þa heregeatu þe eow æt hilde ne deah. Brimmanna boda, abeod eft ongean,50sege þinum leodum miccle laþre spell, þæt her stynt unforcuð eorl mid his werode, þe wile gealgean eþel þysne, æþelredes eard, ealdres mines, folc and foldan. Feallan sceolon55hæþene æt hilde. To heanlic me þinceð þæt ge mid urum sceattum to scype gangon unbefohtene, nu ge þus feor hider on urne eard in becomon. Ne sceole ge swa softe sinc gegangan;60us sceal ord and ecg ær geseman, grim guðplega, ær we gofol syllon." Het þa bord beran, beornas gangan, þæt hi on þam easteðe ealle stodon. Ne mihte þær for wætere werod to þam oðrum;65þær com flowende flod æfter ebban, lucon lagustreamas. To lang hit him þuhte, hwænne hi togædere garas beron. Hi þær Pantan stream mid prasse bestodon, Eastseaxena ord and se æschere.70Ne mihte hyra ænig oþrum derian, buton hwa þurh flanes flyht fyl gename. Se flod ut gewat; þa flotan stodon gearowe, wicinga fela, wiges georne. Het þa hæleða hleo healdan þa bricge75wigan wigheardne, se wæs haten Wulfstan, cafne mid his cynne, þæt wæs Ceolan sunu, þe ðone forman man mid his francan ofsceat þe þær baldlicost on þa bricge stop. þær stodon mid Wulfstane wigan unforhte,80ælfere and Maccus, modige twegen, þa noldon æt þam forda fleam gewyrcan, ac hi fæstlice wið ða fynd weredon, þa hwile þe hi wæpna wealdan moston. þa hi þæt ongeaton and georne gesawon85þæt hi þær bricgweardas bitere fundon, ongunnon lytegian þa laðe gystas, bædon þæt hi upgang agan moston, ofer þone ford faran, feþan lædan. ða se eorl ongan for his ofermode90alyfan landes to fela laþere ðeode. Ongan ceallian þa ofer cald wæter Byrhtelmes bearn (beornas gehlyston): "Nu eow is gerymed, gað ricene to us, guman to guþe; god ana wat95hwa þære wælstowe wealdan mote." Wodon þa wælwulfas (for wætere ne murnon), wicinga werod, west ofer Pantan, ofer scir wæter scyldas wegon, lidmen to lande linde bæron.100þær ongean gramum gearowe stodon Byrhtnoð mid beornum; he mid bordum het wyrcan þone wihagan, and þæt werod healdan fæste wið feondum. þa wæs feohte neh, tir æt getohte. Wæs seo tid cumen105þæt þær fæge men feallan sceoldon. þær wearð hream ahafen, hremmas wundon, earn æses georn; wæs on eorþan cyrm. Hi leton þa of folman feolhearde speru, gegrundene garas fleogan;110bogan wæron bysige, bord ord onfeng. Biter wæs se beaduræs, beornas feollon on gehwæðere hand, hyssas lagon. Wund wearð Wulfmær, wælræste geceas, Byrhtnoðes mæg; he mid billum wearð,115his swuster sunu, swiðe forheawen. þær wearð wicingum wiþerlean agyfen. Gehyrde ic þæt Eadweard anne sloge swiðe mid his swurde, swenges ne wyrnde, þæt him æt fotum feoll fæge cempa;120þæs him his ðeoden þanc gesæde, þam burþene, þa he byre hæfde. Swa stemnetton stiðhicgende hysas æt hilde, hogodon georne hwa þær mid orde ærost mihte125on fægean men feorh gewinnan, wigan mid wæpnum; wæl feol on eorðan. Stodon stædefæste; stihte hi Byrhtnoð, bæd þæt hyssa gehwylc hogode to wige þe on Denon wolde dom gefeohtan.130Wod þa wiges heard, wæpen up ahof, bord to gebeorge, and wið þæs beornes stop. Eode swa anræd eorl to þam ceorle, ægþer hyra oðrum yfeles hogode. Sende ða se særinc suþerne gar,135þæt gewundod wearð wigena hlaford; he sceaf þa mid ðam scylde, þæt se sceaft tobærst, and þæt spere sprengde, þæt hit sprang ongean. Gegremod wearð se guðrinc; he mid gare stang wlancne wicing, þe him þa wunde forgeaf.140Frod wæs se fyrdrinc; he let his francan wadan þurh ðæs hysses hals, hand wisode þæt he on þam færsceaðan feorh geræhte. ða he oþerne ofstlice sceat, þæt seo byrne tobærst; he wæs on breostum wund145þurh ða hringlocan, him æt heortan stod ætterne ord. Se eorl wæs þe bliþra, hloh þa, modi man, sæde metode þanc ðæs dægweorces þe him drihten forgeaf. Forlet þa drenga sum daroð of handa,150fleogan of folman, þæt se to forð gewat þurh ðone æþelan æþelredes þegen. Him be healfe stod hyse unweaxen, cniht on gecampe, se full caflice bræd of þam beorne blodigne gar,155Wulfstanes bearn, Wulfmær se geonga, forlet forheardne faran eft ongean; ord in gewod, þæt se on eorþan læg þe his þeoden ær þearle geræhte. Eode þa gesyrwed secg to þam eorle;160he wolde þæs beornes beagas gefecgan, reaf and hringas and gerenod swurd. þa Byrhtnoð bræd bill of sceðe, brad and bruneccg, and on þa byrnan sloh. To raþe hine gelette lidmanna sum,165þa he þæs eorles earm amyrde. Feoll þa to foldan fealohilte swurd; ne mihte he gehealdan heardne mece, wæpnes wealdan. þa gyt þæt word gecwæð har hilderinc, hyssas bylde,170bæd gangan forð gode geferan; ne mihte þa on fotum leng fæste gestandan. He to heofenum wlat: "Geþancie þe, ðeoda waldend, ealra þæra wynna þe ic on worulde gebad.175Nu ic ah, milde metod, mæste þearfe þæt þu minum gaste godes geunne, þæt min sawul to ðe siðian mote on þin geweald, þeoden engla, mid friþe ferian. Ic eom frymdi to þe180þæt hi helsceaðan hynan ne moton." ða hine heowon hæðene scealcas and begen þa beornas þe him big stodon, ælfnoð and Wulmær begen lagon, ða onemn hyra frean feorh gesealdon.185Hi bugon þa fram beaduwe þe þær beon noldon. þær wearð Oddan bearn ærest on fleame, Godric fram guþe, and þone godan forlet þe him mænigne oft mear gesealde; he gehleop þone eoh þe ahte his hlaford,190on þam gerædum þe hit riht ne wæs, and his broðru mid him begen ærndon, Godwine and Godwig, guþe ne gymdon, ac wendon fram þam wige and þone wudu sohton, flugon on þæt fæsten and hyra feore burgon,195and manna ma þonne hit ænig mæð wære, gyf hi þa geearnunga ealle gemundon þe he him to duguþe gedon hæfde. Swa him Offa on dæg ær asæde on þam meþelstede, þa he gemot hæfde,200þæt þær modiglice manega spræcon þe eft æt þearfe þolian noldon. þa wearð afeallen þæs folces ealdor, æþelredes eorl; ealle gesawon heorðgeneatas þæt hyra heorra læg.205þa ðær wendon forð wlance þegenas, unearge men efston georne; hi woldon þa ealle oðer twega, lif forlætan oððe leof