There was not a man in that army that lost a word of this, hearing indeed the voice of Biorn but gazing the while on their lord out of whose shadow he spoke: on the great stature of Styrbiorn towering above them, and on the great raven-wings shadowing like death. As Biorn ended, Styrbiorn reared his head yet higher and shouted in a great voice. “Your watchword for egging on one another to battle: Forth, forth, Styrbiorn’s men!”
Therewith came the captains with their companies and went forth before the banners and let blow the war-blast and cried out, “Forth, forth, Styrbiorn’s men!” And the whole host set up the war-shout and set on against the array of King Eric, shooting with arrows and twirl-spears and stones and hand-axes and shaft-flints. But ere they were come up and at hands with the enemy, the King’s ranks opened and let forth against them the beasts of burden armed as aforesaid; and these were now driven on by a great company of thralls and ill-doers that were themselves pricked from behind with spears and bills, and fire was set now among the tails of the horses and oxen so that in a moment they were all run wild with the terror and scathe of the fire, and stampeded all in a body against Styrbiorn’s host. And now was an evil din of cattle bellowing and horses squealing, and there was many a man slain there or trampled or maimed or limb-lopped and their array near broken, and much folk fell both of the Jomsburgers and of them that drave on the beasts; but the King’s fighting men held aback all the while on the skirts of this tumult, and few of them took hurt there, but they held well their line waiting their time for an onslaught. But Styrbiorn’s host, besides the wounding and man-slaying that there befell them, must spend strength on butchers’ work and the hewing down of naked thralls, while their enemies abode fresh waiting on their time.
As soon as this first brunt, wherein the baggage animals bare chiefest part, died down a little, and the beasts and the thrall-folk were slain or driven away, the King’s folk plunged down upon the battle of the Jomsburgers and gave them so hard an onfall that well nigh was their whole army put to a rout now. And now was Styrbiorn’s line bent back, and man hewed man, and hard and woundsome went the battle until past noonday. And as the day wore it was well seen what great good the King had won by his taking to Queen Sigrid’s reed of the baggage animals, for his men were unwearied yet and full of all eagerness and fain of weapon-play, while their foes, for all their great hardiness and long use of wars and battles, were near overcome with very weariness. Withal, whensoever there fell a man on Styrbiorn’s side there was none to take his place; but all day long were the King’s losses made good by new forces that would still be coming by tens and twenties: late stragglers to his host-bidding, yet welcomer now an hundredfold than had they come in two days since.
Yet for all their weariness and the odds against them the men of Jomsburg blenched nowise nor slacked not from the fight. Styrbiorn fared all day through the battle where the work was briskest, and the raven’s wings that he bare aloft on his helm became a lodestar unto his own men and unto his enemies a sign of dule and undoing. Men thought he fared that day like one shielded by some God, or like a wizard whom iron will bite not: so little he warded himself from blow or thrust, yet took never a wound. But of many men he took the life there, and these of greatest note: Earl Aunund, namely, and Kalf of Kalmar and Karl Heriolfson that was sister’s son to old Thorgnyr and held for a great champion.
Eric the King had his bodyguard about him, and they made a shield-burg about the King. Helgi was captain of the King’s bodyguard. Twice and thrice Styrbiorn came nigh to them, and it seemed to them as if he was minded to break the shield-burg: but each time he turned aside and bare not weapon against the shield-burg nor against the King. But now, as evening drew on and with all his force of numbers the King yet found that he might not bear back the Jomsburgers a step, but barely held them, and Styrbiorn fought yet like flaming fire, the King sent forth his berserks, An the Black and his kinsmen, six in company against Styrbiorn, if haply they might overcome him faring all together against him and haply so make an end.
Biorn saw them as they came a-thrusting through the press of the battle. He shouted to Styrbiorn, who bestrode in that instant Valdimar of Holmgarth that was fallen with a spear-thrust through the thigh and two foemen making to slay him, but Styrbiorn beat them back and shouted to his men to succour Valdimar. And in this instant while Styrbiorn had his hands full with those twain, came An against him six in company, and they set on him from both sides. An was a man both big and strong. He was swart of hue, and the black hair of him was so long that he tucked it under his belt behind. He and his fellows had now the berserk-gang upon them: their bellowing was like the bellowing of the hell-dead out of hell, and their mouths slavered as they rushed to the onset, and they bit on their shield-rims, and their eyes flamed like the eyes of a cat-a-mountain. That was Gizur Arnliotson, An’s youngest brother, that leapt first at Styrbiorn, outrunning his fellows, and thrust at his belly
