Now Erpwald stood for a moment in the gate, with his men hard
behind him, expecting a rush at him, as it would seem. But our folk
stood firm in the line across the courtyard, shoulder to shoulder,
with my father and Owen before them. So they looked at one another.
Then Erpwald slipped the golden ring from his arm and held it up.
There may have been some thought in his mind that my father was
hesitating yet.
"By the holy ring I adjure you, Aldred, for the last time, to
return to the Asir," he said loudly.
My father shook his head only, but Stuf the house-carle, who had
stood beside him at the font this morning, had another answer which
was strange enough.
"This for the ring!" he said.
And with that he hurled a throwing spear at it as it shone in the
firelight, with a true aim. The spear went through the ring itself
without harming the hand of the holder, and coming a little
slantwise, twitched it away from him and stuck in the timber of the
stockade whence the gatepost had been riven. The ring hung spinning
on the shaft safely enough, but to Erpwald it seemed that his
treasure had gone altogether, and he yelled with rage and sprang
forward. After him came his men, and in a moment the two parties
were hand to hand.
Then was fighting such as the gleemen sing of, with the light of
the red fire waxing and waning across the courtyard the while.
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