The Roots of the Mountains, page 149 by William Morris
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e caught a great stroke on his target, and therewith drave his left shoulder straight forward, so that the man before him fell over into the water with a mighty splash; for they were at the very edge of the deepest eddy of the Water. Then he spun round on his heel, heeding not that another stroke had fallen on his right shoulder, yet ill-aimed, and not with the full edge, so that it ran down his byrny and rent it not. So he sent the thrust of his spear crashing through the face and skull of the smiter, and looked not to him as he fell, but stood still, brandishing his spear and crying out, 'For the Burg and the Face! For the Burg and the Face!'
No other foe came against him, but like to the echo of his cry rose a clear shout not far aloof, 'For the Face, for the Face! For the Burg and the Face!' He muttered, 'So ends the day as it begun,' and shouted loud again, 'For the Burg and the Face!' And in a minute more came breaking forth from the stone-heaps into the moonlit space before the water the tall shapes of the men of Burgstead, the red torchlight and the moonlight flashing back from their war-gear and weapons; for every man had his sword or spear in hand.
Hall-face was the first of them, and he threw his arms about his brother and said: 'Well met, Gold-mane, though thou comest amongst us like Stone-fist of the Mountain. Art thou hurt? With whom hast thou dealt? Where be they? Whence comest thou?'
'Nay, I am not hurt,' said Face-of-god. 'Stint thy questions then, till thou hast told me whom thou seekest with spear and sword and candle.'
'Two felons were they,' said Hall-face, 'even such as ye saw lying dead at Wood-grey's the other day.'
'Then may ye sheathe your swords and go home,' said Gold-mane, 'for one lieth at the bottom of the eddy, and the other, thy feet are well-nigh treading on him, Hall-face.'
Then arose a rumour of praise and victory, and they brought the torches nigh and looked at the fallen man, and found that he was stark dead; so they even