kindreds.

So now having driven back the Goths to that height over the ford, which
indeed was no stronghold, no mountain, scarce a hill even, nought but a
gentle swelling of the earth, they forebore them; and raising up the
whoop of victory drew slowly aback, picking up their own dead and
wounded, and slaying the wounded Markmen. They had with them also some
few captives, but not many; for the fighting had been to the death
between man and man on the Wolfing Meadow.

CHAPTER XXV--THE HOST OF THE MARKMEN COMETH INTO THE WILD-WOOD

Yet though the Romans were gone, the Goth-folk were very hard bested.
They had been overthrown, not sorely maybe if they had been in an alien
land, and free to come and go as they would; yet sorely as things were,
because the foeman was sitting in their own House, and they must needs
drag him out of it or perish: and to many the days seemed evil, and the
Gods fighting against them, and both the Wolfings and the other kindreds
bethought them of the Hall-Sun and her wisdom and longed to hear of
tidings concerning her.

But now the word ran through the host that Thiodolf was certainly not
slain. Slowly he had come to himself, and yet was not himself, for he
sat among his men gloomy and silent, clean contrary to his wont; for
hitherto he had been a merry man, and a joyous fellow.

Amidst of the ridge whereon the Markmen now abode, there was a ring made
of the chief warriors and captains and wise men who had not been slain or
grievously hurt in the fray, and amidst them all sat Thiodolf on the
ground, his chin sunken on his breast, looking more like a captive than
the leader of a host amidst of his men; and that the more as his scabbard
was empty; for when Throng-plough had fallen from his hand, it had been
trodden under foot, and lost in the turmoil. There he sat, and the
others in that ring of men looked sadly upon him; such as Arinbiorn of
the Bearings, and Wolfkettle and Thorolf of his own House, and Hiarandi
of the Elkings, and Geirbald the Shielding, the messenger of the woods,
and Fox who had seen the Roman Garth, and many others. It was night now,
and men had lighted fires about the host, for they said that the Romans
knew where to find them if they listed to seek; and about those fires
were men eating and drinking what they might come at, but amidmost of
that ring was the biggest fire, and men turned them towards it for
counsel and help, for elsewhere none said, "What do we?