did was a wonder.

At last the feast was arrayed, and the hall was thronged as much as
might be, and folk fell to meat, and now they were all exceeding
merry; and when they had done eating, the boards were drawn to make
more room, and they fell to the drink, and after the first cup to
Christ, and the second to Allhallows, the third was drunk to the
home-comers from the war. Yet were not the stay-at-homes to be put off
with so little, and they called a cup for Osberne the Captain of the
warriors; and when it had been drunk, then all folk looked toward the
captain to see what he would do; but he rose up and stood in his
place, his cheek flushed and his eyes sparkling: and the word came
into his mouth and he sang:

The War-god's gale
Drave down the Dale
And thrust us out
To the battle-shout;
We wended far
To the wall of war
And trod the way
Where the edges lay,
The rain of the string rattled rough on the field
Where the haysel was hoarded with sword-edge & shield.

Long lived the sun
When the play was begun,
And little but white
Was the moon all night;
But the days drew in
And work was to win,
And on the snow
Lay men alow,
And at Yule fared we feasting in war-warded wall
And the helm and the byrny were bright in the hall.

Then changed the year
And spring was dear,
But no maid went
On mead or bent,
For there grew on ground
New battle-round,
New war-wall ran
Round houses of man,
There tower to tower oft dark and dim grew
At noontide of summer with rain of the yew.

Neath point and edge
In the battle hedge
We dwelt till wore
Late summer o'er;
We steered aright
The wisdom-bark
Through the steel-thronged dark,
The warrior we wafted from out of the fray,
And he woke midst the worthy and hearkened their say.

Now peace is won
And all strife done,
And in our hands
The fame of lands
Aback we bear
To the dale the dear,
And the Fathers lie
Made glad thereby.
Now blossometh bliss in the howes of the old
At our tale growing green from their tale that is told.

Loud was the glee and the shouting at his song, and all men said that
every whit thereof was sooth, and that this was the best day that had
ever dawned on Wethermel; and great joy and bliss was on the hall till
they must needs go to their rest. So changed was Wethermel,