The brothers Egil and Thorolf fought and sailed together until they entered the service of Athelstan, king of the English. On the morning of a great battle, the king divided their commands. Thorolf was to lead men along the woodland. Egil would fight elsewhere in the line.
“Keep us together,” Egil said.
Thorolf would not dispute the king’s arrangement. He offered to exchange places instead.
Egil looked towards the trees. “Then have it your way.”
The standards moved apart.
Once battle joined, he could see little beyond shields and shoulders. Men pressed forward, stumbled, closed the spaces left by those who fell. Then a shout rose near the wood. Egil looked across and saw Thorolf’s standard retreating.
His brother would not willingly have been behind it.
Egil broke towards the men coming back. From them he learned that enemies had burst out of the trees and struck Thorolf down. He drove the shaken company forward again. He found the earl who had led the attack and killed him; then he pursued the fleeing men until the field and the woods lay far behind.
When he returned, Thorolf was still where he had fallen.
Egil washed him and laid him in a grave with his clothes and weapons. Before the earth went in, he fastened a gold ring around each of his brother’s wrists. His hands had work to do, and he did it carefully. Then he stood over the closed grave and spoke a verse.
Athelstan’s hall was loud with victory when Egil entered.
He sat opposite the king, his helmet still on, his sword across his knees. Someone brought him a horn. He did not take it. He drew his sword partway from its sheath and drove it back. After a while he did it again.
Across the fire, Athelstan watched him.
The king rose. He drew his own sword, slipped a heavy gold ring from his arm and set it on the blade’s point. Then he held it out over the flames.
Egil stood. With the point of his sword he caught the ring and drew it towards himself.
Neither blade touched flesh. The ring passed from one man to the other through the heat.
Back at his place, Egil put it on his arm. He set aside his helmet and sword. When the horn came again, he drank.
Athelstan gave him two chests of silver to carry to their father, Skallagrim, as payment for the loss of a son. There would be wealth and a place in England for Egil too, if he stayed.
Egil laid a hand on one of the chests. Then he thanked the king.