But as to this felon, Dale-warden's edge split his skull, and Face-
of-god gathered his might together and bestrode Bow-may, till he had
hewed a space round about him with great two-handed strokes; and yet
the blade brake not. Then he caught up Bow-may from the earth, and
the felon's knife had not pierced her hauberk, but she was astonied,
and might not stand upon her feet; and Face-of-god turned aside a
little with her, and half bore her, half thrust her through the
throng to the rearward of his folk, and left her there with two
carlines of the Wolf who followed the host for leechcraft's sake, and
then turned back shouting: 'For the Face, for the Face!' and there
followed him back to the battle, a band of those who were fresh as
yet, and their blades unbloodied, the young men of the Woodlands.
The wearier fighters made way for them as they came on shouting, and
Face-of-god was ahead of them all, and leapt at the foemen as a man
unwearied and striking his first stroke, so wondrous hale he was; and
they drave a wedge amidst of the Dusky Men, and then turned about and
stood back to back hewing at all that drifted on them.
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