welcome the rushing enemy with a discharge of deadly arrows.

Every heart beat quickly as the fatal moment came near; onward, with a
sound like thunder, galloped the horse of Edwy. He himself rode at their
head, clad in light armour, and by his side Elfric. All trace of fear
was gone now in the mad excitement of the charge; before them they saw
the wail of spear points; nearer and nearer their coursers bounded,
until they seemed to fly. Every rider leant forward, that his sword
might smite as far as possible; and, daring the points, trusting perhaps
to the breastplates of their horses and their own ready blades, they
rushed madly upon the foe.

In cold blood no one could, perhaps, have ridden fearlessly against such
an obstacle; but in the excitement of the moment the warriors of Edwy
seemed capable of charging any imaginable barrier: and it became almost
a pure calculation, not of the respective bravery of the troops, for
none were cowards on either side, but of mere physical laws of force and
resistance.

Elfric scarcely looked where he was going. He saw a shining lance point,
about to impale him, he diverted it by his sword blade, as he was
hurried into the midst of axes, swords, lances, and beheld the warrior
opposite to him in the second rank raise his axe to inflict a fearful
blow, which would have severed his horse's neck, had not an arrow
transfixed the foe.

The wedge seemed partly broken, and the king had begun to exult in the
anticipation of speedy victory, when from behind each end of the
entrenchment rushed two bodies of hostile cavalry; they fell upon Edwy's
forces in the rear, and in a few moments all was confusion.