Fraoch stood on the outer wall of Armengar watching the sun rise. He had been standing there for over three hours unable to sleep. In the distance the shadow that is Coill Oiartharach loomed menacingly. Within that dark forest Simeadreach was held captive as far as the Incantors could discern he was still alive but they had to move fast. His plan was a simple one a main attack from the west by three Eagles and on the east a small force infiltrates the forest and retrieves the prisoner. As daylight crept over the island he hoped that the plan would work. Fraoch, internally, was concerned about this battle but to all around he showed nothing but calmness. The clank of metal brought him from his reverie. A young man from one of the talons had been sent to find him. The man, but so much more a boy, was very obviously just out of the camp and Fraoch pondered whether or not that boy would still see the end of the day. They walked in silence back to the main square where the muster had begun.
Fraoch took a diversion on the way to the parade ground he walked into his home and donned his armour and picked up his weapons. Looking around the room he thought of how many times he'd rushed from here to defend the walls and now he was leading the attack. He walked over to Maedhbh and kissed her gently.
"I'll see you later tonight mo chroi."
She looked up at him smiled and said
"Misneach agus Urraim Athair".
He smiled back and swore to himself that he'd return to her. Slinging Forth Eki'ds so his side he walked to the one other stop he always made on the way to a battle. In the Temple of Heramecles Fionnuala and Charaeos were standing expecting him.
"You seem to be running late Fraoch?" she greeted.
"Maedhbh never ceases to amaze me with the things she says and does for me."
Fionnuala smiled and they walked to the alter. Fraoch and Charaeos knelt down and Fionnuala proceeded with the usual personal blessings that they required before a battle. With the blessing complete and Heramacles' eye on Fraoch then he knew he'd see his daughter that night. With that Fraoch, Charaeos and Fionnuala walked out to the muster.
In the main square of Armengar the sight of the glinting metal of the arms and armour of the three eagles and of the scouts who were to be the infiltrators filled Fraoch with pride. Many of these people had never before served in a battle and many in Armengar had thought that the days of having to defend the island were past and now they had to fight at home again. Fraoch stood up on a dais that had been set up Charaeos standing to his side.
"Armengarians" he began and the armies quieted.
"Today we have once more to fight on our homeland and for our homeland but this time its against a force that none of us have really encountered properly. These warriors seem to have mystical abilities that we haven't faced before and I can understand that many here are fearful of them but take heart all of us has a fear of them. In the forest Simeadreach is being held captive and we cannot allow that to go unanswered. We cannot and will not abandon one of our own when they are in danger. Fearful of what lies ahead today all are but we cannot allow that fear to control us. We who became the Lions of Amnor will once again prove why we earned that title and we will return victorious to these walls with our lost friend with us. We all know that recently we have lost two members of our community. Corthar and Taleisin are in the Isles of the Mighty now and with them watching over us we shall emerge victors of the day."
"Today we send a message" Fraoch continued more vehemently, "That we will not be taken for granted or for servitude by any group. We will not be oppressed by anyone or anything. Today we show the world that Armengarians are the best and are not to be underestimated. We do this in the name of ancestors and in the names of our honoured dead".
The armies erupted into cheers as Fraoch stood watching them, pride welling up in his heart.
"Misneach agus Urraim" he roared and with that the army moved out the gate towards the battle with Fraoch and Charaeos leading from the front. They marched down from the plateau and followed the river to the edge of the forest. The scouts, backed up by members of the Tribe had run ahead to get to their location as fast as possible and now the main force was finally in their battle line.
Despite the brightness of the morning the forest looked thoroughly foreboding. Fraoch checked the angle of the sun to see how long before the attack was to begin. Behind the main force there was a slightly raised area and it was there that the archers were deployed flanked by two of Corthars more interesting pieces of artillery. Along the front rank the heavily armored stood their ground waiting for the signal to advance to the fray. When the time was right Fraoch ordered the archers and the artillery to launch a fire attack on the side of the forest. The response was almost immediate. A volley of arrows from the forest indicated that the defence was in place and retaliating. The first wave of arrows had little effect on the armored Armengarians though some of the troops fell none were too seriously injured and the healers quickly had them back on their feet. As the force of Armengar watched just in front of the forest there appeared, quite literally, an army. The enemy stood and looked at the Armengarian force. The enemy consisted of about one hundred and fifty of the alien race and about fifty humans. Renegade Armengarians who had joined forces with An Namhaid san Coill. Traitors who would, same as all others of their kind, be put to the sword. The Namhaid advanced and Fraoch ordered the charge. The Armengarian line rushed forward to answer the calls of the enemy. The battle was joined in earnest with the clash of steel ringing in the morning air. Fraoch waded into the enemy lines wielding Forth Eki'ds like a scythe cutting down the Namhaid and the Fealltoiri like a harvest. These bastards have been killing Armengarians and they will pay.
Looking round the battle Fraoch saw the Armengarian force controlling the field. Cosaint was to be seen everywhere standing over fallen enemies and adding to their losses. Charaeos had been cutting a swathe through them. Caoimhe had all but entered a frenzy as she slaughtered enemies wherever they appeared in her arc. The fighting was truly bloody, the Armengarians knew that they had to keep the enemy occupied while the Talon slipped in the opposite side of the forest. Fraoch wondered how they were doing in there and hoped that this distraction was enough to draw most of their force away from Simeadreach. Fraoch was interrupted from his thoughts by a blade coming towards his chest. He dealt with the Namhaid in short order. Forth Eki'ds cutting him in two. Then it happened, as quickly as they had appeared the remaining Namhaid disappeared.
Fraoch looked around the battle field. There were bodies of Armengarians and some of the rapidly decomposing corpses of the enemy but there seemed very few. Staring around Fraoch hoped that this was because they enemies had already decomposed. Coimhe and Charaeos made their way over to Fraoch. The looked around discussing whether or not to persue into the forest but decided that to do that would be foolish and put the enemy on their own turf. With a cry of victory the Armengarians started back towards the keep and to home. The dead and wounded were carried along with the marching army. As they marched Fraoch considered the battle and the reason for it. He hoped that the others had located and brought Simeadreach home and also in his mind he wanted to know who the humans were and where they came from, he'd be apologizing to Fuil Dubh for accusing the Delalarians of being in cahoots with these others. There were very obviously Heramacleans involved too. Armengarians had died on this day and although Fraoch accepted that it was part of the nature of battle but that didn't make it any easier.
As the armies marched back into the keep at Armengar Fraoch broke away from them. Charaeos smiled. He knew exactly where he was going. Fraoch walked into his home to have his daughter rush into his arms.
"I promised I'd be back to you" he said softly.
For the next short while he stayed there holding her. Then as the realities of the day crept back into his mind he rose and headed out again. This time to get the reports from Mar'ek and Daelvin and to deal with the funeral of Taleisin and of Corthar and to greet Heingeist, Taleisins brother. As he left he turned and smiled at his daughter.
"I'll be back shortly" he said.
Then he walked out into the day again.
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