The next day, back in the city of Enna Aignech, Tethra sat around the table of elders. They had been discussing the war and the loss of Caer Omaith. They had no idea of her fate and everyone was dejected at the loss of her bright and happy nature that kept spirits high.
He could see Devorgill had been crying. Fiall sat alongside her, also crying, and they were comforting one another.
Tethra stood up because he had an idea that as he spoke was forming in his mind.
“Lords, Ladies, Generals and Captains,” he began. “I think we need to mount a rescue, for the morale of the city. I propose a counterattack of our most skilled warriors and horses, extremely early tomorrow morning, from their rear, where Ruad’s tent will be. We must be fast, in and out and back here before they can regroup. I believe we can do it.”
The room erupted into loud chatter as they discussed his proposal. It didn’t take long for them to agree, and it was decided the rescue would begin late that evening. It was decided that Tethra’s best trained warriors in the art of Riangbra’s skill blade, would stealthily approach Ruad’s camp and try to liberate Caer Omaith. Tethra knew it would be difficult, but to bring Caer Omaith home would lift the optimism of the whole city.
As darkness fell, Tethra and the Riangbra warriors left the city and skirted wide around the hills and lake that was to the north of the two enemy camps. It took several hours, and it was when the moon disappeared behind the horizon that they arrived. Silently and in the darkness, without blindfolds as the darkness was so deep, the warriors used their finely honed skills to sense even a soldier sleeping behind the tent walls. When they found one awake, they skirted wide. Slowly they came to the middle of the sleeping camp, using the shadows to disappear. At one stage a soldier came out of a tent and stood within an arm’s length of one of Tethra’s men. He spoke to himself, urinated loudly, rubbed his arms, and retreated out of the cold night air.
Tuatha could see one of the tents was larger than the others. It was lit up and they could see shadows and people moving. Tethra couldn’t believe his luck. Against a wall of the tent in shimmering candlelight he could see the figure of a woman, seated at a table. Tall and slender with waist length hair. It had to be Princess Caer Omaith.
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Silently he moved over to the tent and listened.
“You will give in to me. Once I destroy your family you will not have a choice,” said Ruad’s voice impatiently. Ruad cursed and slammed his sword hard and flat onto the table in front of Caer Omaith. She said nothing. Ruad stormed out of the tent. “Watch her carefully,” he said to the guard, “and don’t let her sleep.”
Tethra motioned to his men to go and dispatch the guards. They went to the back of the tent and in a matched and silent move, both guards were dead. As he heard them fall, Tethra cut the tent side and motioned to Caer Omaith to quietly come and to match his movements. He was careful to leave room for her in the shadows. It felt almost too easy.
But, as they approached the last line of tents, Tethra heard Ruad’s voice shouting. He had returned to the tent. “She has escaped. Alarm, sound the alarm,” he roared at the top of his voice. A bugle sounded and Tethra’s warriors could hear men jumping out of their beds, clanking as they hastily put on armour and strapped on swords. By the time they came out of the tents, Tethra could see the edge of the dark forest.
Suddenly four men ran into Tethra’s path, just as they were crossing between shadows. The men shouted, and suddenly they had more men running in their direction.
The four unlucky men did not realise the few they had seen were in fact twenty men in the shadows. They didn’t get far and were dispatched. Tethra and three of his closest men stood in a line and beckoned for the others and Caer Omaith to make a run for the dark forest. The soldiers that arrived to respond to the shouts seemed confused and had stopped at the dead bodies of their fellows. Tethra, realising they were still not spotted, quickly moved into the shadows and followed the others. Ruad had heard the shouting and had gathered men and was close behind them as Tethra, Caer Omaith and the Riangbra warriors glided through the forest, using stumps and rocks so as not to make a noise in the underbrush and reveal their location.
They kept this up for two hours, following the path they had used to come the other direction. The sound of the searchers faded away as they lost the trail. Then the morning arrived, a dull glow against a lowering sky.
When they arrived back at the city it was early morning, and most soldiers were already on the walls. It was only when they had been spotted, a shout became two shouts, then a roar of voice and cheering. A sound that fell on Ruad’s ears as he tried to find any sign of the raiders along the path. His anger grew and it was like fire coming out from beneath the collar of his tunic. The enemy had a win, but nothing could stop him and Amerghin. They would pay eventually, he felt sure of it. Ruad snarled and turned back. He knew it was Tethra and vowed to find him and kill him in battle.