Ardgal surveyed over the courtyard as the Druaidíi began to rouse themselves. The sun would be rising within the hour. Sleep would hard come by in the coming days he knew and the Men were proving resolute and determined in their advance. Though it was true that the roaming probes had paid dividends early on. From the moment the men had set foot in the forest a revolving group of 100 Druaidíi divided into 5 teams had been intermittently circling the men’s ranks as they progressed through the forest shooting down any which strayed or exposed themselves into open spaces. Ardgal had chosen those deemed quick and accurate to move constantly around their position, harrying and harassing at every opportunity.
In the beginning they had enjoyed great success and easily picked off stragglers as they struggled in Belvoir’s conditions. However the men had been adapting and improvising, strengthening and tightening their formation as they roamed the forest floor. They had moved quickly as befits an army of an Empire placing their renowned crossbowmen to their vulnerable outer flanks which had begun to have an effect.
In the last three days 13 of Na Druaidíi had felt their deadly bolts. Though seven were likely to recover, 2 remained incapactitated and 4 more were dead. A renewed assault was needed, the ambush at the clearing had been a success but they would need many more before the men were even in sight of Dún na Rí’s walls. The scouts tracking the men reported that Brandubh’s many squadrons sent out with their hounds had finally came upon one of Na Druaidíi’s hidden roads. The men would be eager now, impatient to rid themselves away from the tiring, struggle of the forest itself and get solid ground underneath them once more. However aside from their obscurity the roadways were built with security in mind. At best the Men could hope to march six wide across. If they tried to venture outside they would be greatly hindered by the forest’s natural defenses. With this in mind a decision had been made to show the men the true might of Na Druaidíi in face to face combat before they reached the outlying surroundings of Dún na Rí. As risky as it was necessary.
With little room for any retreat or maneuvering they hoped to make a dent in the men’s forces and test their resolve against the Omen force and claíomh’s of Na Druaidíi’s warriors. If they could use their momentum to create a hole it might be that they could turn the men, for a time at least.
As always the first person he met standing vigil in the early morning gloom of the Throne room was Michaél, he’d never been one for sleeping, even in his youth, his old age had done little to change that, indeed he seems to sleep less now than ever before.
Ardgal greeted him, “Trust you had a good three hour sleep then?”
“Four actually.” Michaél grinned, “I slept deeply.”
“You’ll need it. It will be a deciding day, we must be prepared for all, today most of our young gen will meet the men in battle face to face for the first time, a far different prospect to what has come before. From the trees the men were just targets down below, to test their skill. Now they must test their stomach, now they will bear witness to their bloodshed.”
“And bear it they shall, just like we did.” Michaél replied definitively, “these are invaders and will be treated as such.”
“That they will, come the others will have gathered now and we must be in position soon. The Faere’s are above?”
“They are yes, though the men seem to have now noticed them, they daren’t get too close for fear of their longbowmen. Daeria’s falcon was clipped by one such arrow yester evening.”
“Well we must see to it that all Faere’s in the air are warned against such actions, if we must observe them from the clouds then so be it, I want no arrow from the men to reach them.”
Outside the air was full of tension, both from excitement and nerves, even now in his old age Ardgal felt the familiar feeling in the depths of his stomach, it was something that one never got rid of, nerves were normal and indeed needed. They kept the mind and body sharp and focused, both of which would be needed in abundance in the coming fight.
Atop the castle walls Dagda stood overlooking out into the forest, as Ardgal moved to the front he jumped down to land beside him, Dagda nodded in greeting as Ardgal offered a hand on his shoulder in reply and turned to face those gathered, a considerable brunt of their numbers. He waved his claíomh high above his head for all to see, steadying himself he raised his voice, loud enough for all to hear, “The men have found themselves upon our roads, they will be in a celebratory mood no doubt, ready now for what they believe will be the final chapter in their victory. But they are in Our Land, Our Forest, let us show them who the author of this tale is. Let us see how much they value our destruction, for many have sought it before and many will seek it again. Let them continue to seek, for they will never find it. We are one. We are Druaidíi.”
At his words a rapturous roar went out, a great clamour of noise erupted as a host of claíomhs pounded off the ground. They were ready.
They set out, keeping the road in their peripheral they crept alongside its boundary quickly and quietly made their way towards the men.
It did not take many hours of steady progress before Ardgal and those others which made the vanguard came into range of the noise signalling the approaching men.
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As Ardgal had hoped, buoyed by the discovery of the roadway and the opportunity to now traverse with solid ground underneath, the men seemed ever so slightly louder and bolder than previously and also ever so slightly less wary. Ardgal ordered a halt as he scanned the first of the men coming into view. The front scouting cohort of the men was made up of three mounted light cavalry of the Milesians along with 4 Partholón scout longbowmen. Coming up behind them perhaps some few 100 yards further back, marched the bulk of their army streaming up the road like a great river, their heavy shields and long spears shining like a water’s surface in the morning gaze. The front scouts did indeed seem rather jovial, no doubt greatly encouraged by their role in discovery of the roadway. The day promised to bring with it a powerful heat and already the sun’s rays laid their hands upon the morning dew glistening like broken glass upon the ground.
Ardgal closed his eyes and nodded gently. At once the crisp morning air was interrupted by the sound of an eagle cawing loudly, and before it had finished its call the morning was alight with noise as the combined Omen force of ten Druaidíi crashed into the scouts in a ball of fire and lightning.
All pretense of subtlety and sneak was now laid aside, this was a show of force, designed to shock and awe the enemy face to face. Ardgal emerged onto the road. He felt the force inside him, building, boiling, he let it rise further and further until he felt the familiar wave of power and strength wash over him as it had done so many times before. As with all Déithe, when he was younger he had oft felt the tremendous pain and agony that came with the force and failure to control it. In his youth he had frequently duelled with his own potential, but those days were a distant memory now. Though old in years when the force came on him Ardgal felt as powerful and able as ever before. As he walked untouched through the fire and smoke and what little remained of the Men’s scouts he felt no fear. Ahead of him lay the full force of the men, as they came into view he could see far behind to the deep, ever stretching mass of soldiers melting far back down the road and into the forest itself. He felt no fear.
Alongside to his left strode Farda and, and Fiona, to his right came Dagda, all of which were considered the amongst the most powerful of the Wind Omens. His son had insisted he stand aside him and Ardgal knew deep down it was the only place for him.
The sounds of the Men’s cries of alarm woke Ardgal briskly from his thoughts. With all of na Druaidíi’s force now coming up behind him, the men were hastily assembling themselves into line with an impressive degree of order and efficiency. Seemingly unperturbed by the explosion and advancing Druaidíi the front spearmen had parted like a great sea to allow the Milesian crossbowmen and Partholón longbowmen forward. They moved quickly and orderly into formation. The harsh bellow that could only be from a man of Aileann reverberated around the forests walls calling his archers to attention. “Ready, Aim…”
His final words were smothered in a gurgle of blood as an ice shard pierced through his neck lodging itself in place. For a moment unsure and hesitant the men were almost immediately engulfed in a barrage of ice, fire and lightning shards hurtling out of the forests cover. As they scrambled to cover their flanks from the forest's hidden attackers Ardgal and the others continued to press slowly forward. Now however they were in easy range for the Milesian crossbowmen of the men’s centre and this time there was to be no timely intervention. The crossbowmen, in a tongue Ardgal struggled to catch, notched, readied and fired, almost in one fluid movement. Ardgal and the three beside him combined their voices, moulding it into one,
“GAOTH”
A rippling, pulsating forcefield immersed itself around the 4 Druaidíi as they came ever onwards, such a powerful spell had not been used in a battle for over twenty years and the energy it created left Ardgal in as much awe and shock at its might as if he was experiencing once more for the very first time. The Milesian bolts stopped dead splitting violently on impact with the Gaoth’s Omen shield.
Ardgal could now see the faces of the men, their concentration, their focus, and their resolve. Still resistant, they would not be easily shocked.
The Milesians reloaded, notched, aimed and fired once again, still as smooth and efficient as ever. And once more the bolts were shattered, bouncing harmlessly beyond the Gaoth’s force barricade. The Druaidíi were now almost within striking range. The crossbowmen were ordered anew, but this time there was no single call, instead they set about firing at will.
It mattered not, they were close enough now. The men’s faces were not so focused now, Ardgal spied one or two glance behind them, their faces began to turn from frustration and confusion to panic and fear as from within the trees on both sides behind the wind barricade emerged the warriors of Na Druaidíi heading at a great speed directly at the crossbowmen. As the first of the Druaidíi came upon him Ardgal spoke the word and the others followed suit.
“GAOTH”
With one last great effort those holding the forceshield thrust forwards driving the sum of their energy into the retreating crossbowmen even as they struggled to interchange positions with their spearmen. The force of the blast drove a great number of their forward ranks to their knees. The charging Druaidíi streamed in and were many lines deep before they even encountered any resistance, slashing, chopping and hacking down those unfortunate enough to have been at the top of the formation. As the Druaidíi poured past them Ardgal and the others collapsed momentarily waylaid by their excursion. The Men were struggling to gather their spearmen and were now desperately attempting to repel the sudden attack. Any breaks or clinks in their line were quickly exploited and rushed into. Any which strayed off the road were easily picked off from within the cover of the forest by those waiting inside. The tightly assembled forces of the men were hard pressed on all sides with little room for manoeuvre.
In contrast Na Druaidíi, in a loose formation gave plenty of room for each to make full use of their claíomh’s, quickly interchanging to keep their numbers constantly moving and switching position, all to allow them to maintain an extreme pressure on the Men’s line. Deadly omen attacks created brief but rewarding holes for Na Druaidíi to probe and exploit and prevent the men from gaining a moment to consider and readjust to their next strategy.
Taking in a deep breath of smoke, battle filled air Ardgal steadied himself and drew his staff, beside him Dagda had his already off his back.
Ardgal whispered her name as he always did before Battle and slid forward to join the attack, bloodlust and battle rage building in him he spied the first man he would kill, he would not be the last.