And Niamh and Gwgan did stand back to back beneath the dying oak, and there didst make such a stand as did shake the earth beneath them. Niamh wielded her axe with bitter rage, whilst Gwgan's spear shattered in his grasp and he drew his sword. So didst the last of the king's band fight beneath the dying boughs, till Gwgan's skull cracked beneath a mace and Niamh's lifeblood spurted from her neck. So did these two fall, the slain foe their funeral bed.


~


A little piece of worldbuilding for a story  Kythra and I are working on. Niamh Nic Cormac of the Western Clans and Gwgan Silver-Shield of the Southern Marches were warriors in the service of the Ayrgeth king Domnall the First. As part of his teaghlach (household troops), they were tasked with keeping the fledgling kingdom of Ayrgeth secure.
Patrolling the northern frontier in a band about 100 strong, the warriors intercepted a massive Veldlander army attempting to infiltrate through a forested valley.

Rather than flee, the small band made a stand in the dying trees that covered the valley until all were either slain or captured. Of the eight prisoners, all were badly wounded. Offered quarter, Gwgan and Niamh refused and fought until both were slain. Their example would be eulogised by a Veldlander scribe, and in the following centuries the pair have been widely held up as paragons of self sacrifice and honour.

The reality is slightly more prosaic - the badger sow Niamh Nic Cormac was a mercenary of relatively lowly birth, while the red squirrel Gwgan Silver-Shield had once fought against the king as a rebel. Both however have since achieved immortality in the stories of their homeland. Shown here are the last minutes of their gallant stand. Both are clad in full mail over heavy padding against the cold mountain air, and both wear padded sleeves over their vulnerable tails. Indeed, amongst the squirrels of Ayrgeth a closely trimmed tail was considered the mark of a warrior, as it was necessary in order to keep the padded tail-sleeve secure.