Dubhaine Family/Cathal/Roleplays/1011/December

December 18th -- Warmanoras

Cathal toyed with the heavy signet he wore on his left ring-finger as he studied the guttering flames of the tax office. The polished sardonyx seal of the Duchy of Alowca transmuted the fire-light to streaks of blood, glittering amidst its field of muted yellow.

There was a time when as Duke the defence of Warmanoras and her prized horseflesh was uppermost in his mind, before the famine and Oritolon's pogroms. Nothing however nothing remained in the province of the splendid Alowcan civilisation which had kept her safe from war until its very end. Instead everywhere were the arms and manners of Oritolon, full of pride and conceit, lacking in any virtues.

If these people would shake off the oppression under which they laboured then Minas Thalion would not be slow to support them, but he wondered if enough of their old spirit yet remained. And as he considered the changes which the years had wrought here in the Alowcan peninsula he found himself also pondering his recent exchanges with Lord Walker. The young knight had that same optimism which he'd possessed as a youth, before his time as general had taught him the true face of war.

And the more he thought of his own experiences, the more he wondered if Lord Walker knew the true origin of the tale he'd retold, disguised as it was behind such outlandish names and sketchy details. The Battle of Abaka Crossing they'd called it, also The Field Of Blood for the many men killed in that bloody melee, and The Last Stand of the Southern Alliance for it had been the last time Alowca and Alebad stood together in battle before the latter retreated into isolation and despair.

It was in the fourth year of 1008 according to the Gregorian calendar and three decades of life had passed since then, but still there were those who remembered the handful of brave Alowcan knights who refused to yield the river crossing to the might of Ortolan. For four days they'd stood knee-deep in blood and fought to defend both the lands of their ally and the holiest shrine of their sister faith Kamido.

Cathal did his duty as general of Alowca's small professional army, and in later years he would use the battle as the backdrop to the opening scene of the epic play-cycle The Fall Of Alowca with which he'd once held audiences spellbound in the playhouses of the north. In the play Lady Denariel tends to the young champion as he lies wounded in his tent on the third day of battle, revealing the destiny which has been laid before his people and the tragic events which must unfold before the Final Battle marks the end of this age of men.

The action then moves to the morning of the fourth day. Alowca's army has paid a heavy price to contest the passage of Abaka and is forced to withdraw by Alebadian inaction, their baggage-train overflowing with the wounded and dying. With all now at risk the partially-paralysed Cathal orders his captain Gregor to strap him to his horse and together with a small guard of knights and men-at-arms they charge the Oritolon lines one last time, buying the precious hours needed for their countrymen to escape and then melting into the night themselves.

Both sides had claimed a victory, though in truth the real loser was Alebad for having chosen to stand behind her mighty stone walls they sealed their fate. Perhaps now the nobles of Oritolon understood why Cathal and his knights had fought so determinedly...

Setting aside thoughts of war he wrapped his cloak about him to keep out the salt-heavy chill from the southern ocean and returned to his tent. Justice must now run its course, for good or ill.