It was a rainy, foggy day when his patrol was asked to leave camp. Another patrol was rumored to be missing. The fighting past the Fords of the Isen was getting worse and with the fog setting in, he was worried about also finding himself in one.
It was a couple of months since Gaenburh left Snowbourn on a courier job. He spent the few days of rest that was granted, finding Saewaru the glittering stone that he promised her. It would have been a disaster for him to return to the Norcrofts without bringing it. Also like promised, he had been letting his hair grow to prove to the lasses (and Saewaru) that he was not having issues with his head of hair.
It had been, according to the mead server, that his lack of hair was gone thus being the reason for his bald head. The maegisterwigend was still young and bold. He wasn't going to let his pride fade from such a rumor.
Leaving Helm's Deep for the lands around the Isen left him in a solemn mood. With the stone in hand, he knew that he had a promise to keep with the young woman of Snowbourn. There was a bit of pressure too. He had a brother to impress while away.
All his thoughts of impressing others was shredded away when they came upon a river bank. It was obvious that a threat from the west was growing. His patrol was ordered to be ready as tales of the wildmen told of warriors that were brutal, and small fights before left the impression on the young Eorling that they were going to fight tooth and nail to murder his kin.
Then the shouts from the hills came.
"From the right!" He shouted. His nerves were shot at first. It was not his first time in battle, but he had others to worry about. These wildmen were ready for them too. Their helms were on their red-haired heads and their mail were battle-tested from the fight prior.
His brow was already soaked from the march and fog. The men they were fighting were already blood-raged and eager. It was not going well as more of the enemy poured from the brush and trees. There was only one thing he would think of.
"Pull back! It's lost here."
