Sitting in the sun waiting with the others boys to be sent to their posts, Lugh looked around him, men where piling weapons along the edge of the water, as they began stocking the boats in preparation for the battle. Men gathered in small groups talking in low subdued voices, about what was to come. “ I did not think it would be so boring all this waiting”, Ferdi complained “Everything seems to take such a long time”. When Lugh spotted his father, walking up the hill to the workshops, to get his newly sharpened sword, Lugh waved to him. “Da, what is happening now, are you going in the boats with Báetáin and the others "he asked. Connal came over to him and nodded, "Yes son, when the ship are sighted we will sail out, I think you boys are detailed to be in the woods, with Diarmund. You listen to him Lugh, and take no chances, do you hear me, keep under cover, and rain arrows down on any raiders that come ashore. Just make sure that you stay safe Lugh, you mother would be broken hearted with out you", he gave Lugh a quick hug and strode away. Lugh stood and looked after him for a few moments, his father’s words making his stomach knot with dread.
Many hours later the boys and men not on the ships, were in position in the woods, from his perch high up in a beech tree, Lugh had a clear view of the water as it snaked around the Island of Gore. Below him he knew lay his friends and kin, he could just about make out the hunch of Ferdi shoulders as he leaned over a branch of oak.
Out on the water, he knew his father was in a small craft, rowing into battle. He had seen, Baetain stand proud in the stern as the lead boat sped out to meet the raiders.
All was very quiet in the woods, no birds called, small animals hid in the long grasses and waited too. He could see the boats of his rath, ranged together in a row all keeping pace with each other. It the growing light he could make out the top of a mast as it appeared above the breast of the island. One mast, two, then another and yet more masts snaked into view. His heart was in his throat, as he called to the men below,
"Many masts coming around the island, coming into view any minute, be ready for the signal, if any get ashore".

Softly he called down,” We can but watch and see what Báetáin and his ships do”. As the boats rounded the head of the island, Lugh watched as the raiders began to manoeuvre their boats into a line, meeting the ships of Báetáin as a wall of oars. He could see the men, as they strained to maintain the line, as the boats began to engage in fighting, the creaking as wood grated on wood as the boats crashed into each other. Then the dull clang of swords, as the two sides came together, with a roar and a screech and the battle began in earnest.
Lugh could still see his father's hunched shape, as he held the oars in the water to slow the boat. Towering above him, he saw Baetain in the stern with his sword slicing the air, where a moment before a raider had jumped into the boat from the bow of the raider craft as it rammed into another along side.

He could hear the lapping of the water as the oars dipped in and out as the boats gained speed in the race to draw first blood in battle. Round the head of the Gore Island, fifteen Norse boats were now visible, Lugh still watched his Father as he bent to the oars. He could hear the beat of a drum, building the rhythm into speed, as the boats of the Dal Fiatach, although outnumbered, were of a match for the invaders in speed, as they swung into the path of the vanguard of the Norse fleet.

The tension was palpable, Lugh could feel it as he lay along the branch of his perch in a oak tree, he called down to the men hidden in the scrub below, telling them of the action on the water. The sound of battle could now be heard clearly from the shore, the grinding of wood as the hulls thudded together, oars splintering; the clanging of metal as sword and axe bit each other; the screams of men killing and dying, as the frenzy of battle began in earnest.

As the boats came into range, the archers in the prow took aim, flights of arrows rained down on the rowers as they pulled with all their might to control the boat in the mayhem. Lugh could see the air darken as wave after wave of arrows let loose. He had now lost sight of his father's boat in the general melee as the ships met in a chaos of blood and gore.

The red sails of more Norse boats could now, be seen rounding the headland; guttural screams of the raiders drifted menacingly from the ships, as they surveyed the unexpected battle unfolding before them. The action was too far away for any on the shore to take part in or even see clearly, but they waited with fear and anxiety for their clansmen out on the water.

The clash of weapons and screams, were magnified, leaving those waiting in the shadows on the shore, with no view of the water, sick with terror, far better to be out there fighting. There were now about thirty boats engaged in battle, the Vikings seemed to have the advantage in numbers, Lugh could see the great fair men as they lunged with weapons glinting, swarming over the gunwale, swamping any opposition, Lugh could not tell which was friend or foe from the distance he was from the battle.

"What is happening Lugh, can you see any break in the fighting ", Ferdi called up from the bottom of he tree.
"It doesn't look good to me from here, can't make out any of ours, can you see your Da, I haven't see Baetain or my Da, since the start. If only we could do something, this waiting is really getting to me." The leaves in his tree camouflaged Lugh and he peered through the green gloom, unable to see where Ferdi also hid.

"It does look bad, they're fierce big men do you see the size of some of them, they look like they could cleave you in two with one stroke, if only they would come in range and we'd get a shot in". Lugh shouted over to Ferdi.

The water round the boats was tinged with pink foam that Lugh, realized, with a sickening lurch was blood." Look at the water, its red with blood, please God led my Da be all right" he cried, The men around him began stirring as they stood to look at the sight before them. Suddenly Ferdi gave a great shout, "Look!! Look south!!, more boats, there must be thirty, the Dal Fiatach have sent reinforcements", he pointed in the direction where masts and sails could be seen coming from the south.

The ships came on fast with a grave determination, their oars dipping and raising in unisons as the end game began. He could feel the atmosphere around him shift, charged with hope as the new boats began to engage the invaders; investing the defender's with renewed vigor. The Norse men seemed suddenly aware of this new edge as their certainty stalled as the fresh warriors took there advantage with savage abandon.

Cheers chorused among the screams, Lugh caught sight of Baetain in his red cloak as he fought a huge blond man with a an axe raised in defense, he strained for sight of his father, but the fighting was too fierce around Baetain for him to see any sight of Connall. Lugh and Ferdi stood side by side and watched the battle as the turned in their favour, "Its great see that big blond one, there I though he was going to kill Baetain, didn't see how he would get out of that".

As he spoke, Ferdi bent to pick up a flask of water at his feet, taking a deep swig, he past it to Lugh. "The heat is getting to me, must be bad out on the water."

Lugh took the water and drank deeply, splashing some on his face, "I feel drained; it has been a long night, if only I could see some sign of me Da, knew how it was going out there".

On the lough, the battle raged on, the defenders, swelled by reinforcements, had control of the situation, they out maneuvered the foreign ships and forced them into shallow water, where muddy palddies lurked under the water ready to ground them. Then the screams and clashing would begin again as the defenders franticly fought back to hold their position.

From the shore the screams and shouting was as loud as ever, but the action did not seem so frantic. One of the boats detached from the combat, and rowed slowly to the shore,
A man with blood on his face and hands called out to them "Boys we need help with the wounded, where are the attendants, there are some very badly wounded here". Lugh and Ferdi reached the first boat together and clambered over the side, in the boat the injured men lay as they had fallen, Ferdi slipped to his horror in blood that had pooled in the bilges.

Lugh looked frantically around hoping but dreading to see his father among the wounded. He bent over a man bleeding profusely from a deep gash in his head. He ripped some linen into strips, bending over the side he filled a discarded helmet with seawater and began to wash the wound freely with water before binding it as tightly as he could. He knew the man's face, but could not remember his name, the wounded man moaned his eyes flickered but thankfully, he did not regain consciousness.

The smell of blood hung in the air its salty sweetness made Lugh feel ill, but he moved on the next injured man, who appeared to have a gut wound, he lay holding his belly, the gray pallor of his face etched with pain. Lugh did not know how to help him, "Ferdi what can I do? We must get the healers to these men". Ferdi was kneeling, binding an arm wound; he looked up at Lugh pushing his black hair out of his eyed with a hand stained red with fresh blood. "I know, some of these injuries are shocking, I don't how to help."

All around them men lay in pain and in death. From the shore, a few men were approaching the boat, passing bundles from man to man keeping them out of the wet. As they reached the side, they called to Lugh to take them from them. He reached down, took the first bundle, and passed it to Ferdi. The men, who were now clambering over the side, were the healers who had been waiting in the woods to tend the injured. They set about their work assessing the wounded and easing their pain.

A small bald man who seemed to be in charge was briskly ordering treatment, as the contents of the bundles were opened and their contents set up as the medics got to work.

Lugh and Ferdi, no longer needed slid over the side and waded back a shore, to where their friends waited under the trees. Climbing back up the hill through the woods, Ferdi saw a familiar face and called out to him.

"Lugh, is there news of Baetain, is the battle still as fierce out there". Lugh who had been leaning against a tree, " No Ferdi , no news, its still going on but a few of the raider's boats a have made a run for it. No raiders have come ashore here, but up the lough, who knows, have to keep a look out. Here have a drink I know I need one.” Unstopping a horn flask he handed it to Ferdi who took a long swig, coughed as the spirit caught in his throat, "Ah that is the quare stuff , were did you get that ?." he croaked as handed the flask to Lugh, who took it drinking it with Ferdi warning in mind.

The sound of battle still echoed through the trees but without the tension of earlier.
Lugh climbed back up on his perch, many of the boats had broken away from the melee, fighting could still be seen as some boats stayed together in combat, others fleeing as fast as their injured rower's could pull. It seemed that the defenders had held the day, If he only knew where his father was Lugh would feel a bit happier. He had not had a sight of him since the beginning of the battle; he knew he had been in the thick of it as he had seen Báetáin in his red cloak killing the huge blond warrior. There was no sign of him now.