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warriors tried to crawl towards us.  Raibeart loosed at less than four paces and the arrow went through his throat to embed itself in the earth bank and I thrust my newly acquired sword through the groin of the second.
    When we reached the top of the bank I saw that my father was fighting two men and there was a ring of bodies around him.  I scream ed, “No!” and raced towards him; I could see that he was wounded already. I heard the panting breath of my brothers as I raced the last fifty paces.  We had no arrows left but Aelle and my brother took out their slings and one of the warriors was hit twice by their stones. We were too late for my father for the huge warrior he was fighting stabbed him in the side when he slipped on the blood soaked grass. He had started to turn to face me but my arm was already swinging the long sword behind me and the blade sliced through his neck with such force that his head flew into the air, a surprised expression fixed forever on his face.
    I knelt down next to my father.  He was barely breathing.  He opened his eyes and smiled at me. “Thank you my sons.  I can go to my ancestors knowing that you truly are warriors.”
    “Do not talk father we will heal you.”
    He pulled his arm away from his stomach to reveal that the sword had sliced him open.  His entrails were clearly visible. He gave a wry smile, “I am dying and you, Lann son of Hogan, must protect your brothers and fight on against these pirates and murderers.  Swear it.”
    “I so swear!”
    He closed his eyes and I thought that he was dead. His voice was thin and raspy as he said.  “Bury me with my wives and then leave this place.  You must hide. Find the hidden house on the way to the fort.” I looked perplexed and he gave me the familiar smile I knew so well. “It was your grandfather’s home and your mother and I hid there from the slavers.  It is safe and you can find sanctuary.  It is my last gift…”With a sigh, he died.
    I turned and saw the tear filled faces of my brothers. “We have no time for tears we have a job to do.”
    I went into the hut and brought out the spades. We dug three holes each one as deep as my legs.  When they were done we reverently picked up the body of my father and laid him in the middle one.  I placed his sword on his chest with his hands folded about it and then placed his shield upon his face. We placed my mother and my sister on his right. We put her dagger across her chest and Raibaert’s shield upon her face.  We did the same with Monca and her daughter.  Then we covered their bodies with the soil and found stones to cover them.
    We stood together, bound by love and grief. “Sucellos, take these people and watch over them until our time to join them is nigh.  We swear that we will not rest until they have been avenged.  We so swear.” My brothers repeated the oath and we stood in silence.
    Our next task was even more grisly.  We owed it to our neighbours to dispose of their bodies too.  It would not do to let the animals despoil their resting place.  We could not bury them all so we put them into the largest hut; placing families together and then we piled all their belongings with them and set fire to them. The flames rose high into the evening sky.  I suddenly worried that there might be other Angles nearby and they would see it but I was beyond caring. If they came they would find three angry, vengeful warriors.
    My two brothers suddenly found the emotion too much for them and I saw quivering lips.  They had managed to perform the grisly tasks easily enough but now they were left alone and my promise to my father suddenly became a burden I could not avoid. “The Angles we slew may be part of a larger band; we cannot stay here and Wolf and the flock will need us.” I saw the relief on their faces that a decision had been made. I glanced around the stronghold which had been my home for fourteen years.  We would never see it again. “Take whatever