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or my people.”
    I saw him hesitate when he saw the gleaming blade but he put his hands upon it and said, “I so swear and we are your men unto death.”
    Pol and my men had appeared during this. “Give them some arms Pol.  I must speak with the Prince.”
    I found Myrddyn and Fergus with the Prince.  They all looked up when I came in.  The two Hibernians had the guilty look of someone caught talking about another. I took the bull by the horns.  “I have just hired the prisoners and armed them.  They will fight for me.”
    Myrddyn shook his head and rolled his eyes at the sky. Fiachra said, “The wizard has told us of your plan. Why did you not explain that to me, Warlord?”
    “I would have done but you needed me to recapture your people did you not?”
    “I did.  Fergus tells me that the Uí Néill will come here.”
    “I believe so.  If they do not then it is a sign of weakness.  The fact that they hired these men to make war is evidence that all is not well. I believe that they will come and if we can defeat them then you will have peace for some time.”
    Fergus nodded, “And you will be able to pay for more of us to fight for you?” I inclined my head. Myrddyn nodded his approval. He turned to Fiachra.  “Then, Prince Fiachra, when we have defeated the Uí Néill I would serve the Warlord.”
    Fiachra nodded his agreement. 
    “But you know not what I ask.”
    “From what I have seen Warlord it will be something worthwhile and it will be away from Hibernia. I am your man.”
    “Then swear on the sword.” He did as Aengus had done. “You will be swearing for your men.  How many do you bring?”
    “The ones who followed you and recaptured our families.”
    “Good. And now I will get cleaned up, eat and prepare to fight.”
    Fiachra said, “You know they are coming?”
    I pointed to Myrddyn, “Tell them, wizard.”
    “The Warlord is correct.  They will be here this night.  You had best have your men clear the ditches and lay traps.  Water and food should be gathered for we know not their numbers and they may lay siege to this oppidum.”
    As the fort was prepared for war and I washed I worked out that I had one boatful of warriors.  I now needed a second. It was wyrd .  If we fought I would see the mettle of the Hibernians I was going to buy. Myrddyn was so far seeing; what would I do without him?
    I took Myrddyn and joined Pol and Prince Fiachra. “I will use two of my men as scouts to warn us of the arrival of these men.”
    Fiachra asked, “Can you be so sure they will come tonight?  They might not have missed the prisoners yet.”
    “Firstly Myrddyn is never wrong.” The wizard had his normal smug and self satisfied face. “Secondly we found them but half a day from the coast. They would be missed.  We did not bury the bodies.  They will come.”
    We had much to do.  The walls were not the strongest I had ever seen and the ditch had been full of rubbish discarded from the oppidum.  It was now clear of the spoil of the fort and the sides were steeper.  Pol and my men had managed to embed a few stakes on the south facing side.  It was not ideal but it was better than nothing. I told Fiachra that all of the men who had been on the raid needed sleep and that included our new allies. I had had to use Pol and my men to protect Aengus and the others from the wrath of their captives. The fact that there had been a chief of the Uí Néill leading the raid seemed to have escaped their notice. They wanted vengeance on the survivors even though they were hired swords.
    Although all of the recaptured Hibernians were less than happy with me it was Fergus’ sister, Aileen, who kept giving me the blackest glances.  She would be no friend to me.

Chapter 4
    I needed no waking.  I was up before night fell.  I washed, dressed and then ate.  Pol and the others woke while I was eating.  Myrddyn appeared. He had a happy smile upon his face. I knew what it meant.  “You have been busy