Page 1
Panel 1
It’s night, it’s dark. A group of shadowy men, all clearly armed, slip quietly over the fence of a dun. Among them are Ardan, Ainle (both quite young) and their father, Uisnigh.
Panel 2
Inside the dun, a guard, dozing on a seat, is grabbed from behind and his throat slit. Clann Uisnigh hurry around this, deeper into the building.
Panel 3
They enter a wide, high hall, it’s roof held up by tall, broad wooden columns, now hidden in shadow, and with a large fire dying in the centre. Around the embers of the fire are lying a handful of people, all asleep or dozing. They don’t hear Clann Uisnigh as they hurry across the open space of the floor towards them.
Panel 4
Uisnigh grabs one of the women lying on the floor, while his sons and their comrades quickly and brutally subdue the others. He has his hand clamped tightly across her mouth.
Uisnigh: Quiet now. Quiet or you’ll get the same as these.
Where’s your chieftain? Where’s Cearbhall?
Panel 5
Light flares over Clann Uisnigh, and their heads whip around to the source as a voice rings loud in the hushed hall.
Voice: You’re master’s not king here, Uisnigh!
Panel 6
Cearbhall, the chieftain, is standing at the wide open doors of the hall, surrounded by men, some holding flaming torches, all holding weapons. They vastly outnumber Clann Uisnigh’s small force.
Cearbhall: I am.
Page 2
Panel 1
Outside, in the yard of the dun, a young boy is hidden, barely visible in the nighttime shadows, watching two guards in the open space within the outer wall. The first is calling to the other from the doorway of the central building, while the second is racing across the yard.
1st Guard: Hurry up! They got inside!
2nd Guard: How!?!
1st Guard: Fuck knows! Hurry up!
Panel 2
The scene is just as before, except now the guards have vanished into the building. The boy, Naoise McUisnigh, slips out of the shadows.
Panel 3
Uisnigh is on his knees in front of Cearbhall, who has his sword drawn. In the background Ardan, Ainle and the few other Clann Uisnigh soldiers are being restrained by a mass of Cearbhall’s soldiers.
Cearbhall: You’re fighting for a witch and a cursed woman.
You know who’s on the throne, and who’s behind it.
It’s not Fergus we’re dealing with anymore.
Uisnigh: Fergus’s no traitor or oathbreaker.
Neither am I.
Cearbhall: So be it.
Panel 4
Cearbhall thrusts his sword deep into Uisnigh’s chest.
Cearbhall: Don’t say you weren’t warned.
Panel 5
Ardan roars and struggles against his captors, who beat him back into silence. Ainle, beside him, stares in stunned disbelief.
Panel 6
Cearbhall turns to look at the boys as he wipes their father’s blood from his sword.
Cearbhall: Ardan, Ainle. Stay calm; listen to what I’m saying.
Be smarter than your father was.
Page 3
Panel 1
A guard is standing on duty at the main gate of the dun. He doesn’t see the small, boyish hands emerging silently from the shadows behind him. One of the hands holds a long, slender dagger.
Panel 2
Naoise cuts the guard’s throat before the man even realises he’s there.
Panel 3
The guard is lying twitching on the ground, an expanding pool of his own blood on the ground around him. A trail of gory footprints leads from the pool to the gate, where Naoise is sawing with the dagger through a rope tied around a wooden beam barring the gate.
Panel 4
The rope dangling cut and useless beside him, Naoise struggles to move the beam. He’s pushing all his small weight against it.
Panel 5
The beam lying on the ground behind him, and the rope dangling cut, Naoise pushes the heavy wooden gates open.
Page 4
Panel 1
In the yard of the dun, a guard notices the gates swinging open. It takes him a moment to realise what’s happening.
Guard: Hey…
Panel 2
He races across the yard, drawing his sword.
Guard: Hey! Who’s that?
Panel 3
Outside the dun, in the thickets and long grass, Fergus McRoidh stands up and raises his sword. Immediately around him, other men are emerging also.
Fergus: They’re open!
THEY’RE OPEN!!!
Panel 4
Fergus leads a charge of men across the uneven country in front of the dun. All are heavily armed with swords and spears.
Fergus: RED BRANCH!!!
WITH ME!!!
Panel 5
The guard sees this, from the gate.
Guard: Oh shit.
Panel 6
Behind Fergus and his charging men, the silhouettes of armed men with spears rise up above the horizon, which is close, because of the drumlins. There’s an army of men.
Guard: Oh, shit…
Page 5
Panel 1
Inside the hall, Cearbhall is pacing in front of Ardan and Ainle, his sword still drawn. Two men are bodily restraining Ardan, one man has his sword to Ainle’s throat.
Cearbhall: This is not the peace we agreed on, all of us.
Admit that, at l-
Voice: ATTACK! WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!!!
Panel 2
All heads whip around to the source of the shout, including the man whose sword is at Ainle’s throat. Ainle, tears streaming down his face, notices.
Cearbhall: Wha- !?!
Voice: Outside, quickly! McRoidh is behind them!
Panel 3
This happens really quickly, in an instant. Ainle whips his captor’s sword into the man’s own throat, then tearing it from the dead man’s grip, buries it in the chest of one of the men holding his brother.
Panel 4
One of his captors falling away dead, Ardan grabs the other in his bare hands and begins to snap things. The other Uisnigh soldiers do similar, as Ainle begins slashing at their opponents.
Panel 5
Cearbhall regains his composure a bit, and snarls at the Uisnigh men as he tightens his grip on his sword.
Cearbhall: Damn you…
We were supposed to be at peace by now…
Page 6
Panel 1
At the front gates, there’s mayhem, men are throwing themselves at each other, and there’s blood on the ground. Naoise meets Fergus as he enters, his sword is bloody and there’s blood on his clothes.
Fergus: Naoise! Get back, boy! Out to where it’s quiet!
Naoise: A warning went up, Fergus! I think they found my father!
They have them, hurry!
Panel 2
In the hall, Cearbhall is locked in a sword battle with both Ardan and Ainle. He’s going to lose, and he knows it, so he’s making one last attempt at convincing Ardan and Ainle to see his side of the story. The brothers remain silent.
Cearbhall: She’s a witch, no doubt.
It was Fergus we agreed to follow! Fergus!
She tricked us all! There’s no shame in that if we don’t let her away with it!
Panel 3
Fergus and a small band of men charge into the room and stop. They stand to watch the spectacle.
Fergus: Cearbhall!
Panel 4
Cearbhall sees them when they enter and shouts to Fergus as he defends himself from Ardan and Ainle.
Cearbhall: Fergus!
Fergus, sit with me, eat with me, hear me out!
You know he shouldn’t be king, Fergus!
Panel 5
Fergus looks down at the floor of the hall.
Panel 6
Uisnigh is lying in his own blood on the rushes. His face is stretched and glassy.
Panel 7
Fergus turns away from the carnage. He looks tired.
Fergus: You’re living in the past, Cearbhall…
Page 7
Panel 1
Cearbhall turns his face to Ardan and Ainle, who are standing in front of him, panting, swords in their hands, covered in blood.
Fergus: …but not for long.
Panel 2
Cearbhall lunges at the boys with his sword held out.
Panel 3
Ainle deflects his blow and Ardan drives his sword into Cearbhall’s throat.
Panel 4
Ainle buries his sword into Cearbhall’s belly, and the three stand there, entwined like that. It almost seems that it’s only Ardan and Ainle that are holding the bloody chieftain up.
Page 8
Panel 1
Ardan and Ainle rush to their father’s corpse, which is still lying on the floor. There are tears in their eyes.
Panel 2
Naoise, at the door, sees his father and his brothers, and realisation dawns on him.
Naoise: No…
Panel 3
Ardan sees the boy, and tries to speak to him.
Ardan: Naoise…
Panel 4
Naoise runs off, out of the hall.
Naoise: NO!
Panel 5
Ardan leaves Ainle with the corpse of their father. Ainle’s eyes are closed and he seems to be whispering in prayer.
Ardan: I’ll find him.
Panel 6
Outside, Conchubharr is standing over many dead bodies, wiping his sword on his cape. Fergus is approaching him.
Fergus: It’s done.
Conchubharr:
Good. Well done.
Fergus: He put me under geas. I have to feast with him. He killed Uisnigh.
Conchubharr:
Morrigan shit on him.
It’s a funeral then, Fergus. You’ll get your feast.
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