Díoghail! (Revenge!)
I began my evenin' story tellin' where I'd left off previously...
'As I'm certain you all will recall, Beannaithe had just slain two troll guards at the outer gate of the Red Halls. Next, she advanced towards the gate where two more trolls stood guard. She slayed the first of these two trolls as she had the others, then turned to do the same to the third. Before she could, however, a tall Man, seemin'ly comin' out of nowhere, assaulted the remaining troll.
First, the Man verbally taunted the troll. The enraged troll attempted to bring his enormous club down upon the Man's head. The Man darted to one side then, to Beannaithe's amazement, nimbly ran up the shaft of the troll's weapon then leapt onto the troll's chest. Wrappin' his legs around the troll to hold his place, the Man plunged his sword deeply into the troll's heart. The troll roared then toppled over dead. Beannaithe stood there dumbfounded.
"I presume that you are here with the same purpose as I, to slay the wraith called Blackwatch?" the Man said to her. Beannaithe nodded her head slowly in reply. "Then let's have at it!"
Now that she saw could see him better, the Man were far older than Beannaithe had imagined given his deft and nimble actions. His hair and mustache were grey, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He looked tired and worn, yet somethin' compelled him to complete his mission.
Beannaithe also observed that the Man were clad in brown and green. Obviously he were what the Big Folk call a "ranger". As it so happened, he were a captain of the rangers. Sadly, so dangerous were his mission that he were the last of the raidin' party that had come to defeat the dreaded Blackwatch.
Suddenly the front door to the Red Halls swung open...'
'More trolls?' asked Dooli.
'No, lad, it were the Blackwatch himself. Well, not exactly himself for it were merely a phantom, a thin ghostly image of the horrible wraith.'
"Do come in," the Blackwatch said, "I have been expecting you." This seemed ominous, yet neither Beannaithe nor the Ranger Captain were daunted.
The Blackwatch's hospitality began and ended with his greeting to his "guests". Once inside, the wraith immediately began taunting the Ranger, showin' him images of the deaths of his companions. Then from the hallways on either side of the main corridor came goblins, wailing spirits, evil Big Folk and a troll. Standin' back-to-back, Beannaithe and the Ranger slayed them to the last.
The Blackwatch led them deeper into the palace along the red carpet of the main corridor. He taunted the Ranger again, this time with images depictin' the death of the Ranger's daughter whom the Blackwatch had cruelly slain. Beannaithe now understood the purpose behind the Ranger Captain's assault upon the Red Halls: díoghail (revenge)! The Blackwatch hideously laughed at the Ranger's anguish. Again, more evil creatures attacked Beannaithe and the Ranger, and again their opponents fell.
At last the Blackwatch led the pair into the throne room. Beannaithe saw that thick red drapery hung on the walls. This, she reasoned, were why the palace were called "The Red Halls".
The Blackwatch's demeanor suddenly changed. No longer were he toyin' with his "guests"; he now meant to end them. He began castin' spells one after another. Then Spirits in the form of giants and trolls attacked our heroes, but to the Blackwatch's frustration they were defeated. He cast more spells attackin' the two, but they returned his attacks with their blades.
In desperation, the Blackwatch summoned forth a spirit in the form of the Ranger's daughter. "No, Daddy, please don't do this!" she pleaded. This had done it: the Ranger were reduced to tears. Beannaithe quickly thought to cut down the spirit. This revived the Ranger's willin'ness to fight.
Finally, the Blackwatch cast a spell hurlin' both Ranger and hobad lass across the room. While Beannaithe kneeled on the floor in a daze, the Ranger limped toward the Blackwatch before plungin' his sword into the villain's chest. I say the Ranger's sword, but it were not truly his, for it had once been his daughter's. She, too, as it so happens, were a Ranger. The Blackwatch crumpled to the floor, seemin'ly defeated. However, with a wave of his hand he vanished.'
'Were he dead?' asked Diolun.
'He weren't alive,' I answered. 'Remember, he were a wraith. An evil bein' existin' both in this world and another at the same time. The part of him that were a Man had died many years before.'
'I think Diolun meant to ask whether the Blackwatch were vanquished forever,' Dooli explained.
'I know what the lad meant,' I said with a grin. 'I thought it were important to draw the distinction.
'Oh, I see,' said Dooli.
'Well, were he?' Diolun asked.
'That remains to be seen, lad,' I answered. 'That remains to be seen.'
'I'm afraid that's the end of story time, children,' said Ériu. 'Ye must be gettin' to your beds.'
'Aw!' me grandkids groaned, at least those that were still awake.
'Come along now,' Banba urged.
Fódla scooped Beacha up in her arms, and carried her to bed.
'Oíche mhaith, me wee darlin's,' I called after them.
'Good night, Granda,' they wearily replied.
Note: Some elements of this story were inspired by the quest instance Mordirith's Fall
