HASA Playlists  Celeborn and Galadriel  Playlist Navigation Bar
Battle of the Golden Wood, The: 2. The Flight of the Oshelmingas
Dramatis Personae  Oswy - the boy hero Oshelm - the chief, his
dad. Leofwyn - the chief's wife, his mum. Scild - the baby Cyn -
the cannon fodder Gytha - Cyn's daughter  Fleetfoot - Oswy's
horse  Erethôn - Sentry of Lorien   Oswy bent low over
Fleetfoot's back, urging him on. The gelding's paces were ragged
and his neck lathered. Ahead of Oswy his mother's great stallion
still tore up the grass. Leofwyn did not look back, but held
tight to five year old Gytha who sat before her, while in her
pannier the baby wailed with fear. Behind him, Oshelm and Cyn
galloped, turning in their saddles to vainly waste arrows on the
vile creatures who followed.  No, not waste. Let us take as many
of them as we can, if that's all we do before we die.  They were
driven further from the Wolds - the last hill giving way to
meadow. A long flat, empty plain in which there was no place to
hide, no plac