Pools of silver stared up into the dark skies above, an ugly sneer etched upon the ruined face of the Lycal Warlord. Blood seeped from the wound in the Thane's gullet, pain coursing through his body every time the Darkthorne attempted to move, yet nothing was worse than the bitter defeat Magnus had suffered. There, in the moment he had waited so long for, he was denied. He would not have the death of his son, the Betrayer, to boast of ... It had been stolen from him. Einar had stolen his glorious chance to strike down his wayward son, had stolen the moment when Magnus could have cleansed his line of filth and weakness ... Nothing, nothing caused Magnus more torment than that. Not even when the Thane of the North felt emotions rush over him, the gift of Prasutagus ... Aye, the Darkthornes had mustered, and they'd been defeated once more, but even that bitter defeat did not enrage Magnus so much as his son.
Blood stained gauntlets held the bloodied wound at the Thane's gut, animalistic claws protruding from beneath the steel - the weapons of the Lycal warriors - staunching the flow of blood. Magnus could already feel himself beginning to heal. Could feel his strength slowly returning ... Yet, he knew - and this perhaps tormented the Thane more than anything - he would not regain enough of his prowess to reignite the flames of war to this weakening army, would not regain enough of his ferocious tenacity to cut his son down. And so, the Lycal began to force himself up, to stand upon the blood-drenched battlements so that the Thane of the North could stalk away from the battle and into the trees. Prasutagus might have granted his people the gift of redemption, but Magnus was not about to partake in that sullied gift. The Darkthorne King had proven weak. Magnus sneered, gazing down below at the scene before him, and the Thane spat out blood in the direction of the peace-mongers.
And then, as the Thornes began to settle their differences, Magnus crept down into the crowds of warriors, weaving through the tides until he was free to stalk into the trees from which he had marched his tribe. It disgusted the Thane, the weakness of his King ... of his clan ... and even of his tribe ... Of the hundreds of Lycals the Thane of the North had brought to Demise in order to conquer and destroy the Blackthornes, only two of his tribesmen returned with him. Bjorn Bloodclaw and Karnak One-Eye. Found in the midst of Thornes, Magnus had taken his two warriors with him as he stalked into the forest and away from his misguided clan. They had become weak, all of them ... and so, before turning his back of the spineless Thornes, the Thane of the North cast his gaze down into the fray, finding Einar the Betrayer standing beside his Queen. And silently, the Thane vowed that he would have his revenge ...