Riders of the Black Thorn

The fires flickered in the shower of rain and the tents that surrounded each were filled with the noise of laughs and shouts and the clinking of cups. Scattered around were hundreds of caskets of wine and most were empty, soldiers lay laughing in the mud and others were wandering towards the treeline, falling every few steps. The celebrations of the battles that day would last long into the night, others were leaning on flag poles and the light from the fires that were dotted around the encampment lit up the clans banners; pieces of a sword through a mountain of clan Nine Blades, the paw print in the snow of clan Frost Fox, and the armoured bear of clan Steel Bear. 

The scout returned to Rark, son of Hidir Locop and leader of the Black Thorn clan to confirm it was indeed a legion of the Trinity Alliance camped down by River Red, Rark mounted his horse and placed his helmet on his head. The rain started to pour as the horses started to canter with Rark slightly ahead, leading the riders forward as he yelled;
  "Riders! Riders of the Black Thorn! We ride now into a sea of Foxes and Blades and Bears!"
Thunder rang out and echoed over the wind and around the trees, the banners billowed in the wind,
  "I have known all of you all my life, I grew up with you and trained with you. These treacherous enemies have taken many lives this war and now they come here, to our land! They burn our villages down and slaughter our sons, our daughters, our sisters and our brothers. It's our time now!
The horses started to gallop, Rark drew his sword and stood high on his horse,
  "And they will know the fear as the skies open and the lightning strikes, we will bear down on them like the ocean in a storm!
Hundreds of other riders drew their swords and picked up their shields from the sides of their mounts, the rumble of the horses grew louder as they approached their targets.
  "We will strangle them like Thorns around a throat! We are the reapers in the night! We are the riders of the Black Thorn!"

A sentry that had been posted at the camp who had not partaken in the evening's festivities was shocked as the line of riders charged into view barely moments from his position, he turned to run but just as he started to shout an axe ripped through his skull and the riders tore through the encampment. Before the Trinity's legionnaires could get out from their beds they were slaughtered, a small few who had also skipped out on the drinking tried to surrender with their arms raised but they too were speared and split to vicious laughter.

As morning dawned upon the camp hundreds of tents were ablaze, and hundreds more soldiers were placed on banner poles of the Black Thorn, some still drawing breath, blood oozing from their mouths, eyes and nose, they were disfigured and many had entire limbs removed.