Gather around as I tell you the tale of Donnell and his men
And their great, victorious defeat over an entire kingdom of Bandits and Outlaws 
and their great monster, Harek.

A squire of the Fion was Donnell, young, brave and handsome.
And with him, his companions O'rozovik, who was quick, nimble and daring,
And Borgar the hearty dwarf from the northern lands who feared nothing in his path.

The story began when Donnell learned of the Kingdom of Bandits
And when he met the Lady Blodwedd whose lands they penetrated and seized.
She told him of the leader, Garyim, a fierce tyrant who would promise much 
more than threats to keep rule over his captive people.  These prisoners of 
his were mostly those from other lands - Reme, the Northlands and Gauls 
- innocents caught in a land unfamiliar and strange.  
Even Blodwedd herself was captive for a time, freed.
He enforced his law with criminals at his side - 
thieves and murderers who cared very little for lives other than their own.

Once it was learned that the Lady Blodwedd was freed from this tyranny by Donnell, 
they stole her back by force, kidnapping her before an audience of orphaned children.
Donnell had no choice but to win her back and win the freedom of the other captives 
with the support of the Fion and the Great Army of Munster.
The bandits may have been criminal, but they were smart enough to know with these 
forces behind Donnell, they met their match and could not possibly win such a grand battle.

The Bandit leader Garyim called for Donnell to fight him in a duel of honor.
The stakes were set.  If Donnell won, the bandits would leave and never show their 
faces around Munster and Tinsdale and their prisoners would be freed to live their 
lives as they chose.  Should Donnell lose, the forest that belonged to Lady Blodwedd 
would be theirs to own.  The safety of Munster and the surrounding kingdoms depended 
on this young squire's success.

The day had finally arrived that Donnell and Garyim would duel for the fate of the land.  
Donnell came with O'rozovik and Borgar the Dwarf, followed by soldiers of the army of Munster.  
Garyim had with him his best fighters, Ivar and Harek, both men of the Northlands.  
Standing not too far behind them was a young man in robes standing close to the 
Lady Blodwedd, sleeping under a powerful enchantment.

Donnell and Garyim began their duel.  Both were very skilled and strong.  
Sparks flew as their blades collided and they nearly matched each other blow for blow.
Finally, Garyim could not fight any longer - 
he had been bested by the Fion-to-be and he honorably accepted his defeat.

But Harek, the large, barbaric brute of the North, 
he has never seen battle without bloodshed and he was not satisfied with this ending.  
He lashed out at Donnell and his men as a wild animal would, wilding his large, double-edged axe, 
looking to make a kill and satisfy his need for blood.

Donnell held his own against Harek's violent attacks for a time, 
until Harek grew stronger.  Not only that, but he began to grow larger!  
Borgar could hear as Harek spoke in their native tongue that he called out for 
blood and death.  Harek's beard grew bushier and thick and it began to cover his body 
as he grew and grew.

"He should not have been  at this battle today!  Now we can not stop him!" 
cried out Ivar the Bandit Liutenant as he fled into the forest to save his own selfish hide.

"What is he?" asked O'rozovik as he hurried to find protection for he and his companions.

Garyim explained saying "He grows mad in the heat of battle and is possessed with 
the anger of a bear.  
The ferocity is so great that his body actually becomes the animal itself! There is no calming him down
now until someone dies!"

By now, the animal that was Harek stood three heads above Donnell 
and had dropped his weapons to fight with his newly grown claws and teeth.  

Donnell did not stand down.  

He faced this monster with Garyim by his side.  
The Bandit leader knew that Harek was not in a mind to know whose blood to shed 
and he was a target like everyone else.

The monster let out a deafening roar and lunged forward at Donnell, throwing him back quite a ways, 
but Donnell was barely scratched beneath his armor.
Borgar came to his aide and swung "Thor's Will", 
a hammer forged by the mighty Norsemen of his lands.  
He struck hard, but to no avail, this bear had more on his mind than a bruised leg.
Donnell regained his strength and charged the great beast with all the fire of the Fion 
behind him.  
His sword, the "Humble Heart", drove 
deep into the shoulder of the monster and drew forth its very lifeblood.  
In its rage and fury, the fierce beast lashed out again with its claws and 
threw the squire an even further distance away, 
driving him deep into the earth and causing him to lose his shield.
Borgar yelled with fierce anger at the monster and swung the mighty hammer once again, 
crushing the very hand of the beast.

"I beg you, do not kill him!" Garyim cried to the heroes for his companion's sake.  
The monster bled a torrent river of blood and it wailed like a banshee in pain and in rage.
Donnell again rose up to fight this large foe, his armor bent and stained with blood. 
He pierced the leathery hide of the bear, wounding it further and freeing more blood.

As the beast mustered its strength from its good hand to knock him down again, 
O'rozovik, quick and nimble as he was, dove for Donnell's shield and 
gracefully tumbled and spun to Donnell's side, holding onto it fast and 
acting as his companion's very shield arm.  He stood his ground before the brave Fion squire 
and bravely took the blows from Harek the Monster.

The fight began to slow as the Bandit Kingdom's monster began to grow weary from battle.  
As it began to slow, Donnell, Borgar and O'rozovik did not let down their guard.  
They stood fast, awaiting any more throws of anger or twisted fits of frenzy.  
Garyim, too awaited such a display and stood to protect the Lady Blodwedd 
who still lay defenseless on the sidelines of the battlefield.

Fortunately for everyone, Harek fell and did not awake that day.  
The man in robes that stood by Blodwedd quickly attended to the wounded Harek, 
now in his previous human form.
Garyim held to his bargain and his honor and allowed his prisoners their freedom 
because of his defeat that day.  
The Victory of Donnell and his men had given them all a second chance . 
The honor of the Fion and the honor of Munster had won the day 
and will forever prevail over the darkness known as the bandit kingdom that once shaded their glory.