They spent the next week raiding down the coast of the bay of seals until they hit a couple hundred miles from Last Hearth. They had just sacked a town on the coast and were resting for the night. Around midnight we were attacked by a large force of maybe 100 kneelers. Ardel was just coming back from scouting the woods to the southeast of the camp and saw them killing his men. He knew he couldn't win this fight so he snuck around the camp and made it to his tent to only find a man cutting off his brother Norgrim. In a fit of rage Ardel charged the armored man with his iron sword. Ardel didn't let up and kept swinging his sword in a blind fury but the man matched each blow with the shield and sent one right back. At one point the man fainted an opening which Ardel took only to fell the sharp bite of steel on his face. With blood flowing out of the wound did the only thing he could think of to survive. He gathered some blood in his hand and threw it into the man's face temporarily blinding him. With only a little bit of time to spare Ardel grabbed his opponents sword and scabbard and dived into the water. He spent hours in water waiting for the men to leave and by first light they finally did. Ardel swam back to land and searched the camp to see if anyone, or at least Norir, was still alive. He found Norgrim where the man left him and Norir nearby with his head cut off in similar fashion. With his adrenalin finally coming down Ardel almost collapsed from the exhaustion. 

  After binding up his wound with some cloth left over from his tent he fell asleep in the ruins of his camp. After that day Ardel made a promise that he would never forget the name of the man Who took his brothers from him. It took him over a week to finally get back to his tribe. After returning he told his father, Dorand, about what happened to his brothers. In a fit of rage Dorand banished Ardel from the tribe and declared Ardel was no longer his son. After gathering up his things Ardel left but not before promising that he would come back one day and take the tribe for himself. So for two years Ardel traveled around meeting different tribes until he found his way to the Thenns. He learned many things from them and Their Magnar. Ardel was most impressed with the strength of the Magnar's army and how they fought as a unit instead of every man for himself. He decided then that when he went back to his tribe he would have some new ideas for their fighting force. Eight years had passed since Ardel become part of the thenn tribe. In those eight years Ardel had become more built and started to look more and more like the half-giant people claimed he was. After saying good bye to the Magnar who had become a good friend of his, Ardel left to go reclaim his tribe. Upon returning to his tribe he found out that his father had died in a duel and the winner had taken his place as chief. Turns out it was some pompous skinchanger who thought just because he could control an animal made him a great warrior. So Ardel challenged him to a fight and easily won. For taking his chance to defeat and prove his father wrong about him, Ardel skinned the mans elk in front of him and then proceed to skin the man. Since that day no one had even thought to challenge him for leadership.* Ardel, having finished long ago, picked the blade and strapped it to his waist as he did every morning. *I promise brothers, that man will pay dearly for what he has done. He will have a death so slow and painful that singers will write about it. Gareth Umber your time will come.* And with that thought Ardel left his tent and ventured into his camp.