Burning of the Branches

Prelude
Not long after striking his bargain with Ganpp, Ekkill's scouts picked up a lead. The eastern giants had recently made a new incursion, hoping to find the coalition’s forces and that of the illusive Snaerbjorn. He decided that it was time to drive the giants off, for good. He pitched his plan to a small audience; Fyrilles, Stian and Ganpp among them. The men thought his idea absolute madness, but Fyrilles gave only a grinning wink and set about making it a reality.

A short few days later, the pieces fell into place. Ekkill's warriors had spent tireless days digging trenches in every direction of the slow moving giants, skirting from notice at all times. Huge piles of brush were left concealed, given final coatings of sap the morning of the attack. Its effects, Fyrilles had stressed, were most potent when fresh.

Waiting for favorable wind, Ekkill eventually gave the order to execute the plan. The great brush piles would be ignited with a great uproar; the mist would hide the coalition's forces. The Clansmen Snaerbjorn harnessed their ice bears to frighten the giants, and the rest of the warriors would scream and howl to drive them, frightened, to the north. A small force surrounding force remained to the trenches, poised to take care of any giants foolish enough to travel south.

Battle
With the explosion of kindling and clammer of battle, the giants scrambled north, terrified of whatever lingered to the south. Charging beside their flanks, Ekkill's warriors bellowed ungodly cries, all the while packs of ice bears assisted to divert the giants’ movement. One by one, they would be picked off and massacred until less than half remained. A few were taken by the trapped trenches, and those among them unfortunate enough to survive the bloody attack only later run down and killed without mercy. The surviving giants fled to the north and would not return with words of peace until long after the war's end.

Aftermath
Feasting to an incredible victory, Ekkill's camp received the breath of life it so greatly needed. He considered a final advance, to put down Tormund, son of Doregg, but elected to wait. The man's death was a moment the entire north needed to see.