The Sowers of the Thunder

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"The Sowers of the Thunder" is a short story by Robert E. Howard (published in Oriental Stories, Winter 1932) takes place in Outremer (the Crusader states) in the time of Sultan Baibars and deals with the Sultan's friendly/adversarial relationship with Cahal Ruadh O'Donnell, an Irish Crusader of troubled past cut in the Howardian mold.

As is common for Howard's historical fiction, this tale is tragic as much as it is heroic, pitting the protagonist's superhuman strength and resolution against a world that is yet stronger, and too harsh to resist. Another trait of the story common to Howard's historical tales is the mix of historical figures and events (here Baibars, Hugh of Brienne and others, and the expansion of Baibars' Mamluk empire) with totally imaginary ones (such as deposed "King of Ireland" Cahal). While less known than Howard's fantasy work, this is nonetheless a classic.