Saturday, November 04, 2006

485 - Our Squires are Knighted and survive the Battle of Mearcred Creek

In the year 485, being the fifth year of the reign of King Uther of Logres, our four squires, Augustine, Elias, Gerhardt and Gui, finish their training at Vagon under the instruction of Sir Elad, Marshal of the Earl of Salisbury.

Their final training joust finds squire Gerhardt the best lance and he is asked to lead the band to the village of Imber to seek out a bear which has been threatening the peasants.

Squire Gui's hunting skills allow him and Augustine to find the bear first and slay the creature with a final thrust from Augustine.

On the return to Imber, the party discovers four bandits assaulting and robbing a peasant. They charge and capture all of the bandits who are then taken, along with the bear skin, back to Vagon and Sir Elad.

Sir Elad leads the squires and their captives to Sarum, the capitol city of Earl Roderick of Salisbury, whose arms appear upon this page.

The Earl, most pleased with their accomplishments, creates them knights. And to the joy of the crowd the next day, three of the four accomplish the Leap.

By early summer, King Uther and his son Prince Madoc arrive in Sarum where the Army of Logres gathers. Our new knights are assigned to a unit led by Sir Amig in the Earl of Salisbury's Battlion.

Throughout the day they give good account of themselves, charging with lance twice. During the mid-battle, Sir Elias is unhorsed! But rather than abandon his companion, Sir Augustine remains with him and together they manage to elude the saxon horde, find a palfry, and escape! They luckily manage to spot the banner of Sir Amig and return to their unit in time for the final engagement, during which they are surrounded by saxons but hack their way out.

When the retiring force camps for the night, they realize that Sir Gui is missing! He was last seen by Sir Gerhardt on the field, unhorsed and alone. The three companions decide to return to the field in the dark in hopes of finding their stricken friend.

The search seems fruitless when suddenly Sir Gerhardt, perhaps feeling guilty over abandoning Sir Gui, spots Gui's shield among the dead and wounded. But before they can get to him, they are beset by more saxon ceorls. With great strength the band slay or drive off all the enemy and reach the body of their friend. Administering first aid on the field, they manage to restore poor Sir Gui to consciousness and remove him from the field.

Having rejoined the Army of Logres, they ride back to Sarum where rest and healing through the fall restores them to health, though everyone's spirits ebb low due to the inconclusive battle with the invading saxons.

What will our knights learn over winter? How will they proceed as the new year dawns?

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