Year 487 - The Battle of Humber River

[GM Craig]

The night passes with a sort of watchful silence. The Cymric knights and their Irish companion are left undisturbed. The Northmen are both in the sick tent, Valka kneeling in silent vigil over her gravely injured husband. The two boys Artaigne and Sir Cedwyn managed to dig up see to their duties with surprising skill. They are, it seems, experienced enough to at least fake it, which leaves one to wonder why they had not been in service already. Still, do not look a gift horse in the mouth, as they say. The boys are at least competent.

At the sky begins to lighten, those of you who managed to sleep hear the stir of activity in the camp. As you are getting yourselves squared away, Centurion Junius appears at the tent.

"We have the Saxon cornered. There is a choke point through the marshland that the Saxon must, and we will meet them there. The Praetor's forces will engage. There were plunderers, not an army. We expect the battle to be a short one. Sir Cedwyn, I need you and your party apart from the battle. There is a small wood on the left flank the Saxon might use to sneak some of their number past us. You are to hold that wood, and leave the battle to the Praetor's forces." He turns on his heal and mounts quickly.

"If we have need of you in the battle, a yellow three point banner will fly on the left flank. Hold that wood unless you are called."

With that, he turns and rides away.

[Cedwyn]

"Well, that was rather abrupt," Cedwyn said fairly under his breath but loudly enough for Sir Rodric to hear.

"All right then...let's see to the wood and what barriers we can erect before battle to slow any Saxons down."

[ooc: depending on the lay of the wood, can we erect obstacles or other battle elements to give us a tactical advantage?]

[GM Craig]

Just the placement of knights should be enough. He's worried about skulkers, not an attack.

[Geoffrey]

"It is possible he was not pleased to hear how badly he was out fought yesterday and this is his way of insuring it does not happen again." Rodric paused.

"We should have made an effort to report to the Praetor directly." he mumbled to himself.  But what was done was done, or in this case, not done.

[Cedwyn]

Cedwyn shook his head, "I don't think anything we say or do can sway the Praetor. He thinks us barbarians, Sir Rodric. I doubt our prowess in battle had much to do with our assignment. It is simply to get us out of the way. If we had tried to speak with the Praetor, we likely would have been rebuffed."

[Artaigne]

"For what my opinion is worth, I think that Sir Cedwyn has the right of it.  But may I say that being given any sort of assignment is progress.  I don't think that it was lost on these Romans that we performed well.  They could have dismissed us out of hand, but we have been given two tasks...if we continue to excel today, then who knows what tomorrow will bring?"

[Valka]

The shieldmaiden arrived silently with her horse as the centurion spoke and left. She said nothing to their replies and theories, just simply waited with her greatspear at her side, an obvious signal that she was ready. To Rodric, the Northman woman had indeed done what she had promised with the Saxon: runes painted her face with dark, ominous crimson streaks. Her already red tresses were braided and matted wild with darker red streaks as well and black kohl rimming her sapphire eyes. One could see that her lighthearted nature was replaced with something else entirely today and Valka was assuredly not here to fight for some Romans.

The Saxon armor was slightly larger on her frame and of a better quality than her previous. But the only indication that it was Arne's set was the crude patch where he had taken the spear to his chest.

OOC: Etain Valka at Craig's behest

[GM Craig]

You load up your gear, double check the two squires Sir Cedwyn hired, and make your way to the battlefield, picking your way beside the formations of the Centurion King's army.

The battle lines are drawn up, and the armies deployed. You cannot see the enemy, as a thick mist fills the lowlands before you.

The wooded hills to the left of the army are clearly visible, rising like islands in a misty sea. One could not get a significant force through that space, but a few stragglers could pass unseen - no more than a dozen at a time. Certainly the wood could conceal nothing that would threaten the Praetor's forces. On the face of it, this appears to be an assignment designed to keep you out of the action.

You pick your way through the mist, and reach the trees about the time you start to hear the sounds of the Saxon raiders on the far side of the small valley. They emerge from the trees, see the army arrayed against them, and quickly form up into battle lines. They look a ragged bunch, and there is little discipline among their ranks. These are raiders, not soldiers. The Praetor should make short work of them.

At least you will have an excellent view of the victory, and the Praetor's tactics in the fight.

[Anyone wish to make passion rolls before the impending battle, or make other preparations?]

[Cedwyn]

Would it be unknightly to prepare a few obstacles the Saxons would need to dance over and leave them a little off balance? Is that possible. I'm talking some branches here and there as they come into our area of responsibility. Should I take a battle roll for us to have the most advantageous ground?

[GM Craig]

[A battle roll would not be amiss. Not exactly knightly to be chopping down trees and such - you should be enough of a deterrent just by yourselves, but you can lower yourselves to manual labour if you want. The woods are not thick, nor wide. You should be able to see anyone trying to sneak past.]

[Cedwyn]

[Cedwyn Battle: 2. Versus skill 13. success]

[GM Craig]

The battle lines are drawn up. The Praetor seems content to let the Saxons form lines, but even from here you can tell the Saxon army is shaky. It takes almost an hour before the Praetor finally orders the charge. You feel the familiar rush by proxy as knights thunder down the kill, while Saxons on foot bellow a weaker challenge and surge forward. It might rankle to watch the battle, but the Praetor is a king, and you mere knights. Your duty is to do as you are told, but it still chafes.

The Praetor's army is doing very well, at least initially, and is forcing the Saxon army back.

[Can I get awareness rolls from everyone?]

[Artaigne]

Irish awareness 12 vs 13, success

[Geoffrey]

Rodric could feel his pulse quicken slightly as he watched the Praetor's knights charge into battle.  He could almost feel the vibration in his arm, as if his spear had connected with a target.  The knight took a deep breath.  It stung to be sidelined from a battle.  Though it would be far from glorious given the resistance shown thus far by the Saxons.

[OOC: Awareness roll result 12 vs skill 13, success.]

[Cedwyn]

Likewise, Cedwyn surveyed the battle and their own immediate surroundings. He still bristled from being left out of the battle. Though, he understood. Outsiders. Non allegiance to the Praetor. If Cedwyn was in the Praetor's place, he'd likely have done the same.

[awareness: roll 11 (vs Skill 12). success!]