495 AD: The Battle of Saint Albans

King Uther was dying.

That was the rumour that flew from lip to lip across Britain that year, as heavy snows fell. The King was more than fifty years old now, and the loss of two sons had aged him further. And with their loss, there was no heir to the throne in Logres’ darkest hour. The Supreme Collegium would not meet to appoint a new king, not after the fiasco when they had met four years earlier. Nor was there a lord powerful enough to be acclaimed king or to seize power: Duke Ulfius of Silchester, the most powerful landholder in the kingdom, had lost much political capital when he had foolishly allowed the Saxon King Octa’s half-brother Eosa to walk free in an attempt at appeasement. Marshal Talferyn, leader of the armies of Logres in the King’s absence, was rumoured to be seeking a private settlement with the Saxons.

And it was indeed Logres’ darkest hour. From the north, Octa and Eosa had struck from Deira into Lindsey, supported by their ally the Centurion King, driving the Duke into his fortress at Lincoln. With the Duke powerless to stop them, Lindsey was being ravaged, and only the snowfall had stopped the enemy from pressing further inland. Once the thaw came, however, they would surely strike from the north, supported further by King Oisc of Kent from the east. And what was to say that Aelle of Sussex and Aethelswith of Anglia would not join in as well, wolves tearing meat from a dead lion’s carcass?

A royal summons bearing the seal of the Pendragon arrived in Sarum, calling Earl Roderick to London. There, the decision would be made about what should happen. Some sort of resistance against the Saxons had to be organised. But, not trusting the others lords, he took a retinue of many of his most trusted knights with him: his son-in-law Sir Arnulf, Sir Aeronwy’s younger sister Sir Brietta, the cunning Sir Cadfael, gentle Sir Esther, outspoken Sir George, and many others. They spent the winter with their loved ones. When they fell, the spring rains would presage only death.

As the knights were about to depart to London, they had a visitor. Saint Gwiona of Amesbury herself, leader of the controversial feminist Christian movement that was spreading throughout Britain, wished to accompany Earl Roderick to London. She had dreamed that her presence would be required in the events that would unfold. The Earl agreed. It is never a bad thing to have a Saint accompany you!

When the knights reached London, they found that it was as they had heard: the King was weak and listless, barely attentive to what was happening. If he had sent the summons, he gave no indication of it now. The other lords had also brought their own followers, and so armed camps were set up about city. Violence seemed about to erupt at any minute, when one or another lord decided to simply seize power for himself. And every day brought the spring thaw closer and closer…

The knights spent their time waiting as well. Sir Brietta tried to keep an ear to the ground, monitoring the tensions between the different lords and their followers, but with little success: no one wanted to talk to a six foot warrior woman! Sir George and Sir Esther withdrew to their lady's side, spending the time in prayer with Saint Gwiona. Sir Cadfael, feeling fatalistic, also visited Saint Gwiona. In a roundabout way, he had caused the sect's existence, by courting Gwiona and then failing to live up to her expectations. Now, he went to seek her forgiveness. The woman who received him was unrecognisable as the one he had romanced. The Saint chastised him gently for his despair, and then gravely forgave him and blessed him,, knowing that whatever path he strode, it was always with the best intentions of Logres in his heart.

Meanwhile Sir Arnulf spent his time practicing, and making sure that everything was prepared. He encountered a few old friends as well: the remnants of Prince Madoc's bodyguard, the so-called 'Rainbow Guard' (since they bore heraldry from all across Logres). Sir Glesni, the most veteran of the Rainbow Guards, bemoaned the Prince's untimely death. If he had been here, surely the fight would have already been taken to the Saxons! She also mentioned an interesting rumour - that Prince Madoc had had an illegitimate son. If this rumour was true, the child might be an heir to the throne! Sir Arnulf also spoke to Sir Bertram of Leucomagus, who had decided to come to London to help with the inevitable battle against the Saxons. Sir Arnulf and Sir Helbur had convinced him that it was important the previous year.

The tensions festering below the surface boiled over as the snows began to melt and the first blossoms of spring to bloom upon the branch. The Saxons would surely begin to march on every side now, and still no decision had been reached. At a feast, Earl Roderick lost his temper, leapt to his feet and angrily denounced Duke Ulfius for his failures. Another lord then rose and shouted at Roderick for failing to recruit Malahaut, and soon the entire room was on its feet, shouting at one another, while the king sat listlessly in its midst, waiting for his end.

"Enough!" a voice roared. There was a flash of light. It was Merlin.

The court stood still and silent as the great enchanter strode amongst them, despite having been outlawed by the King's edict for abducting the heir, and chastised them all like children. "The Saxons are on your very doorstep, and yet still you squabble!" Octa and Eosa had not been slowed by the winter snows - instead, they had marched throughout the winter, avoiding settlements and roads to stop from giving their deadly purpose away, with the intent of killing King Uther himself. Saint Albans, a day's ride north of London, had just fallen to their wrath, and now the heart of the kingdom itself was imperilled. Merlin Ambrosius revealed that it was he who had summoned the lords of Logres, in hope that they would be able to come to an accord, but now the hour was too late.

One lone knight in the court challenged Merlin: the wizard was a wanted outlaw for stealing the young prince. "If you believe this more important than the safety of the realm, then step forward and seize me now," Merlin challenged, and the room was completely quiet once more. WIth no reply, Merlin strode over to the King and slapped him. "Hearken to your duty! Your children are gone and you mourn them, but behold that your son the Prince is kept safe and shall be revealed when the time is right! But now it is time for you to step forth once more in the defence of your kingdom. Rise to war, King Uther Pendragon!"

Uther rose, weakly but with his eyes blazing with anger. "Bring me my sword!" he shouted. "To war!"

Merlin slipped away, to talk to his friends once more (returning to his guise as Ambrose the scholar in the process.) For starters, he admitted that he was terrified that something would go wrong when he bluffed the entire court! His knowledge of the Saxon was nothing magical, certainly - Archbishop Bartholomew of Canterbury and Sir Julius of Saint Albans had just arrived from that city, having fled to London as soon as the Saxons were sighted. Sir Esther presented Merlin with the cheese from Carmarthen, which he ate with gusto. Sir Arnulf contemplated asking Merlin about his sister Ganeida, but decided not to raise the topic.

The army was already mostly assembled, thanks to Merlin's foresight. King Uther's sickness was as much the result of depression at the loss of his two children as any physical ailment, and so he led the army to battle, albeit borne in a litter. The army that travelled northwards was small, but it was elite: the lords of Logres, and their mightiest retainers. The windsock banner of the Pendragon fluttered boldly, as did the banner of Prince Madoc, borne by Sir Glesni as the Rainbow Guard rode one last time, and the banners of all the other dukes and earls and knights.

The army arrived at Saint Albans to find the Saxons occupying it. There was barely any sign of their presence: the town had been taken swiftly and secretly. If the Archbishop had not escaped, then the surprise attack would have worked for certain. Sir George rode forward to parley with the Saxons, and found a strange sight: the gates of Saint Albans were open. "King Octa disdains to fight a sick, old man, and so we Saxons have withdrawn into the city," the Saxon envoy jeered. An unlikely story - clearly, the open gateway was a trap! However, it would allow the use of the knights' horses, which was their most significant advantage over the Saxons, and which would be denied to them if they assailed the walls. Furthermore, Octa was clever enough that the seeming bluff could be a double-bluff, or a triple-bluff... Waiting was also clearly not an option: the most likely reinforcements to arrive would be more Saxons from Essex or Kent. The only thing for it was a forward assault, with the flower of British chivalry charging into the maw of Octa's trap.

The knights charged boldly in, and soon found themselves out of their depth. Octa had armed his troops with long-spears, to negate the advantage, and had secretly created simple traps, like hidden holes, to slow or cripple horses. Then, once the knights were engaged, heorthgeneat warriors led by Sir Eleri the Traitor swarmed in to attack them, driving them back from the gate in hours of fierce fighting. The knights of Salisbury, incensed by the sight of the traitor, and sensing a way to possibly turn the tides of the battle, charged to attack Sir Eleri's Saxon bodyguards. Sir Brietta was the first to strike down her foe and confront the former Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard: but Sir Eleri was too experienced a warrior for her, and struck her down with a blow that would have surely slain any less-harder mortal. Sir Cadfael suggested to Sir Arnulf that the two could dishonourably engage Sir Eleri to strike her down, but Sir Arnulf refused, and a furious Sir Cadfael went to what he was sure would be his doom, while Sir Arnulf kept other Saxon warriors at bay. Sir Cadfael and Sir Eleri were both hardened veterans, and their swords splintered shields and cleft mail asunder, but in the end Sir Cadfael fell from his horse, blood streaming from his many wounds. Now Sir Arnulf charged in, and the mightiest duel of all ensued, for Sir Arnulf was one of the foremost swordsmen in all of Britain. Both warriors were exhausted now from hours of fighting, but it was Sir Arnulf whose blade struck true, badly wounding Sir Eleri. She fled from the battlefield, while other Saxons attacked Sir Arnulf to cover her retreat.

Despite Sir Eleri's defeat, the forces of Logres had the worst of the first day. Morale was low - Octa had successfully tricked them into attacking the open gate, and they had suffered losses before being repulsed. Some of the more experienced knights realised that cunning Octa had set up a position where no matter where the Cymric forces struck, they would have had the worst of it - so no matter what choice they had made, it would have seemed that he had predicted their actions. Sir George used his pre-eminent skill as a harpist that night, moving through the camp and singing songs of past victories against the Saxons to give heart to the knights. Meanwhile, a few reinforcements did arrive, for the Cymric forces. Sir Cadfael was in the first aid tents, where he was being tended by Saint Gwiona and Sir Esther (who, gentle soul that she was, had avoided the battle in favour of helping to save lives), when he had a visitor. Sir Cador, now the commander of a small mercenary force, had come to repay his debt to Sir Cadfael by taking the field, even though in his view King Uther was scarcely better than the Saxons. In addition, a small column of determined peasants appeared and asked to join the fighting. Saint Albans was sacred to more than just Christians, they said - for they had come to defend the place where their own hero, Sir Albrecht, had died in the name of Wotan!

The next day dawned, cloudless and dry. A wind whipped through the camp, teasing through the unfurled banners of Logres. The army of the Saxons emerged from Saint Albans, to take the field against the Cymric knights and their allies. Straps were tightened. Shields were set. Prayers were said. The lords of Logres, outnumbered, mounted their warhorses and set their lances for a charge, against a shield wall screaming the name of Wotan. Hooves churned up the soil beneath them. A terrible, splintering impact as the force of riders drove into and through the wall. The battle was joined.

Only Sir Arnulf and Sir George took the field that day, Sir Esther again staying with her lady to attend to the wounded, and Sir Cadfael and Sir Brietta being amongst those wounded. They found themselves fighting for their lives against a sea of Saxon warriors - but the vast majority of the Saxon forces were only ceorls, inferior warriors recruited to bulk out numbers. The two struck down an innumerable host of enemies, as did the other knights of Logres. King Octa released his berserkers immediately, a small group of senseless ravagers wielding mighty axes, who tore into the side of the knights' charge. Sir Neddig fell there, cleft asunder by the axes of his enemies. Cursing and swearing every oath he had learned over his many, many years as a knight, Sir Elad of Vagon Castle, who had personally trained almost all the knights of Salisbury, led a counterattack against the berserkers. Old he may have been, but experienced, and under his leadership the berserkers were slain to a man.

The sun continued to rise in the sky until it reached its zenith. The initial deadly momentum of the knights had slowed and ceased, and now the knights were beset on all side by Saxon ceorls, Now King Eosa the half-giant led a group of elite heorthgeneat warriors against them, and none could stand before them. Sir Lycus, veteran warrior of Salisbury, tried to challenge Eosa and was slain. Then a hardened contingent of mercenary knights rode to confront the giant: the men of Sir Cador. At the Battle of Lindsey, his father had defeated Eosa, and now his son Sir Cador completed what his father had done. Sir Cador boldly confronted the immense warrior and struck him down, and the Saxons wailed as his fall shook the earth.

The tides of battle were turning. The Saxons were greater in number, but the knights of Logres were greater warriors, and Eosa's fall sapped their fighting hearts. The attackers began to fall back, and the Cymricmen assailed them with fresh vigour. Sir Arnulf and Sir George rode for the Saxon war banner, and Sir Arnulf struck down every man about it with deadly vigour, before trampling his second battle standard into the mud. Sir George was less skilled: a Saxon axe struck him down, and he fell insensate to the ground.

With the falling of the sun and the falling of the Saxon banner, the fight left the enemy and they began to flee, to be struck down by the pursuing knights. Through the press, Sir Arnulf caught sight of his archnemesis, King Octa, trying desperately to rally his routing forces. This was the enemy who had created the bandit menace, had subverted Sir Eleri, had engulfed London and Lindsey in war, had claimed Malahaut. Sir Arnulf had sacrificed much of his life in his quest: his loyalty, his lands, his estates, all for the greater good, all for this moment: saving Britain by slaying Octa. A red rage took control of him and he flung himself forward, ignoring the hulking Heorthgeneat bodyguards, and darting past them to strike at Octa himself. The Saxon king never saw it coming. He was flung from his horse, his blood running into the ground. However, he was not dead. Desperately he scrabbled away on hands and knees from the grim Sir Arnulf.

Sir Arnulf never saw the blow that struck him down. His passion had consumed him so that he ignored the bodyguards, one of whom struck a mighty blow at him, opening him wide and sending him to the ground, his life swiftly running from him next to the Saxon King. But Sir Helbur, his former squire, and Sir Barr of Salisbury, saw. The two charged the roal bodyguard, and Sir Barr felt, his head cleft asunder. With a scream of incoherent rage, the former squire cleft the head from the shoulders of the warrior who had felled his friends, and then dismounted to attend to Octa. A single blow downwards, and the king stopped moving. Sir Helbur ignored him and went to Sir Arnulf's side. "Good boy, Helbur," the dying Sir Arnulf said for the last time. "Find him... Prince Madoc's son. Find him..." As Sir Helbur's tears fell upon him, Sir Arnulf closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Nearby, there was a spluttering, bloody cough. Octa spat out a gobbet of blood upon the ground, and tried to speak, very quietly, and gestured for SIr Helbur to come closer. "I didn't think I'd die here," the king gasped. "Not the plan. I'm... afraid. What happens now? What.. waits for me?" The king asked Helbur to hear his last confession, in case it was the Christian God who waited for him, and Helbur bent closer to hear the king's last words. "My... worst... sin... I said.... I'd never die alone." And with his dying breath, Octa drove a knife at Sir Helbur's throat, cutting deeply. Sir Helbur fell into a swoon, but the blow was not fatal: he would have a beautiful scar, but he would survive.

With Octa's death, the battle was over. Against the odds, King Uther Pendragon had won a decisive victory, smashing the armies of Octa and Eosa once and for all. There were many casualties: Sir Lycus, Sir Barr, Sir Neddig, and Sir Arnulf amongst them, and many lay wounded: Duke Ulfius and Sir Brastias both were grievously wounded, and being attended by the healers, as were Sir Cadfael, Sir Helbur, Sir George, and Sir Brietta. In fact, only Sir Esther had escaped unharmed, by virtue of the fact that she had used the excuse of protecting Saint Gwiona to avoid the entire battle. A mass funeral pyre was arranged for the Saxon dead, while inside the great hall of Saint Albans, King Uther prepared a victory feast of special extravagance. Everyone who had taken part was invited.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Bartholomew returned to the cathedral, along with Saint Gwiona. The two had much to talk about. Gwionaism had become a major new religious movement, but apart from its focus on the feminine, it promoted Christian ideals of charity and compassion, and had spread throughout Britain (in large part because of the good work of Sir Esther). The Archbishop had decided that it was time to come to some settlement with Gwiona. As it happened, Bartholomew was a follower of the teachings of Saint Pelagius, who denied the concept of original sin - and if there was no original sin, then Eve was not responsible for damning the human race, and women were not the root of all sin. The two managed to reach a compromise: of the Trinity, God the Holy Spirit is genderless; God the Father could be reinterpreted as 'God the Parent of Humanity' and be seen as either male or female; and God the Son is Jesus Christ. This compromise warded off potential internal conflict in the British Christian Church, but both were aware that it was sure to be unpopular with the distant Pope Gelasius.

Sir Esther attended the feast briefly, though her heart was burdened by her wounded friends, and so she did not intend to stay long at the feast. However, she saw something in the crowded, carousing hall which drew her attention: a familiar face, hidden beneath a hood, moving surreptitiously from the hall. It was Sir Eleri. Sir Esther slipped out and followed. The streets were quiet as everyone in the town was at the feast, and so the two were uninterrupted as they moved through the darkness. Sir Esther called out to Sir Eleri to get her attention, and then finally confronted her by name, making her stop and turn.

Sir Eleri was clearly still wounded after her fight with Sir Arnulf the previous day. Sir Esther called on her to surrender and be treated with mercy, and Sir Eleri laughed bitterly. There would be no mercy for anyone that night. Her life had fallen apart completely, and she was consumed by despair. In a fury, she drew her sword and attacked the warrior-nun, screaming at Sir Esther to kill her. Sir Esther fought back to defend herself, and tried to reason with the maddened woman, but to no avail. Screams began to sound through the night, from the King's feast, as Sir Eleri battered Sir Esther down. Instinct and training took over as Sir Eleri knocked Sir Esther down: the nun was no warrior by nature, but she had drilled extensively, and she automatically parried Sir Eleri's blade and then slashed her across the stomach. The traitor fell bonelessly to the ground, and her blood mingled with the falling rain and Sir Esther's tears. Sir Esther tried to bandage her enemy and save her life, but Sir Eleri was dead, and her empty eyes stared at Sir Esther: she had claimed her first life.

There was no time to think about it now. Screams were still coming from the king's feast, and so she turned and sprinted through the night, to discover an unspeakable horror behind her. The King was dead, lying face-down in a pool of foaming blue vomit and blood. So were the rest of the court. Sir Eleri had managed to poison everyone at the feast. Earl Roderick was dead, as was Sir Leo of Salisbury. So was Sir Bertram of Leucomagus. King Canan had fallen from his chair to stare sightlessly at the ceiling. Both Admiral Gwenwynwyn and Marshal Talferyn were dead, leaving the army and navy of Logres leaderless. Sir Ifan of the London Guard was dead, as was Sir Owen, the last of the Tower Guard, and Sir Glesni of the Rainbow Guard. In addition to these familiar faces, many other lords, nobles, and knights had been poisoned. Logres was leadership. There was only one survivor: somehow, Merlin had managed to survive. He had used some of the magic which he did possess to protect himself, but at a steep price: Merlin had been driven insane in the process. Sir Esther moved towards him, and Merlin failed to recognise her, fleeing the hall like a cornered animal.

The first part of Igraine's prophecy had come true. Merlin had been destroyed by a woman for the first time. And Logres was without lords.

Two mass funeral pyres were set by the survivors, for the Saxons and the Cymric. The few survivors, those who had been wounded or who had not attended the feast, or had left early, dispersed. King Uther's remains were taken to Stonehenge, where he was buried next to his brother and his son. Sir Brietta, Sir Cadfael, Sir Esther, Sir George and Sir Helbur returned to Sarum, to break the news to Countess Ellen. Her son Robert, a three-year-old boy, was now the Earl, and Ellen was the ruler of the county until he reached his majority. Sir Elad, the veteran Marshal of Salisbury, had also survived. But enemies would beset them from every border. Octa and Eosa might be dead, but the Saxons of Anglia, Essex, Kent and Sussex yet remained, and Malahaut and the Irish would continue their raids. With no King in Logres, Logres was surely facing a time of anarchy...

Prelude to 495 AD

This is a special entry, in the lead-up to 495 AD and the end of the Uther Period. In two days time, they will fight Octa, Eosa and Eleri, with the future of Logres at stake. As part of climax of the first nine months of the campaign, I've planned three special mini-events. The first is that every player will have some event from the game thus far return, as a legacy for their character - some of them might be able to guess what; others might be a complete surprise. The second is a list of twenty recurring NPCs, some minor, some major, who will return for the final battle against Octa and Eosa, whose fates will be directly in the hands of the players. I can't reveal all of these names just yet - so I'll name half of them!

Sir Barr - A knight of Salisbury, famous for strength of arm and weakness of wit
Sir Bertram - the champion of Leucomagus
King Canan - King of Estregales
Sir Elad - the Marshal of Salisbury, who trained the player knights
Admiral Gwenwynwyn - Leader of the navies of Logres
Sir Helbur - The former squire of Sir Arnulf, who saved the group many times - and may be having an affair with his lord's wife.
Sir Ifan - Leader of the City Guard of London
Sir Leo - Honourable pagan knight of Salisbury
Earl Roderick - The liege lord of the knights of Salisbury
Marshal Talferyn - Leader of the armies of Logres

The third special aspect of the game is a vote. The Gwionite movement of feminist Christianity began as a joke result of a few critical failures and successes on dice rolls, and has evolved into one of the most fundamental parts of our game. The players and I will vote whether Gwionism shall become a part of the mainstream church and compromise its ideals, or whether it will become an independent and heretical movement in conflict with the church. At this point in time, the voting is split fifty-fifty, with four votes cast and three votes still to come! Here is a letter from Sir Esther which one of the players sent me, with their opinion on the fate of Gwionism...

To my Lady Gwiona, Abbess of Amesbury and Servant of our Goddess the Creator

I trust this missive finds you well and in good time. It is a relief to hear that Brother Eilmer has been received positively by our sisters and brothers at Amesbury. I must confess that, when posing the idea of a monastic exchange for the winter, I had my concerns about his unbridled zest for knowledge. I have also been in correspondence with representatives of Kings Leodegrance of Cameliard and Canan of Estregales who send their warmest regards to Amesbury.

The fruitfulness and joy from these relationships are a testament to the wisdom of your teachings of open empathy and compassionate outreach to others. It thus saddens me to hear news attacks on our selfless mission. I had hoped that Saint Dewi would be favourable to the establishment of orphanages, especially in the grip of war and turmoil. Sister Asher, my ears to the ground, has also warned me that others throughout Logres have made moves to check our advance of aid to those in greatest need.

I turn now to your original question. That of whether, heaven forbid, we should be forced to compromise our ideals by enfolding with the mainstream belief or face being branded as heretics. I have prayed and fasted on the issue, consulted teachings from scripture and your own lessons, and discussed at length with my trusted allies. Given my lack of mastery of theology and politics, I am hesitant to express my view for fear of doing more harm than good. However, I shall give it at your request.

It is my humble opinion that we should not deviate from our beliefs and mission. These attacks on our order stem from a narrow and inflexible mindset, from assailants who, in my modest judgement, are more interested in being served that serving others. From my readings, scripture does not conflict with belief in a female creator. Claims of heresy are thus petty name calling, which certainly should not lessen our aims to protect the weak.

Forgive me if my position sounds vengeful. In truth, I am deeply conflicted between the objectives of peaceful coexistence and the sanctity of our belief and mission. By writing firmly, I had hoped to solidify my choice of action in my own mind. My view is that we can still work to avoid this destructive ultimatum. As ever, I submit ultimately to the wisdom of those more learned than myself. Whatever the outcome, I remain a faithful servant of our order.

Humbly yours,

Sister Esther

494 AD: The Embassy to Estregales

As the snows of winter melted, Sir Arnulf found himself returning to Leucomagus for the first time since he abandoned his obsessed lord Sir Rhisiart, the Steward of Leucomagus, eight years earlier. Now he wished vengeance upon his former lord, for attempting to frame him for banditry the previous year. With him was his former squire Sir Helbur, now a knight, as well as his companions Sir Cadfael (recently returned from his enslavement in Ireland) and Sir Esther (who had spent the previous year productively, arranging for monasteries following Saint Gwiona's precepts to be established across Britain, which would also act as refuges for women and orphans threatened by the worsening conflicts).

Sir Arnulf wished vengeance, but he did not intend to seek it. Before coming, he had discussed with his companions and his Earl what he should do in retaliation for Leucomagus' attacks. Most advocated dealing with the matter legally - denouncing Sir Rhisiart and demanding a duel of honour to prove his perfidy. Earl Roderick, whose hatred of Leucomagus was perhaps equal to that of Sir Arnulf, suggested using the Steward's own tactics - leading a force bearing no banners, or perhaps even banners of an enemy like the Saxons, to ravage Leucomagus and murder Sir Rhisiart. However, Sir Arnulf was mindful of the Saxon threat. Octa son of Hengist had four nations allied against Logres, and all knew that war was imminent. Even a diplomatic effort led by Duke Ulfius, which sought to placate Octa by returning his imprisoned half-brother, the giant Eosa to him, could at best only delay the inevitable. Any sort of internal strife within Logres at this point was unthinkable. While Sir Arnulf may have abandoned his oaths, it had always been for a greater purpose, the purpose his current companions had instilled in him - to save his people from the threat of the Saxons.

The embassy arrived in Leucomagus and were treated poorly. The Steward shamed his guests by making them wait, and then sitting them amongst the peasants in his hall, serving them only gruel, but the knights of Salisbury ate grimly, refusing to dishonour themselves by complaining. Sir Arnulf spoke to Sir Bertram, his former friend, who guiltily apologised for his lord's actions - and for being the one who impersonated Sir Arnulf during the raids. Finally, Sir Helbur rose to address the crowd - who had been waiting to see what action Sir Arnulf and his companions would take in response to the slights visited upon them both here and in the past. Sir Helbur, always a masterful orator, publically shamed the Steward with his words - by exposing Sir Rhisiart for the shallow, bitter, dishonourable wretch that he was. However, Sir Helbur also said that Sir Arnulf was mindful of the greater threat, and therefore forgave Sir Rhisiart his trespasses against him, so that they could both focus on Logres' true enemy. Humiliated by the truth of Sir Helbur's words, Sir Rhisiart agreed as well to end the feud between them, and let the knights return to Salisbury in honour.

As spring turned into summer, Earl Roderick summoned Sir Arnulf, Sir Cadfael and Sir Esther to task them with a great mission. It was not only they who knew that the hour of reckoning between Uther and Octa was imminent. Logres still sought allies who could aid her in her hour of need. For that purpose, the Earl required his vassals to travel west into Wales, to the court of King Canan of Estregales at Pembroke, and to deliver a message to him from King Uther Pendragon, beseeching his assistance against the Saxons. The three knights agreed, and prepared for the road - Sir Arnulf entrusting his city and his wife into the protection of his friend and former squire Sir Helbur.

The knights headed for the northern road through Somerset. Once, they would have been afraid of banditry - but their own activities had crushed the worst of the Saxon-sponsored bandits that had been operating throughout Logres, and those few petty groups which remained did not dare to threaten three veteran knights. However, the knights were alarmed, not far out of Malmesbury, when they heard an almighty crash on the side of the road! They headed to investigate, but could see nothing - until they heard a muffled voice asking for help above them. Looking up, they saw a bizarre sight: a monk was stuck upside down in a tree, his cassock fallen down about him. Strangest of all was the contraption that the monk was attached to - a strange kite-like affair, with the monk's arms attached to two wings!

Sir Arnulf and Sir Cadfael shook the tree to dislodge the man, and Sir Esther and the three squires failed to catch him. Sir Esther tried to help him, but the strange monk's legs were badly broken from the impact with the tree and the fall, and he needed more serious care than she could give. The man introduced himself as Brother Eilmer, from a monastery in Malmesbury. He had been attempting to fly, and had jumped from the bell-tower of the monastery, but he sheepishly admitted that as he had forgotten to attach a tail to his hinder parts, his flight had ended rather abruptly! Sir Cadfael said that if God had intended for man to fly, he would have given him wings already; Brother Eilmer retorted that if God had not intended for man to fly, he would not have created birds to provide an example and a brain for men to wonder about it with. Sir Arnulf and Sir Esther were amazed and amused by the monk, and the three agreed to help him. The knights hitched up a crude travois to attach Brother Eilmer and his contraption to their horses, and helped to take him back to Malmesbury. Once there, they had dinner with the abbot (who was exasperated rather than surprised at Brother Eilmer's injuries) and Sir Esther arranged for a monastic exchange to take place - a nun of Saint Gwiona's order to winter in Malmesbury, while Brother Eilmer could come to Amesbury.

The three companions continued north, through Clarence and into Gloucester. They knew that the Dukes of these lands often feuded with one another over their poorly-defined borders, but decided to continue along the road and attempt not to become embroiled in the dispute. They passed through Clarence without any incident, but were met once they crossed into Gloucester by the sons of the Duke: the Twin Bannerets of Glevum. The Green Banneret seemed more intelligent and indolent, while the Red Banneret seemed his opposite, impetuous and brash. They feuded incessantly, but were inseparable nevertheless. The Twin Bannerets of Glevum escorted their guests to their father the Duke, who offered the knights hospitality before having his sons see them on their way in the morning. The next day, sharp-eyed Sir Arnulf spotted an ambush waiting off the road for them, and charged to meet it. A small melee broke out, in which poor peaceful Sir Esther attempted to talk her for into submission unsuccessfully and had to be rescued by the deadly Sir Cadfael. The Green Banneret attempted to pin the attack on Clarence, and asked for the knights' help in seeking redress from the Duke of Clarence - but all three of the knights of Salisbury saw through his plot. He had organised the attack himself! An irate Sir Arnulf punched the Green Banneret in the face, and then they left the Twin Bannerets on the road and entered Escavalon.

King Nanteleod of Escavalon was a middle-aged man, and extremely welcoming in his hospitality. He arranged for his guests to sit at the high table with him, and then spoke to them constantly, offered them the finest wines and delicacies from his kitchen, laughed when Sir Arnulf revealed the true origins of his epithet 'The Wind Dragon', and asked them questions. Many questions. Sir Arnulf, not as savvy as the other two and his lips loosened by the fine wines of Escavalon, found himself telling the kindly King all manner of things about the politics of Logres, with Nanteleod nodding and listening very intently. It was only afterwards that an embarrassed Sir Arnulf realised that he had been manipulated into giving some very good and somewhat secret information to King Nanteleod!

From King Nanteleod's seat in Carlion, the road continued westwards, along the edge of the Severn Sea, into Estregales. The group stopped for the night in Carmarthen, which Sir Esther knew to be the birthplace of her friend Ambrose - better known as Merlin Ambrosius. With a presentiment that she might see him again, she decided to get him something from his home, and found a wheel of Carmarthen's famous hard yellow cheese for the wizard, knowing his fondness for it! The group also took a guided tour around the little town, seeing all the Merlin-related landmarks (and Sir Arnulf picked up some souvenirs for his children!) Sir Arnulf was most interested in finding out about Merlin's mysterious twin sister Ganeida, however, who did not seem to be mentioned anywhere in the tour, and no one in town had heard of her. Eventually, Sir Esther discovered why, when she found a headstone with Ganeida's name on it. Merlin's twin sister had been stillborn. But if that was the case, why did the Ladies of the Lake follow her, and why was Merlin so touchy about a lost sister he had never known? Clearly, there was something more to the mystery.

The knights continued further west, where they finally arrived at Pembroke Castle, and were welcomed by King Canan. That night at dinner, they met his steward, Sir Orcas, as well as the King's sons, the newly-knighted Prince Dirac and his squire, Prince Lac. King Canan received the knights's letter and promised to give thought to it, and the three decided that it would be best to win allies in court, who could help sway King Canan to their cause. They dismissed the two Princes, and decided that the best person to recruit would be Sir Orcas. The knights put arguments both well-argued and emotional to Sir Orcas, reminding him how the Saxons had landed in Estregales years earlier, where they were fought off at the Battle of Menevia. Sir Orcas was persuaded, and he promised to help Logres.

The King's decision was not forthcoming, and so the knights decided to turn their attention to the two Princes next. They agreed to go hunting with Prince Dirac, hoping to win his support. Once on the hunt, Prince Dirac suggested a hunting challenge - whoever could bring back the best game over the next three days would be the winner, and would owe a favour to the other. This seemed like an easy way to win Prince Dirac's support, the knights felt, and agreed. Prince Dirac set a condition - as there were three knights of Salisbury, and only one of Prince Dirac, one of the three ambassadors would have to hunt with him - and he immediately requested Sir Esther.

It soon became apparent that the whole hunt was merely a pretext, and that the Prince was horribly and inappropriately infatuated with chaste Sir Esther in the worst possible way. She for her part did nothing to encourage the Prince. On the second day of the hunt, Prince Dirac tracked down a wild boar. He speared it, but the boar slew his horse and began to savage him. Sir Esther attacked the boar and hurt it badly, drawing its ire and saving the Prince's life. Prince Dirac slew the boar, and then continued to proposition Sir Esther. Upset by the bloodshed, she responded harshly at last, scorning the Prince's advances. It only served to flame his ardour further. The young man came to visit Sir Esther that night, to try and seduce her to sleep with him again. Sir Esther escaped to Sir Arnulf's room, and the more experienced Sir Arnulf shamed the young prince into fleeing to his room. From then on, he left Sir Esther alone, and did not show his face again.

Time continued to pass, and King Canan still did not give a reply to the three ambassadors. At this point, the three knights had been at Pembroke for long enough that they were called upon to entertain one night at dinner. Sir Cadfael began to tell a story - and in the process managed to inadvertently offend all those gathered, not once but repeatedly, to the point where one of King Canan's knights leapt up to attack him with his bare hands. Sir Cadfael thought through his options: fighting back could insult the King's hospitality, and turning this into an incident with swords would certainly escalate the situation. The best thing to do would be to take his punishment for his ill-chosen words, and hope that he had not doomed the embassy. Accordingly, Sir Cadfael submitted to a sound beating from the irate knight.

Over the next few weeks, barely anyone would talk to the three knights, and still there was no reply from King Canan! They had one visitor: a grubby king of one of the many Welsh hill-tribes, King Gwynfor of Ystrad Tyi, who was intrigued but also dismissive of the knights' warhorses, so much bigger and more powerful than his own hill-ponies. The King challenged the knights to a horse-race, which Sir Arnulf handily won, impressing King Gwynfor mightily. He attempted to buy one of the warhorses from the knights, but when they refused, he departed with his tribesmen. It was only when they were gone that Sir Esther realised that her handmaiden, Asher, had been abducted by the tribesmen! The knights tracked down King Gwynfor, who denied everything. Eventually he 'discovered' Asher was in Ystrad Tyi, and Sir Esther had to bargain away her warhorse to get her back.

When the knights returned to Pembroke, they discovered that King Canan was no longer there! He and his court had moved on to Tenby. The ambassadors followed him, and that night the King announced that he looked favourably upon King Uther's requests and was drafting a reply to his letter. The three knights were then ignored for the rest of the month. More time passed. The court moved again, this time to Carmarthen again, where suddenly events took a change for the worst: at the feast after the first night of arrival, King Canan turned blue in the face and began to choke and wheeze. Sir Esther instantly raced up to the throne, recognising the signs of poisoning, and induced vomiting, making the King throw up the poison and saving his life. He was taken away to recover, very weak from his near-death experience, while the court turned on the man who had given him the goblet: his son, Prince Dirac!

Prince Dirac was taken to jail (and accompanied by Sir Arnulf, who suspected that more was going on than met the eye). Sir Esther accompanied the King to make sure that he would recover, while Sir Cadfael privately went to talk to Sir Orcas, who had taken charge now that the King was indisposed and the Princes were imprisoned. Sir Cadfael accused Sir Orcas of attempting to seize power, and to his surprise the steward admitted his guilt immediately. Sir Orcas had been convinced of the need for Logres and Estregales to ally, but he also knew that King Canan had decided against the union as he felt the situation within Estregales was too delicate. Therefore, Sir Orcas had seized power for the greater good. Sir Cadfael, Sir Esther and Sir Arnulf deliberated for many hours on the news. If they allowed Sir Orcas to finish off the King, they would have succeeded at their mission, but blackened their own honour in the process. They might be able to save the King and hope that in his gratitude he would change his mind. In any case they all agreed that the two young princes needed to be taken to safety - Prince Dirac had committed no crime greater than youthful foolishness in his attitude towards Sir Esther, and did not deserve to die.

After much arguing, the three finally decided that honour must be more important than pragmatism. They captured the assassin which Sir Orcas sent after the King that night, and through Sir Cadfael's cunning and Sir Arnulf's application of force, convinced him to confess who had sent him before the court. This, coupled with Prince Dirac's sworn word that the poisoned goblet had been handed to him by Sir Orcas, was enough to make the steward's guilt plain. Sir Orcas cursed Sir Cadfael for betraying him, and challenged him to a duel of honour to prove his innocence. Unfortunately, Sir Cadfael was a far more experienced swordsman, and he crippled Sir Orcas by shattering his sword-arm. The Steward begged for mercy, but the only mercy that Sir Cadfael would grant him was a swift death.

With King Canan's life saved and the plot revealed, Sir Esther led a new set of negotiations with King Canan. The King was grateful for everything that the three knights had done (especially as he realised that they could have easily let him die to achieve their goals!) and agreed to send what men he could spare to aid Logres when war broke out. With their mission accomplished and their honour intact, the three ambassadors returned home - where grim news awaited them. The duchy of Lindsey was aflame. Octa's Saxons, reinforced by the army of Malahaut, had invaded. And in London, King Uther's long sickness had taken a turn for the worse. In Logres' hour of need, its king was now dying, and armies threatened from all sides. The onset of winter snows stopped the Saxon invasion in its tracks, but everyone knew that when the thaw came, the doom of Logres was at hand...