Meanwhile, Sir Edwin received a letter from Sir Julius, a fellow Knight of Saint Gwiona. The order had dwindled over the course of the Anarchy, until only three members were left alive, and one of those, Sir Telifan, had betrayed his oaths for personal gain. Sir Julius wrote that he had confronted Sir Telifan, but had been defeated in a legal duel. Refusing to let the matter stand, he intended to attack Sir Telifan dishonourably to avenge the Knighthood - but said that he was sure to fail, and implored that Sir Edwin avenge him. And rumour came that Sir Julius had perished ignominiously in the street, attacking Sir Telifan.
Sir Edwin conferred with his companions: Sir Balthazar, Sir Fflergant, Sir Mabon and Lady Svenhilde. He desired justice against Sir Telifan. The others, meanwhile, had heard rumours of a suit of golden armour buried under Silbury Hill, and wished to find it to present it to the High King. Sir Edwin agreed to accompany them, if he could use the armour as a part of his revenge.
The group set out to Silbury, where they interviewed the local peasants. They found that the local drunkard, Argie, claimed to have found the treasure horde of King Sil while blind drunk, but had never found it again. They also found that most of the village thought that the hill was haunted by faeries, and Svenhilde learned a local charm that was said to repel faeries from the local wisewoman. The knights tried various methods to locate the cave, including Sir Balthazar and Sir Fflergant both getting roaringly drunk in case a lack of sobriety was significant. They also played a practical joke on Sir Mabon, arranging for a naked man to be in his rooms in the inn when he returned there that night.
The next day, Sir Fflergant convinced the group to give up on the cave and to go hunting. Svenhilde's magic had discovered that there was an enchantment upon the hill that no one who sought the treasure inside it would ever find it. Therefore, Sir Fflergant and Sir Edwin intended to trick Sir Mabon and Sir Balthazar into believing that they had given up on the hunt, hoping that one of them might find the cave by accident while hunting. Sir Balthazar was separated from the others and, while pursuing a deer upon Silbury Hill, discovered the secret cave upon it. He entered to find a golden suit of armour upon a bier, with a golden horn, a golden horse, dead followers in golden armour, and mounds of treasure gleaming dimly. For a moment, he looked at all this treasure - but then he turned and departed. The dead should not be disturbed - and perhaps Sir Balthazar wished to tweak Sir Edwin's nose, whom he considered a hypocrite.
Sir Balthazar soon met up with Sir Fflergant and Sir Edwin, and lied to them about finding the cave. The group continued hunting, but became lost and were forced to camp out in the middle of the wilderness. Meanwhile, Sir Mabon returned to Lady Svenhilde, to discover that his companions were missing, The two set off to find them, sending Svenhilde's crow familiar Hermes ahead to scout. They met a strange blind hermit called Absolom, who relied upon divine providence to survive. Thanks to Absolom and Hermes, the knights were reunited at Ambrosius' Dike.
The group now decided to investigate a strange rumour they had heard. In the Harewood, in north-eastern Salisbury, the village of Highclere was beset by a monster called the Grampus. A type of whale, it did not live in the water but inside a tree near the village. It distracted the villagers with its heavy breathing, and would follow them around, moving when they weren't looking. The knights went to investigate, and were driven to distraction by the heavy breathing, as well as how the Grampus would move swiftly when they blinked, so that it was always behind them. Sir Mabon lost patience and departed, swearing that he would return with men-at-arms in a few days to put the Grampus to death if the others did not solve the problem before then. Sir Edwin, meanwhile, realised that in a strange way, the Grampus was defending the area - its breathing was so loud and annoying that no Saxons from Wessex ever tried to cross the border here.
Nevertheless, the problem of the Grampus could not be ignored. Sir Fflergant decided that he wished for the Grampus to go to Wessex, to annoy the Saxons there. The knights travelled south until they found some Saxon foragers, who they subdued and stripped. Now wearing Saxon garb, Sir Fflergant and Sir Balthazar tracked down the Grampus and put on a show for it, until the strange whale decided to follow Sir Fflergant. The knight led it towards Wessex, but changed his mind at the last moment - he did not want the Grampus to be slain by angry Saxons - and so he instead travelled south to the sea, with the whale in pursuit, and then entered the water. The Grampus followed, and then finally swam off. (Months later, news came that a ship from the continent bringing Saxon reinforcements was 'attacked' by a whale that breathed exceedingly loudly...)
The knights returned home. It had been a strange year, but a welcome diversion from warfare.
The group set out to Silbury, where they interviewed the local peasants. They found that the local drunkard, Argie, claimed to have found the treasure horde of King Sil while blind drunk, but had never found it again. They also found that most of the village thought that the hill was haunted by faeries, and Svenhilde learned a local charm that was said to repel faeries from the local wisewoman. The knights tried various methods to locate the cave, including Sir Balthazar and Sir Fflergant both getting roaringly drunk in case a lack of sobriety was significant. They also played a practical joke on Sir Mabon, arranging for a naked man to be in his rooms in the inn when he returned there that night.
The next day, Sir Fflergant convinced the group to give up on the cave and to go hunting. Svenhilde's magic had discovered that there was an enchantment upon the hill that no one who sought the treasure inside it would ever find it. Therefore, Sir Fflergant and Sir Edwin intended to trick Sir Mabon and Sir Balthazar into believing that they had given up on the hunt, hoping that one of them might find the cave by accident while hunting. Sir Balthazar was separated from the others and, while pursuing a deer upon Silbury Hill, discovered the secret cave upon it. He entered to find a golden suit of armour upon a bier, with a golden horn, a golden horse, dead followers in golden armour, and mounds of treasure gleaming dimly. For a moment, he looked at all this treasure - but then he turned and departed. The dead should not be disturbed - and perhaps Sir Balthazar wished to tweak Sir Edwin's nose, whom he considered a hypocrite.
Sir Balthazar soon met up with Sir Fflergant and Sir Edwin, and lied to them about finding the cave. The group continued hunting, but became lost and were forced to camp out in the middle of the wilderness. Meanwhile, Sir Mabon returned to Lady Svenhilde, to discover that his companions were missing, The two set off to find them, sending Svenhilde's crow familiar Hermes ahead to scout. They met a strange blind hermit called Absolom, who relied upon divine providence to survive. Thanks to Absolom and Hermes, the knights were reunited at Ambrosius' Dike.
The group now decided to investigate a strange rumour they had heard. In the Harewood, in north-eastern Salisbury, the village of Highclere was beset by a monster called the Grampus. A type of whale, it did not live in the water but inside a tree near the village. It distracted the villagers with its heavy breathing, and would follow them around, moving when they weren't looking. The knights went to investigate, and were driven to distraction by the heavy breathing, as well as how the Grampus would move swiftly when they blinked, so that it was always behind them. Sir Mabon lost patience and departed, swearing that he would return with men-at-arms in a few days to put the Grampus to death if the others did not solve the problem before then. Sir Edwin, meanwhile, realised that in a strange way, the Grampus was defending the area - its breathing was so loud and annoying that no Saxons from Wessex ever tried to cross the border here.
Nevertheless, the problem of the Grampus could not be ignored. Sir Fflergant decided that he wished for the Grampus to go to Wessex, to annoy the Saxons there. The knights travelled south until they found some Saxon foragers, who they subdued and stripped. Now wearing Saxon garb, Sir Fflergant and Sir Balthazar tracked down the Grampus and put on a show for it, until the strange whale decided to follow Sir Fflergant. The knight led it towards Wessex, but changed his mind at the last moment - he did not want the Grampus to be slain by angry Saxons - and so he instead travelled south to the sea, with the whale in pursuit, and then entered the water. The Grampus followed, and then finally swam off. (Months later, news came that a ship from the continent bringing Saxon reinforcements was 'attacked' by a whale that breathed exceedingly loudly...)
The knights returned home. It had been a strange year, but a welcome diversion from warfare.
