506 AD: Heroes Fall

Winter in Sarum - the first in years. After six years in exile, Salisbury belonged to the Cymric. There was still much work to be done, though. Only the land around Sarum, Amesbury, Vagon and Du Plain were truly peaceful. There was much work to be done elsewhere, for many dangers had come to the county. So it was that as the snows melted, Earl Robert called a council of his faithful knights, to plan their next course of action. Furthermore, Salisbury had been called upon by King Nanteleod to aid him in his ceaseless wars to pacify the lawless island. Over the winter, the embattled King Cadwy of Somerset had sworn fealty to Nanteleod, in order to win his assistance against King Idres of Cornwall. The Cornishmen currently occupied much of Somerset. Sir Helbur, the Marshal of Salisbury, agreed to lead a force to Somerset to serve King Nanteleod for the forty days of feudal service.With him would go Sir Bleddyn and Sir Edwyn, who was always eager to strike a blow against the Cornish.

Meanwhile, Sir Cuthbert and Sir Jeremy headed to Tisbury, on the Naddar River, to the south-west of Sarum. Word had come in that a giant worm was terrorizing the village. When they arrived, they questioned the peasants about the monster. Apparently the worm was like an earthworm, but far, far larger. It lived down the well in the middle of the town, and emerged at night to carry off livestock. Sir Cuthbert, somewhat confused, claimed that the worm would protect the town, and the peasants should give offerings to it. Fortunately, Sir Jeremy had read about something like this before, and corrected him - it was a monster, and needed to be destroyed.

The two knights agreed to lay a trap for the worm that night. They found a sickly lamb to serve as bait, and tethered it in the town square near to the well. The area was liberally doused with oil, and Sir Jeremy waited on a nearby roof with his bow and arrow and a brazier, to ignite the oil. Sir Cuthbert waited nearby, with a cover for the well to block off the worm's escape. As expected, the worm emerged. As soon as it seized the lamb and devoured it, Sir Cuthbert slammed down the cover while Sir Jeremy ignited the oil. However, this served more to anger the worm than hurt it! With a terrible mouth sporting rings of razor-sharp teeth at each end of its body, the worm attacked Sir Jeremy and Sir Cuthbert both, while the flames began to spread throughout the town square.

The fighting was fierce. The smoke and fire took its toll on fighters and fiend alike, but eventually with a mighty stroke, Sir Jeremy cleft the worm asunder. However, this did not kill the worm. Ichor sprayed from its wound, but both ends continued to fight individually. Finally, the battle got the better of Sir Jeremy, and he fell. His squire fled, and the building beneath him creaked dangerously from the flames. Sir Cuthbert saw his comrade's peril. With his swift steed Aescalaxing he could reach Sir Jeremy and save his life; however, if he did so, the worm would doubtlessly escape down the well. He decided to concentrate upon fighting the worm. The fiery building began to collapse, and Sir Cuthbert changed his mind, calling Aescalaxing to him and riding to Sir Jeremy's rescue. However, he had waited too long. One of the two worms ate its way through the wooden cover and retreated down the well; the other had perished in the fighting. So had Sir Jeremy. Hating himself for failing to save his friend, Sir Cuthbert was determined that at any cost, the worm would not escape. He took up his sword and jumped down the well after it. The impact made his blade tear the worm asunder, and the knight plummeted to the underground reservoir and his death.

However, it was not his fate that he should die at this time. Miraculously he survived the fall, and lay senseless at the bottom of the well in the freezing waters, but even this ordeal did not slay him. The next day, his squire Asher of Amesbury organised the peasants to rescue him. Asher herself was lowered down the well on a rope, and brought Sir Cuthbert back to the surface. It would be much time before he recovered from the ordeal; but the blackness that had settled upon him since Sir Jeremy died would never lift. Meanwhile, Asher escorted Sir Jeremy's body back to his sister, Abbess Esther, and revealed to her Sir Jeremy's final secret: he had discovered recently that he had an illicit son, Madoc, from an affair in his youth, who was now nearly of an age to be a man. Sir Jeremy had died before ever meeting the young man. Esther decided that she would seek him out on Sir Jeremy's behalf.

Meanwhile, the campaign in Somerset went slowly. Marshal Helbur led a force made up of the men of Salisbury, reinforced by a mercenary unit led by Sir Cador (who had, like Sir Edwyn, also lost his homeland to Cornwall). King Idres was avoiding any military engagements, and so Marshal Helbur's force spent much of its time trying to outmaneuver  a Cornish force. Finally the two forces met each other in battle. Led by the three mighty knights, the forces loyal to King Nanteleod were able to win, and the Cornishmen were forced to withdraw, although in the fighting all three knights were badly wounded. Only Sir Bleddyn was able to walk - the other two would require a month or more in bed to recover.

Upon the force's return to Salisbury, Earl Robert summoned Sir Bleddyn and Sir Cuthbert to him, to discuss what to do with Sir Orlin in Tilshead. The bandit knight had sent an envoy to Sarum, who arrogantly demanded that his master be recognized as lord of Tilshead, in exchange for his oath of fealty. Earl Robert was loath to treat with such a man, but he knew that Salisbury's army was so diminished after the years of fighting that simply reconquering Tilshead by main force was too costly an operation for the time being. Sir Bleddyn, that man of many plots, suggested a plan. He and Sir Cuthbert would travel to Tilshead as Earl Robert's emissaries, and there deal with the problem themselves - without damaging the Earl's good name. Earl Robert agreed.

On the road, Sir Bleddyn explained his scheme. He would demand that Sir Orlin prove his worth in a duel before God. Of course, he intended to drug the robber knight beforehand, to stack the odds in his favour. He also meant to offer to sell out his lord by throwing the duel - to make Sir Orlin complacent. He was well aware that he was badly wounded, after all. He was also aware that Sir Orlin was a suspicious knight, who would be watching out for treachery. When the two knights were brought before Sir Orlin, in a stinking hall full of hooting brigands, Sir Bleddyn made a show of presenting him with a bottle of wine. Sir Orlin refused to drink it, but the wine was merely a cover - for Sir Bleddyn had coated the drug upon the rim of the goblet that he gifted to Sir Orlin at the same time. That night, the two envoys enjoyed the 'hospitality' of Sir Orlin - stomaching the many insults offered to them and to their Earl.

The next day, the duel was fought in the hall. Sir Bleddyn had already made his offer to throw the match in secret, and so deliberately left himself open at first, to lower his drugged foe's guard. However, Sir Orlin had already made up his mind to betray Sir Bleddyn himself. With a pair of mighty blows that caught Sir Bleddyn by surprise, he struck the scheming knight low and then slew him. Sir Orlin and his men jeered and hooted, spitting on the knight's corpse. This proved too much for Sir Cuthbert. He had already lost one friend this year, and now another had died before his eyes - and seeing his body treated in such a manner was the last straw. He drew his sword and challenged Sir Orlin himself. Now the brigand knight's reactions were beginning to slow from the drug he had taken, and Sir Cuthbert was fueled by fury. The second duel was short and bloody, as Sir Cuthbert slew the false knight. The other brigands in the hall made to interfere, producing hidden weapons - they had never intended to honour the duel! Sir Cuthbert attempted to flee the hall, but there were too many foes, and was slain. However, without Sir Orlin's leadership, his band of ruffians could not maintain control over Tilshead. Before long, a force led by Sir Jaradan was easily able to drive them out and reclaim the city for Earl Robert.

Months passed. Sir Edwyn and Sir Helbur recovered from their wounds in Somerset and returned to service, the last of the five knights. (Svenhilde had stayed safe this whole year in Vagon, looking after her lord's holdings.) Another messenger arrived at Sarum - this time, from Wessex, bearing word from the Saxons. King Cerdic regretted the hostilities which had existed between them. His envoy said that the occupation of Salisbury had not been his wish, but had been the actions of his son at the behest of a fey. He offered aid in rebuilding Salisbury, in exchange for military assistance against his allies. Accepting this offer, the knights knew, would be tantamount to swearing fealty to King Cerdic. Earl Robert agreed, and then brashly refused the offer. The envoy left, threatening them that the final reckoning between King Nanteleod and King Cerdic was yet to come - and they would have to live with their choices. In the months to follow, Saxon raiders began to strike at Salisbury across the border, though the renewed defences at Du Plain helped to hold back some of the attacks.

There were also raids in the Bourne River valley - but these were more violent, and conducted by knights, not Saxons. Sir Helbur and Sir Edwyn led a patrol to investigate, and discovered that the raids came from Salisbury's old enemy, Leucomagus. They led an embassy across the border to demand an explanation from the new Steward, Sir Blaines - the young son of Sir Rhisiart, who had died seven years ago in a riding accident. Sir Blaines was convinced that his father's death was not accidental, but deliberate murder ordered by Salisbury, and wanted revenge against Earl Robert - even though he had been only a boy at the time. Sir Helbur decided that further negotiations were pointless, and withdrew. He and Sir Edwyn prepared a force and intercepted Sir Blaines' raiders the next time they crossed the border. The ensuing battle was short and swift; the knights of Leucomagus were beaten, and Sir Blaines fled back home.

Meanwhile, the Saxon religious site at Berwick (which had once been the manor of Sir Albrecht) was burned down by its inhabitants. Following in the idol's footsteps, they decided to die heroically rather than be oppressed. No one had actually gotten around to oppressing them yet, but they felt that it was imminent. They caused widespread damage as they made for Amesbury. until Sir Jaradan led a force that wiped them out.

As the year ended, most of Salisbury was once again under the control of Earl Robert. The county was still in danger; it had lost many heroes, and raiders plundered from the west and the east. However, with the help of the Hamper of Gwyddno Garanhir and the brave sacrifice of its knights, peace had been restored - for the time being.

Abbess Esther mourns the fallen.

505 AD: The Reconquest of Salisbury

The time had come. King Nanteleod was marching against Cerdic of Wessex, to take the war to the Saxons. His armies were mustering along the border of Salisbury, ready to reclaim it before pressing deeper into enemy territory. The knights of Salisbury were preparing to ride to war as well. This was the moment that they had been waiting for, for many years. Sir Helbur, the Marshal of Salisbury, with the help of Sir Bleddyn, Sir Cuthbert, Sir Edwin, and his squire Svenhilde, was to take control of the forces of Salisbury in this conflict.

As the armies prepared to march, young Robert came to see Sir Helbur. Robert was the rightful Earl of Salisbury, though as yet still a squire and, at twenty years of age, not yet ready to become a knight. However, he begged a boon from his subject. "It is contrary to my honour to sit at home while other men reclaim my birthright for me! Please, Sir Helbur, make me a knight so that I may do my part!" Sir Helbur was hesitant. Sir Edwin took the young man aside and challenged him to a bout, to test his mettle. Young Robert eagerly accepted, and was then shown how inexperienced he was. While he had some skill, and his reflexes and strength were both good, he was still green, and his brash nature made him easy for Sir Edwin to defeat. But this did not dampen Robert's enthusiasm, and so in that courtyard, Sir Helbur invested the young man as Knight and Earl of Salisbury.

The new Earl had a first request. King Nanteleod needed a vanguard to seize Sarum from the Saxons, to serve as a staging point for the main invasion of Hampshire. Earl Robert wanted the battered army of Salisbury to volunteer to lead the vanguard. He did not want Salisbury to be given back to him from the efforts of other men! The knights of Salisbury readily agreed to lead the advance force. The Earl also recognised that the others had more experience than him. While he led in name, he promised that he would consult them, and that Sir Helbur would actually be in command of the army. Sir Helbur, in turn, relied upon Sir Bleddyn and Sir Edwin, who knew more of battle leadership and of siegecraft, to advise him.

Sir Helbur directed his men in a forced march towards Sarum. He wished to catch the defenders unawares. Meanwhile Sir Cuthbert rode with all haste to Amesbury Abbey, to visit Abbess Esther. She could be a valuable source of information about the present state of Salisbury. Esther told Sir Cuthbert that the Saxons still held Sarum and Du Plain Castle (which guarded the road between Sarum and Cerdic's capital of Winchester). She also said that there was a Saxon force at Berwick, Sir Albrecht's former estate. It had become something of a holy site for the followers of Wotan. Abbess Esther urged that the cult of this bloody god be suppressed, and told Sir Cuthbert to destroy it.

The army of Salisbury arrived late at night outside the walls of Sarum. They were joined there by Sir Cuthbert. A war council was called that night. The Saxons inside had begun to prepare their defences, though the walls were still damaged in several places, thanks to the dragon Hob-Nob. A messenger had been dispatched to Du Plain, to bring reinforcements. If Sarum was reinforced, then the battle would go much harder for the Cymry. It was decided that Sir Cuthbert would ride on his mighty steed Aescalaxing to catch the messenger and slay him upon the road. Should he fail to catch him, then Sir Bleddyn volunteered to lead a small force to attack the Saxons upon the road. Meanwhile Earl Robert, Sir Helbur and Sir Edwin would lead the assault upon Sarum. Various strategies were considered, but in the end the knights settled upon a frontal assault upon a weak point in the wall. It would lead to the swiftest victory, and a speedy victory would be essential.

Sir Cuthbert departed immediately, riding throughout the night. His horse was very swift, and the Saxon messenger was a poor rider. As the sun rose, Sir Cuthbert caught the man shortly before Du Plain Castle. Weapons were drawn, and the desperate gave Sir Cuthbert a mighty blow upon his skull that knocked him insensate, and left him to die in the road as he reached Du Plain. When Sir Cuthbert did not return, Sir Bleddyn knew that his mission had failed. He took control of a small cavalry force and headed to the village of Pitton. The Saxons would pass close to there upon the road; the Cymric force could attack them from there.

As Sir Bleddyn set off, Sir Helbur ordered the rest of the army to attack. The fighting was thick and fierce at the wall, but Earl Robert led his men into a breach in the defences. His assault was reckless - perhaps too reckless, for he was struck down. Sir Helbur saw his Earl fall and flung himself forward to strike down the Saxons swarming around him, saving his life. Meanwhile, Sir Edwin caught sight of the Saxon commander and challenged him to a fight. He hurt his foe grievously, but was wounded himself and forced to fall back. His efforts were not in vain: the Saxon warrior was soon cut down by a nameless warrior, and the Saxon forces found themselves driven back into the city. Sir Helbur led the army of Salisbury into the streets of Sarum, and the violence intensified...

Meanwhile, near Pitton, the reinforcements from Du Plain were sighted upon the road. Sir Bleddyn realised again how very outnumbered his force would be - but if his sword arm and his leadership were true, then victory was possible. He ordered his knights to charge. The Saxons reacted - too quickly - moving into a defensive formation. The two armies collided, and the bloody work of battle began. Though outnumbered three to one, Sir Bleddyn struck down all who stood before him. However, his personal prowess was not enough to sway the result - about him, his force was being crushed. He ordered the retreat. He had hurt the Saxons, but not badly enough, and at the cost of half of his small force. The knights began riding back towards Sarum.

He reached it at evening. The Saxon reinforcements, he knew, would arrive the next day. The fighting had now died down. Sir Helbur was in control of the city, save for the central castle. The Saxon defenders were still holed up there. If they were to sally out when the column from Du Plain arrived, the battered Cymric army could be caught between them and destroyed. Fortunately, Sir Edwin had recovered somewhat after some time in the first aid tent. (Svenhilde was working there. She was nearly tireless, providing care and cheer for the wounded, and working until she eventually collapsed from exhaustion in the early hours of the morning.) Sir Edwin had ordered the army's engineers to create siege weaponry. With a small force and the use of these siege weapons, he thought that he could keep the Saxon garrison contained. Meanwhile, Sir Helbur and Sir Bleddyn would lead the main part of the army to man the walls of Sarum against the Saxons from Du Plain. All three knights were badly wounded now, and knew that if any one of them failed, then the entire battle could go very wrong.

The next morning, Sir Edwin began his assault upon the central keep, while Sir Helbur mustered as many of the inhabitants of Salisbury as he could. There were very few who remained - many had fled from the Saxons or the dragon, or were hiding until the battle was over. However, to those who came, the Marshal gave a stirring speech inspiring them to fight for their rightful lord against the Saxons. Some were inspired to join in the battle. With their numbers thus reinforced, the men and women of Salisbury awaited the onset of the Saxons. They arrived in the mid-morning, and began their assault. Fortunately, Sir Edwin had done his work well, and so the defenders of the keep remained contained. For hours, Sir Helbur and Sir Bleddyn fought against the Saxons, and finally the enemy withdrew from the field, defeated. But not without cost - for Sir Bleddyn was found, his body cleft by many wounds. He would surely have died had Sir Edwin not used an ancient healing potion, an heirloom of his family, and this brought him back from the brink of death.

It was time to turn their attention to the Saxons in the Earl's castle. Both armies were heavily damaged at this point, and any remaining fight would be extremely bloody, as neither side would back down. The Saxons proposed that their champion, a shield-maiden called Sigrun Eriksdottr, would fight a champion of Salisbury to the death. The winner would hold Sarum; the other side would withdraw. The knights nominated Sir Jaradan , a veteran knight, to be their champion. When blades were crossed, it soon became apparent that Sigrun was outmatched. With one blow, Sir Jaradan knocked Sigrun reeling; with the second, he smote her head from her shoulders. The Saxons agreed to depart. Treacherous to the last, however, they used the opportunity for a final attack. It would not avail them. Sir Helbur and Sir Edwin had predicted their reaction, and their own forces were waiting. In one final blood-drenched hour, the Saxons were slain to a man. Sarum had been reclaimed!

The knights immediately set about repairing the fortifications of Sarum. King Cerdic might choose to send further forces against them. He did not, instead preparing his own defences. Soon, the main army of King Nanteleod arrived at Sarum, before continuing east into Wessex. Sir Jaradan took a token force from Salisbury to aid him, but the King permitted the majority of the survivors to remain at Sarum. They would need to spend the rest of the year re-establishing control over the rest of Salisbury. Troops were sent to re-occupy the land around Sarum and Amesbury, and let them know that their rightful lord had returned. Before very long, these lands had been reclaimed. Also at Amesbury, the knights found Sir Cuthbert healing. Aescalaxing had borne his unconscious master there, to be healed by the hand of Abbess Esther. Many accredited his salvation as a miracle wrought by the martyred Saint Gwiona.

After a month had passed, Earl Robert had recovered sufficiently to hold the official ceremony that invested him as Earl of Salisbury. He held a great feast, at which Svenhilde gained recognition for her singing. During the feast, the young Earl rewarded his men who had served him well. Earl Robert praised Sir Helbur's leadership and gave to him Vagon Castle, the traditional home of the Marshall of Salisbury. Although Sir Jaradan was not present, the Earl also rewarded him. The city of Tilshead was known to be held by a brigand knight, Sir Orlin, but Earl Robert promised that once Sir Orlin had been dealt with, he would give it to Sir Jaradan. Only a few present realised how Earl Robert had just upset his sister, the Lady Jenna. For years, she had governed Tilshead while her menfolk were away; she had made no secret of the fact that she wished to return there, now that she was no longer the regent of Salisbury. Now that city had been taken from her, and she was expected to serve as the Marshal's wife - even though she and Sir Helbur were no longer on speaking terms.

Shortly afterwards, Earl Robert held a council to plan the next steps in reclaiming Salisbury. Jenna was not invited - a further snub. The most politically astute members of the court began to wonder what action Jenna would take now. Sir Bleddyn, who always knew all the rumours at court, tried to assess where Sir Edwin's loyalties lay, but Sir Edwin was cagey and refused to be led. Meanwhile, Svenhilde talked to Sir Helbur. She was concerned about the rift between husband and wife, and felt that Jenna was jealous of her. Svenhilde offered to step down as Sir Helbur's squire, but the Marshal refused. However, he agreed with her that the argument had gone on for too long, and went to talk to his wife.

Sir Helbur laid his soul bare. He still loved Lady Jenna; she still loved him. So many things had happened to hurt each other. Thinking of his companions, he was able to make some progress, and it seemed as if she might give in and forgive him. But in the end it was not enough. Lady Jenna has lived her life without feeling that anyone truly respected her - her father married her to an older man who ignored her, just to spite his enemy; Helbur took her to the Forest Sauvage just to find a stork for her mother, and did not sympathise with her ambitions; her brother had thoughtlessly stripped her of her power. When Sir Helbur began to chastise her for her pride, she slapped him and stormed out in tears. On her way out, she caught Sir Cuthbert eavesdropping. The young knight tried to cheer her, but it was not successful.

The group was gloomy when it set off to reclaim Vagon Castle. Sir Helbur's black mood infected the others. The found the castle empty, long since abandoned by Saxons, and untouched by pillagers. Svenhilde prepared chambers for the night, while the others searched for some explanation but found nothing. At night, Sir Edwin continued to search, and saw a spectral form patrolling the grounds! He ran back to tell the others, who went to investigate. Their hearts were full of fear, but they steeled themselves to approach. It was the ghost of Sir Elad!

He approached Sir Helbur and laid an icy hand upon him. When Sir Elad had died, he felt that he had failed Salisbury, and so his ghost remained - but now a worthy Marshal had arrived to take his place, he was able to rest easily, and his spirit moved on. The knights were supernaturally aged by their encounter with the spirit, but Vagon Castle had been lifted from its curse and reclaimed for Salisbury.

There was ill news awaiting them when they returned to Sarum. Lady Jenna's body had been found floating in the river. In a fit of despair, she had taken her life. Furthermore, as a suicide, she was forbidden a Christian burial. Sir Helbur petitioned Earl Robert to turn the ruins of Countess Ellen's zoo into a memorial garden for Lady Jenna, and was given permission. Abbess Esther and a nun came to consecrate the ground, and the nun stayed to tend the area.

Shortly thereafter, Sir Jaradan and the forces of Salisbury returned from the campaign with King Nanteleod. The Saxons of Anglia and Essex had launched another invasion into Logres, and so the King abandoned his attack on Wessex to oppose them. However, the forty days of feudal service had ended, and so many knights from his army had chosen to come home. With these knights, Sir Helbur led an attack the last Saxons in Du Plain Castle, and reclaim the eastern border from the Saxons. The fighting was short and easy - but his heart was not really in it. Reflecting upon his life, he realised how his idol Sir Arnulf had inadvertently created this situation. Sir Helbur had finally emerged from his mentor's shadow to become his own man, and had truly proven himself to be the rightful Marshal of Salisbury this year - but in doing so, he had lost his love forever.

504 AD: Raiders of the Lost Hamper

We often have sessions in a different genre, to shake things up a bit. At the end of the last session, I asked the players for what they wanted, and got the suggestion of Indiana Jones-style pulp. So this session is intended to be a very affectionate pastiche...

On an empty street in Carlion, a man came sprinting. Close behind him came Sir Bleddyn, Sir Cuthbert, Sir Edwyn, Sir Jeremy and Svenhilde, in hot pursuit. The street opened up into a bustling market, where the fleeing man ducked through the crowd, and knocked over a stand of cabbages. Sir Edwyn vaulted gracefully over them; Sir Jeremy was less successful and was buried in a vegetable landslide. Close behind them, the other three participants in the chase came running.

They had come from a feast in their honour thrown by King Nanteleod. Sir Edwin's father, Sir Gherard, had long sought the fabled Hamper of Gwyddno Garanhir, one of the Thirteen Treasures of Britain. It was said that if food for one man were to be placed inside it, when opened it would have enough for a hundred men. To honour his father, Sir Edwin was intent on finding the Hamper. His companions were keen for the quest as well, as they had heard that there was famine in Salisbury - a hamper of endless food would do much to relieve this. As King Nanteleod was toasting Sir Edwin, however, the knights spotted a man in the rafter with a crossbow, who fired it at them.

Sir Helbur had been having a bad feast. His wife, Lady Jenna, was upset with him after he failed to follow her instructions the previous year. Furthermore, he had returned from the north with a new squire - who happened to be a stunningly beautiful Thulian maiden. So Sir Helbur had watched his wife snub him, while she flirted shamelessly with Sir Bleddyn, who had distinguished himself in battle. Now Sir Helbur found himself in the position to be the only one able to act as the crossbow bolt flew. He flung himself at King Nanteleod and knocked him out of the way - but the bolt struck him instead. The hall was in an uproar. The assassin fled - and four heroes sped after him.

The assassin had now reached the far side of the market place. There was a large stone building being constructed there, and the assassin jumped up and climbed it, then began escaping along the partially constructed roof. The knights and Svenhilde followed close after him, but Sir Cuthbert lost his grip and fell down to the street, with displaced stones falling about him from the construction site. The others chased the assassin upon the rooftops. Sir Edwin caught up to the assassin and tried to tackle him, but was knocked back. The assassin reached the edge of the roof and then flung himself out across the street, managing the catch hold of the next rooftop and hauling himself up to continue running. Sir Edwin managed to jump after him, but Sir Bleddyn failed to make the jump and fell, becoming tangled up with lines of washing between the building which served to break his fall.

The assassin now leaped down to the street as he entered the docks of Carlion. Svenhilde grabbed one of the broken washing lines and swung down off the roof at him, kicking him with both feet in the chest and sending him flying into the water. He surfaced, only to have Sir Edwyn upon him. The two men struggled briefly in the water, but Sir Edwyn was able to punch the assassin, leaving him dazed. He hauled the man to water and began to question him as he regained consciousness. "The secrets of the druids must never be revealed!" the assassin hissed - just before a crossbow bolt struck him in the chest, killing him. Sir Edwyn could just make out another assassin fleeing, too far away for him to chase down. There was nothing interesting on the body save a tattoo of three leaves. Was this some sort of cult which did not wish the Hamper to be found?

The group met up again at the castle, where King Nanteleod told them that Sir Helbur was recovering in bed, and would not be able to accompany them. He also said that they had a guest: Lady Evienne, of the Ladies of the Lake. That pagan sisterhood was interested in the Hamper as well, and the Lady had foreseen that other forces were moving to claim it for themselves. The assassin, she announced, had intended to kill Sir Edwin, not King Nanteleod. (The knights had already surmised as much, and Sir Edwin was starting to feel a bit blase to assassins coming after him!) The Saxons were also interested in the Hamper, however. King Oisc of Kent was interested in the occult and the supernatural, and wished to claim the relic for himself. The endless food supplies would mean his armies would never need supply lines again, giving them an immense strategic advantage in conquering Britain. Svenhilde was very keen to talk to Lady Evienne about her magic, as she was fascinated by such things; she became quite upset when Lady Evienne brushed her and her talents off. (The other knights remembered how Merlin had once disparaged the Ladies of the Lake, and were quick to reassure her.)

The group decided to follow a lead that Sir Edwin had discovered when he had been researching the Hamper that Christmas. The Hamper was said to be on the lost island of Cantrev Gwaelod, off the coast of Wales, which had sunk beneath the ocean many years earlier. However, it was said that its king, the legendary explorer Gwyddno Garanhir, had escaped the drowning of his land and was now living in Cardigan. En route, Lady Evienne began her slow seduction of Sir Bleddyn. She also wanted the Hamper for herself. To the Ladies, it was an item of incalculable power - those who saw it purely as a source of food were blind to its true potential. Bleddyn proved intractable to sexual blandishments, but yielded to her manipulations when she promised him power and glory, and compared him favourably to his brother Sir Cadfael (who had rescued her from Irish raiders twelve earlier). Sir Bleddyn agreed to betray his comrades and to deliver the Hamper to the Ladies of the Lake.

The knights arrived in Cardigan after a week on the road, and began to ask around about where they could find Gwyddno Garanhir. More cultists were waiting for them there. In a crowded marketplace, a bag was thrown over Svenhilde's head and she was carried off. Sir Cuthbert and Sir Jeremy gave chase, but were attacked by thugs. Sir Jeremy drew out his bow and shot his opponent, then sped after Svenhilde. Sir Cuthbert on the other hand fought a protracted fist-fight, which he won when he managed to hit his opponent on the head with a barrel. Sir Jeremy found the others and they followed Svenhilde to a fish-pickling warehouse. There, Svenhilde was suspended by a chain above a barrel of pickled fish. A number of druid cultists were there too, with their leader interrogating her about the Hamper. The knights sprang into action and swiftly defeated the cultists. During the fighting, the chain holding up Svenhilde was released, and Sir Jeremy barely managed to catch her in his arms before she fell into the pickled fish. Sir Jeremy had intense feelings for the Thulian maiden: Svenhilde was now beginning to appreciate him as well.

Sir Edwin had discovered where Gwyddno Garanhir lived, and the group headed to his house to find that the lock had been forced open. Sir Edwin and Sir Cuthbert headed inside, while Sir Jeremy, Sir Bleddyn and Svenhilde headed around the back. There were Saxons inside, clad in long black leather coats. Their leaders were a old man and a freakishly massive warrior: Heydrich Cursebinder, Kent's chief wizard, and his henchman Wulf. Over Wulf's shoulder was draped the unconscious form of Gwyddno Garanhir. The Saxons fled out the back of the house with Gwyddno Garanhir, while Wulf and some Saxon warriors remained to fight the knights. Sir Cuthbert swiftly disposed of the Saxon warriors, while Sir Edwin threw everything that he had at the giant Wulf, to no avail. During the fighting, the house caught on fire, and all the combatants began to have trouble breathing with the smoke. Sir Cuthbert attempted to help defeat Wulf - striking him over the head with a frying pan, and trying to trip him with a rope, only to be pulled off his feet himself.

Outside the house, Sir Bleddyn and Sir Jeremy ambushed the Saxons as they attempted to flee. A furious melee broke out next to the burning building, and during the distraction, Svenhilde crept over to Gwyddno and freed him. Sir Jeremy wounded Heydrich with an arrow, and the Saxons fled without their prisoner. Meanwhile, inside the house, Sir Edwin tricked Wulf into breaking the floorboards, and then he and Sir Cuthbert jumped out a window as the flaming house collapsed, crushing the massive Saxon.

Gwyddno Garanhir soon woke. The group could remember hearing tales of his exploits - he had travelled everywhere, seen everything. His exploits were such that he had even been made king of Cantrev Gwaelod, though he was off adventuring when it sank. He told the story of how he had found the Hamper - and what he knew about the druid cult. Many years earlier, Irish raiders had attacked Mona, the sacred island of the druids, and uncovered hidden treasures. (Sir Cuthbert's aunt, Sir Brietta, had heard about this as well.) Gwyddno had travelled to Mona to fight the Irish and rescue the Hamper, which they had discovered. He was confronted on the way by a secret society dedicated to preserving the secrets of the Druids. He agreed to hand the Hamper to them, and it was sealed in an ancient vault on Cantrev Gwaelod. Evienne knew that the ancient sunken island would surface again, but did not know when. The group decided to travel to Mona to obtain a Druidic calendar, which they could use at a stone circle such as Stonehenge to calculate when Gwaelod would rise once more and the vault might be opened.

Mona was one of the most horrible places that the knights had ever visited. When the Romans had attacked it to eradicate the druids centuries earlier, they had been thorough. Mist swirled over rubble and dirt. There were only a few plants which remained. Feral-eyed cannibals prowled the landscape. The knights were attacked by a pack of naked savages. They slew a few, and then escaped as the fallen men became food to their comrades. The knights were followed by riders clad in bone armour, with shields of human leather. They were followers of Diwrnach, a self-proclaimed king who led a band of more organised cannibals. They were tracking the knights, curious as to what they would discover. Gwyddno confirmed what they all thought - as soon as the knights had discovered what they had come here for, Diwrnach would send his men forward to massacre them all. They were horribly outnumbered by the riders who stayed just out of sight...

There was no rest with sleep. Their nights were haunted with black dreams. Sir Cuthbert dreamed that as a child of two worlds, he became rejected by both. Sir Edwin dreamed that he compromised his ideals so far that he accepted the help of the Saxons in fighting Cornwall, and still failed when they betrayed him. Svenhilde dreamed of Sligon, the usurper king of Thule, and his utter indifference towards her and her hatred of him. Sir Bleddyn dreamed that he was one of the cannibals, and was eating the flesh of his companions. Sir Jeremy's dreams were about failing his family and letting his sister die. As Sir Edwin awoke, he heard words in a strange language echoing through his mind. The group had been cursed by Heydrich at Cardigan, and he now haunted their dreams...

After a day of hunting, the knights discovered ruins at the middle of the island - the ancient holy site of the druids. Sir Edwin entered the ruins and discovered an ancient crystal and stone talisman, the size of his hand - the druidic calendar that they sought. Meanwhile, the other knights prepared a surprise for Diwrnach's riders. That night, Evienne began to chant, and hidden fires prepared by the knights flared up. Svenhilde made wailing, supernatural sounds from a hiding place, while Sir Cuthbert pretended to be an evil spirit that 'emerged' from the fire and danced. The mock ritual terrified Diwrnach's riders, and while they were bewildered, the knights took to their horses and escaped from Mona.

More nightmares plagued the group as they made their way to Stonehenge, where they could use the calendar stone at the coming solstice. Sir Bleddyn hatched into a monstrous dragon, Sir Cuthbert was stripped of his knighthood, Sir Edwin died an anonymous and meaningless death, Svenhilde was deemed 'not magical enough', and Sir Jeremy was killed by Svenhilde. The group stopped at Amesbury just before reaching Stonehenge, where Abbess Esther's prayers ended their nightmares. They then went to Stonehenge and waited there for the sun to rise on the day of the solstice. As the first lick of sunlight stretched across the land, it shone into the druid calendar stone. The crystals upon it lit up with all the fire of the sun, and it emitted a beam of light which struck one of the standing stones. Lady Evienne interpreted it and told the knights that Cantrev Gwaelod would rise from the ocean sooner than they had thought. They had one day...

The group went to Bristol where they found a terrible storm raging upon the ocean. No captain would agree to take them out to see, so they bought their own ship. Sir Edwin, who had experience with boats, served as captain. Wind and rain lashed at them, as they hugged the coast to make their way to where Cantrev Gwaelod should be. Then with a mighty rumbling, the ocean split asunder. A tower, then two, then a whole city began to rise from the ocean, streaming water from it. The sunken island had emerged once more.

The knights landed and began to search the city, which was covered with seaweed, flapping fishes, and the skeletons of the people of Gwaelod, who had died when it sank years earlier. Gwyddno directed them onward to the central keep - the vault of the druids was below it. They entered the manor hall and descended to its basement to find a terrible sight. Before the entrance to the vault were the massacred bodies of the druid cultists - and emerging from all around them now were the Saxons, Heydrich and Wulf, who was sporting terrible scars from the fight in Cardigan.

Heydrich explained that the curse which he had laid upon the knights had let him see into their minds, which was how he knew to be here. The druidic calendar would act as a key to the stone door blocking off the vault; the knights could then pass through the trials inside and bring him out the Hamper, or die. To make his point, he stabbed Evienne in the stomach, leaving her bleeding to death. There was nothing to be done: Sir Edwin inserted the druidic calendar into a panel in the door and twisted. With a rumbling noise, the chamber opened, and the knights entered a long corridor...

There were three tests inside the vault, the knights knew. One would test their minds, one would test their bodies, and the last would test their souls. The first test soon became apparent: the walls of the corridor began to spit forth iron-tipped darts. Svenhilde attempted to run through but was badly wounded. The other knights decided to rely on their shields and marched slowly in formation together. They were thus able to pass easily. At the end of the corridor was a door with six slots, and a bowl on a plinth before it holding six gemstones. This was the test of the mind: the knights had to figure out which gemstone went in each slot. Every time that they failed, an ancient druidic curse upon the door wracked them with agony, which was stronger or lesser based on how many gems had been put in the correct slots. Sir Edwin was tough enough that he was able to repeatedly test the puzzle, and so the knights were able to figure out the correct combination.

In the final room of the vault, the Hamper sat on another plinth. The knights were interrupted by Heydrich's Saxons, who flooded into the room to claim the Hamper. Before they could remove it from the plinth, an ancient Druid ghost appeared and explained the final challenge. All they had to do was eat from the Hamper. Heydrich and Wulf, greedy for the power of the Hamper, removed food and ate it - and their greed was punished. The food began to multiply within their stomachs, until their bodies burst under the strain and the two men gorily expired. The Saxons, screaming in supernatural terror, fled. Sir Edwin accepted the challenge next and ate with humility. He did not want the Hamper for greed, but for his father's sake, and to alleviate the famine in Salisbury. As a result, he passed the test and removed the Hamper, putting Sir Gherard's ring upon the plinth in its place.

The island shook as the waters of the ocean began to lap about the knights' feet. Cantrev Gwaelod was sinking once more into the churning ocean. The knights rushed to where they had moored their boat, taking the wounded Lady Evienne with them. She weakly urged Sir Bleddyn to steal the Hamper now. He, remembering his nightmares and the foul fates of Heydrich and Wulf, refused. "I am not a dragon," he said. The knights reached their boat and cast off just as the island gave one final heave and sank into the churning ocean. The sun began to set behind them as the knights sailed back to land, their quest complete.

503 AD: Turning Points

War had come to Logres.

The armies of Malahaut had moved south into Lindsey. The Centurion King, reinforced by Saxons from Deira and Picts from beyond the Wall, intended to take what land and wealth he could from the divided kingdom. Duke Corneus of Lindsey did not have the strength to withstand this incursion. He was one of the few experienced leaders remaining in Logres,and had kept his lands together during the first years of the anarchy. But this was a threat beyond his strength. It was not, however, beyond King Nanteleod. In his bid to become High King, he had now unified almost a quarter of Britain behind him. Now he was intent on defeating the men of Malahaut. Defending Logres would bring him Duke Corneus' support, and solidify his claim to the throne. To this end, his armies were mustering for war once more.

The knights of Salisbury were divided as to whether they would support King Nanteleod's war or not. Word had come from Salisbury that the Saxons had abandoned Sarum. A terrible black dragon with the unlikely name of Hob-Nob had attacked the city and claimed it as its lair. Many had perished, and the citizens, as well as their Saxon overlords, had fled to safer lands. There had also been word of a rampaging giant moving through Salisbury. This giant had even attacked Amesbury, where Saint Gwiona managed to calm it down and convert it to Christianity. He was baptized and named Christopher, and then set out to confront the dragon Hob-Nob. After a mighty battle which left much of the city in ruins, Christopher slew Hob-Nob and carried the dragon's corpse back into the mountains with him.

Sarum was thus ripe for the taking. Sir Helbur's lady wife Jenna, the acting Countess of Salisbury, had given her husband an ultimatum: become the leader that the people needed and reclaim Salisbury from the Saxons, or begone from her sight forever. However, he was unsure that he could hold Sarum once it was taken, without the support of King Nanteleod. Sir Cuthbert was keen to charge recklessly to battle and glory as well. The Questing Beast, the faerie-touched hound that was his companion, had begun to stray from home for longer and longer, and so a battle could help Sir Cuthbert keep his mind off his problems. Sir Edwin felt reclaiming Salisbury was the honourable path to follow, thinking all the while of his own homeland of Devon, which was now firmly under the thumb of the King of Cornwall. But Sir Jeremy did not feel that attacking Salisbury would be practical at this time, and Sir Bleddyn felt that supporting King Nanteleod now would be the best in the long run. In fact, King Nanteleod had secretly asked him to sabotage the mission, not wanting to be implicated in a war on a second front at this time.

After much argument, the knights decided not to go to reclaim Sarum, and to aid King Nanteleod in his war in the north instead. The King thanked the knights of Salisbury for their loyalty, and gave them a different task instead. They must travel north to Lindsey before the armies arrived, and talk to Duke Corneus. His army, currently holed up inside his castle at Lincoln, would be of considerable assistance to either side in the coming battle.

The knights took to road north to Lincoln. Upon the first night, as they made their camp, a woman approached looking for shelter. She was a young traveler, poor of garb, exotic of feature, and utterly beautiful. Several of the knights fell in love with her immediately, but none more passionately than Sir Jeremy, who was consumed by desire for the fair traveller. She introduced herself as Svenhilde of Thule, an itinerant fortune-teller. As it happened, she remembered the group: for they had passed through her village-in-exile in the Fens the previous year, and by their stories inspired her to travel herself. She told the group's future using her runestones: the omens for their task were positive. The next day, when the group set off, she decided to travel with them for protection, for the road could be dangerous for a fair maiden on her own.

At the next village that the knights proved through, Svenhilde's open and trusting nature became problematic. She was drawn into conversation with a group of mercenary knights. They wanted to join one side or the other in the upcoming battle, and Svenhilde was able to direct them towards King Nanteleod's encampment to the south. They were also interested in the Thulian maiden's traveling companions, and she told them all that they wished to know. But these were no mercenaries, but killers on a mission. Upon the road to the north, they ambushed the knights, intent upon their death.

The knights of Salisbury were caught by surprise. The murderous knights went after Sir Edwin immediately, and struck him down as Svenhilde screamed. Driven by his love for the fair maiden, Sir Jeremy rushed to defend her, and single-handedly held off two enemy knights for some time, before also being struck down. Sir Bleddyn and Sir Cuthbert counterattacked, slaying many of their attackers. However, one knight broke through, intent on killing Sir Edwin. Svenhilde flung herself in his way. Her incredible beauty made the knight pause for a time, until Sir Cuthbert could strike him down. Four of the attackers perished; the fifth fled, but Sir Bleddyn chased him down and slew him.

Sir Helbur checked the bodies of the assailants to find out what their motives were. They bore coin from the mainland, and Sir Bleddyn deduced that the knights must be hirelings of King Idres of Cornwall, who had considerable holdings on the mainland, as well as a motive to kill Sir Edwin, who was now the rightful Earl of Devon following the death of his brother. Meanwhile, Svenhilde tended to the wounds of the two fallen knights. With her tender ministrations, she was able to draw Sir Edwin and Sir Jeremy back from the brink of death. However, they would need somewhere close to rest and heal: they would not be able to travel far without their wounds re-opening, which would kill them.

Sir Cuthbert set off with the Questing Beast to locate some suitable shelter nearby. They were not close to any village, so they plunged into the hilly country off the road, which was enshrouded by mists. Sir Cuthbert heard the sound of a dog's bark and a woman singing, and followed it to find a small cottage. Outside, a few sheep grazed, watched by a young shepherdess and her dog. Gwendolyn was blind: the dog, Pelly, was her companion and protector. Sir Cuthbert was taken aback by the dog's name: it was the name of her father, who had visited nineteen years ago and lain with her mother for one knight. Clearly, Gwen was another illegitimate child of King Pellinore.

Gwen agreed to give shelter to the knights while they recovered. A priest from a nearby monastery came to her farmstead to care for the wounded Sir Edwin and Sir Jerome. The knights stayed where they were a few days, and Sir Cuthbert got to know Gwen better, going on walks with her. He had fallen in love with her, but was aware that a choice was upon him. He was the child of two worlds, but he was becoming more and more normal now, and was losing the touch of faerie. On the night that he lay with Gwen at last, the Questing Beast slipped away and returned to the Other Side. In the future, there would be other children who would be visited by a fey hound, to be their friend and companion until they no longer needed him...

The three hale knights left Gwendolyn and their wounded companions behind and set off upon the road once more, with Svenhilde in tow. They reached Lincoln later that day, and had dinner with the Duke. Sir Helbur spoke eloquently to sway Duke Corneus to King Nanteleod's side. However, the Duke had already decided to remain neutral and to throw his support behind the winner of the battle. The knights of Salisbury were disappointed but not surprised by his reply.

There were knights from Malahaut in Lincoln Castle as well, envoys from the Centurion King. Their leader, Sir Galvius, was smitten with Svenhilde and flirted shamelessly with her. He invented tall tales to impress her, which the maiden bought completely. However, trouble ensued when he began to tell one of the exploits of Sir Cadfael as if it were his own - not realising that Sir Cadfael's brother was in the hall. Sir Bleddyn half-heard the story of his brother's duel with Sir Catrin, and thought that Sir Galvius was extolling Sir Cadfael's virtues. In a rage, he attacked Sir Galvius in the Duke's own dining hall. Others dragged the two apart. The Duke was furious, and  Sir Galvius challenged Sir Bleddyn to a duel to the death for his honour.

Sir Bleddyn was now in trouble. Sir Galvius was a better swordsman than he, and Sir Bleddyn was still wounded from the battle with the Cornish knights. Realistically, he knew that there was no way that he could win. For years, Sir Bleddyn had schemed and plotted, but had failed at putting his plans into action. This time, the prospect of his death drove him over the edge. He arranged for a bottle of drugged wine, and then convinced poor gullible Svenhilde to take it to her would-be lover. Svenhilde was infatuated with Sir Galvius at this point, due to the knight's feigned chivalrous behaviour. They shared the wine, and she granted the knight her favour and a kiss.

On the next day, Sir Bleddyn and Sir Galvius faced each other in the field of honour, with Duke Corneus and his court watching. Sir Galvius was slowed by the drugs, but his love for Svenhilde drove him to a reckless fury and he attacked Sir Bleddyn with no thought for his own defenses. He battered Sir Bleddyn to his knees. At the last moment, however, his love distracted him to glance at Svenhilde. Sir Bleddyn seized the opportunity and struck, and Sir Galvius' drugged reflexes were not swift enough to parry. Sir Galvius went down, and Svenhilde fainted (from shock and the effects of the drug) as Sir Bleddyn tore his foe's helmet off and smote off his head. Duke Corneus was furious, but the trial of honour had officially exonerated Sir Bleddyn, and no one suspected any foul play.

The two armies were near now. The knights of Salisbury went to rejoin King Nanteleod and prepare for the upcoming battle with Malahaut. Sir Cuthbert rode south on his own to rejoin Gwendolyn, where the priest tending his companions married the two of them. She was only a peasant, a fact which would shock his peers, but Sir Cuthbert had never really understood or cared about social conventions. Once they were married, he returned to the front line to join the armies. Sir Helbur was leading the forces of Salisbury. He had been invested with the position of Marshal of Salisbury earlier that year, in an attempt by his wife to pressure him into facing up to his duties.

The battle was a long one, in which the knights of both sides clashed in fierce battle. All three knights distinguished themselves upon the field, while Svenhilde won some renown of her own through her tireless work in the first aid tents. Sir Helbur was wounded and forced to withdraw from the field, and Sir Cuthbert led a charge deep into enemy lines towards the war banner of Malahaut. It was a point of honour to reclaim it, for attached to it was the Saxon war banner which the knights of Salisbury had presented to the Centurion King many years earlier. Sir Cuthbert fell in the fighting and was taken from the battlefield to recover, while Sir Bleddyn led the final push that toppled the battle standard. The Centurion King sounded the retreat, and the broken army of Malahaut fled north. King Nanteleod was the victor. Shortly after the battle, Duke Corneus officially submitted and swore fealty to King Nanteleod, thanking him for saving Lindsey.

The army returned south. King Nanteleod swore that he would spend one year in preparation, and then attack Salisbury. Sir Cuthbert brought his new wife with him, ignoring the jeers of other knights. He also visited Abbess Esther and converted to Christianity. Esther's loyal handmaiden Asher became Sir Cuthbert's new squire. Sir Helbur took Svenhilde on as his squire - further angering Lady Jenna, who was jealous of the beautiful maiden of Thule. Sir Bleddyn's reputation was on the rise after the duel and his part in the battle. The usually promiscuous Sir Jeremy was now more obsessed than ever with Svenhilde. And Sir Edwin sent King Idres the money which he had used to pay his assassins, accompanied by a letter that swore revenge...

502 AD: A Broken Promise

With the conquest of Wales completed, King Nanteleod had sworn that he would turn his attention against King Cerdic, and reclaim Salisbury from the Saxons. However, his armies did not march to war this year. With the word that Malahaut was preparing for a mighty war, the King spent this year consolidating his forces. His victories in Wales meant that more lands were willing to openly swear allegiance to him - Gloucester, Orofoise, Galvoie, Cheshire, Cameliard, and Wuerensis. It was more important, he judged, to shore up his position against Malahaut than to make enemies on more fronts by turning against King Cerdic.

The knights of Salisbury were disappointed by Nanteleod's decision, but understood and accepted it readily. They spent the year engaged in no great quests, but in small tasks of diplomacy. It would take a great alliance to be able to defeat Malahaut in the war that all knew was soon to come. Standing neutral thus far was Duke Corneus of Lindsey. As one of the few lords who had not died at Saint Albans, he had kept his lands thus far. Winning his allegiance for the next year could be essential.

Meanwhile, in other parts of Britain, the Saxons continued to war amongst one another to become Bretwalda, their version of High King. King Aelle of Sussex challenged King Cwichelm of Anglia and defeated him at Hertford, but chose not to pursue: the battle cost Cwichelm little save his pride.

And so the year ended: a gasp for breath before the chaos that was to ensue...

501 AD, Part Two: The Quest for King Pellinore

The armies of King Nanteleod were marching. Through hidden roads in the Cambrian mountains, they made their way north, into the lawless lands of North Wales. There, the local cantrev lords had put aside their endless feuding to unite against his advance. Should Nanteleod win the forthcoming battle, he would have all Wales united behind him. Should he fail, he would be forgotten: another would-be king brought low by the Anarchy.

The knights of Salisbury were summoned to his war camp for an urgent task, a few short weeks after the raid upon Amesbury. Sir Bleddyn, Sir Cuthbert, Sir Edwin, Sir Gherard and Sir Helbur were joined by Sir Esther's twin brother, Sir Jeremy. He was more of a hedonist than his sister, a hunter and a womanizer. With Sir Esther now Abbess at Amesbury, she had convinced her brother to fulfill his responsibilities at last.

King Nanteleod himself did not meet the knights as they arrived at his encampment. He was too busy with the forthcoming battle. Instead, one of his subordinates gave the knights their orders. They were not to take part in the forthcoming battle, as the presence of a few knights would have little bearing on the outcome. Instead, Nanteleod had his eye on restoring stability to North Wales after the battle had been won. The area had fallen into chaos ever since the disappearance of its king, many years early. King Pellinore had departed to hunt the fabled Questing Beast - but now Nanteleod wished him found and returned to his kingdom.

How to find such a man, a vagrant knight who never slept in the same place twice? The knights left Wales, talking to those they met upon the road, peasants and gentry alike, to find someone who had seen the elusive King Pellinore. They found themselves lucky when they found the young wife of a shepherd, six months pregnant after an encounter with the King. She remembered their meeting fondly, and was able to point the knights in the direction that he had left: northwards. Now that they had a lead, Sir Gherard, Sir Helbur and Sir Jeremy were able to trace his path through Malahaut and beyond, to the imposing shadow of the Roman Wall that marked the edge of civilization and the beginning of the Pictish Highlands.

In the shadow of the Wall lay Walton, a tiny little forgotten hamlet. As the knights drew closer to it, they could tell that it was in disrepair. Some of the crops were missing from the field, and some buildings looked damaged. The peasants huddled together for defence, although they seemed relieved when they saw knights approaching. Sir Gherard and Sir Jeremy went to the local tavern, where they spoke to the barmaid, Breta. She was the widow of a carpenter, who had fled to Walton from north of the Wall. They learned from her that a small band of Pictish scouts, returning from the south, had attacked Walton.

Meanwhile, Sir Edwin went to the local blacksmith, Philomore, as his horse had thrown a shoe. Philomore was wounded from fighting the Picts, and Sir Edwin insisted on properly dressing the man's wounds to stop the onset of infection. He also spoke to Philomore about the raids, and learned that Picts attacked every year across Hadrian's Wall - but that this year, instead of the raid, there was only a small band of Pictish scouts, coming from the opposite direction. He did not know why the Picts had not launched their usual assault.

Sir Bleddyn, Sir Cuthbert and Sir Helbur were less successful in gathering information. Sir Bleddyn and Sir Helbur went to speak to a man in the stocks, with rotten lettuce dripping off his face. The thief, Bort, had stolen food after the Picts had attacked, to supplement what little he had. Sir Bleddyn threatened to use force on the man to learn more from him, but Sir Helbur stopped him. Finally, Sir Cuthbert visited the farm of one peasant who seemed different from the others. The man's name was Thaddeus, or Ted, and from his size and mannerisms, Sir Cuthbert realised that the man was clearly nobly born! However, the older man was reticent. Sir Cuthbert attacked him, to try and prompt him into reacting instinctively - instead, he wound up striking Thaddeus, and out of guilt spent the rest of the day helping him dig ditches around his farm.

Sir Bleddyn, Sir Cuthbert, Sir Gherard and Sir Helbur reunited and swapped stories. They had heard that there was a wild-woman who lived in the woods near Walton, called Leona. As Sir Cuthbert was still doing manual labour, they decided to try and track her down on their own. They found her without much difficulty, but they spooked the girl, who tried to escape. Sir Jeremy outpaced her, but Leona managed to knock him down. Ultimately, the knights decided to let her escape into the forest, since they would not be able to get any useful information from her.

The knights decided to delay their quest for a while to help the village, and discover the purpose behind the Pictish raid. The peasants were overjoyed that someone was paying attention to their problem and willing to help them. Sir Bleddyn, Sir Cuthbert, Sir Helbur and Sir Jeremy decided to venture north of Hadrian's Wall to track down the Pictish raiders, while Sir Edwin and Sir Gherard remained behind to help build defenses for Walton. The four knights venturing into Pictland followed the trail of the raiders east for some time before they crossed the ruins of the wall. The knights had heard rumours in Walton that the ghosts of the Roman defenders still slew Picts who attempted to cross the wall - perhaps this was why the raiders had taken such a circuitous route?

A few hours north of the Wall, young Pictish warriors appeared from the wilderness about the four knights, throwing javelins at them. However, the Picts were young and inexperienced, and the four knights were anything but... the fight was short and brutal, with the assailants swiftly dispatched, save for one youth whom the knights took alive for questioning. The boy did not know much - just that the chieftain of the Salmon Tribe had forbidden raiding for that year, and the Picts truly did believe that the Wall was haunted. This young group of warriors had disobeyed orders to seek glory. It had not ended well for them. Now that they had learned all that they could from their captive, Sir Helbur wanted to release the boy, while Sir Bleddyn demanded that no survivors be left. Faced with this challenge to his leadership, Sir Helbur capitulated, and Sir Bleddyn murdered the Pictish captive.

The knights north of the wall now split up. Sir Bleddyn and Sir Cuthbert headed south with the bodies of the slain Picts. They intended to leave them at the Wall, to try and convince the Picts that their crossing-place was haunted. Meanwhile, Sir Helbur and Sir Jeremy would continue north after the raiders, to try and discover what was going on. They discovered a Pictish village, and Sir Helbur decided to immediately ride up to them and ask to parley. Sir Jeremy tried to change his mind, but Sir Helbur would not be swayed. Just as Sir Jeremy predicted, the Picts were hostile and attacked, and the scarred knight barely managed to escape. The two knights galloped south towards the Wall, pursued by Pictish warriors.

Just before reaching the Wall, the two fleeing knights met Sir Bleddyn and Sir Cuthbert again. They spun their horses to flee - when Sir Cuthbert's dog, the Questing Beast, began to bark and indicated a different direction, to the east. Sir Jeremy noticed that there were tracks of Pictish travelers on foot, but also hoofprints from a band of knights. The knights decided to head east to investigate, and discovered a ruined Roman staging post. However, when they entered they were attacked by Picts from many tribes, and by warriors of Malahaut, led by Prince Berrant, the son of the Centurion King! Malahaut was preparing to expand its borders by attacking Logres, and they were negotiating an alliance with the Pictish tribes. Now that their secret alliance had been discovered, Prince Berrant demanded that the four knights be imprisoned and tortured until they revealed who sent them to spy on the meeting and why, before being executed...

Meanwhile, in Walton, Sir Gherard and Sir Edwin constructed some basic barricades for the peasants, as well as a shrine for Saint Gwiona. They also had a father-son talk, and began to reconcile. Having finished their work, they headed north to investigate Hadrian's Wall. The weather soon changed, and in the middle of the storm the two were confronted by a Roman ghost... who, it turned out, was no ghost! Sir Julian was the descendant of the last Roman defender of the wall. His ancestor (also called Julian) had been badly wounded just before the Romans withdrew from Britain, and so his legion had been forced to leave him behind. The original Sir Julian had continued to patrol the Wall single-handed. When he grew old, he took a wife, and trained his son to succeed him. So it was that for the last hundred years, a single Roman knight, taking the name Julian, would attack Picts as they crossed Hadrian's Wall, giving rise to the rumors of a ghostly guardian.

Sir Julian had also seen the four knights crossing Hadrian's Wall, and knew that they had gone to investigate the Roman  ruins - and had not returned. Sir Gherard and Sir Edwin realized that their comrades were in danger, and decided to prepare a rescue mission. They convinced Sir Julian to join them, and headed to Walton to gain more assistance. They first met Bretta, the refugee. She and Sir Julian fell in love at first sight, and Bretta agreed to help the knights. Sir Gherard went to confront Thaddeus. Thaddeus revealed that he had, in fact, been Sir Thaddeus of Malahaut. He had fled in fear from a battle against bandits, leaving his comrades and the village they were defending to die. As a result, he regarded himself as a failure, and no longer worthy to be a knight. Sir Gherard convinced him to take up his sword one more time, to redeem his failure. Finally, they took Bort (the villager in the stocks) with them, as his sneakiness would be an asset.

The group traveled north towards the ruined staging-post. They found the way blocked by Pictish warriors, but managed to sneak around them and reach the little fort. The six entered secretly over the ruined wall, and Sir Julian slew a Pictish sentry who would have raised the alarm. The group entered the dungeon, where they fought against the Malahautians and Pictish defenders. Meanwhile Bretta and Bort slipped further on and found Sir Helbur, being tortured for information. Bretta found a piece of wood and struck the jailer from behind, knocking him out and rescuing Sir Helbur. The rescuers successfully freed the other three knights and took a Malahautian shield for evidence, before setting the building on fire and escaping. There was no sign of Prince Berrant, however. He had fled as soon as the fighting began - and had thus dishonoured himself in front of his would-be allies. The Pictish alliance was no more, and the knights would be able to report to King Nanteleod about Malahaut's battle plans.

The group returned to Walton. Sir Julian married Bretta, and the two returned to the wall with Thaddeus, who had decided to take up his sword once more and keep defending Britain. The knights said that they would try to get King Nanteleod to reinforce the Roman Wall, and then bid everyone in Walton a fond farewell and continued south, following King Pellinore.

The mad huntsman's trail had almost gone cold now, but they managed to follow him into the Pennine Mountains. There, one cold night, their camp was attacked by a group of desperate peasants. Their homes had been destroyed in the fighting of the anarchy, and they were reduced to banditry to survive. The knights talked them down and agreed to share food with them, and then told them to seek shelter with Nanteleod. Without any supplies remaining, Sir Jeremy had to forage for the knights as they headed south and east, slowing their pursuit of King Pellinore down even further.

The trail led into the Fens. Pellinore's trail became harder to follow through the marshes and the reeds. There, the group met Roger, a friendly trapper, who spoke to them about what lay in the marsh. There lived a witch and her son, a giant, whom the knights decided to avoid. There was also a band of Saxons who had fought their way into the swamp some years earlier and then never emerged again. The knights did not trust Saxons, but decided to visit this strange tribe. They found a small village in the swamp, living self-sufficiently and hiding from the outside world.

The men of the swamp were, in fact, not Saxons but men of Thule, a far distant land. Their King Aguar gave the knights hospitality and offered to help them navigate the swamps. He had been exiled from his lands when one of his lords, Sligon, had led a coup against him. He and his followers had sought sanctuary in Britain, and sought no conflict with the inhabitants of the land. Meanwhile, Sir Cuthbert was bombarded with questions by a young boy of Thule: Val, son of Aguar, who dreamed of adventure far from the swamps. Sir Cuthbert entertained Val, and the two played together for a while.

The next day the knights set off southwards, out of the swamp. Not far south of the fens, the knights saw signs of a Saxon army marching to war, and hid from them. By their banners, they could tell that it was the men of Anglia, driven by King Cwichelm to invade the County of Huntingdon. The knights did not wish to abandon their quests, but they knew that Huntingdon must be warned. Sir Gherard turned to his squire, Hubert, and made the boy a knight, and entrusted him with riding swiftly to warn the men of Huntingdon. Sir Hubert galloped east, while Sir Gherard led the others south. They would never meet again in this life.

King Pellinore's trail led further south. His pursuers stopped briefly at Saint Albans, and saw the memorial where Archbishop Iestyn and Sir Albrecht had perished, years earlier. The next night, the group sheltered at a monastery just outside London loyal to the teaching of the martyred Saint Gwiona. The monks asked for a favour from the knights. Nearby was the manor of Sir Heward the Pale. This generous knight accepted refugees on to his land, but refused to accept any priests, and the monks were concerned about the state of his soul, and of those with him. Since it was not out of their way, the knights agreed to talk to Sir Heward.

Sir Heward offered his hospitality, and took the knights around his estate. He was afflicted with a club foot, and was unable to fight; his time spent indoors was the source of his pale complexion. There were peasants sheltering all about his lands, and the knights could tell that Sir Heward had more men living upon his land than he could afford to support. In his manor, Sir Heward showed the knights the paintings which he had created, and was now forced to pawn to pay for food for the refugees on his land.

Speaking tactfully, Sir Gherard teased out of their host at dinner the story of how he had been betrayed by the church in years past, and how he still bore great resentment for this. His lover had died in childbirth, and as she had had sex out of wedlock the church had refused to give her a Christian burial - unless Sir Heward paid then. Sir Gherard used soft words to convince Sir Heward to let the Church show how it had changed with the coming of Saint Gwiona by letting them helping him care for the peasants. When the knights left the next morning, Sir Heward agreed to let the monks visit his lands.

The trail led onwards. It doubled back upon itself, heading to the north and the east - deep into the lands of the Saxons. The knights managed to elude Saxon patrols and entered the trackless depths of the Quinqueroi Forest, where they found a small hunting lodge. Its owner had but recently left, but it was sumptuously provisioned. The knights interrogated the servant and discovered that this was the lodge of none other than King Aescalax himself, the King of Essex - and the man who was responsible for the death of Saint Gwiona. He was hunting in this part - but more interesting by far, he would be returning this way in a week or less, on his way back to Colchester. The knights decided to stay and to slay the King upon his return. Sir Bleddyn argued that they should murder the King, but Sir Gherard's honour forbade him from such strategies. Instead, they decided to barricade the door when the King entered, to split him off from the bulk of his bodyguards, and then to challenge them to a fair fight,

For a week, the knights feasted on King Aescalax's largesse. When signs of the travellers came, they took their prearranged positions. Only the King and a few of his attendants entered before the knights dropped a crude wooden portcullis over the doorway. Sir Gherard drew his sword and denounced the King, and battle was joined! The King's defenders fought ferociously to protect their liege, but the knights were driven by their hatred of the Saxons and their indomitable desire to avenge Saint Gwiona. They slew the bodyguard and attacked the King himself. Sir Edwin's blade cleft King Aescalax's heart asunder, and a moment later Sir Bleddyn struck the King's head clear from his shoulders.

Their victory was not without cost. Sir Gherard was struck down by the axes of King Aescalax's bodyguard. He died happy, knowing that he had found a glorious end worthy of his ancestors. Sir Edwin spoke to him before he died, and acknowledged him as his father, in spirit if not in blood, taking his signet ring. Sir Cuthbert took the King's highly trained warhorse on a whim, which he named Aescalaxing. But there was no time to dally - for outside, the rest of the King's bodyguard was hacking through the portcullis to avenge the King's death. Sir Bleddyn dropped a torch to bar their escape, and the knights fled through the back of the lodge, through a route that they had prepared earlier.

The trail of King Pellinore now grew cold. Once, on a distant wind, the knights thought that they could hear the baying of fifty hounds questing, but there was no further sign of him. Perhaps if they had not delayed so often, they would have been able to find him. However, they had accomplished great good that year, and so they returned to Wales proudly. There, they found that King Nanteleod had vanquished the Cantrev lords in a pitched battle, and was master of all Wales. He listened to their report with great interest, and appointed one of his followers as King of the Isles in the place of the missing King Pellinore.

Not all news was positive. Word came that Huntingdon had been overwhelmed by the Saxons of Anglia. and was lost. Essex, with the deaths of King Aescalax and Prince Aescwine in the same year, was dissolving into anarchy, and King Nanteleod predicted that Anglia would annex it and grow still more powerful. The great conflict between Nanteleod and the Saxons would surely not be long off - and the army of Malahaut would soon be ready as well...

501 AD, Part One: The Death of Saint Gwiona

Spring arrived in Cameliard, and with it travellers, weary from the road. They arrived at Carohaige, arguing as only family can, and were soon admitted, for they knew the knights of Salisbury who were refugees there already. In fact, one of the pair knew them very well, for he was none other than the long-lost Sir Gherard, and his companion was his step-son, young Sir Edwin.

It had been some seven years since anyone had seen Sir Gherard, and so there was joy at this unexpected reunion. The older knight related his story to the knights of Salisbury. After the feast of 491, he had married the Dowager Countess Edwina and the two had lived together happily. She passed away only a few years later, shortly before the death of King Uther and his court at Saint Albans. Sir Gherard had been unable to attend, for he had been wounded in a scuffle with brigands, and too unwell to be able to attend the battle. The Baron of Devon died in at Saint Albans, and his heir was a lesser man, who was jealous of the more illustrious Sir Gherard. At a feast, the new Baron insulted Sir Gherard, impugning his honour. He said that Sir Gherard's exploits were only hearsay, that he had failed his duty a result of being wounded in a pitiful affray, and that he was a disgrace to his glorious ancestors. Sir Gherard had, of course, rose to the bait. So he swore before the court of Devon to prove his worth. He would not return to Devon unless he brought with him one of the Thirteen Treasures of Britain.

Sir Gherard had left his home, with what men would follow him. Foremost amongst them was his step-son, Sir Edwin, then but a young knight. They travelled throughout the war-torn land, seeking word of one of the treasures. After a year, they heard of the Hamper of Gwyddno Garanhir, a magical basket which contained endless food. It was said to be in the Cantrev Gwaelod, a kingdom of Wales which lay on the ocean floor! Legend spoke of the Lost Isle of Manannan, where the ancient sea god dwelt. Sir Gherard did not believe in the old gods, but it seemed the best place to seek a path beneath the waves. He and his men managed to sail through the wall of fog that guarded the Isle of Manannan, but were captured and flung into prison when they made land. (It was here that Sir Gherard smuggled out the note which Sir Esther would later receive.)

It was the custom of that castle that every solstice, a man should be executed. Over the long years of imprisonment, one by one Sir Gherard's men were taken out to be slain in this pagan rite. When only Sir Gherard and Sir Edwin survived, and it was time for them to die, a strange occurrence saved them: the castle was attacked by a monstrous dragon. In the confusion, the two were able to escape and make their way back to the mainland, from where they sought out their companions. Sir Edwin  blamed his step-father for their misadventures, while Sir Gherard lamented the fall of his adopted home to the Cornishmen, and the fact that his oath kept him from returning home.

A week passed. Sir George departed from Cameliard, to fight another dragon. (Word would later come that he had been eaten by it.) Sir Cuthbert continued to recover from his ordeal of the previous year. Meanwhile, Sir Esther had a strange dream. She was caught in a terrible storm, and wherever she tried to shelter was destroyed by wind and rain and lightning. On the horizon the storm seemed to grow fainter as a red light grew. Then Saint Gwiona appeared behind Esther, untouched by the storm that raged about her. “You must return to Amesbury immediately,” she said, before fading back into the storm.

 

Sir Esther immediately told her companions. Sir Bleddyn, Sir Edwin, Sir Esther, Sir Gherard, and Sir Helbur rode south for Amesbury with all haste. When they drew near, they saw a plume of smoke rising from the monastery - and immediately began to fear the worst. The knights espied a small group of Saxons fleeing the monastery, heading east, and rode them down, taking one alive for questioning. Then they headed towards the monastery itself. Flames were billowing from it, and some of the buildings had collapsed. The front doors were shattered, and inside the slaughtered bodies of nuns and monks lay.

 

Sir Edwin led a search for survivors, while Sir Esther ran to find Saint Gwiona. Sir Edwin heard a noise from a cellar, and found a small group of acolytes huddling there. Gwiona had summoned everyone to assemble shortly before the Saxons attacked. She warned them that violence was coming, and that everyone needed to hide. Only some had managed to do so before the Saxons arrived, and some hiding groups had been discovered and massacred. The Saxons were clearly looking for someone. Sir Edwin and the others led the survivors outside, and treated what wounds there were. Meanwhile, Sir Esther found Saint Gwiona's sparse chambers empty. With a terrible foreboding feeling, she ran towards the main chapel, where she found a grisly sight. The Saint lay dead before the altar, hacked to pieces. The brave knight fell to her knees and wept bitterly.

 

Continuing to look for survivors, Sir Edwin went deeper into the ruined monastery. In the guest quarters, the knights discovered Queen Igraine, catatonic with shock. Nearby, young Morgan idly drew on the floor with a stick. And on them, about them, dripping off every wall, was the gory remnants of the rest of the Saxon raiders. Horrified by the carnage, the knights took Igraine and Morgan to join the other survivors.

 

The knights were soon able to piece together what had happened, from the survivors and from their captive. The raiders were men of Essex, led by Prince Aescwine himself. They had travelled to Amesbury to abduct the Queen and drag her back to be married to their King Aescalax. When they finally found her, however, young Morgan's magical ability manifested itself and she tore then asunder from within. Prince Aescwine himself was dead - and a grief-stricken Sir Esther killed the captive Saxon herself. But her sorrow was not over, for there was one final letter from Saint Gwiona, addressed to her.

 

To my beloved Esther,

I write this letter knowing that I will soon be dead. I do not know how or why this will happen. I feel neither fear nor regret: I have lived as well as I have been able, and none can ask for more than that.

I may not fear the future, but it is wise to prepare for it. Therefore I ask you, Esther, to succeed me as Abbess of Amesbury. I know that this is a role for which you will not wish. It is my belief that this makes you more appropriate than any other. Furthermore, when we consider all that has been accomplished in my name, the greatest part was accomplished by you. There are monasteries across Britain which offer aid to the defenceless, and it was your work that made this come to pass.

In all things, the Lady God reveals herself to us. As I go to join her, so I know that her work will be carried out by you. Go now and make me proud of you – as I always have been.

Gwiona

A few days later, four knights returned to Cameliard. The fifth remained behind forever, laying aside her sword and starting her new life as the Abbess of Amesbury.