523 AD: Ganulf the Wake

The golden city of Camelot was nearing completion. From impossibly high towers, banners fluttered in the breeze. There were many visitors in Camelot this season, for the mothers of the May Babies had come to collect their children, and receive a purse of gold from King Arthur for their upkeep. Sir Ywain, Sir Gawain and Sir Marhaus, the Triple Questors, had returned, and were being feted for their great deeds. The White Knight was speaking with all who would listen of a new order of Grail Templar knights, who would swear monastic oaths and safeguard pilgrims. From a foreign land came dark-skinned King Esclabor and his sons, all of whom were accounted mighty and courteous, handsome and wise. The influence of the de Ganis knights was growing as well: the French language had become more popular at court, with everyone giving themselves French names. Sir Tor was seen sporting a strange hat that he called a beret. Only Sir Kay seemed to be put out by this: "Look at me, I'm Le Chevalier avec Baguette!" he was heard to say as he mocked the continental fashions.

It was the early hours of the morning in the great hall of Camelot, and most of the guests at the feast had already left to seek their beds. Only a group of serious drinkers remained, King Arthur and some of his knights. Among them was Sir Gaheris, who began to drunkenly expound on the matter of Saxons. In Anglia, another rebellion had begun, led by one Ganulf the Wake. Were the Saxons not grateful for how lenient King Arthur had been towards them after their defeat at Badon Hill? Sir Gaheris's words were cheered by many, but they brought Aelfwynn, the Saxon shieldmaiden, to her feet furiously. Surely Ganulf's rebellion was only the result of cruelly the occupied Saxons had been treated by Duke Hervis, As the argument grew more heated, King Arthur rose and gestured for silence. He ordered Sir Gaheris and Aelfwynn to travel together to Anglia and investigate Ganulf's uprising. They would report back to King Arthur, so that justice could be done.

The next morning, the two met at Camelot's gate to head on their errand. Sir Gaheris was hung-over and grumpy. They were accompanied by Aelfwynn's husband, Sir Athelwulf, and their friend Sir Donna, who was renowned for her fair and unprejudiced nature. Trouble arose before the end of the day. At the borders of Silchester, the group were intercepted by a band of ten knights and told to turn back. Count Uffo of Silchester was in rebellion against King Arthur and had closed his roads against his knights until the High King granted him all the honours that his father, Duke Ulfius, had held in his lifetime. While Sir Gaheris was willing to fight, the rest of the group knew that they could not win. To continue, they would have to travel by an alternate route: through the haunted Purdue Forest.

On the outskirts of the forest, the travelers stopped at Borough Hill, where they found simple lodgings with the local priest, Brother Cecil. He told them of the strange legend of Borough Hill: that fairies dwelt in a cave at the base of the hill. Anyone who went there would receive anything that they asked for, but they would have to return it or suffer the fairies' curse. Intrigued by this legend, the knights sought out this cave in the morning. Sir Gaheris asked for a sword and Sir Athelwulf for a cooking spit, which they received. Aelfwynn set out to test the fairies' capabilities, and was cursed. Sir Donna asked to be reunited with her cousin Sir Cuthbert's magical dog, who was waiting for her outside the cave, and they had an enjoyable time playing together before he had to depart. 

The knights entered under the shadowy boughs of the forest. There was no road, only a rough-hewn path. As the light began to fail, they found themselves at Farnham, a small hamlet with a fortified manor, and sought shelter there. The local lord, Sir Berran, told them that the peasants had seen some sort of large black panther in the forest. He intended to hunt it on the morrow, and invited his guests to join him. They agreed, and decided to have a competition to see who could find the best game. Sir Berran and his hunters would work together, as would Sir Donna and Sir Gaheris, and Sir Athelwulf and Aelfwynn. The Saxons were the most experienced hunters, and managed to catch a red-furred fox. Suddenly, they were surrounded by the jingling of bells, as a party of Elvish knights all in silver rode into the glade. Their leader saw the fox and exclaimed that they had just slain his brother! In recompense, he demanded the eyes from their heads. Not wishing to have their eyes cut out, Sir Athelwulf and Aelfwynn fled, and were cruelly hunted by the elves, barely managing to escape with their lives and return to the castle, where they recounted their story to the others.

The next day, Sir Berran invited his guests to stay and hunt for the panther again, but the knights politely declined and set off on their way once more. Around midday, they came to a river too deep to ford, with a stone bridge over it. Upon the bridge was a mounted knight, whose pavilion lay on the far side of the bridge. This knight announced himself to be Sir Telus, and refused to let any pass unless they jousted with him. However, the loser would owe military service to the other for a season, or have to pay scutage (which Sir Telus said that he intended to do). This was a strange custom, but it did not seem as if the knights could cross the river anywhere else, so they agreed to Sir Telus's terms. Sir Donna was the first to break a lance with Sir Telus, and she was knocked from her saddle. Then Aelfwynn tried, and she unhorsed Sir Telus - who fell into the river! The knights rushed to save him as he was swept downstream, and managed to rescue him. In exchange, Sir Telus waived all requirements of knightly service from them. He exclaimed that his lady love had been imprisoned in the castle of another, and that he was trying to raise an army to rescue her. The knights wished Sir Telus well, and told him that if they could, they would help him.

After leaving Sir Telus behind, the path wended its way along the edge of the river. The knights set up camp, and then continued on their way on the next day. Before long, they could hear the sounds of lamentation coming from a small island in the middle of the river. They decided to investigate, and found three pale and emaciated women crying over a tomb, next to a pavilion. They introduced themselves as the Three Fairies, so called because their grief has made them appear insubstantial. They had been cursed to remain mourning at the tomb until the murdered knight who lay within it should be avenged. Sir Gaheris immediately swore that he would avenge this knight, with the others not far behind him. The Fairies explained that it was King Pellinore who lay within the crypt. At that, Sir Gaheris had a strange expression come across his face. He went to check on his horse - and immediately rode off without so much as a word! Did he know something about what had happened to King Pellinore? 

That night, the three travellers reached West Clandon, which lay close to the eaves of the forest. The folk there begged the knights to help them, for the Clandon Worm had been attacking their livestock. This foul dragon lived in a nearby lake, which it had polluted with its slime. It was easy to track also, for it left a trail of slime behind it everywhere that it went! The knights agreed to help, and rode to the stinking lake. There, the beast came forth to offer battle, and they began to hew at it. However, so thick was its slime, that it was surpassing slippery! Their weapons would bounce off it to no avail. If only they had some way to pin it in place, so that it could not slip around! Disgusted at their futile efforts, the knights abandoned the fight, but swore to return at a later time to put an end to the monster.

Leaving West Clandon behind on the next day, the knights finally emerged from the Purdue Forest, south of London. With its perils behind them, they were able to journey much more swiftly. They soon reached London, and then followed the road north into Anglia. This leg of the journey was without incident, and soon Sir Athelwulf, Sir Donna and Aelfwynn arrived. They decided not to see Duke Hervis in Norwich, for he would surely react poorly to Sir Athelwulf and Aelfwynn. Instead, they toured the countryside, questioning the common folk about Ganulf the Wake and his rebels. They received different answers depending on whom they asked. To Saxons, Ganulf was a freedom fighter, standing up against the oppressive rule of Duke Hervis. To Cymrics, he was a bloody-handed thug. Most alarming, both sides appeared to be right. During their search, the group discovered that Ganulf had been driven into the Fens: the same Fens where Athelwulf had grown up with the Thulian exiles.

Leaving horses and squires at Ely, a cathedral town on the outskirts of the Fens, the three travelers acquired a boat and set off in search of Ganulf. They were soon ambushed by Ganulf and his band. Sir Athelwulf convinced Ganulf of their good intentions, and the Saxon rebel took them back to the Thulian village. He explained that many of the Thulians, led by King Aguar, had left to return to their homeland, but the new Thulian king had offered them succour. To Sir Athelwulf's shock, it was Sligon the Usurper! Sligon had allowed King Aguar to reclaim his throne, and gone into voluntary exile in the Fens. However, Sir Athelwulf had a blood feud against Sligon for the death of his parents. Ganulf forced Sligon to accept Sir Athelwulf's challenge, and the old man was brutally slain in a duel.

That night, a feast was held in Sir Athelwulf's honour, and Ganulf attempted to convince the two Saxons to join him in his rebellion against the throne. In only a few days, he would join forces with another rebel, Ealdorman Morcar of Essex. Sir Athelwulf told them that he was on a mission from King Arthur, and tried to convince Ganulf that the rebellion was doomed, and that he should bring his grievances to Camelot, but with little success. Meanwhile, Sir Donna was keeping her head down, as she was made to feel very unwelcome. Suddenly, a wizened Saxon witch appeared before her. Her name was Nelda, and she told Sir Donna that Ganulf did not intend to let any of them leave the village alive. Then she vanished, leaving Sir Donna feeling very perturbed.

Meanwhile, back at Camelot, word had arrived of Count Uffo's rebellion. Sir Griflet and Sir Gawain, the Marshal and the King's Champion, immediately mustered an army and marched on Silchester. Among the knights were Sir Avain, Sir Balthazar and Sir Connor of Salisbury. The rebellion was suppressed with great haste: those of Count Uffo's men who were Companions of Arthur yielded immediately; many others did not particularly want to be in rebellion; and those that were left fled or surrendered. It did not take very long at all until only the city of Silchester, with Count Uffo in it, was all that remained of the rebellion. The army set up camp outside, reluctant to hurt the citizens through siege or assault, and called for the Count to come forth and face Sir Griflet or Sir Gawain in a duel. The craven Uffo refused, and the army waited for something to happen.

This was the situation when Sir Gaheris arrived in camp. He had abandoned the quest to warn that Silchester was in revolt! Well, that was hardly news now, and Sir Avain doubted that this was his true motive in leaving the quest in the first place. Sir Gaheris bid Sir Balthazar go and reinforce Sir Athelwulf, Sir Donna and Aelfwynn in Anglia, and the three bored knights decided to do so. With the roads now open again, they soon reached Anglia and heard that the three had been last seen heading towards Ely. They reached Ely only a few days behind the others, and met their squires there. Sir Balthazar decided to visit the lord of Ely. but he turned out to be in Norwich with Duke Hervis, leaving his sickly wife Lady Eliza behind. The knights met with the lady, and spoke to her master-at-arms Tom, who agreed to give them a boat and a guide to take them into the Fens. Their guide, Harry, was not very familiar with the twisting marsh, however, and the group soon became hopelessly lost.

In Ganulf's camp, Sir Donna sought out her companions and shared what Nelda had told her. They were all worried, especially by her motives, but decided not to flee. In a few days, Morcar, an ealdorman of Essex, brought his small band of rebels through the Fens to parley with Ganulf. At a feast that night, the two leaders shared stories of injustices suffered, and of their respective deeds to date, before agreeing to unite and attack Ely. At this, Sir Athelwulf spoke: what then? Their rebellion was doomed, and all knew it. Better to cast themselves at King Arthur's mercy and seek justice rather than vengeance. Morcar was furious. Suddenly Nelda appeared, and began to agree with Sir Athelwulf - except that she encouraged Ganulf to murder King Arthur in his court room! The knights argued back, and the argument continued until Aelfwynn realised that Nelda was dissembling. She did not want Ganulf to murder King Arthur. Was she deliberately trying to lose the argument? With that, Nelda vanished, and the feast broke up into arguing and recriminations.

The next morning, Ganulf came to see the three emissaries. He told them that most of the camp had decided to support Morcar and attack Ely. He, however, had been swayed. He and his partner Aelflaed, and a few other followers, would travel with them to meet King Arthur and seek justice from him. They slipped away before anyone noticed they were gone. Deep in the Fens, they met Sir Avain, Sir Balthazar, and Sir Connor, who were still lost. The group was finally reunited, and returned to Ely. Once they reached it, however, a difficult choice was before them. They knew that Morcar intended to lead his band against the town. Ely was on an island in the swamp, and hard to reach by land. However, that meant that its defences were weak, and it was not prepared for raiders from the marsh. Furthermore, with its lord absent, there was no leader. Sir Athelwulf and Aelfwynn rode on to Camelot with Ganulf and his followers, while Sir Avain, Sir Balthazar, Sir Connor and Sir Donna prepared to defend the town. Even though they all knew in their hearts that it was an impossible battle, they could not abandon the people of Ely to certain death.

There was not much time to prepare. Sir Balthazar immediately informed Lady Eliza and Tom of the peril, and an evacuation began. With only narrow causeways connecting the island to the mainland, however, it would not be possible to get everyone out. Sir Balthazar toured the defenses with Tom, and decided to conduct the battle from the manor rather than the cathedral. Sir Connor tried to give an inspiring speech to the men-at-arms, but he was depressed by the prospect of his impending death, and his accent was near-incomprehensible at best: his speech was not as motivational as he had hoped. Sir Avain set oil around the cathedral in an attempt to make a trap for the Saxons. His lack of knowledge of siegecraft and architecture meant that he did not really know how to do this effectively, however. Finally, Sir Donna organised men to build a series of basic barricades. Hopefully some simple defences would help to slow the attackers down.

At dawn, the Saxons came. Clashing their axes against the shield, and outnumbering the defenders nearly four to one, they came screaming into the town. Sir Balthazar met them at the barricades. The fighting was fierce, but Sir Balthazar was struck insensible by a Saxon axe. With his fall, the defenders fled in a rout back to the manor house, taking heavy casualties. The Saxons swarmed into the town, slaughtering all those who had not fled or found shelter within the manor. When they came to destroy the cathedral, however, Sir Connor and Sir Donna were waiting for them there. The oil prepared by Sir Avain was set on fire, limiting the paths of attack. The two knights stood in the door of the church, and slew all who would approach. In the end, the Saxons were forced to abandon their assault upon the cathedral, and they used fire to force Sir Connor and Sir Donna back inside for shelter.

Only the manor house still held out. The Saxons regrouped to attack it, when Sir Avain sallied out from a postern gate on horseback. His goal was to slay Earl Morcar in single combat: with his death, the Saxons might be demoralised. Sir Avain managed to fight his way to Earl Morcar, and he dismounted to challenge him to single combat. The Saxon accepted, but he struck Sir Avain down with a single blow. Sir Donna saw him fall from the church. If they stayed in the church, there was a good chance that Sir Connor and Sir Donna could survive, but Sir Avain, Sir Balthazar, and all the people of the town would surely die. The two knights charged out from the church suicidally, fighting their way to Sir Avain's body before Earl Morcar finished him off. Sir Donna was cleft by many axes and fell, but with her aid, Sir Connor was able to reach Earl Morcar and slay him. The Saxons were furious and pressed fiercely against him: Sir Connor grabbed Sir Avain's body and fled to the manor. To his amazement, he was alive!

The actions of the four brave knights had bought a respite. Sir Connor parleyed with Siegland, the new Saxon leader after Morcar's death, and surrendered to her on the condition that he be allowed to bury the fallen, and that the inhabitants of the manor be allowed to leave unhindered. Such were the casualties that the knights had inflicted upon the attackers that Siegland agreed to Sir Connor's terms. Sir Donna's body was retrieved, and the survivors fled as the Saxons began to burn Ely. Lady Eliza was too ill to be moved: she perished upon the road, as did Sir Avain and Sir Balthazar, whose injuries were too severe. Only a hundred or more of the town's five hundred citizens were still alive, but this was a hundred who lived who would have died had it not been for the heroic sacrifices of four knights. Sir Connor and the refugees were met before long by another lord. The Irish knight explained what had happened, and left the people of Ely there, returning to Salisbury with the bodies of the fallen heroes.

Meanwhile, Sir Athelwulf, Aelfwynn, Ganulf, Aelflaed, and the other Saxons reached Camelot, where they went before King Arthur. The High King accepted their verdict that both sides were to blame. He officially pardoned Ganulf, and offered that Saxons who had sworn fealty to him could be granted rulership of their own lands in the future. He also agreed to tolerate the Wotanic faith if it would work alongside Christian missionaries and achieved greater structure, so that it would no longer be an instrument of rebellion. A leader of the Saxon church would need to be found: had Nelda foreseen this, and was this her true plan? Finally, King Arthur reluctantly agreed to Ganulf's request for a duel of honour against Duke Hervis. The Duke was presently putting down the rebellion in Anglia: without Ganulf or Morcar, the rest of the rebels were easily destroyed. Duke Hervis was then summoned to Camelot to meet Ganulf's challenge, and the older and more experienced knight easily defeated and slew Ganulf, exonerating him from guilt in the eyes of the law. However, King Arthur knew that justice had not been done. He 'rewarded' Duke Hervis with new lands around London, and then required the Duke to never return to Anglia again. In his place, Aelflaed would be appointed Steward of Anglia. It was not a perfect solution, but peace of a kind would finally come to Anglia.

522 AD: Murder at Marshfield Hall

This year, the Companions of King Arthur were finally inducted. While the Knights of the Round Table were intended to be exclusive, an example to others and something to aspire to, the Companions were for all knights who would swear allegiance to the High King and his ideal. Earl Robert took the oath, and encouraged all of his knights to travel to Camelot to take the oath as well. Upon their return, there was a pleasant surprise. Lady Margaret and young Cyndyn had returned from Faerie! There was much rejoicing, for they had been feared lost forever. Sir Donna escorted Cyndyn home to Somerset, where she tried and failed to explain what had happened to his father. 

Meanwhile, Sir Avain had received an invitation to visit the King of the Circle of Gold, to the north. He and Lady Elspeth also took Lady Taryan's body back to her family. They were perplexed, for Lady Taryan had vanished without trace nearly a hundred years earlier! Nevertheless, they were glad to finally know what had happened to her, and gave her body a Christian burial. Then they headed west, over the Pennine Mountains, to the Kingdom of the Circle of Gold. On the road, they met Sir Victor, Sir Taedi's old friend, who asked to ride with them. It turned out that he was now the King of the Circle of Gold! King Victor explained that he had stumbled into the valley and claimed the Circle by accident, although some members of his small court indicated that the King was being modest. 

After a pleasant stay with King Victor, Sir Avain and Lady Elspeth returned south through Malahaut. On the way, they sheltered for the night at Marshfield Hall, a small and gloomy manor. Its penny-pinching lord, Sir Barrius, grudgingly offered hospitality. They were seated at the low table, far away from Sir Barrius and his two lovely daughters. Over dinner, Sir Avain and Lady Elspeth chatted to Sir Romek, a cheerful fat knight who told them that Sir Barrius was shortly to be hosting a tournament, mostly to make his neighbours stop accusing him of parsimony. Sir Avain also made friends with a pretty older serving woman, Agatha, and that night he snuck off to the pantry to pay her a visit. The next morning, though, there was a great hubbub. Agatha's body had been found in the pantry. She had been murdered!

Sir Avain was soon implicated. Sir Endion had seen him get up at night and go to the pantry. Sir Barrius had him imprisoned, despite the laws of hospitality. Lady Elspeth went and berated Sir Barrius, but to no avail. However, he later recanted, due to the entreaties of his daughters. Sir Avain would have until noon on the morrow to prove his innocence; otherwise, he would have to face Sir Barrius' champion, Sir Baldor, in a duel. Much time had already been wasted securing Sir Avain's release: there were only twenty-four hours remaining!

Sir Avain and Lady Elspeth spent the afternoon interviewing the household knights. Sir Romek, Sir Baldor, Sir Efflin, Sir Joffrey and Sir Ortel did not know much, although Sir Efflin admitted that he had previously had a relationship with Agatha, but broke it off a year ago. After talking to the knights, they went to view the body. Agatha had been slain by two stab wounds to the front, with no defensive wounds. Clearly, she had been attacked by someone familiar to her, by surprise. Finally, they spoke to Madge, another one of the servants. She said that Sir Barrius avoided Agatha, but would not dismiss her. Madge also told them about Agatha's family down at the village: a widowed sister, Florry, and a nephew, Tarquin. 

The two investigators now decided to travel to the village to talk to Agatha's family. Florry confirmed a lot of the details that they knew already, but grew evasive when they asked if she knew why Agatha didn't serve at the high table. Tarquin was not at the village, and so Sir Avain and Lady Elspeth had to return to the manor to find him; he was helping with the horses. Young Tarquin did not look anything at all like his mother. In fact, with his red hair and cleft chin, he looked more like Sir Barrius's daughter Glorel. Young Tarquin was a forthright lad, who did not have any useful information, but exclaimed how he wanted to help find his aunt's killer. 

It was now time to go inside for dinner. The fare was quite ordinary, except for a strangely good pudding for dessert. After dinner, the group talked to the knights once more. Sir Efflin said that he had been taking Tarquin under his wing for Agatha's sake. Perhaps she was seeking to socially advance him? It was becoming increasingly obvious to Sir Avain and Lady Elspeth that Sir Barrius must have had an affair with Agatha after the death of his wife, and that Tarquin was in fact his son. Had Barrius killed her to stop the truth from coming out? The investigators settled down for an uneasy sleep.

The next day was Sunday, and Lady Elspeth skipped church to continue her investigations. She headed into the village, and met Florry as she left church. Confronted with the truth, Florry admitted that Tarquin was Sir Barrius and Agatha's son. Elspeth continued to interview Peter Carpenter, a migrant worker employed in the construction of the tournament ground, but this turned out to be a dead end. With midday closing in, she made her way back to the manor and went to talk to the stablehands. She found that the servants were starting to gossip amongst themselves that Sir Barrius had killed Agatha, and spent some time trying to track down where the rumour had started from. Eventually, she found that the rumours had begun with the new cook, Bart, who was nowhere to be seen. Lady Elspeth smelled a rat. She called for her horse and gave chase.

Meanwhile, Sir Avain left church left church that morning feeling like he was running out of time and options. He decided to talk to Sir Barrius' daughters to see if they would intercede on his behalf. The beautiful younger daughter, Glorel, was an airhead who was looking forward to the tragedy of a handsome knight dying in a pointless duel. Lucilla was older and more sensible, having acted as chatelaine since the death of her mother at a young age. Sir Avain decided to flirt with her, but overplayed his hand. It was now midday, and it was time to fight.

At that very moment, Lady Elspeth was galloping after Bart the fugitive cook. She finally caught him on the road, and he drew a knife on her - but she fired an arrow and brought him down with a single shot. There was no time to waste. She bundled the unconscious cook on to her horse, grabbed his bag, and returned. But it was already midday...

In the tournament ground, Sir Avain gave a speech to play for time, but there was no sign of reprieve. Finally, he had to draw his sword and fight the hulking Sir Ortel. The two duelled brutally, knocking each other prone and then drawing daggers to finish the fight. Much to his surprise, Sir Avain managed to overcome his opponent. With his dagger to Sir Ortel's fight, Sir Avain denounced the duel and the household, and refused to kill  Sir Ortel. Sir Barrius was furious! But at that moment, Lady Elspeth arrived, and flung Bert's body to the ground, along with his bag. In it, there was a letter from Sir Turquine, the notorious bandit knight, ordering Bert to kill Agatha and implicate Sir Barrius to foment discord in the area. 

With Sir Avain's innocence proved through evidence and through combat, Sir Barrius conferred privily with him and Lady Elspeth, and agreed to recognise Tarquin as his son. The pair stayed for the tournament. Sir Avain did honourably, although Sir Efflin was pronounced the champion of the melee. An unknown knight (secretly Sir Kay of Camelot) arrived on the second day and won the jousts. Before leaving, Sir Avain began paying court to Lucilla, who now regarded him more favourably after his honourable behaviour in the duel. They were to be married later that year.

When the pair returned home, they heard strange news. A French merchant presented a group of youths to King Arthur in Camelot. He had found them in an abandoned shipwreck at sea, and looked after them since. King Arthur was troubled: the May Babies had returned. He was especially troubled by the leader of the young men, a handsome and strangely familiar youth called Mordred...

521 AD: Morgan's Betrayal

In spring, a traveller arrived at Sir Connor's manor. Sir Accolon of Gaul was a handsome if dim-witted knight, and reputedly the lover of King Arthur's sister Morgan. He wished to thank Sir Connor for rescuing him from Hargyll the Giant the previous year. He also invited Sir Connor to accompany him to see a pagan miracle! It is said that once every hundred years, the horse-goddess Epona would rise from the White Horse on the night before May Day, and ride across the sky to Wayland's Smithy to be re-shod. Anyone who sees her running will be granted a wish.

On the night before May Day, Sir Accolon and Sir Connor rode out to Uffington and the hill of the White Horse. They were accompanied by Sir Connor's friends: Lady Elspeth and her children; Lady Margaret, the sister of Sir Balthazar; Sir Athelwulf and Aelfwinn the Saxons. They viewed it as an opportunity for a fun night-time ride. Sir Athelwulf had packed a picnic. When they arrived, there was no one at Uffington save a scrawny looking monk with a hobby horse. He had come here to chastise the pagans, but since he was very young and did not want any trouble, he had chosen to come to Uffington - since all the actual pagans were at the white horse hill in Westbury. Sir Accolon, it appeared, was not a very good pagan.

The group turned their horses and rode with haste to Westbury. On the way, there were numerous distractions to slow them down. Reveling peasants invited them to join their celebrations. A fairy deer crossed their path: Aelfwinn left the path to hunt it. Two knights challenged Sir Accolon, Sir Athelwulf and Sir Connor to joust. Finally, only Elspeth, her children, and Sir Accolon reached Westbury Hill in time. There were many dancers at the foot of the hill, being led by Lady Svenhildr. She asked them if they would rest their horses, or continue up the hill. Sir Accolon galloped up, while Elspeth and her children dismounted and walked up. This was a test: Sir Accolon's horse died of exhaustion, and he was thrown to the ground and unable to continue.

Only Elspeth and her family were able to reach the destination that night. They climbed the hill to find a field with a hill of yellow flowers. On its summit were a trough of water, and a chest of silver coins. Ignoring the chest, the humans and their horses drank deeply from the water and were magically refreshed. As they drank, the image of the white horse rose into the sky and rode off. The next morning, the group were reunited on the hilltop. Aelfwinn had not managed to catch the deer. Everyone listened to Elspeth's story, before they returned home.

A week later, Earl Robert invited everyone to join him in Camelot, the new capital. Enough of the construction was done that King Arthur could hold court there for the first time. It is only a short ride, and everyone is impressed. Although only a little bit of the city is completed so far, it looks like it will be the biggest and most beautiful city in the world! Everyone had a good time. Elspeth and Sir Athelwulf went site-seeing. Aelfwynn got into an argument with Sir Kay. Sir Connor got into a fight with Sir Agravaine and almost killed him. Sir Balthazar was finally inducted into the Knights of the Round Table. King Arthur issued a proclamation at a feast, announcing the formation of the Companions of King Arthur, as well as new laws for warfare (both a response to Duke Hervis' deplorable actions last year). Also at the feast, Sir Athelwulf met Sir Marroc, the first Saxon Knight of the Round Table, who is reputedly a were-wolf, and was very impressed. Meanwhile, Lady Elspeth used her connections to Queen Guinevere to try and find Sir Connor a date.

The next day, everyone went hunting in the forest around Camelot. The serious hunters went off together, leaving Sir Connor, Sir Dagonet, Lady Elspeth and Lady Caryl to go on a double-date in the woods. Before long, a disguised knight burst out of hiding and struck Sir Connor down with his lance before riding off! The group dragged Sir Connor back to Camelot, convinced that this was revenge from the Orkney clan for Sir Connor maiming Sir Agravaine. Meanwhile, Sir Athelwulf, Sir Balthazar and Aelfwinn had a hunting contest, which Sir Athelwulf won when he managed to hunt down a bear. That evening, Camelot was in an uproar. King Arthur had been hunting with Sir Accolon and King Uriens of Gore (Morgan's husband) and the three of them had gone missing! Everyone headed out into the forest to look for them. The knights of Salisbury found tracks indicating that the three had boarded a boat on a lake, but there was no sign of where the boat had gone. Magic! Stranger still, the next morning King Uriens woke up in his bed in Camelot, with no memory of how he had got there. He confirmed that he, Arthur and Accolon had boarded a richly decorated boat, but he did not know what had happened to the others.

While knights set off on quests to find the king, the Salisbury knights decided that they would travel to Glastonbury, to seek the aid of Nimue, the Lady of the Lake. If the King had indeed been abducted by magic, then perhaps she would be able to find him. They rode west with all haste. Shortly out of Camelot, Sir Balthazar was challenged to a duel by Sir Bagdemagus. This knight had been passed over for a Round Table seat, and had sworn not to return to court until he had proven his worth by defeating a Knight of the Round Table. They fought, and Sir Bagdemagus was victorious. He then remained with Sir Balthazar to tend to his wounds, while the others rode on. The next day, the knights encountered a terrified squire whose master had been slain in ambush by the Knight of the Wolf (so called for his canine companion). His master's daughter was now the Knight of the Wolf's prisoner! The knights of Salisbury met the Knight of the Wolf, and learned that he was avenging the death of his father, and that the girl was unharmed. Sir Donna talked him into releasing the girl, and then escorted her home.

Passing through the village of Grovely, where a curious celebration was taking place, the knights next met Ry, a peasant farmer who begged them for help. A giant had begun damming a nearby river: if the dam were to be completed, then Ry's village would be flooded. The knights went to meet with Geest the giant, who was upset that Ry's sheep were grazing in a field of rocks that Geest claimed were his family. The two Saxons were able to make Geest and Ry come to a compromise: Geest would clear more land for Ry so that he would not have to graze his sheep in that field, and in exchange Ry would offer Geest a tribute of food. After leaving Ry and Geest behind, the knights continued into the Selwood where they met a wounded knight. When they rode up to him, he attacked them treacherously! When the tide turned against him, the brigand knight fled - he was much better at escaping than fighting. This was Sir Bruce the Merciless, an infamous villain, and the knights swore to be revenged upon him. Leaving the forest, the knights entered Somerset. There they met a group of knights hunting a white stag, but decided not to join them, pressing on to Glastonbury. As they camped that night, Margaret saw the white stag. She approached it, and it stamped and snorted but did not flee as she stroked it and then warned it about the hunters. It nuzzled her, before bounding off.

The next morning, the travellers climbed the Glastonbury Tor to find the commune of the Ladies of the Lake. There, they met Nimue and Taliesin the Wise, who was visiting with her. Nimue used her magic and confirmed that King Arthur was in fact in grave danger. A conspiracy was afoot, and only they could save him. She asked the knights to accompany her as she traveled upon the Fairy Road to Arthur's side. They agreed, and rode out from Glastonbury. The trees became thicker around them as they rode, until all that was left was a perfectly straight path, with trees forming a solid canopy above them and blocking off the sides of the road, and no sounds of animals. It was impossible to tell when it was day or when night. The group camped on the road when they felt tired, and set a watch.

At night, the White Stag approached. Because of Margaret's kindness, it was travelling with them as their spirit guide. First, it warned, there was a young hunter on the road that they would have to confront. A few days later, the group met him. Sir Cyndyn was a young knight of Somerset who had prayed to God for a quest - and then by chance caught sight of the White Stag. He had sworn never to return home until he had caught it. The others tried to convince him that the White Stag was no enemy of his, but he was adamant and challenged them to a duel for insulting his honour. Sir Donna accepted, intending to prove to him that God prefers mercy to violence. But in a horrible accident, she slew Sir Cyndyn! She felt guilty, but there was nothing to be done but to give him a burial and continue on the road.

The next night, the white stag returned to warn Athelwulf. Further upon the road, they would meet a hag that had stolen a young boy. The stag led Athewulf just off the road and stamped the ground between the tree roots. There, Athelwulf found a bronze sword buried in the ground. On the next day, the knights found a hut built in the shelter of an overhanging rock. Outside it, preparing food, was a youth with a chain around his waist. He ran inside when he saw the knights, and the hag addressed them. She offered to sell the boy to them, but Sir Athelwulf, Sir Donna and Aelfwinn stormed inside and slew her to rescue him. When they emerged, the hut was gone, but the boy remained. His name was... Cyndyn?! But he had no memory of how he came to be here. The group were confused, but took the boy with them. Sir Donna in particular saw this as her opportunity to right the wrong that she had committed, and to teach Cyndyn to be a better man.

The stag's next visit was to tell the knights that they were entering the kingdom of the boorish King Baedd. King Baedd possessed the magical Spear of Twch Mochyn, although he did not know its worth. The knights must claim this spear in order to continue. This time, the stag gave the group a pennant to bear, so that King Baedd would know that they came in peace. Aelfwinn attached it to her spear. It bore the strange symbol of a truffle upon it. Before long, the group was confronted by four of King Baedd's knights. The travellers realised that the stag meant not 'boorish' but 'boarish', for the knights were pigs! Boars walking upon their hind legs, wearing armour in the fashion of knights. The boars received the knights courteously - if highly amused that 'hairless apes' were 'mimicking' them by wearing armour - and invited them back to meet King Baedd. King Baedd had his own castle, which the knights judged must have been constructed by humans, but the boars knew nothing of it. After a relaxing mud-bath and an unusual feast, they challenged King Baedd's champion to a wrestling match for the right to the spear. Aelfwinn defeated him, and the boar-king granted her the spear, as well as a shield bearing the design of a truffle recouchant as a symbol of their respect. Amused, the knights thanked their hosts and continued upon their way.

The white stag returned now for one last time. It told them that there was a tower with a giant in it. To pass by, they would have to set right an ancient wrong, and do the Christian thing. And indeed, ahead in a clearing was a tower with a stone-throwing giant at its parapet. Gwaet the giant accused the knights of being sent by Lord Penyt to retrieve his daughter, Lady Taryan, from the giant. Gwaet insisted that Taryan was his true love, and that she was happy to be with him - she'd stopped crying long ago. The knights asked that Lady Margaret be allowed to speak to Taryan, and Gwaet agreed. Margaret entered the tower nervously, and found that Taryan had been locked inside a room, where she had died of starvation. When Lady Margaret emerged, she told the others. They furiously assaulted the tower, and Sir Athelwulf, Sir Donna and Aelfwinn slew Gwaet with a single simultaneous blow. They then recovered Lady Taryan's remains and put them in a chest, so that they could be returned to her family for Christian burial.

The knights had now reached the end of the fairy road. They emerged with Nimue into a sunny field, but Lady Margaret and Cyndyn were not with them! The knights wanted to return to look for them, but that was impossible. Before the knights, a crowd was gathered, watching a Black Knight and a White Knight fight. Both struck mighty blows with swords that appeared to be Excalibur, but the Black Knight was bleeding heavily, and the White Knight was bleeding not at all. No one could see Nimue or the knights, for they remained in the borders of Fairy - save for one woman. It was Morgan, the King's sister and the traitor who was arranging his death. She sent giant snails to attack the knights, but they defeated the snails handily. Morgan fled rather than confront Nimue.

Meanwhile, the Black Knight's sword shattered in his hands, and the White Knight was about to strike him dead, when Nimue gestured, making him drop his sword. The Black Knight wrestled him to the ground, ripped off his scabbard, and gave him a mighty buffet to the head with his own sword. Then they spoke. The Black Knight was King Arthur, and the White Knight was Sir Accolon. They had been tricked into fighting a duel so that Sir Accolon would kill King Arthur, but because of Nimue's intervention, Sir Accolon instead was now dying. King Arthur resolved the dispute between the brother knights Sir Damas and Sir Ontzlake, whom he and Sir Accolon had been championing, before collapsing. He was weak from loss of blood, and asked to be taken to the nearby abbey at Amesbury.

At Amesbury, Arthur gradually recovered from his wounds, while Sir Accolon died. Sir Donna and Sir Balthazar (who had joined them) took Sir Accolon's body to Camelot and presented it to Morgan. She was contemptuous, but later attempted to murder her husband King Uriens with a broadsword - her stepson Sir Ywain stopped her - and then stole into Amesbury and snatched up Excalibur! King Arthur and the others gave chase, but Morgan threw both sword and scabbard into a lake and then disguised herself as a great boulder. Sir Balthazar dove into the lake and found Excalibur, but the scabbard that makes its wearers' wounds never bleed was lost forever.

When King Arthur was well enough to return to Camelot, a maiden came before him, bearing a gift from his sister Morgan. She begged forgiveness and presented him with the gift of an ornate mantle. Nimue told him to make the maiden wear it and, when she did, she was consumed with fire and died. King Arthur was furious and declared Morgan a traitor and banished her, on pain of death if she were ever seen again. Morgan now dwelt alone in strange castles, protected by her magics. She was said to make pacts with fairies, and became known as Morgan the Fey - the greatest enemy of Camelot.

520 AD: The Adventure of the New-Made Knight

It was raining heavily. Not an unusual thing in Logres. But because of the rain, the river was swollen, and the knights would not be able to ford it until the morrow at the earliest. They would have to find shelter for the night. They had passed a small village, only a short way back. They turned their horses and made their way to seek hospitality there.

It had begun a few weeks ago, at the wedding of Sir Dagonet and Lady Elspeth. At the feast afterwards, Sir Balthazar discovered his lord, Earl Robert, in tears. The Earl had offered to make Elspeth his mistress a few years earlier. It turned out that he fancied her more than anyone had known. But after the feast, Robert declared that he was seeking a wife. Sir Balthazar and his companions were tasked with travelling north to Wuerensis, to meet the Earl's marriageable daughter. With Sir Balthazar were Lady Elspeth and Sir Connor, a young knight of Irish descent. They reached Warwick without mishap, and met the lady and her noble father. Their task done, they returned south - when the rains forced them to detour.

At the manor, the knights were received by Lady Enide, whose age added to her stateliness rather than diminished her beauty. But the lady was mournful, and could not restrain her words. Her husband, Sir Danain, had recently perished from wounds received at Badon Hill. Their son, Sir Danain the Younger, inherited his manor at Rimchurch. On his deathbed, the elder Danain had written to his son, encouraging him to follow the code of chivalry. But when Sir Danain the Younger went to visit the four lords who dwelt near Rimchurch and inform them of his father's death, he faced a number of challenges. Attempting to maintain the standards of chivalry, Sir Danain failed all four of the adventures. Now he renounced chivalry as the dream of fools, and lived as a bully with his brutish followers. Would the knights of Salisbury visit Sir Danain with her and help remind him of the value of chivalry?

There was no way the knights could honourably refuse. Nor did they wish to do so. The next day, Lady Enide, Sir Balthazar, Sir Connor and Lady Elspeth set off to Rimchurch. As they rode, the Lady read to them from the last letter of Sir Danain the Elder, on the subject of chivalry. It outlined four major tenets: that knights must honour and protect ladies; that knights should be willing to lay down their lives for one another; that knights should be gentle and courteous despite all provocation; and that knights must always be true to their faith.

As the knights drew closer to Rimchurch, they began to see signs of Sir Danain's poor rule. The land looked poor, and people did not meet the knights' eyes. The bodies of peasants were strung up in trees. When they reached the manor house, where they were discourteously welcomed by the sinister steward, Septimus. Soon the knights and ladies were 'enjoying' a feast with Sir Danain and his thuggish followers. Some of the brutes started to make distasteful remarks about Lady Elspeth, but when Sir Connor started glaring at them, they changed their minds. Sir Danain himself was sulky and silent in the presence of his mother. Sir Balthazar engaged him in conversation and managed to draw him out: it was not that he did not believe in chivalry, as much as that he did not believe that it was possible. Lady Enide proposed that Sir Danain accompany the knights of Salisbury to the four neighbouring castles, and learn from them how to conduct himself honourably. Sir Danain reluctantly agreed, but said that he expected that they would fail as he had.

The next morning, when the group was ready to join them, Sir Danain did not come down, and Sir Connor had to rouse him from his drunken slumber. Eventually, they were ready to depart. The first castle to which the group travelled was the Castle of the Red Beast, deep in a forest. Here, they were welcomed by the aged Sir Plenorius. After dinner, he explained that his lands were haunted by the Devil's Stag. It most commonly haunted the Devil's Keep, a ruin out in the middle of the forest. Legend says that the curse will be lifted if anyone can spend a night in the Devil's Keep, but any who try flee in terror. Sir Danain admitted that he went to the ruins, but when the Devil's Stag appeared, he was too scared to remain.

The knights were not dismayed, however. They departed for the Devil's Keep, a small stone building overgrown with vines. There they cleared out some of the vines and settled in for the night. Sir Connor briefly wondered about the meaning of the coloured glass that remained in one of the windows, but thought no more of it. They had been waiting for four hours, when suddenly the hellish apparition emerged from the woods. It was only a bit larger than a normal stag, but its immense twisted antlers showed that it was not of this world! Sir Danain and Lady Elspeth were terrified, but Sir Balthazar and Sir Connor managed to stand their ground. The demonic stag started eating some foliage, and Sir Connor finally approached it. Once he got closer, he could see that the 'Devil's Stag' was in fact just a normal stag. It had brambles and vines caught in its antlers, which gave it its terrifying silhouette. The two knights lured it closer, and then Sir Connor restrained it while Sir Balthazar cleared off its antlers. They then let it escape back into the forest. The next morning, the group emerged and told Sir Plenorius that the 'curse' had been lifted.

Sir Danain was impressed by the bravery of the knights of Salisbury, but pointed out that godliness was not really involved - a lit torch would have done as well. In fact, by showing that the stag was only an animal, they disproved the need for a knight to be pious! In any case, they would not succeed at the Castle of the Sons of Sir Cadlew. Shortly before reaching that castle, the group met some travellers upon the road, heading to the same destination. Duchess Blandine, her beautiful daughter Lady Analine, and their retainers were travelling to the castle, for Lady Analine had been betrothed to marry one or another of the sons of Sir Cadlew at birth. Analine herself was putting on a good face about the whole thing.

It was late at night when the group arrived at the castle. An old servant, Berenger, seemed strangely reluctant to welcome them, and then hurried them past the great hall, from where the sounds of drunken revelry were issuing. Sir Danain revealed that the five brothers were horrible boors, such that no man could maintain his composure in the face of their taunts. And now there were ladies whose virtue was at stake! Soon, the group was invited to join their hosts at the feast. Sir Cleris, Sir Cleremond, Sir Caulus, Sir Caradoc and Sir Cadlew the Younger were as drunken, foul-mouthed and crude as expected. After only a short while, Lady Analine was struggling to hold back tears, and Sir Connor was struggling to hold back his fists.

In the end, no one could quite manage perfect knightly restraint, but neither did they completely lose their temper. Lady Elspeth suggested that Blandine and Analine go to see Queen Guinevere, who would annul the engagement. In the meantime, Sir Balthazar and Sir Connor stood guard outside the ladies' rooms that night, in case the brothers should try something untoward: fortunately, nothing happened. In the morning, Sir Balthazar denounced the brothers for their churlishness, and fought a duel of honour with one of them, defeating him handily. The other four brothers looked like they were about to attack, but after sharp words, they slunk inside in shame. Blandine and Analine departed to see the Queen. Sir Danain again was pedantically critical, but underneath his bluster, the knights could see that he was starting to come around.

The third castle was the Castle of the Tethered Giant. It was situated on one side of a hill with two peaks, with a great lake between them. A harried-looking knight, Sir Pertacus, welcomed the knights inside. Shortly after they entered, there was a tremendous bang, and the keep shook. Sir Pertacus explained that there was a truly immense giant, Hargyll, imprisoned upon the second peak. He had been chained to the bottomless lake for killing his brother. Now he kept cages of imprisoned knights who had come to slay him or to save their brothers. Legend said that if a knight was brave enough to sacrifice himself by leaping into the bottomless lake, the giant would be freed and the knights saved.

After a long night, subjected to Hargyll's bombardment, the knights set out to the second peak. A single path led up to a cave, where the imprisoned knights were bound in wicker cages. Hargyll was a truly monstrous giant, a beast of legend. He was bound by a massive chain that disappeared into the black lake. The knights were horrified: how could they win without sacrificing their lives? If they engaged the giant, it would surely crush them, while diving into the water was suicidal. Lady Elspeth went hysterical, insisting that none of this made any sense. Finally, Sir Connor agreed to sacrifice himself. He stripped himself of his armour and jumped into the lake. To his relief, it was not bottomless. Just under the water's surface, there was an immense lock fastening the chain. At the bottom of the lake, obscured by the bones of Hargyll's brother, was a key greater in size than a man. Sir Connor held his breath, swam down, and managed to extract the key. He then unlocked the chains. Hargyll stomped off happily, and Sir Connot grabbed hold of the chain and was hoisted out of the water! Once the giant was gone, the group were able to free all the captive knights, and there was great rejoicing.

Only one castle remained: the Castle of the Maiden Knight. Its old Saxon lord, Sir Ethelheard, had imprisoned his daughters for falling in love with Cymric men. Any who would seek to free them, as Sir Danain the Elder's letter insists, must fight with Sir Ethelheard's champion: his young warrior bride, Lady Ethelrida. But how can one pledge to offer no harm to ladies and fight one, or should one refuse to harm Lady Ethelrida and abandon the daughters to their fate? This was Sir Danain's dilemma. Lady Elspeth personally thought that not fighting Lady Etherida would be an even greater insult to the honour of ladies than fighting her. However, she talked reasonably to Sir Ethelheard about the High King's dream for British and Saxon to unite, and was able to convince him to relent.

Sir Danain still dug in his heels, The knights had failed to address the final challenge personally, and a woman had resolved the problem for them. Lady Elspeth spoke to him too. Yes, they not always succeeded as Sir Danain the Elder might have wished - but Sir Balthazar and Sir Connor had always tried to do the right thing, and had succeeded at all their challenges. Chivalry was not easy, and like any ideal, it could not always be achieved, but we should always strive for it. Properly chastised, Sir Danain admitted that she was right. He swore to correct his ways, and returned to Rimchurch. There, he apologised to his mother, and swore to be a good knight until the end of his days.

The rains had stopped. Sir Balthazar, Sir Connor and Lady Elspeth bade Sir Danain and Lady Enide farewell, and then resumed their journey back to Salisbury.

519 AD, Interlude: The Courtship of Lady Elspeth

Lady Elspeth was intelligent, good-looking, independent - and a widow for six years. During that time, she had avoided attempts to force her to remarry, and turned down an offer to become Earl Robert's mistress. However, she was beginning to feel lonely. When her patron, Queen Guinevere, sought to find her a new husband, she decided that the time had come to remarry, but on her terms.

The Queen agreed. She felt that women had little power or say in relationships, and sought to establish a new paradigm of behaviour. Marriage was so often for land, or for money, or for power. Women should have some say in who they married, and ideally some love should even be involved! Knights loved going on quests. Perhaps a lady ought to announce a quest to marry her, and then only someone who met the criteria that the lady had set would achieve matrimony. Sir Amren, the leader of the Queen's Knights, agreed, and helped them plot as well, for he was dedicated to the service of True Love.

Elspeth, Guinevere and Amren devised a quest of three goals. Elspeth valued intelligence over martial ability, and so she decided that her quest should consist of three challenges. To win, her suitors would first have to riddle out what the challenges meant. The challenges were these: 

1. To show something that had never before been seen in court.
2. To disdain Elspeth's enemy before the court.
3. In honour of Sir Fflergant, to perform an act of 'noble brigandry'.

There were many who showed up for the challenge. After all, the lady was getting on in years, but she was still passing fair and possessed of lands. More to the point, however, she was friends with the High Queen, and the winner would surely enjoy royal patronage. But many were confused by the nature of the quests. Some tried to invent new dances or new songs for her. Some declared their intention to raid the Saxons, declaring them her enemy. One even went to hassle Svenhildr, believing her Elspeth's rival (and was immediately disqualified!) One poor knight declared that his act of Noble Brigandry was that he had stolen Elspeth's heart, sending her into a fit of laughter.

The front runner was Sir Thomas, a minor knight. He performed a new song before court, disparaged the Saxons who were still holding out against the Crown, and presented jewelry won from a haunted barrow to Lady Elspeth. This fulfilled all of her tasks, although she was not wildly impressed by any of his answers. Sir Donna, Elspeth's older sister, didn't trust the man - she felt that he simply wanted to get closer to Guinevere. However, he was the only knight who had succeeded at all three quests. Reluctantly, Lady Elspeth knew that she would have to declare him the victor and marry him.

Then there was an announcement! A pageant would be performed: "The Court of Faerie." Well, it would take her mind off the failure of the quest. However, the pageant turned out to be something amazing. It was a play, more like the ancient Greek comedies than the modern religious mystery plays. Elspeth's young daughters Ella and Bette were featured in it as fairies. The Court of Faerie was a very clever satire of Arthur's court, featuring hilarious but not unkind parodies of the King and Queen, and many of the top knights. However, it completely skewered Sir Thomas, revealing him as a two-faced, deceitful fop, who was toying with Elspeth's affections, and who had lied about his quest. 

Sir Thomas was humiliated before the court. He tried to sabotage the play, and was knocked out by Sir Donna, who was waiting backstage for him. King Arthur requested that the author of this pageant be brought forward: a young and landless man, nobly born but of no wealth or fame. His name was Dagonet, and he sought Elspeth's hand for her sake. He had fulfilled the quest admirably: he had delivered a new type of theatre, destroyed the reputation of the lying Sir Thomas, and stolen Elspeth's children to help with the play. Sir Donna revealed also that young Dagonet had approached her for help: alone of the questers, Dagonet had done the research. King Arthur knighted Dagonet on the spot, and declared him his Chief Jester, in charge of the entertainments henceforth. Elspeth acknowledged that he had won the quest, and Guinevere promised them a grand wedding in Spring!

519 AD: The Conquest of Caledonia

A year had passed since the Battle of Badon Hill. Already, the great bloodshed had begun to recede into myth. Had the dead truly arisen to fight at the side of the living? With the battle fought at the borders of Faerie, within a generation its very location would be forgotten. Its effects, however, would remain. The Saxons had been conquered, and the great war was at an end. King Arthur and his knights had pacified them, and now the High King ruled over them as his subjects. It had not been an easy conquest - there had been Cymry who had used the pacification of the Saxons as an excuse for violent revenge, and there were Saxons who did not trust Arthur and resisted his rule. But for the first time in over a hundred years, there was the chance of peace in Britain. It was for this reason that the High King summoned his people to Carlion in May, for a great feast to celebrate the victory at Badon Hill. There were rumours that there would be a special announcement at the feast, and everyone hoped for the same thing: that Queen Guinevere was pregnant with an heir to the throne.

Among those who accompanied Earl Robert of Salisbury to Carlion that year were Sir Balthazar and Lady Elspeth. They had both been at the Battle of Badon Hill, and the messenger who brought the news to Sarum had intimated that the High Queen wished to reward them for their great deeds. With them also were Sir Avain, the half-brother of the deceased Sir Taedi, and two Saxons, Athelwulf and Aelfwinn. Athelwulf was in fact a Thulian, the younger brother of Lady Svenhildr. He had left the Thulian village in the Fens to seek his sister, and settled with the Saxons, taking Aelfwinn as his bride. After the Saxons defeat, they had come to Salisbury to throw themselves on Svenhildr's mercy, and been very reluctantly welcomed by the Earl. The High King had called for Saxons to be invited to the victory feast (as an attempt at representation by his new subject), and so they were brought along as well.

Court was smaller than usual, due to the loss of life of the previous year. The knights noticed that Sir Griflet, who they remembered as an enthusiastic young knight who had befriended Svenhildr, had distinguished himself so greatly that he was now Marshall of Britain. There were also a large number of French knights from Ganis present, led by Sir Bleoberis and Sir Blamore. Arthur had failed to come to the aid of Ganis due to the fighting with the Saxons, and so now he offered hospitality to its exiles. There were also a few Saxons present, led by a morose Prince Cynric. Rumours were that he would be given a seat at the Round Table as a token example of Saxon assimilation.

The feast was certainly eventful! King Arthur announced a plan to build a new capital city, and that his knights would be travelling Britain to select the best location. Queen Guinevere announced that she would be instituting an order of Queen's Knights, and that the selections would begin at dawn on the next day. The news was well received, although there were many disappointed that the Queen was still not pregnant. But this was not all that befell at the feast. One of the Queen's maidens approached Sir Balthazar and told him that Guinevere especially wished for him to join the Queen's Knights. Guinevere called Lady Elspeth over to the high table and asked her to help judge the competition, and then asked if Elspeth would like her help in finding a new husband. Sir Avain met his brother's friend, Sir Victor, and then spent the rest of the night trying to seduce a standoffish lady. Athelwulf entertained some others with a tale of how King Aguar was expelled from Thule by the usurper Sligon. Aelfwinn spoke with Prince Cynric and was disgusted by how defeatist he had become. These were just some of the events that befell at the feast. (n.b. We tried the Feast Event Cards, which I found here: http://esoteric-rp.blogspot.co.nz/p/pendragon-resources.html We all loved them, and intend to use them in every session from now on if we can!)

At dawn the next day, many knights turned out to the Carlion tournament grounds at dawn. Elspeth overslept, and had to be awakened by a servant. Other ladies of the court were present too, and each took a small group to judge. Elspeth was impressed by one of her knights, Sir Amren Goldenhair, who had devoted himself to the ideal of True Love. Meanwhile, the knights of Salisbury were judged by Lady Yglais. She had them play tabula, which none of them had any great talent, and quizzed them on how they achieved their glory. Sir Balthazar managed to do well, as did Athelwulf, who discovered a love for the game. However, Yglais seemed to be prejudiced against the Saxons. Elspeth noticed, and said as much in her report to the Queen.

After luncheon, the knights were to go hunting with Guinevere's ladies. However, this was interrupted almost immediately by a messenger who recalled the knights to Carlion. An alliance of the Picts and the Irish had launched an attack to the north. They obviously expected that after Badon, Britain would be vulnerable. King Arthur meant to show them otherwise! The Knights of the Round Table, those others who were present, and whatever other forces could be mustered at haste rushed north to beyond Hadrian's Wall in Caledonia, where battle was joined. The knights of Salisbury were themselves in a contingent led by Sir Agravain, who they remembered without fondness from four years earlier. However, the Orkney prince was still a Knight of the Round Table. He led them in a lance charge against the enemy lines, where they acquitted themselves with great honour against the blue-tattooed enemies. After only four hours the enemy broke and fled. The Irish returned to their ships and departed, while the Picts regrouped at Loch Lomond. King Arthur gave pursuit, and brought them to battle again on the shores of the lake. The Picts fled to islands in the loch, and Arthur set up his army around its edges. Over the next few weeks, as their food ran out, they were forced to throw themselves on the High King's mercy, who accepted their surrender with an oath never to fight against him again.

Once the enemy was defeated, Arthur dispatched his knights across Caledonia to gain the oaths of the other tribal villages, sending larger forces to the kingdoms in the north. The land was cold and damp, covered with forests and hills, and small villages nestled in the valleys. For shelter, the knights sought hospitality in small monasteries. One night, when there was no monastery to be found, the knights of Salisbury were camped in the wilderness when they were approached by a native woman, Jhessie nic Callum. She came from the town of Fearrach, on the edge of the highlands, and she sought the aid of King Arthur's knights. A warlock calling himself Beithir, after the mythical monster, had united many highland tribes and was intending to conquer Fearrach next. In exchange for their oath of loyalty, Jhessie sought protection for her people from a man who, it was said, could not be killed!

Sir Balthazar and the others agreed to help Jhessie, and set off for her village. On the way, they asked her more about this Beithir. She exclaimed that the local tribes all had guardian animal spirits, which they believed watched over her. (Her village believed in 'Father Jesus, the sun god' and 'Mother Mary, the earth goddess,' and none of the knights decided to correct her!) The warlord, a giant of a man, claimed to have the backing of a new spirit, a Snake. The Beithir was a legendary creature born during a lightning storm from the corpse of a snake. Its venom was said to be deadly. Beithir the warlock had reputedly been slain in battle and yet survived, he could summon lightning from the sky, and his spear was envenomed with a poison that could slay with a scratch. There was, Jhessie admitted shortly before they reached Fearrach, one more catch. Her father Callum had forbidden her to seek the aid of the Pendragon against Beithir, so they would have to convince him to let them help first!

Soon they reached Fearrach. It was a picturesque town located on top of a hill fort. Hairy highland cattle roamed the streets, and the people stared at the knights as they entered with Jhessie. They went to the great hall, where Jhessie's father Callum mac Aidan met them. He was an older man, with a festering leg-wound. He bade them a reluctant welcome, but told them that they would have to depart in the morning. Jhessie convinced him to give them a chance. At a small feast that night, where the knights were given some food. Elspeth discovered that the villagers had very inaccurate ideas about King Arthur - they thought that he killed people on stones with swords! - and told them about what manner of man he truly was. Meanwhile, Athelwulf told the others that Sir Balthazar had slain a dragon (based on a misunderstanding of something that Sir Balthazar had said), and that a mere warlock giant would be child's play. Sir Balthazar tried to correct him, but finally gave up. Based on this, Callum agreed to their help.

The group had very little time before Beithir and his highlanders arrived, a day or two at most. Sir Avain, Athelwulf and Jhessie headed into the hills to consult a hermit, who might know how to counter Beithir's sorcery. Meanwhile, Sir Balthazar, Elspeth and Aelfwinn prepared the defense of Fearrach. The enemy army would have to cross through a pass to enter the valley, and then ford a river before reaching the hill-fort. Sir Balthazar decided to meet the enemy at the ford and harass them with missile weapons, before falling back to the fortress.  Elspeth was the most proficient at siegecraft, and so she prepared the defenses of the hill-fort. Her plan was to allow the enemy to breach the walls with a small band, and then pen them in and slay them. By repeating this, they would be able to whittle away the attacking force. At the same time, Sir Avain, Athelwulf and Jhessie accidentally ran into a yale, a strange beast which could rotate its horns. Athelwulf slew it and claimed its head as a trophy. They discovered the hermit Caillach, whose mind was addled from the interesting mushrooms that grew in his cave. He was able to advise them that the rooster was the enemy of the serpent, and that a crow of a rooster might rob Beithir of his powers. The group hurried back to Fearrach before nightfall.

The next day was cold and wet, and the dark clouds presaged a thunderstorm. Scouts reported that Beithir and his highlanders marched upon Fearrach. Now Sir Balthazar mustered the people of Fearrach and led them to the fords. They struck down some of the enemy with slings as they attempted to cross, and then fell back to the town to man the defenses. Beithir, an absolute giant of a man, threw his troops against the walls rather than settle in for a siege. The fighting was fierce, but with the aid of the knights, the town was able to hold out. Now the highlanders made their camp around the town, and prepared to starve out the defenders. Sir Balthazar held a council of war to decide what to do next. They had done well so far, but unless reinforcements arrived, Beithir could besiege them inevitably, and sooner or later Fearrach would run out of food. The knights contemplated using some of Caillach's mushrooms to poison the enemy's food supply, but Elspeth spoke against it. They had to fight with honour! So instead the knights decided to sally out at night and try to slay Beithir, with the aid of roosters. If he died, surely his followers would flee.

Sir Balthazar, Sir Avain, Athelwulf and Aelfwinn sallied out of Fearrach and drove for the enemy lines. Their attack was unexpected, and they made their way close to Beithir's tent before the enemy came howling upon them in number. Sir Balthazar decided not to withdraw: this was the best chance they had of defeating Beithir. The knights fought against horrific numbers, while Sir Balthazar fought his way to Beithir's tent. The giant emerged, holding his deadly spear. Although frightened, the brave knight blocked Beithir's spear with his shield and then struck out with his sword. Lightning flashed from the sky, and the giant... died. Sir Balthazar was dumbfounded by the ease of his victory. His enemy was no warlock, but a fraud! But with his death, his followers panicked and fled. Fearrach was saved!

After the victory, there was a celebration feast. Elspeth finally got permission to treat and re-set Callum's leg so that it would heal properly. Sir Balthazar got a tattoo of a lightning snake upon his arm, while Athelwulf got a pair of highland cows! The knights left, taking Jhessie with them to meet with the Pendragon and formally submit Fearrach to him. On the way, the villagers recommended that the knights go to the Square Lake nearby, where a speaking eagle lived. They went there, and found the lake: perfectly square, and on a tree branch above it an eagle. "Pride is the fall of the Pendragons. Tell King Arthur." It would not vary its message. The group travelled south, where they presented Jhessie and the strange sight they had seen. King Arthur decided to travel north with them to the Square Lake, to see this bird himself. When he did, the bird identified itself as his dead cousin Eliwlod, son of Prince Madoc. Sir Balthazar was amazed, as his family had been seeking the missing son of Prince Madoc for many, many years. Eliwlod made five prophecies to King Arthur: "You will almost die, and then find yourself lost amongst a field of stones. A boatload of children will make you marvel and fear. A white knight shall also be a monk. You shall sit on a throne in Rome. Your son will be King of England." It then warned him to humble himself, or these five things would be evil for him, before departing.

With the subjugation of much of the lowlands of Caledonia complete, King Arthur and his knights returned to Logres. When they arrived, there was news awaiting them. Queen Guinevere had decided upon her Queen's Knights based on the conduct of the contestants during the year, and so Sir Balthazar and Athelwulf were made inaugural members. As well as this, Athelwulf was knighted at the hand of the High Queen herself! They returned to their lands with much honour, to await the summon of Queen Guinevere. But first, Queen Guinevere meant to find Lady Elspeth a husband...

518 AD, Part Two: The Battle of Badon Hill

The royal banner of Queen Guinevere flapped in the breeze on Badon Hill. Beneath it, the Queen and her defenders prepared to sell their lives dearly, Prince Cynric began the assault with a wave of ceorls, to take the measure of the defenders. Sir Balthazar, Sir Zebediah, Sir Xavier and Lady Elspeth threw them back, with the aid of the heroes from Fairwind Castle: Gwyddno Garanhir, Merionwydd, young Taliesin, and more. After an hour's fighting, the ceorls fled, and Lady Svenhildr and others treated the defenders' wounds. Spirits were high, but everyone knew that the Saxons would soon return, and in greater number.

As the afternoon waned, Prince Cynric flung the main body of his force up the hill at the beleaguered defenders. Now the fighting was more intense. Inspired by the presence of the High Queen, the Cymric heroes held their ground. In the middle of the fighting, Elspeth found her nephew, young Hugh, in the middle of the battle. He had disguised himself and secretly joined the force, wanting to fight as Sir Taedi had fought. He held King Arthur's shield, which Sir Taedi had given him before his death. Elspeth ordered him back behind the lines, before being grievously wounded herself. Onion, the giant of Castle Fairwind, rescued her and took her back to the first aid tents. Barely conscious, she would not be able to fight any longer.

Horns sounded, and the Saxons withdrew once more. A new army drew near, flying the banners of Malahaut and Salisbury, and Prince Cynric did not wish for his force to be caught off guard by them. The new arrivals climbed the hill to greatly reinforce the thinned ranks of the defenders. Sir Donna was among the new arrivals, and she sought out her friends. She had arrived too late at Salisbury to save the city, but she had managed to evacuate Earl Robert and some of the other knights. Then Nimue appeared and directed them towards Badon Hill. They had met up with King Berrant of Malahaut, who had led his forces south to fight the Saxons as well. He was no friend of Logres, but the Saxons were a far greater threat. He, too, had been told to come to Badon Hill by Nimue.

The next day's dawn brought no respite. Prince Cynric had been reinforced during the night by King Cerdic's forces, and their allies from conquered Dorset. Far to the east, a single black storm cloud could be seen, and men wondered what it meant. Did King Arthur fight there? Cerdic and Cynric flung their army up the hill to assail the defenders again, and more bitter hand-to-hand fighting followed. After long hours of violence, they were flung back again. A hasty council of war followed with Sir Balthazar, Queen Guinevere, King Berrant and Earl Robert. They all agreed that the Saxons would inevitably conquer the hill and kill them. King Berrant decided to take some of his men and try to break through the Saxon lines. If he could find King Arthur and bring him here, perhaps there was a chance.

King Berrant and his Hundred Knights rode out shortly thereafter. They charged at a weak point in the Saxon lines and managed to escape the siege of the hill. However, this left the defenders weak once more, and the Saxons swarmed up the hill to defeat them. Berserkers broke through the defensive escarpment and drove them back to the summit of the hill. During the fierce fighting, a group of Saxons broke through to the first aid tents. Svenhildr was wounded and nearly died, while Asher, formerly of Amesbury, was killed. The Cymric forces attempted to rally, but it seemed as if the hill would surely fall. Sir Xavier died then, struck down by a berserker's axe. Suddenly, the Saxons were fleeing. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table had arrived, brought by King Berrant. King Cerdic's forces broke and fled down the hill. Briefly, the defenders were jubilant. However, King Arthur had been fleeing the main Saxon army, led by King Aelle. He had been fighting a running battle with them from Silchester. Because of Guinevere's defense on the Hill, he had not been caught between Aelle and Cerdic; the Saxon battle plan had been foiled. Now, all the defenders of Britain were united on Badon Hill, while all the Saxon attackers were united to attack it. Here, the war that had raged for generations would end, one way or another,

The next day, the sun did not rise. The sky was grey and foreboding. Banners hung limp from poles. Badon Hill seemed transformed, from an old hill fort into a mountain of legend. In the sky, the white and red dragons that Merlin had once prophesied coiled and roared, the personified spirits of the two peoples. King Arthur reclaimed his shield gratefully from Hugh, and then knighted him and all the squires present - anyone who could bear arms would be needed to fill out the ranks. Those who were wounded but could still fight shuffled out. The High King gave a short, inspiring speech to his men. The whole world had fallen into chaos, and now they were the last bastion of civilisation. "We are the blaze in the dark! And if we should die here, we shall have made such a blaze that men will remember us on the other side of the dark!"

Battle was joined. Both armies seemed larger than they had been the night before: for the battle now took place on the border between History and Legend. The air blistered, as Nimue fought a magical battle against the Saxon wizards. The souls of all those who had ever fought in this war fought alongside the living. Sir Donna was struck down, but her life was saved by Sir Aeronwy, who wore her famous bear's-head helmet. Sir Balthazar fell, too, but his father Sir Arnulf, who had died fighting this same war, this same battle twenty-three years earlier, came to his respite. Were they truly there? No one would be quite sure afterwards, for the battle was like a bloody dream. King Aelle's forces broke the shield wall at the foot of the hill. There, finally, Sir Zebediah fell, pierced by many wounds. But Aelle's forces were drawn into a trap. The Knights of the Round Table charged them, breaking them, and flung them back off the hill. The slaughter went on for all of the day and much of the night.

When the fourth day dawned, there was no sign of dragons, or ghosts. The Saxon army had been shattered. Only the most hardened veterans remained, and they prepared to sell their lives dearly. But Arthur's own forces were greatly depleted. The battle still hung in the balance. Grim slaughter followed. The ground underfoot was mud and gore. King Aelle attempted to personally kill King Arthur to win the war, but his heorthgeneats were broken by the Knights of the Round Table, and Excalibur personally claimed the life of the would-be bretwalda. Shortly thereafter, King Cerdic and Prince Cynric were captured, and many of their followers surrendered. Some of the Saxons withdrew in despair; the rest sold their lives grimly. But when the day was over, the Saxons had been defeated. All of the Saxon kings and lords were dead. Britain had been saved.

Now, the knights waited, exhausted and eager. Would King Arthur give the order to drive the Saxons back into the sea and reclaim Britain once and for all? But the High King - who could not be called the Boy King any longer, for he had proven himself beyond all measure that day - gave a different edict. "The war between Cymric and Saxon is over, and now we will have peace. We ride for the lands of the Saxons, for they are my lands and my subjects now. Do not harm those who acknowledge my rule."