Monk
10-18-2003, 05:32
King William V of England, noble and strong, led a small band of battered and bloodied men over an old bridge into Mercia. His grand army had been destroyed, only a small remnant of its former shining glory still lived. Much worse, he had no hope of repelling the relentless invaders who had sacked London and set fire to the lands; Led by their King Alfonso VI, the Spanish had laid waste to Wessex in a matter of days, now they threatened to push on Mercia.
It was William's own brother, Edmund II, who had helped to lead the Forces of England just a few short days ago, and he was now dead. The King's mind became filled with sorrow and remorse for his younger brother, who had died in an attempt at killing their Spanish enemy. Suddenly William stopped his horse, his head hung low and his hands were shaking softly. Barely lifting his head over to his right, he saw his men marching on, each and every one of them with broken shield, or with bloodied uniform. Passing him now were his spearmen, who had the job of stopping the advance of the deadly Spanish cavalry. William soon remembered the horror he saw on that day of battle, Hundreds of heavy horsemen ridding his spearmen down like they were nothing but farmlands, Javelins being let fly from the Jinnets coming crashing down into his men, their blood flying freely through the air like grains of sand into the Wind. He remembered their screams so vividly, that they haunted him every passing second, of his great spear wall that had stood before at nearly 420, now only 54 remained.
He raised his head now enough to where he looked like a king, not some lonely beggar upon a steed. But even when he did so he was not let from his torment, for now passing him was his Man at arms, who had made up the vanguard of his army. He had greatly praised them during his campaign in Scotland, but they to were no match for the Spanish. Images flashed into the young King's mind, images of his men advancing straight into their doom, the arrows falling onto them like bees when their hive is in danger. Then, he saw the Spanish cavalry once more. How their King himself had led them straight into a trap, He drew them into a forest, where over confident, the swordsmen were surrounded and butchered with no mercy shown toward them. William knew that he had done all in his power to save them, even sending out a detachment of his cavalry to pull them out, but that move proved no help.
At the head of the cavalry he sent was his Younger brother Edmund, but by the time the English cavalry arrived, their man at arms had been driven off into oblivion. Edmund charged Alfonso, only to meet his death.
The King wept, and as he began to do so, the sky filled with clouds and a gentle rain began to fall. I am not fit to rule he thought to himself, Why father...Why did you have to die? Damn it, I should have led that crusade... then... you could have been here to stop this from happening, Then Edmund wouldn't be dead. Raising his head, with tears still running freely from his eyes, the king ordered his horse to ride forward. The rain above fell more intensely now and lightning clashed in the heavens. They were ridding now well into Mercia, and they had no sooner entered a pass between two great forests when the King came to a stop. Hold he cried, and all men under his command came to an immediate halt. Up came ridding his second in command, what is it my liege?
William threw up his hand near his own face, ordering his officer to be silent for a moment. Looking this way and that, the King put his hand on his sword, all about, in the trees and in the nearby brush there was activity. Men were rushing about, but in the rain one could only see dark shadows appearing and disappearing like ghosts. Then, out of the mists came a loud and commanding voice, Who passes by this forest? Dost thou not have toll?
Any simple man, or even a man from the Spanish force, would have taken this as a bandit's threat. However, in fact it was a pass code. The King Answered We have Food and many riches and no sooner had he said this, did near 70 men come striding out of the darkness and shadows. Each clad in brown or green, armed with both sword and bow they were. They appeared nothing more than peasants, but they were not, they were an elite established by William himself to safeguard the passages from Wessex to Mercia. Their leader came out from among them, dressed as much like his own men that none knew if he was truly their leader, save the King that is.
He spoke after a moment, What has become of your Army my lord?
William hesitated, his force had been destroyed, and he knew there was no way they could repel the Spaniards with the shortage of soldiers they now had. However, he spoke We have lost our position in Wessex, London is in Ashes, and we are in full retreat.
Damn it... said the Bowman softly, What is it we are to do now?
William held for a moment, not sure what to say to him. But he knew what must be done. He drew his sword and drove it into the ground, We stand here he cried. His shout echoed through the near-by hills and valleys, birds were roused and flew off in haste, and it is said, the waters themselves trembled at his voice.
But how? asked the leader of the Bowman We haven't the troops to- but he was cut off mid sentence by William.
Recall our Troops from Norway I want them here as soon as they can be reached
Y..Yes milord, the bowman shouted to one of his fastest runners, who quickly darted off into the shadows. His destination was the nearby ports, where he hoped to grab a ship to Norway.
And so It was, that many troops came from Norway to do battle. With them the English brought the fierce Vikings and their landsmen, they brought Archers, Longbows, Spearmen, Swordsmen of all kinds, Cavalry, Heavy horsemen, and Billmen. They assembled before a River at the juncture between Mercia and Wessex, and there they awaited the coming assault.
Dawn came on August 12th, With a Horde of knights riding at his back, the Spanish King Alfonso advanced upon the river banks across from William and his force. For a moment, the sun shone of their armor and into the eyes of the English, They began to become frightened as it appeared some holy object was leading their foes. However soon they realized it was not the case, and they retrieved their senses. The English King, was no longer troubled by the death's of his fellow man, as he was sure they'd be avenged to the last lowly spear soldier. With him he had roughly 730 to defend a double bridge path, and the Spanish had nearly twice that amount, even with siege weapons to help break through the English center lines. Yet, he found within him, he had his father's courage, the Will to do battle no matter what the cost.
William placed his hand upon his chest and felt his armor; it was the very armor that his father had given him when he came of age. I am the last he said, i will neither fail you father, nor you brother, By God as my witness and with our Might, I shall Be Victorious his voice rose to a thunderous cry that shook the hearts of man, in his army and that of his foe's. Alfonso steadied his men quickly, telling them it was a feeble attempt at causing fear amid them. Soon the Spanish lines erupted in laughter and chants of Down with William in their own tongue.
The King of Spain lifted up his sword and thrust it forward, as it went, so did many hundreds of soldiers of all classes. They charged upon the bridge and rushed across screaming, holding aloft their weapons. King William lifted his arm, at this every archer and longbow man in his army readied their bows, His arm cam falling down and the arrows were loosed. The Arrows screamed into the air and came rushing down towards the On rushing spaniard onsluaght. The battle that would decide the fate of a nation had begun...
PT 2 coming very soon http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif
It was William's own brother, Edmund II, who had helped to lead the Forces of England just a few short days ago, and he was now dead. The King's mind became filled with sorrow and remorse for his younger brother, who had died in an attempt at killing their Spanish enemy. Suddenly William stopped his horse, his head hung low and his hands were shaking softly. Barely lifting his head over to his right, he saw his men marching on, each and every one of them with broken shield, or with bloodied uniform. Passing him now were his spearmen, who had the job of stopping the advance of the deadly Spanish cavalry. William soon remembered the horror he saw on that day of battle, Hundreds of heavy horsemen ridding his spearmen down like they were nothing but farmlands, Javelins being let fly from the Jinnets coming crashing down into his men, their blood flying freely through the air like grains of sand into the Wind. He remembered their screams so vividly, that they haunted him every passing second, of his great spear wall that had stood before at nearly 420, now only 54 remained.
He raised his head now enough to where he looked like a king, not some lonely beggar upon a steed. But even when he did so he was not let from his torment, for now passing him was his Man at arms, who had made up the vanguard of his army. He had greatly praised them during his campaign in Scotland, but they to were no match for the Spanish. Images flashed into the young King's mind, images of his men advancing straight into their doom, the arrows falling onto them like bees when their hive is in danger. Then, he saw the Spanish cavalry once more. How their King himself had led them straight into a trap, He drew them into a forest, where over confident, the swordsmen were surrounded and butchered with no mercy shown toward them. William knew that he had done all in his power to save them, even sending out a detachment of his cavalry to pull them out, but that move proved no help.
At the head of the cavalry he sent was his Younger brother Edmund, but by the time the English cavalry arrived, their man at arms had been driven off into oblivion. Edmund charged Alfonso, only to meet his death.
The King wept, and as he began to do so, the sky filled with clouds and a gentle rain began to fall. I am not fit to rule he thought to himself, Why father...Why did you have to die? Damn it, I should have led that crusade... then... you could have been here to stop this from happening, Then Edmund wouldn't be dead. Raising his head, with tears still running freely from his eyes, the king ordered his horse to ride forward. The rain above fell more intensely now and lightning clashed in the heavens. They were ridding now well into Mercia, and they had no sooner entered a pass between two great forests when the King came to a stop. Hold he cried, and all men under his command came to an immediate halt. Up came ridding his second in command, what is it my liege?
William threw up his hand near his own face, ordering his officer to be silent for a moment. Looking this way and that, the King put his hand on his sword, all about, in the trees and in the nearby brush there was activity. Men were rushing about, but in the rain one could only see dark shadows appearing and disappearing like ghosts. Then, out of the mists came a loud and commanding voice, Who passes by this forest? Dost thou not have toll?
Any simple man, or even a man from the Spanish force, would have taken this as a bandit's threat. However, in fact it was a pass code. The King Answered We have Food and many riches and no sooner had he said this, did near 70 men come striding out of the darkness and shadows. Each clad in brown or green, armed with both sword and bow they were. They appeared nothing more than peasants, but they were not, they were an elite established by William himself to safeguard the passages from Wessex to Mercia. Their leader came out from among them, dressed as much like his own men that none knew if he was truly their leader, save the King that is.
He spoke after a moment, What has become of your Army my lord?
William hesitated, his force had been destroyed, and he knew there was no way they could repel the Spaniards with the shortage of soldiers they now had. However, he spoke We have lost our position in Wessex, London is in Ashes, and we are in full retreat.
Damn it... said the Bowman softly, What is it we are to do now?
William held for a moment, not sure what to say to him. But he knew what must be done. He drew his sword and drove it into the ground, We stand here he cried. His shout echoed through the near-by hills and valleys, birds were roused and flew off in haste, and it is said, the waters themselves trembled at his voice.
But how? asked the leader of the Bowman We haven't the troops to- but he was cut off mid sentence by William.
Recall our Troops from Norway I want them here as soon as they can be reached
Y..Yes milord, the bowman shouted to one of his fastest runners, who quickly darted off into the shadows. His destination was the nearby ports, where he hoped to grab a ship to Norway.
And so It was, that many troops came from Norway to do battle. With them the English brought the fierce Vikings and their landsmen, they brought Archers, Longbows, Spearmen, Swordsmen of all kinds, Cavalry, Heavy horsemen, and Billmen. They assembled before a River at the juncture between Mercia and Wessex, and there they awaited the coming assault.
Dawn came on August 12th, With a Horde of knights riding at his back, the Spanish King Alfonso advanced upon the river banks across from William and his force. For a moment, the sun shone of their armor and into the eyes of the English, They began to become frightened as it appeared some holy object was leading their foes. However soon they realized it was not the case, and they retrieved their senses. The English King, was no longer troubled by the death's of his fellow man, as he was sure they'd be avenged to the last lowly spear soldier. With him he had roughly 730 to defend a double bridge path, and the Spanish had nearly twice that amount, even with siege weapons to help break through the English center lines. Yet, he found within him, he had his father's courage, the Will to do battle no matter what the cost.
William placed his hand upon his chest and felt his armor; it was the very armor that his father had given him when he came of age. I am the last he said, i will neither fail you father, nor you brother, By God as my witness and with our Might, I shall Be Victorious his voice rose to a thunderous cry that shook the hearts of man, in his army and that of his foe's. Alfonso steadied his men quickly, telling them it was a feeble attempt at causing fear amid them. Soon the Spanish lines erupted in laughter and chants of Down with William in their own tongue.
The King of Spain lifted up his sword and thrust it forward, as it went, so did many hundreds of soldiers of all classes. They charged upon the bridge and rushed across screaming, holding aloft their weapons. King William lifted his arm, at this every archer and longbow man in his army readied their bows, His arm cam falling down and the arrows were loosed. The Arrows screamed into the air and came rushing down towards the On rushing spaniard onsluaght. The battle that would decide the fate of a nation had begun...
PT 2 coming very soon http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif