Staufen province, 1352


Welf von Luxemburg's ersatz force of militia and professionals was making good time marching on Staufen. But he hurried and chided them on, nonetheless, keen to link up with his Duke and the Swabian Household Army.

The spread of the plague had overturned all of Swabia's plans. So far Welf's force itself had been kept clean but all around it, the Black Death was causing havoc with Swabia's defences. The Teutons that Welf thought he was to be escorting from Frankfurt to Bruges had been infected and so had been ordered towards poxed Magdeburg where a few more sick men would scarcely been noticed.

More importantly, the Swabian Household Army had been contaminated. As a precaution, Duke von Salza and some apparently clean mercenaries had kept themselves aside from the main formation, setting up a separate camp, but keeping close enough for mutual support.

Welf had volunteered to take command of the plague ridden army. He had expected some resistance from Eue, but his wife had merely said indifferently: "But of course you must." The cold demeanour of his young wife drove Welf on and the laggards in his force were lashed by the icy harshness it engendered in their general.

Welf's offer to brave certain infection and personally lead the SHA had not been taken up by the Duke, but regardless, Welf was hurrying to link up with them. The general had been shamed to realise that his force was incapable of even holding the bridge to Frankfurt against a determined French advance. However, the plight of the SHA made him realise he could make a bigger contribution acting in support of the main Swabian force than impotently cowering outside Frankfurt.

As his force approached Staufen, Welf made contact with a patrol from the Citadel:

"Is the Duke camped outside the Citadel? Or has he taken up position on the bridge?" he inquired of the lieutenant of the patrol.

These were the two options that Welf had discussed with the Chancellor's staff. They were both defensive moves, designed to avoid provoking the French armies milling around Metz from marching east. Just as Welf had advised the Chancellor not to try to hold the bridge near Frankfurt, so he had sought to keep the SHA out of reach of their foes. With Swabia's forces so vastly outmatched by the French, her only hope was to avoid conflict on all but the most advantageous terms. She must endure until the Kaiser's army and the Bavarians were able to come riding to her rescue.

"Sire, the Duke has crossed the river and is marching towards Dijon."

"What?" gawped Welf "He is marching into French held territory?! Has he united his force with the Household Army?"

"His mercenaries are forming an advance guard."

Welf bit his tongue - to criticise his Duke in front of one of the Duke's own men would be a gross breach of the protocol and army discipline. But this move by the Duke seemed rash in the extreme. Three full strength French armies stood within range of the SHA's route of advance.

Welf looked up to the heavens, agitated.

"Then we must pray for their success in this bold venture." he said solemnly to the lieutenant.

But inwardly, the young general could not help but fear that he had arrived in Staufen only to witness the destruction of the Swabian Household Army.