End of Night Six

The Anglo-Spanish War, c.1588

The scheduled patrol across the border between the Spanish-controlled Netherlands and the United Provinces had started late that night; Governor Farnesio had ordered them to scour the countryside for the remaining rebels that had escaped after torching a Spanish encampment, to little avail. After several fruitless hours, the ten-strong group had finally commited to their usual routine around the stroke of midnight.

The patrol provided ample opportunity for slacking off in the wake of their busy day, and the soldados saw fit to take a break at the slightest opportunity; within thirty minutes of departing their camp, they were resting at a crossroads having constructed a quick campfire.

One of the group dropped his equipment next to his friend and dashed over to the foot of a maturing oak tree, some forty yards away from his fellow soldiers; distracted in the moment, he failed to notice a figure slowly approaching him from the darkness, and within seconds he found himself struggling to fend off the attacker.

Peering into the eyes of his foe, the soldado noticed that the would-be killer's eyes were glazed over as though he had been possessed by the darkest of magicks; he shoved the enthralled man away and called for help, never for a second taking his sight off the attacker's sharpened dirk, glistening with an unknown substance beneath the moonlight.

One of the group had been nearby to keep an eye on his companion, and he jumped into the fray to protect the unarmed soldado; the enthralled attacker slashed wildly with his blade, grazing the new combatant across the left cheek but otherwise leaving him unharmed. Before the Spaniards could retaliate, the figure had seemingly come to terms with the situation and fled with his tail between his legs.



Maurits van Nassau had been preparing to depart from the docks for an audience with the English Queen when a messenger revealed that the harbour was currently being occupied by a Spanish strike force, intent on preventing any Dutch vessels from leaving the country; there was also two galleons patrolling the waters around the harbour, as added insurance.

The stadtholder had little choice but to retreat for the night, his rebels in tow.