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The thunder rolled through the heavens above, like a mighty giant running the gauntlet through the waves of rain falling down. The spears of powerful lightning struck the earth upon the horizon. As the wind picked up, our final volley of arrows were shot from our bowmen. They strategically retreated into the surrounding woodland to prepare for the hand to hand combat that would commence. I rallied my men, I could see the fear, feel their hearts pound from their armoured chests. The horses whined as we reigned in the lines. One last cheer and uproar for freedom and we rained down upon the dwelling enemy. We were vastly outnumbered but our morale was high. We had stolen the high ground in previous bloody days. Many souls were lost as metal struck flesh and bone. The sound of blood had been squeezed from the skin, and bones crunching under the pressure. It turned any man to a killer and any witness to a mess. The cries of pain, pleas for mercy and prays to God put fear to any man that dare be there to hear them. My armour was heavy, my chest inhaling rapidly. I felt no fear, I felt no worry. My mind raced with wonders of death; that I would bring to my enemy. 2
We charged at all might, the arrows had hit their target but done little damage. It’s a terrible thing to experience; being shot with an arrow. When the eye catches the sight of the impending danger; the mind can not think fast enough to dodge it and avoid the pain. Wherever it hits the pain is no more or less. If it’s a clean hit you will die peacefully and quickly but when the shot is misplaced and hits awkwardly the pain is high and death is further away. We continued to charge, the idea was to beat their replied arrow fire and smash in to the front lines doing as much damage as possible, while the elite legions manoeuvred behind the adjacent hills and came to the peak ready for their charge. My men did well, we did not fully beat the fire and the third line was hit. As I saw there frontline rally I made a rash decision. I saw they had new recruits on the left flank and I ordered my best men to concentrate their attack upon the weaker section. If we could panic them we may break the line already and provide complete success in this battle. 3
I remember my first day as a swordsman. I was recruited just out of Norfolk in my home town. I was talented far greater than many experienced men in the army, so I was told. I was started off at a greater level than any other of the new recruits beside me. I was judged wrongly because of that and it took many sun rises before I captured the men’s honour. When we first experienced our taste of war it was out on the fields of Normandy against French revolutionists that attacked our colonies. I killed many a man that day but came close to being one myself. I made a deal with God that day and have stuck by it. My heart pounded for the first time as we approached the French and I swung my sword in full swing at the nearest enemy. I only just caught his neck. I was violently sick over him as I felt my sword take the pressure of his skin. His blood swept over my mesh as he slowly suffocated. He dropped to his knees and grabbed my garment in devastation. His eyes wept a single tear and he stared at me as I stared at him; both of us in disbelief of what I had just done. He bled more as my stomach churned and my head throbbed. The death filled cries of friend and foe continued to ring out around me and I was sick once again. The man then let go as an arrow of his own comrade hit him in the back of his neck and pierced the outer skin of my left thigh. I cried out but was pulled away by a fellow swordsman and our arrows struck their men down. 4
However we were now paces from the enemy in front I was no longer fearing death and denying to kill. I was ready for it now, I was used to it. It was what I did best, I as God as my witness I did it for king, country and all that was fair. Fair as my fair maiden; her beauty shined through my mind inches before I hit the frontlines. Her long brunette hair, waving in the coastal winds. Her petite body that favoured the wind as a streamline obstacle; as it curved over her hips and slipping down her long, smooth legs. I complemented her beauty with a tulip I had brought home from France. She was an angel gliding in the air, a gorgeous flower on a summers’ day. 5
We hit hard and strong. My steed was a durable beast. He kicked and rotated while I slashed at the surrounding Scottish invaders. The barbarians beat their shields and swung axes above their heads. They attempted to stifle fear into us but all they received was sharp pain. I saw my men be captured from their rides. I saw terrible scenes of sword after axe strike their bodies on the ground. I reared my horse and galloped out of the tides of bearded baboons. My plan had succeeded in scaring the new recruits. I made the call sign for reinforcements and in seconds they were upon the hill. From three sides now the barbarian forces were covered. The bowmen appeared from their foliaged cover. They drew their swords and followed the cavalry’s path of charge. They took the first blows of arrow and ran on. Roaring out ‘freedom to the lands’ the two hilled forces made their moves. Covered by a last volley of fire from remaining archery units; my men and I made a retreat as the ground forces hit the enemy. We turned to sweep back in. 6
The barbarians had come from no where; it had never been seen to happen ever before. They arrived in full force, heavily armoured and wielding their finest weapons they could produce. It was then we noticed the coastal port alight and the smoke rise. So many men were not seen in the fog that drenched the whole land. The barbarians marched all the way then to our battle ground and moved through the valley to their decreasing force that we were besieging. All of our men were now in the valley except for my men that were about to charge again and the remaining archery units. I saw the approaching force. In disbelief and in shock I froze on the spot. My hairs stuck up where there was no armour, I heard my men curse and make the holy cross upon their chests. They expected to go back to the battle and be slaughtered. I made other plans. It was in my promise to God that I would never pull out of a losing battle; I would stand by my men and fight till my last breath. It was today I broke that promise. I ordered the retreat. I signalled the sergeants and generals below, but many had already seen the barbarian tide. Who ever could manage to escape the carnage made it to me. I heard the barbarians pick up their speed and a single, shrilling word rang out through the valley; ‘Courage!’ The archers covered the men as they scrambled for freedom from the on coming slaughter. Many volunteered to fight off the enemy reinforcements while others escaped. Many had no choice in the matter. 7
It was night and the moon lit the surrounding cloud and mist into an eerie grey. The owls screeched in their humble abodes and we heard many an animal foraging in the bushes. Sentry duty was posted and we knew barbarians favoured attacking at night. We were high up in the north, far from the Scottish border and in unknown territory as far as a retreat went. Not many of the tactical advisors were found as many had been in the coastal port. We organised what troops were left and made sure that the position could not be compromised. As the early hours of the next day came my men rested. The horses were secured in a section of our temporary encampment and I spoke to my most trusted Sergeant nearby to cover our conversation. We could tell there was unrest in the frontline men and devised a plan to retreat, deceive and avoid. At first the sergeant thought I was chicken and coward alike but when he grasped the full scale image of my plan he realised it could just work. The owl screeched once more and we continued to plan. Overall we had a legion of men spread across the Scottish lands. This was about four thousand men in addition to the royal forces; elite trained men. I controlled three cohorts of that and when we encountered the first barbarian force there were no worries. We had been minutes away from winning. However now I had just short of two of my cohorts remaining and there fatigue was high. I needed to get a messenger to the remaining cohorts in Scotland and tell them of the advancing force heading for our remaining English forces and forts. It was a difficult task in our condition and in the terms of the land and distance between us and reinforcements. We continued to plan, the cold was settling into out bones now and a chill arose. The owl continued to hoot when an arrow was shot from a sentry. He complained aloud that it was putting him off. The men stirred, some awake laughed. I took the chance to awake all remaining men and begin to organise our next manoeuvre.8
Author notes
~~ BASED ON TRUE EVENTS AND CHARACTERS ~~~
Hey i wrote some of this a while back but i've updated it and i'm gonna keep on doin so!
What did you think? Please comment!
Comments
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I'll explain the true events and characters when they come up lol, none are in at the moment
EEk and all it is losely based lol Erm did it? it was in sum contest but i didn't think it was urs? wasnt it liquid lullabys or summat??
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claps all round! well done, i liekd but what are the true events and who r the characters- im confused!! but great write none the less i believe it won silver in my contest did it not?
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