485 Sir Ambig (NPC - Salisbury)

It has not been a good year for the kingdom but this has been tempered somewhat by the good job Sir Elad and the knights they were squired to have done in training the newly knighted Sir Benesek, Sir Dafyd and Sir Gorvannon (I was proud to have had a hand in their training also). I only hope that his other young charges the squires Pedivere and Elias turn out so well!
The year started with plans to support Duke Ulfius by bringing the vicious Saxon King Ælle to battle and dealing with him once and for all!
I with my vassals was to lead to lead a unit in the left battalion, I was also assigned charge of the young knights, so fresh from being knighted that their armour was unblemished with the dents and scratches gained in battle (and that all knights are so proud of even if they profess otherwise)!
I must admit that the battle was pretty much a blur until the last half hour when the light was all but extinguished, by that time all that was left of my unit was the young Sir Benesek, suddenly in the last rays of sunset we espied the enemy standard of their right flank, Sir Benesek and myself feel upon the standard bearers like the wolf falls upon the deer and slaughtered them to a man, the standard was ours!

There was further good news, it appeared that whilst the rest of unit had been separated from me during the battle and been injured only Sir Edgar one of my household knights had succumb to his wounds and we managed to capture one of their Heorthgeneat who should fetch a hansom ransom. Meanwhile all of the young knights had comported themselves most gloriously especially Sir Dafyd (surely he is father's son), although he was very badly injured and was only discovered unconscious under the dead horse of one of the few mounted saxons and saved by the sharp eyes of Sir Gorvannon (who had rallied and lead a small unit of knights after getting separated from me).

Immediately after the battle and with the enemies banner held aloft Sir Benesek approached my Earl Roderick and asked the hand of the fair Adwen who he had been wooing for over a year, how could the Earl refuse!

Unfortunately whilst on the left we had fared well the same was not true of the centre of the army and the battle was inconclusive (we also heard later that Duke Lucius was handed his helm by King Aethelswitt near Colchester). The marriage of Sir Benesek and Lady Adwen was certainly a welcome bright star in the night of that winter year!