La Chanson du Beau Danseur XII (495)

The arms of Sir Benesek

Wherein he doth win great fame at the Battle of St Albans, ere a great treachery sundereth the realm!

Such was the bounty of the previous year that Sir Benesek was full large with a great feast upon All Fool's Day, to which the knights of his fiefs and the peasants of his entire demesnes were made invite, in Netheravon, Cholderton and Figheldean all. Thus stuffed did the lord furnish his banner with all as were present, and yede well trussed for the battles of King Uther, which marshalled in the launds of Salisbury, ready to hold in stour those Saxons of King Octa as sought southwards from Eburacum to raze British dominions.

Under le Beau Danseur's gold and sable banner rode that well-beseen knight and his galliard bachelors three, Sir Denzil Plus Tard, Sir Marrek and Sir Cadan; and also his vassals, Sir Arranz de Milston, Sir Elowen d'Alton, Sir Perran of Fittleton and Sir Jago d'Haxton. With them too came their squires and good men of foot, and Sir Bernard of Silchester, a brave young knight commended unto Sir Benesek's banner at Sarum court. Cleanest-mighted Sir Gorvannon, led his own banner unto the stour, accompanied by that rude fellow Sir Evan of Woodford, whom some hight Giantsbane, and more bachelors besides.

In sum was King Uther furnished with seventy-five score knights of Britain, and three times as many foot, and there was great bourding and goodly avaunting among all. But alas! the king's army had marched but little ere news came that the breme Saxon host had already seized St Albans, and weal gave way to wanhope. The king was ill with a malady that no leeches could overcome, and his mind was mazed, for upon seeing the gates of that city open did he sent forth such forces of the vanguard as he could muster, though all gave counsel against such an enterprise, fearing a mal-engined trap! Thusly did many Britons busk forth into the jaws of death, ere the Saxons fell upon them, and all further assayings upon the walls failed, and King Uther yielded King Octa the place for the night.

Upon the morn did that orgulous and lewdest Saxon host sally forth from the gates, and dress itself for battle! Half again as many men, if not more, than the Britons did it muster, with some veritable giants of men among its number, but lacking in horse. The knights of Salisbury and Silchester both were arrayed in the centre, with their lords Roderick and Ulfius, shields aventred and lances in fewter cast. At the sound of the king's command they abraided forth in great and glorious charge, so that the Saxon line was broached in many places, its shieldwalls to-brast in great raundom!

All were held wightly hot, as glaive, giserne, spear and truncheon alike swapped and stooned, razed and foined in bloody meddle. Though many knights fell the Britons held the stour, and much glory was won. Upon seeing Lord Roderick fall did Sir Gorvannon and Sir Evan surge forth, and bear him up by their own hands! Yet gentlest of all was the tale of that passing stiff knight Sir Bernard. Uneath had the stour begun ere he was forjousted by a mighty brunt, and avoided the field in all astoniment, so that his squire might let fetch leeches. Thus leeched, but still sore and noyously wracked, did Sir Bernard venture back into the meddle to fight with great wood, though he was but one blow short of his utterance! At the end, goodly beseen in bruit, that knight did slump in his saddle, forfoughten and all for-bled.

[Michael's character, Sir Bernard, received a major wound ~ the second round, and was knocked unconscious. Upon being restored to just a couple of hitpoints above his unconscious threshold, he charged back into the battle and didn't receive another scratch. Of course, with the battle done, the aggravation he'd done to his wounds meant he collapsed at the very end.]

By such acts was the Saxon host overthrown and shent by British arms, and 'twas at the end of the stour that Sir Gorvannon and Sir Evan espied King Octa himself, ringed by his household, and wightly set to. Thus was that treacherous Saxon king brought low a second time, and Sir Gorvannon's banner won the greatest glory of that noble but bloody day, though those knights of Sir Edic ap Gout and Sir Benesek le Beau Danseur won no little honour through their endeavours. A good number of knights were killed, and still more wounded besides gentle Sir Bernard, for both Duke Ulfius and Sir Brastias were plaied sore, but a great victory had been won and the Saxons scattered.

[In Sir Benesek's unit, the events were, in order: first charge; enemy pushes forward; enemy pulls away; enemy pulls away; surge of victory; could go either way ; enemy confused; enemy outnumbered. The battle yielded le Beau Danseur 1,170 Glory and £23 in ransom and plunder.]

In celebration of this feat did King Uther hold a great feast in St Albans, by which all knights and soldiers were to be well furnished and sotted! The noble lords of Logres sat beside the king in the Great Hall, as indeed did those that won greatest renown in the battle, such as Sir Gorvannon and Sir Evan, who had saved their lord and brought low a king! The other knights of the realm feasted in the bailey, and all was joy. A great many ladies, wenches and trulls were mustered in the city, all most kindly inclined toward the victorious knights of Logres. Sir Gorvannon himself left the Great Hall very early, with no fewer than three maids upon his arm, and many more besides gained companionship that warm night.

Alas! such weal was sundered at midnight as a great mal engine befell those feasting in the Great Hall! One by one the noble lords of the realm fell to sickness, wracked by pain as they vomited forth blood and bile in baleful abandon. None would survive that foulest of feasts, and that rude galliard Sir Evan perished amid kings, dukes and lords alike, as the nobility of Logres died almost to a man. Only such as were wounded or absent survived this infamous event, as in Duke Ulfius and Sir Brastias, though the latter was treacherously murdered on his own sickbed by one of his own knights, who had the wicked affrontery to blame that noble marshal of the realm for such as had come to pass!

[The Chanson does not mention this, but Sir Benesek was flirting with the Lady Ellen in a corridor adjoining the Great Hall when her husband started coughing his guts up.]

All was in araged panic as knights beheld their fallen lords. Sir Benesek ordered the barring of the gates, but no culprit could be found. Uneath the dead had been counted ere the knights repaired to their own lands, fearful of such as might then come to pass. Thusly did le Beau Danseur and Sir Gorvannon depart from St Albans with Lady Ellen in tow, and the bodies of Lord Roderick and Sir Evan besides, and repaired with all haste for Sarum. There they swore fealty to young Lord Robert, though he was but an infant, and his mother same, and upbraided their peers to do likewise.

Thus endeth the twelfth part of the tale of Sir Benesek.

Sir Benesek (Winter Phase 495, aged 34)
Cymric British Christian, Glory 7,545
SIZ 14, DEX 13, STR 14, CON 15, APP 16
Main Skills: Compose 11, Courtesy 10, Dancing 22, Flirting 15, Orate 10; Battle 15, Horsemanship 15, Lance 16, Sword 22.
Famous Traits and Passions: Energetic 16, Generous 16, Valorous 18; Honour 16.