“Its dusty, very dusty”
Edward Pole looked about the courtyard – alongside him Henry Fitzneale, a senior member of the Hospitilers.
“Much removed from Newbury I suspect?”
Edward looked up sharply to meet Henry's eyes; he grimaced as he scraped his finger along an oak table.
“Much”
Edward Pole was son to a rich baron, he had been educated in Newbury, when the First Crusade was called by Pope Urban his elderly father willingly joined the English contingent, he had died however on the crusaders arrival at Cyprus.
Fitzneale leaned towards a court aid, a man native to Jerusalem.
“Where is King Richard de Beauchamp?”
The aid spoke back in his heavily accented Latin.
“He will be with you in a minute, you must understand Tripoli has disheartened our Liege – tell me were your knights of St. John at the battle?”
Henry Fitzneale filled with pride
“They were”
“I trust you did not suffer to much?”
Henry rebutted,
“You can never suffer too much in the willing service of our Lord God”
The aid smiled and turned to Edward Pole, who was still eying suspiciously his surroundings.
“May I ask you the same question?” he smiled towards Edward.
“No. I was in Cyprus – my father was taken ill.”
All were quiet.
“Let us not be sad.”
Richard de Beauchamp, King of Jerusalem, entered the courtyard.
“Which one of you, wish to court my daughter?”
Henry and Edward looked each other up and down, and then looked Richard in the eye.
“I do.” They both said, in stereo.
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“Well, who is more deserving? I can not hand over my beloved Edith on a whim – go on, tell me if your tales of valor!” Richard de Beauchamp looked eagerly at them both.
Edward began to start;
“In 1193, I was present at the battle of Risby.”
Henry looked shocked and turned to meet Edwards smug gaze.
Richard looked most pleased and eagerly pushed for more of the story with an over enthusiastic hand movement.
“It was April…”
“…the Danish had landed and marched inland to a village called Risby, when the Duke of York – Robert of Normandy – learned of this he immediately levied his troops, my father sent me with his levied troops to join the army. The Danish invaders had rallied support in the region, their numbers swelled and now all of Northumberland threatened to revolt in support of the Vikings!”
“Such an Infamous battle” said Richard, the King of Jerusalem.
“And where might you of been Henry?”
Henry looked to his feet.
“I sir was in education in Paris.”
Richard looked disapprovingly at Henry, then returned to Edwards eyes.
“Continue.”
“We marched out to the village and set up camp out of vision of the village, so not to be caught unaware.
Viking scouts, raiding the surrounding farms emerged from thick forest on the camps flanks, our longbows drove them off but it wasn't long before the main force came upon us.
The center engaged - and I tell you me they engaged. It was bloody and sadistic. Although we were out numbered the Danish troops were mainly composed of woodsmen and peasants, ours of Saxon Frydmen, Huscarles and men at arms giving us the advantage in the quality of our men.
After an hour of bitter fighting, with neither side making any ground, Robert of Normandy sounded the cavalry charge - me and my knights charged into the thick of the fighting, all along the line we charged and cut down the poorly armored troops, I felled close to twenty that day.
The length of the battle however took its toll. I was wounded, hacked at."
Edward Pole removed the glove on his right hand, showing all what he had suffered -a large dent on the top of his hand showed where the Axe had struck, the stumps of what were his ring and fore-finger the result of the strike.
"My knights suffered heavily, it was not just the men at arms, many knights were pulled from their horses and set upon with Viking war axes.
The grass was saturated with blood, but alas, we were victorious - and we had saved the crown."
Richard de Beauchamp was impressed, he smiled and spoke quietly, focusing in on Edward.
"That victory was indeed a hard fought one - I did not expect to hear you had been involved in that fight, I was in Rouen at the time. Even I had my doubts that Northumberland would remain Norman!" he clasped his hands together and settled his eyes on Henry.
"And you? What can you tell me noble knight of St. John?"
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Part Two coming soon, this has a story behind it and is not just a collection of Battles, all the battles described above happened in my Kingdom of England campaign and were recreated through custom battles, all the characters are true as well - even Edith