Post by Becheman on Apr 22, 2014 5:11:33 GMT -8
Rain dripped from his hood and onto his hands as Sithric brushed the last of the thorns from his waterlogged tunic. "Was that really the best way to go?" His companion grinned dismissively.
"Always looking for the easy way. Hard work and training, that's the way. Remember what I said."
Sithric returned the grin with a scowl. He knew well enough that rain was both a soldier's best friend and worst enemy, as Goodall had told him so many times before, but right now he could do without its company. The guard tower loomed ahead, a small outpost in the Lenfald hills watching an unimportant valley beyond. A single guard slumped over its ramparts, happy to be spared the downpour, his head bobbing as he fought against sleep.
"Right, let's go. Still got the banner?"
"Of course." They had been over the plan more times than he could remember. That didn't stop his stomach from turning over and over on itself, though. The first light crept over the horizon, masking them in a blaze of early morning light as they silently made their way towards the tower door. Built long before danger came to these lands, its doors were unbarred and unbolted. They crept inside.
The first the guard knew of his visitors, he had a spear butt strike him in the face. A second whirl sent him over the rampart, clinging desperately to the same spear to save himself from a long drop.
"Up you go!"
Sithric gulped as he swung himself up over the ledge and onto the slippery, soaked roof tiles, rain slashing into his face. With a jerk he cut the lines holding the queen's black and red standard in place and readied the green and yellow banner of Lenfald.
"Are you done yet? Plenty more to do today!"
Sithric swallowed to calm his stomach and thrust the banner home.
Vignette entry: Retaking Lenfald
The rain had barely stopped as Sithric and Goodall joined the main assault party. Reeve Cardon barely glanced up from his preparations to acknowledge them. "Ah, good, more archers. I thought we'd be short, what with our main forces taking it to the queen. But Cardon's got a nice task for you lads, don't you worry! Godart? I want them on the right flank. More to shoot at."
The figure opposite him, evidently Godart, nodded and pointed to a small group of armoured men gathering around a narrow mantlet. They made to leave but a gauntleted hand fell on Goodall's shoulder. Godart grunted and twitched his head to the left, indicating a larger group of men. "Good thinking, Godart. We could use that spear on the left. Get over there, man. Your young friend will have to fend for himself."
Goodall nodded his farewell as trotted over to the larger group readying themselves on the left flank. Sithric felt bad for his mentor's absence, but then he was the better archer. He sidled over to the mantlet, whose wheel had become bogged down in a rut. "Great."
A soldier looked up from strapping on his armour. "You're going to need that more than us. Better see to getting it free." He laughed and went back to fixing the last of the steel plates to his gambeson.
***
No horn announced their attack, only the repetitive clink of maille on armour as the assaulting soldiers jogged towards the fort. On the right flank, the mantlet bounced and lurched as Sithric and another archer drove it forwards, its axel squeeling despite the layers of pig grease they had hastily slapped on. Armoured men ran at its sides, helping to steady it but slowing its progress.
Somewhere in the distance, a sentry shouted. No sooner had Sithric registered it than a crossbow bolt slammed into the mantlet's front boards, followed shortly by another, ricochetting and twirling harmlessly off a soldier's armoured forearm. The men kept running as a great shout came up from the left flank as Cardon's men and the fort's guards joined in battle. Sweat stung his eyes as the mantlet finally grounded itself mere paces from the fort's wall. The other archer stepped out of its protective shadow to target the guards on the wall as Sithric and the other men ran forwards. The wall in front of them had been hastily shored up with planks and a soldier began to frantically tear them down, spurred on by his comrades. Sithric planted his back against one of the fort's towers and readied an arrow just as a crossbowman appeared on the ramparts. His eyes widened as Sithric loosed a goose-fletched arrow, burying itself in his chest and throwing him back. Slowly, the planks came down as the sound of steel striking steel rang from the fort's courtyard. If they could get in behind the defenders, the battle would be won...
Unrestricted entry: Assault
Sithric had no idea how he had survived. The assaulting party had achieved complete surprise, thanks in part to their taking of the small guard tower that morning. Besides a few cuts, bruises and flesh wounds, only young Jason had been killed, caught across the face by a vicious swing as he charged the fort's front gate. That fight had been brutal, but brief; the right flank suceeded in breaking through the flimsy planks and surrounding the fort's defenders, who had promtly surrendered. Now they were left with the task of dealing with the prisoners whilst Cardon made himself comfy in his new home.
Lenfald men all of them, the prisoners were shown no mercy. Those nobles taken were strung up until their legs stopped twitching. The few common soldiers taken, who mostly joined up for the promise of a regular meal, had their sword hands chopped off and the bleeding stumps cauterised in boiling oil. They would be allowed to return to their families but everyone would know of their treachery. Some would probably never make it back, succumbing to disease, shock or vengeful bandits' knives.
Goodall had volunteered to guard the prisoners, lest he be tasked with holding them down. Sithric chose the next best job - digging a shallow grave for Jason. The sound of the pickaxe mixed with the wet thud of the cleaver striking flesh and bone, the cries of the prisoners and the last twitches from the hangman's noose.
Restricted entry: A hanging
Note: all of the parts used are legal, except for the Queen's guard torsos - LDD is woefully short of castle torsos (it has one...) so I had to improvise to avoid plain black uniforms...
If you got this far, thanks for reading!!
"Always looking for the easy way. Hard work and training, that's the way. Remember what I said."
Sithric returned the grin with a scowl. He knew well enough that rain was both a soldier's best friend and worst enemy, as Goodall had told him so many times before, but right now he could do without its company. The guard tower loomed ahead, a small outpost in the Lenfald hills watching an unimportant valley beyond. A single guard slumped over its ramparts, happy to be spared the downpour, his head bobbing as he fought against sleep.
"Right, let's go. Still got the banner?"
"Of course." They had been over the plan more times than he could remember. That didn't stop his stomach from turning over and over on itself, though. The first light crept over the horizon, masking them in a blaze of early morning light as they silently made their way towards the tower door. Built long before danger came to these lands, its doors were unbarred and unbolted. They crept inside.
The first the guard knew of his visitors, he had a spear butt strike him in the face. A second whirl sent him over the rampart, clinging desperately to the same spear to save himself from a long drop.
"Up you go!"
Sithric gulped as he swung himself up over the ledge and onto the slippery, soaked roof tiles, rain slashing into his face. With a jerk he cut the lines holding the queen's black and red standard in place and readied the green and yellow banner of Lenfald.
"Are you done yet? Plenty more to do today!"
Sithric swallowed to calm his stomach and thrust the banner home.
Vignette entry: Retaking Lenfald
The rain had barely stopped as Sithric and Goodall joined the main assault party. Reeve Cardon barely glanced up from his preparations to acknowledge them. "Ah, good, more archers. I thought we'd be short, what with our main forces taking it to the queen. But Cardon's got a nice task for you lads, don't you worry! Godart? I want them on the right flank. More to shoot at."
The figure opposite him, evidently Godart, nodded and pointed to a small group of armoured men gathering around a narrow mantlet. They made to leave but a gauntleted hand fell on Goodall's shoulder. Godart grunted and twitched his head to the left, indicating a larger group of men. "Good thinking, Godart. We could use that spear on the left. Get over there, man. Your young friend will have to fend for himself."
Goodall nodded his farewell as trotted over to the larger group readying themselves on the left flank. Sithric felt bad for his mentor's absence, but then he was the better archer. He sidled over to the mantlet, whose wheel had become bogged down in a rut. "Great."
A soldier looked up from strapping on his armour. "You're going to need that more than us. Better see to getting it free." He laughed and went back to fixing the last of the steel plates to his gambeson.
***
No horn announced their attack, only the repetitive clink of maille on armour as the assaulting soldiers jogged towards the fort. On the right flank, the mantlet bounced and lurched as Sithric and another archer drove it forwards, its axel squeeling despite the layers of pig grease they had hastily slapped on. Armoured men ran at its sides, helping to steady it but slowing its progress.
Somewhere in the distance, a sentry shouted. No sooner had Sithric registered it than a crossbow bolt slammed into the mantlet's front boards, followed shortly by another, ricochetting and twirling harmlessly off a soldier's armoured forearm. The men kept running as a great shout came up from the left flank as Cardon's men and the fort's guards joined in battle. Sweat stung his eyes as the mantlet finally grounded itself mere paces from the fort's wall. The other archer stepped out of its protective shadow to target the guards on the wall as Sithric and the other men ran forwards. The wall in front of them had been hastily shored up with planks and a soldier began to frantically tear them down, spurred on by his comrades. Sithric planted his back against one of the fort's towers and readied an arrow just as a crossbowman appeared on the ramparts. His eyes widened as Sithric loosed a goose-fletched arrow, burying itself in his chest and throwing him back. Slowly, the planks came down as the sound of steel striking steel rang from the fort's courtyard. If they could get in behind the defenders, the battle would be won...
Unrestricted entry: Assault
Sithric had no idea how he had survived. The assaulting party had achieved complete surprise, thanks in part to their taking of the small guard tower that morning. Besides a few cuts, bruises and flesh wounds, only young Jason had been killed, caught across the face by a vicious swing as he charged the fort's front gate. That fight had been brutal, but brief; the right flank suceeded in breaking through the flimsy planks and surrounding the fort's defenders, who had promtly surrendered. Now they were left with the task of dealing with the prisoners whilst Cardon made himself comfy in his new home.
Lenfald men all of them, the prisoners were shown no mercy. Those nobles taken were strung up until their legs stopped twitching. The few common soldiers taken, who mostly joined up for the promise of a regular meal, had their sword hands chopped off and the bleeding stumps cauterised in boiling oil. They would be allowed to return to their families but everyone would know of their treachery. Some would probably never make it back, succumbing to disease, shock or vengeful bandits' knives.
Goodall had volunteered to guard the prisoners, lest he be tasked with holding them down. Sithric chose the next best job - digging a shallow grave for Jason. The sound of the pickaxe mixed with the wet thud of the cleaver striking flesh and bone, the cries of the prisoners and the last twitches from the hangman's noose.
Restricted entry: A hanging
Note: all of the parts used are legal, except for the Queen's guard torsos - LDD is woefully short of castle torsos (it has one...) so I had to improvise to avoid plain black uniforms...
If you got this far, thanks for reading!!