The Battle of St. Peters Cross
From the start, the rebellion of St. Peter's Cross hit rocky waters. The rebel lords of Lancaster and Yorkshire thought that the peasants would be malleable, and that with a little prodding they would be pointed towards the sacking of York. However, the commoners had other ideas, intending on a march to Westminster to put an end to the Viking regime. It was a dangerous cross roads. The rebel army was split and directionless, with the armored and experienced warriors preaching caution and the vast mass of their levies itching for conflict. Combined the two forces doubled the size of the available loyal armies. As long as the army remained split by intention and aim, they were vulnerable. The peasants did not have the strength to hold the royal armies at bay and the nobles did not have the numbers to effect a successful campaign. The lords did not want to march in a disorganized fashion south into the teeth of the loyal allies in Norfolk (Saxon) and Bedford (The King's brother Halkjell), and so tarried while the fanatics surged south.
For young Prince Harald, the 16 year old Hal, it was the perfect opportunity. His father had entrusted his Uncle as protected until the prince came of age, and now the young heir wanted to prove his mettle. The peasant rebels made the perfect target. And so he marched north, unifying the armies of his uncle in Bedford and his father's loyal ally in Norfolk and assaulting the rebel position. The army reached the rabble near Leicester. Hal was given the command for his first taste of action, the plan was to allow the Prince to route the peasants, and then send him home while the loyalists defeated the rebel lords of Lancaster and Yorkshire. The old lords reigned the young heir in, forcing him to hold his arm and not rush forward into combat at the first sight of the enemy. Instead, the army settled in, forming its shield wall and deploying archers. For the rebels, this was a sign of hesitation. At the sight of the archers stepping forward the rebel army surged forward.
The rebel army engages the loyal shield wall.
With the peasants thus engaged with the center of his line, Harald led his retinue into the fray. The sight of the royal banner smashing into their flank sent the peasants into a scramble. What was a vainglorious attempt to overwhelm the loyal army became a bloody route. A few pockets of truly devout fanatics stood their ground, only to watch as the royal forces swept over them. The brave men who stood their ground did have one major impact, it drained away at the energy of the royal army. While the rebel peasants were soundly and brutally defeated, it was not a victory without cost. Hal had his first taste of blood, and had found that it was not as easy as it appeared. Still, the royal army was mostly in tact and ready to continue its march North against the nobility who where rushing south from York to try and join in the fray.
Just two days after victory over the peasants, the royal army took the field again. The prince was out chasing bandits, which left the Hertigs of Norfolk and Bedford to lead the loyal army. This time, simply lining up would not entice a foolish charge. The lords of the North were well armed and well rested, and were more than happy to use this to their advantage. The marshal of Lancaster lead his army in a wide sweep, smashing into the loyal army's left flank. Fearing a collapse, the loyalists shifted to compensate and drove the first wave away, but a gap emerged, and the rebels took advantage. The Jarl of Chester, sensing the opportunity, rushed his cavalry forward, breaking open the middle of the loyal line and turning the army inside out.
The bravery of Chester's charge broke apart the loyal army and forced a retreat. It was not the rout of the peasants, but it was certainly not what the loyalists had envisioned. Sending word to Prince Hal, the royal army slicked back home in pieces. The rebels had won the battle of St. Peter's Cross, but like the Normans before them had lost the war. The religious justness of the invasion had been broken by the defeat of the rebels in the first engagement, and the damage done in terms of man power was enough to prevent any sort of long term sustained conflict. The rebel lords were forced to parlay for peace.
Harald and his Uncle were happy to make a reasonable deal. The rebels were granted royal pardon and peace returned to England. But the damage was done. Skule was still in the Holy Land, and the army he had counted on coming to his side and tipping the scales in his favor had been wasted in the fields of Leicester. No reinforcements would be coming from England to help the King. Nearly a year into the Crusade, Skule had yet to engage in any real battles, the scattered Muslim forces he had engaged fled at the sight of his overwhelming numbers. But this would not remain the standard. The Emir of Cairo, Musa, had organized his forces to march North and defend the Holy City. At the fortress of Arsuf the battle was to be engaged and the Crusaders would face the greatest challenge to date. The well armed Huscarls of Skule's army would face the Berber warriors of Fatimid Egypt.
