Great little scene. The noble truly gave himself away. 
And now we get to the great war! Good luck!
And now we get to the great war! Good luck!
-
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Dear Eber ,
As you know I try to make it a policy to read the AARs of those nice enough to encourage me in my work and so since you gave me the high honour of nomination for WoW I thought i'd stop by and give you my 2 cents about your great work !
So far I have to say it's an amazing piece and there are several specific portions and incidents that I have to comment on:
Saracen's Head for a Bar name is such a great idea !
The line "instead of laughter there was blood" was chilling and graphic in all the good ways . Extra kudos for that imagery !
Your work shows an adept understanding of the Scottish accent , or at least a seamless interpreteration thereof ! I find myself actually saying your dialogue out loud with the same intonation and feeling that I feel the men in it are giving , that is a rare attribute of good transliteration and dialogue !
The screenshots are well timed and executed with the precisio of a focused storyweaver especially the ex post facto screenshots !
When James spoke about the Norwegians fighting for their independence it was mysteriously touching for me . Call me sentimental to underdogs but I almost became emotional just then . James is such a noble King , well done in his developement .
The way the narrative is presented is told like a Scottish folk tale . The 'lore' of the nations is presented in the specific style of the people you are so dearly advancing . It adds tendrils of nostalgia as well as authenticity well done .
James III leading such a small army against treacherous forces highlights the romantic nature of your work . In the intoxication of this read I find myself drinking the words of the Battle of Scane over and over with the feeling almost spilling over in my eyes as I imagine the brave warriors of the Highlands holding back a perfidious foe .
Lindsay's comments to the King during the Dance in Skane was a welcome respite to the harsh realities of northern warfare . You as the author also use it for a more noble purpose - to show us the soul that lies beneath every hardened Scottish Warrior . That their love for life is what powers their survivability .
the battle of nyland gave me chills in its ferocity !
brilliant heart-attack martyrdom of David Carnagie ! The passing of an advisor was never so dramatic !
I truly felt for young Arthur . His innocence and sensitivity combined with his immature wish to bring England to justice is touching ! His little tirade about his mother's blood flowing through him was a definite coup de grace of dialogue !
Those are most of my thoughts so far ! The more you add on to your great AAR the more i'll have to comment on ! Keep up the good work and once again thank you for your kind considerations !
As you know I try to make it a policy to read the AARs of those nice enough to encourage me in my work and so since you gave me the high honour of nomination for WoW I thought i'd stop by and give you my 2 cents about your great work !
So far I have to say it's an amazing piece and there are several specific portions and incidents that I have to comment on:
Saracen's Head for a Bar name is such a great idea !
The line "instead of laughter there was blood" was chilling and graphic in all the good ways . Extra kudos for that imagery !
Your work shows an adept understanding of the Scottish accent , or at least a seamless interpreteration thereof ! I find myself actually saying your dialogue out loud with the same intonation and feeling that I feel the men in it are giving , that is a rare attribute of good transliteration and dialogue !
The screenshots are well timed and executed with the precisio of a focused storyweaver especially the ex post facto screenshots !
When James spoke about the Norwegians fighting for their independence it was mysteriously touching for me . Call me sentimental to underdogs but I almost became emotional just then . James is such a noble King , well done in his developement .
The way the narrative is presented is told like a Scottish folk tale . The 'lore' of the nations is presented in the specific style of the people you are so dearly advancing . It adds tendrils of nostalgia as well as authenticity well done .
James III leading such a small army against treacherous forces highlights the romantic nature of your work . In the intoxication of this read I find myself drinking the words of the Battle of Scane over and over with the feeling almost spilling over in my eyes as I imagine the brave warriors of the Highlands holding back a perfidious foe .
Lindsay's comments to the King during the Dance in Skane was a welcome respite to the harsh realities of northern warfare . You as the author also use it for a more noble purpose - to show us the soul that lies beneath every hardened Scottish Warrior . That their love for life is what powers their survivability .
the battle of nyland gave me chills in its ferocity !
brilliant heart-attack martyrdom of David Carnagie ! The passing of an advisor was never so dramatic !
I truly felt for young Arthur . His innocence and sensitivity combined with his immature wish to bring England to justice is touching ! His little tirade about his mother's blood flowing through him was a definite coup de grace of dialogue !
Those are most of my thoughts so far ! The more you add on to your great AAR the more i'll have to comment on ! Keep up the good work and once again thank you for your kind considerations !
Lord E- I actually wasn't even planning on writing the last chapter about the traitor. My whole plan was to write about the war but when I sat down to write, I wasn't in the mood. Then I realized an explanation on why the English killed Mary was needed...
stnylan- He does have a mean streak. I guess anyone would if your mother was murdered. Don't you just love it?
ladybug- Nice to see a new face, hope you enjoy. A Scot that supports England usually? How awful! At least you're making up for it now.
coz1- The noble (without a name because I was too lazy to think of one) really did give himself up. Though the way it happened was the classic example of any murder mystery. Fool the person in giving information that they think it already common thought to you and everyone which then implicates them completely. Not too much imagination used in that, I digress...
canonized- My good buddy, first I like to thank you for your patronage in this humble abode of an AAR. I also would like to thank you for your outstanding comments. You give me too much credit, but thank you. I just wanted to comment on a few things you said:
1) Though I would love to say "Saracen's Head" was my idea for a tavern name, it unfortunately isn't. I've done quite a bit of research for this AAR and I have found that throughout England many taverns had great names such as that. There was even a tavern named "Turk's Head." I thought it gave it a historical pinch of flavor.
2) I have been rather worried about my Scottish accents. I hope it gives readers an extra sense of surroundings without giving many headaches. Thank you especially for this comment because my Scottish accent in the dialogue is the one area where I am most worried about in this AAR. I don't want to offend anyone, just trying to give some realism to the best of my knowledge.
3)
This means a lot to me. I was hoping someone would catch that. I feel as though folk lore is a lost art among many writers and the presentation of lore has been critical in our understanding and enjoyment of literature throughout history. Thank you for recognizing that aspect of this AAR.
4) Most advisors aren't really a big deal in the game and as such won't be a big deal in the story. However, if a level 4 or up advisor is presented to me then he will surely be added somehow. Carnegie was a level 5 statesman who I was fortunate enough to get in the beginning. So losing him was a big loss.
5) This AAR will be seen through the monarchs as well as important leaders and advisors here and there. I could have had one specific narrator to focus on the story line, which works with many stories however I am the type that likes a change of personality with a work.
Arthur is going to be a rather complex character. You will see a lot of him in the next number of chapters. I will tell you this right now that I've played the game up until 1515 (I couldn't help myself...) and Arthur reigns Scotland from 1475-1512 (I think it's 1512). He rules for a good thirty years though and a lot happens during his reign. His thirst for vengeance will definitely fuel Scotland's development over the next three decades with him calling the shots.
The next update should be up tomorrow since I don't have work and pretty much nothing to do. Since the update will be about The First Arthurian War expect a lot of battle scenes, planning and such. However, I was a fool while playing and forgot to take many screenshots of the action. Excitement will do that to you. So don't expect more then a few screens, sorry about that. After the first war, I actually placed a post-it on my monitor to remind me to take screenshots.
Until then, arrivederci!
stnylan- He does have a mean streak. I guess anyone would if your mother was murdered. Don't you just love it?
ladybug- Nice to see a new face, hope you enjoy. A Scot that supports England usually? How awful!
At least you're making up for it now.coz1- The noble (without a name because I was too lazy to think of one) really did give himself up. Though the way it happened was the classic example of any murder mystery. Fool the person in giving information that they think it already common thought to you and everyone which then implicates them completely. Not too much imagination used in that, I digress...
canonized- My good buddy, first I like to thank you for your patronage in this humble abode of an AAR.
I also would like to thank you for your outstanding comments. You give me too much credit, but thank you. I just wanted to comment on a few things you said:1) Though I would love to say "Saracen's Head" was my idea for a tavern name, it unfortunately isn't. I've done quite a bit of research for this AAR and I have found that throughout England many taverns had great names such as that. There was even a tavern named "Turk's Head." I thought it gave it a historical pinch of flavor.
2) I have been rather worried about my Scottish accents. I hope it gives readers an extra sense of surroundings without giving many headaches. Thank you especially for this comment because my Scottish accent in the dialogue is the one area where I am most worried about in this AAR. I don't want to offend anyone, just trying to give some realism to the best of my knowledge.
3)
This means a lot to me. I was hoping someone would catch that. I feel as though folk lore is a lost art among many writers and the presentation of lore has been critical in our understanding and enjoyment of literature throughout history. Thank you for recognizing that aspect of this AAR.
4) Most advisors aren't really a big deal in the game and as such won't be a big deal in the story. However, if a level 4 or up advisor is presented to me then he will surely be added somehow. Carnegie was a level 5 statesman who I was fortunate enough to get in the beginning. So losing him was a big loss.
5) This AAR will be seen through the monarchs as well as important leaders and advisors here and there. I could have had one specific narrator to focus on the story line, which works with many stories however I am the type that likes a change of personality with a work.
Arthur is going to be a rather complex character. You will see a lot of him in the next number of chapters. I will tell you this right now that I've played the game up until 1515 (I couldn't help myself...
) and Arthur reigns Scotland from 1475-1512 (I think it's 1512). He rules for a good thirty years though and a lot happens during his reign. His thirst for vengeance will definitely fuel Scotland's development over the next three decades with him calling the shots.************************************
The next update should be up tomorrow since I don't have work and pretty much nothing to do.
Since the update will be about The First Arthurian War expect a lot of battle scenes, planning and such. However, I was a fool while playing and forgot to take many screenshots of the action. Excitement will do that to you. So don't expect more then a few screens, sorry about that. After the first war, I actually placed a post-it on my monitor to remind me to take screenshots.Until then, arrivederci!
Chapter 4 (cont.)
Cumbria, England – August 1477
David Campbell, General of the Scots Guard bewilderedly eyed his campaign map of the region. It had been three months since the start of the war and his army of seven thousand had only marched twenty miles into England. The march had been slowed for the English became problematic while retreating burning everything in their path. A supply train from Ayershire had to be assembled to meet the needs of the army, but it became troublesome to maintain with continuous sorties by English raiders. The general was disgusted with the progress of the army. Many of the aristocracy in Scotland including Campbell believed a battle would commence soon after the invasion of England. However, Edward IV would not be lured into a quick battle.
“A message general,” announced an officer as he handed the general the folded letter.
Campbell opened the letter. A moment of silence took place as he meticulously read each word twice. He couldn’t believe its contents. The general’s eyes looked up towards the officer. “Ye sure this is true?”
“Aye, general, e’ery word.”
He sat down with a discouraged look on his face. “Ah thought Appleby wis abandoned mony years ago.”
“Aye, but there is guid news though. The Anglish only huv about three thousand men; oor army is twace that size.”
“Aye, we outnumber them, but whaur are the ither foor thousand Anglish soldiers? We might as well be blind!”
“They might be headin’ south in case the French invade?”
“Whit a bunch o havers! The French cannae fight. They get a guid laldy before e’en landin’ on dry land,” Campbell said while chuckling. He had no respect for the French monarchy or their army. His deep distaste for the French stemmed from the lack of French support during Scotland’s independence. Though he would never mention that France was fighting a long, brutal war with England as well, commonly known as the Hundred Years’ War.
“Hoots, whit dae we dae, general?” the officer asked with his eyes imbedded to the ground.
Campbell didn’t respond directly to the question. He sat on a splintered tree stump, his eyes glazed with frustration as he thought on the course of action to take. Finally, he snapped out of his trance and answered, “We huv no choice. We march tae Eden Vallay and tak Appleby stane by stane.”
Northumberland, England – August 1477
“Just think Rander, hundreds o years ago, Romans sat right here on this wall,” a Scottish soldier said as he sat on the remains of Hadrian’s Wall, the once heavily fortified northern Roman wall of Britain.
“Massey, they winnae be sittin’ on the wall, it be taller then oor heids, ye gowk,” replied the Scot while he polished his sword with a dirty rag.
The foolish soldier barely listened. His attention was focused on the rough plains in the direction of Scotland. “Oor ancestors fought these Romans at this wall, mony died.”
Rander stopped wiping his sword and looked up at his companion. “Aye, right on this glen, the blood still stains the ground. Ah sometimes think ah can smell it wi’ the wind blowin’.”
“Ye think oor king wull bring us tae oor destiny like Arthur o auld?”
“Whit destiny wuld that be?”
Massey was no longer sitting. “Britain, oor ancestors huv been fightin’ fur it fur centuries.”
“Ah dinnae know, all ah dae know is Arthur expects us tae win this war. E’en General Gilchrist believes we wull win,” Rander proclaimed. The Scot looked at the dirty rag and gave it a few spats before starting on his sword again.
“Aye, we huv won wan battle so far.”
“Twa hundred Anglish soldiers isnae a battle,” Rander retorted.
Massey gave a blank stare in reply.
“Whaur are the Anglish though? Ah expected mare resistance by now.”
“Ah herd rumors the Anglish are just o’er that glen,” Massey said, pointing eastward.
“Guid, dinnae polish ma sword fur nothin’!”
Massey was right. At dawn, the Scottish army of three thousand souls crossed the valley to see an English encampment. The English numbered over five thousand, but luckily for the Scots, the English were unprepared for a full-scale battle. Most of the soldiers were still sleeping in their tents; even the general was only beginning to have breakfast. The English would have no time to react, a slaughter was about to occur.
Rander was part of the first regiment of Scots to hit the English encampment. The Scottish troops approached rather softly toward the camp until a few English guards spotted the oncoming Scots and raised the alarm. With the alarm raised, the Scots chased down the hill to intercept the few English soldiers who were bravely guarding the encampment.
Rander ran toward one of the soldiers and tackled him, his sword piercing the soldier’s flesh as they both fell to the ground. A loud groan could be heard from the Englishman before slowly slipping away into the darkness. Rander rose from the ground and saw his fellow Scots running through the encampment, fighting.
An armed half naked English soldier exited his tent right in front of Rander. The soldier saw Rander and dove toward him. Rander sidestepped and slashed the soldier’s hamstrings making his knees cave beneath him. Driving his sword into the Englishman’s back, he finished the job. He continued on fighting his way through the camp.
The English general was seen trying to rally his troops in the center of the camp. However, surprised and completely disorganized it didn’t do much good. Thousands of Scots were penetrating the camp with relative ease. Many Scots entered tents and plunged their swords into the unaware flesh before a sound could be heard. With only about a thousand fellow soldiers around him, the general facing defeat charged the Scots. It was a courageous but foolish move.
The charging English slammed into the Scots, knocking men down from the force. Brutal fighting erupted between the two sides. Massey, a member of the regiment being knocked down by the English charge, pulled his dagger from his boot and stabbed the side of his opponent. Rolling the soldier over, he jabbed his knife into the chest, killing him. While on his knees, another English soldier ran toward him with his sword aimed at his head. Massey’s hand grazed over the hilt of the dead man’s sword, grabbed it and blocked the attack. With his other hand, he took his dagger and slit the enemy’s ankles, immediately making the soldier collapse in agony. He ended the soldier’s agony with a well placed sword through his throat.
Blood was everywhere. Once the battle was over, the survivors looked as though they had bathed in blood from their victims. Massey and Rander found each other after the battle and smiled at one another. They had survived yet another battle together. The two men embraced as blood smeared across their arms and faces continued to drip down into the ground of their ancestors.
It was a glorious victory for Scotland. Over eighteen hundred English soldiers lay dead, with the remaining thirty two hundred surrendering. Scottish casualties were at a minimal. Only about three hundred Scots died while another four hundred were wounded. With the only sizeable English army in Northumberland destroyed, it would not take long before the Scots controlled the region. By late November, Northumberland was under Scottish authority. Leaving behind a small detachment of troops, the rest of the army marched to their next target, Gilling Castle in Yorkshire.
While the Scottish army under the command of Archbald Gilchrist was having success in Northumberland, General David Campbell was fighting a constant battle of frustration and attrition in Cumbria. Reaching Appleby Castle, Campbell and his seven thousand Scots were in a horrific situation. Twenty five hundred English soldiers, well fortified were waiting for them, but what was not known by the Scots was that the remaining four thousand English soldiers that had disappeared months ago were approaching from behind. The Battle of Appleby would become a bloody and well-timed trap for General Campbell and his Scots.
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Wow , what an amazing update . Where do I start .
Firstly , the dialogue here is some of the best you've done so far . You allow us a glimpse into the mindset of the Scottish military that has been both crushed and humbled by near centuries of warfare . They maintain both a cool sense of understanding while providing fierce combat .
Speaking of the fierce combat, I think the battle scene was both exciting and bloody . Bloody in a very good enjoyable way . It showed the voracity of the times and the action moves were believable as well as deadly !
And lastly the trap set at the end ! I can't wait to see how this plays out ! Great update !
Firstly , the dialogue here is some of the best you've done so far . You allow us a glimpse into the mindset of the Scottish military that has been both crushed and humbled by near centuries of warfare . They maintain both a cool sense of understanding while providing fierce combat .
Speaking of the fierce combat, I think the battle scene was both exciting and bloody . Bloody in a very good enjoyable way . It showed the voracity of the times and the action moves were believable as well as deadly !
And lastly the trap set at the end ! I can't wait to see how this plays out ! Great update !
Forsooth, an English general letting his camp be surprised by a Scottish sneak attack. That's one general who had better not show his head in London, if he wants to keep it.
Great work, that must have been one great battle to fight and a superb victory. Sounds like Northern-England is open for you now, press forward and capture more land
Will an overwhelming Scottish victory be followed be an overwhelming Scottish defeat? I guess we’ll have to wait to find out. It’s a very well written story you have here Eber.
Joe
I guess we’ll have to wait to find out. It’s a very well written story you have here Eber. Joe
canonized- Thanks for the comments. Call me crazy but I really just wanted to write about slicing ankles and hamstrings at the time...
Chief Ragusa- Yes, the general definitely shouldn't show his face in London. The most interesting thing is how many generals have fallen into such a mess in the long history of warfare. Quite surprising really.
Lord E- I definitely did surprise the English. The nice thing that happened was England declared war on Castile (which is a quite large) so most of its armies went there leaving only a small contigent behind. Well small if you call over 11,000 troops, a small contigent.
stnylan- It does give you a nice satisfied feeling when the English tremble under your might. Though I must admit I feel the same way when it's the French against the English, Spain against the English, Denmark against the English or....
Storey- Thank you very much, Joe for the compliment. I do appreciate it coming from a master storyteller such as yourself.
Call me crazy but I really just wanted to write about slicing ankles and hamstrings at the time... Chief Ragusa- Yes, the general definitely shouldn't show his face in London. The most interesting thing is how many generals have fallen into such a mess in the long history of warfare. Quite surprising really.
Lord E- I definitely did surprise the English. The nice thing that happened was England declared war on Castile (which is a quite large) so most of its armies went there leaving only a small contigent behind. Well small if you call over 11,000 troops, a small contigent.
stnylan- It does give you a nice satisfied feeling when the English tremble under your might. Though I must admit I feel the same way when it's the French against the English, Spain against the English, Denmark against the English or....
Storey- Thank you very much, Joe for the compliment. I do appreciate it coming from a master storyteller such as yourself.
Maybe you can bribe the english with some Scotch. When they're sober again you'll have taken the city
FlorisDeVijfde said:Maybe you can bribe the english with some Scotch. When they're sober again you'll have taken the city
Scotch is a gentleman's drink ! These English scum are not worthy ! Go get 'em XD
Chapter 4 (cont.)
Antrim, Ireland – August 1477
Dunluce Castle erected on top of a twenty foot cliff stood in front of the invading army of Scots and Irishmen. The ancient colored cliffs painted with a mix of red, black and white rocks gave a remarkable mystique to the castle. General Alexander Playfair looked on in amazement at the engineering spectacle ahead of him. Eight thousand English soldiers were garrisoned in the castle built over two centuries before by a local Earl, Richard de Burgh. With a force of only five thousand Scots and another thousand Irish, it was an imposing feat to accomplish. Outnumbered against one of the more formidable armies of the known world was not the situation that the good general wanted to be in. One slight mistake could spell disaster for the entire army.
“Whit dae we know o their defenses?” Playfair questioned one of his officers that were huddled up in a group.
“It is impenetrable, ma general. Ah had scouts look it o’er and it dinnae seem as though there is any guid way in.”
The general nodded, still staring at Dunluce; occasionally seeing English guards walking along the walls of the castle.
“We culd pass it, it dinnae look as though the Anglish are leavin’ any time soon,” the officer stated to the group.
Another officer spoke up in agreement, “Aye, why risk oor army fur a castle that we dinnae need.”
“Is this the only Anglish army in Ulster?” asked Playfair.
“Aye.”
“Hoots, we cannae just leave and allow them tae hit us from behind, can we?”
Some of the officers nodded in disappointed while the others replied, “No, we cannae.”
General Playfair rested his hands on the table before him. The rain that had plagued his campaign was finally receding and a brief smile acknowledged how pleased he was to see it end. He heard footsteps approaching as a messenger walked toward the group of officers.
“General, ah huv a message fur ye.” The messenger stopped in front of the group, his shoes completely covered in mud. Playfair noticed the mess as he received the letter.
“Whaur did ye come from?” Playfair asked while still glancing at the shoes.
“From the opposite side o Dunluce Castle, these are the final scountin’ reports ye requested.”
“Is it that bad out there?” The general pointed to the messenger’s shoes.
He looked down at the mess he created and blushed. “Ah sorry, general, ah shuld huv cleaned before comin’. Near the castle, there are some bogs, nasty wans too. Ah got stuck a few times.”
Playfair smiled and said, “Really now, show me, wull ye.”
The messenger led his general and the officers to the bogs that surrounded Dunluce castle. General Playfair noticed the rushes and the mud that had become troublesome for his messenger. He realized he could use this to his advantage. Knowing the English were overconfident, he concocted a strategy to lure the English from their fortification into the marshy wetlands surrounding the castle. If the Scots succeeded in the ruse, the English would be caught by the bogs and become easy targets for his army. The general and his officers began to draw up the plans immediately.
Appleby, England – August 1477
For five days General Campbell and his officers discussed the best way to attack Appleby Castle. A siege had begun, but Campbell knew that with the small garrison and well-prepared fortifications, the defenders could last for months. There was no time to wait especially with four thousand English soldiers running amuck somewhere in Cumbria. Uneasy about the possibility of being sandwiched by two armies, he sent Leslie McCullough one of his officers to search for any signs of enemy movement.
A small detachment of Scots under the direction of Leslie McCullough sauntered through the dense forest of Brough outside Appleby on patrol. All morning had been silent for the party, not even citizens of the town were around. McCullough was getting restless and was about to announce to head back when suddenly in the distance, he heard a couple twigs break. The officer motioned for his men to stop. He concentrated hard to listen for any more sounds.
“Whit is it?” asked a soldier.
“Wheesht! Ah herd somethin’ o’er there,” McCullough whispered while pointing to the west of them.
Again, more cracking of twigs was heard by the officer and this time some of his men heard it too.
“It culd be just an animal.”
“Aye, but it culd be mare.”
The men hunched to the ground still unable to see anything in the distance; the light from the sun shining through the breaks of the trees hindered their view. No more sounds came. Shortly thereafter, a cough broke the silence. It was a person. McCullough signaled his men to spread out quietly to trap the individual. The men silently began to cover the distance between them and the noise. Reaching closer, McCullough finally saw the source. A slightly tall, blonde man walked clumsily through the dense forest, unaware of the watching eyes of alerted Scots. McCullough whistled loudly indicating his desire to capture the individual. Before the man could start to run, four Scots had surrounded him.
McCullough stepped out from the brush and looked at the poor sap. The man acted calm, but his eyes were giving him away.
“Whit’s yer name?” McCullough demanded.
“Thomas and who are you if I may ask?” asked the Englishman recognizing the accent was Scottish.
“Leslie McCullough.”
“Well since we are acquainted if you may get out of my way, I would like to get back into town before dark.”
“Aye, Ah bet ye wuld,” stated a Scot.
One of the other soldiers chuckled and commented, “Aye, and hope not tae run intae any mare Scots either!”
The soldiers laughed. The Englishman wasn’t amused.
“I have done nothing wrong! Let me through!” The Englishman pushed one of the soldiers and began to walk away.
A Scot pulled his sword and quickly held it to the man’s chest before the man could take another step. “Ah winnae mave if ah was ye,” the Scot declared.
McCullough slightly expressed his amusement at the man’s impatience. “Why be sae rude? How about ye sit down and ah ask a question or twa.”
The armed Scot pressed his sword against the Englishman’s chest effectively pushing him to the ground.
“Guid tae see ye comfortable. Why are ye out here walkin’ through these woods.”
“I don’t have to explain anything to the likes of you Scots!”
One of the soldiers looked at his captain. “Rude issnae he?”
“Aye. Ah suppose since he issnae actin’ civil, dae we?”
The soldiers smiled. “Ah dinnae think sae.”
“Guid, grab him then!” McCullough ordered.
The soldiers pulled the man up as their captain began feeling for any correspondences hidden on his body.
“Unhand me! I demand it!” the man shouted.
“Ye demand it? Who are ye tae demand anything, we are the wans wi’ swords,” replied a soldier with a grin.
McCullough patted the man’s thigh and felt an abnormal bump. He took his dagger and carefully sliced through the man’s pants revealing a small folded piece of paper. “Hoots! We now know why ye wantit tae leave sae badly,” McCullough announced holding up the paper. He opened and read the contents. Immediately the captain’s eyes rose and he said, “Bring him, we are headin’ back tae camp.”
Antrim, Ireland – August 1477
“It is a wily plan, general. Ye think it culd work?” asked an officer skimming over the notes made by Alexander Playfair.
“The Anglish huv no sense tae them at all, of course it wull.” General Playfair replied confidently.
“Ah just know ah winnae leave e’en if the Son of God presented hissel outside the castle.”
Playfair nodded in agreement. “Aye, that’s because ye a Scot.”
The plan was quite simple. Fifteen hundred Scots and Irishmen would attempt to assault Dunluce Castle while the remaining forty five hundred soldiers waited among the firm ground just beyond the muddy bogs. The soldiers would assault then retreat giving the sense that a total rout was occurring. Playfair was hoping the English, not knowing the size of the Scottish army would believe it was an actual assault and chase down the stragglers. If the feigned retreat succeeded, the English charging into the lines would get caught in the bogs. Success depended on how convincible the Scots and Irish could be in their assault of the castle.
Everything was going as planned. The fifteen hundred soldiers attacked the castle with surprising devastation. However, the well-fortified English pushed the attacking army back time after time. Finally, the signal was given for retreat. Scots and Irish alike tried to carry fallen comrades as they began to slowly withdraw from the field. The English Captain saw the demoralized army and believed it was time to end Scottish threat in Ireland once and for all. With his four hundred knights and three thousand men in arms, he opened the castle gates and started to ascend upon the Scots. General Playfair’s strategy was falling into place. Noticing the large English army behind them, the Scots picked up their pace and started to run toward their own lines with a considerable lead on the English.
The English charged the Scots, not recognizing the muddy bogs their assumed victims were wading through. The first line of knights hit the bog and many of the riders fell to the ground, sinking into the mud. That didn’t deter the Captain from chasing his victims as he continued the charge through the bog. However, even with his determined attitude, his horses were caught, barely moving through the deep mud. His infantry did not do much better, moving inch by inch to catch up with the Scots.
Soon the waiting army of General Playfair appeared on one of the hills looking down at the bogs. With his Scots almost out of the mud, he ordered his six hundred archers to rain arrows upon the helpless English. The Scots began to cheer, their screams reaching back to Dunluce Castle where the English garrison worriedly listened, not knowing of the fate of half their forces. The English Captain looked up with horror as he heard the cheers of Scots and the whistling sound of arrows descending upon them. He ordered his men to stop and turn back quickly, but it was too late. Barrage after barrage of arrows hailed from above as English soldiers fell. Acting like quicksand, the bogs were quickly becoming the grave site of many English souls.
Three thousand Scottish infantry ran around the bogs to meet the English who were fortunate to escape. The ones who escaped met a far worse fate then the ones who sank in the cold, clinging mud. The Captain’s arrogance was his final mistake. Suffocating under a collapsed horse which pressed him into the mud, the captain’s last breath was of Irish soil.
Over five thousand Scots and Irishmen charged toward Dunluce Castle, the garrison deaf to the news of the recent massacre. The surprised English would fall four hours later after intense fighting by both sides. Casualties were relatively light for Playfair’s army only losing a quarter of his men while the English suffered a complete destruction of its army with fifty eight hundred men losing their lives and the remaining twelve hundred taken as prisoners. The only English army in Ireland was wiped out with one battle. With its destruction, Scotland and Leinster controlled all of Ireland by February of 1479 and with that solidified General Alexander Playfair’s place in Scottish history.
In Appleby, England, more good news was falling right into the hands of General David Campbell and his army in the form of an intercepted English letter. This very letter would change his strategy for taking Appleby Castle and quite possibly change the outcome of his entire campaign.
A stirring strategic episode , Eber ! The bogs were really consistent with the Northern Atmosphere and overall accentuated the harshness of the conditions in the north ! I can't wait to hear about the main battle on the main Isle. And Poor Thomas haha !
Of course, being of a naturally suspicious nature I wonder if that letter might not be meant to fall into Scottish hands, and thereby to lure them into a trap of England's devising.
But perhaps it is what it appears. I have been wrong before!
But perhaps it is what it appears. I have been wrong before!
"With its destruction, Scotland and Leinster controlled all of Ireland by February of 1479 and with that solidified General Alexander Playfair’s place in Scottish history."
The war goes well. Now what is in that letter? The plans of those four thousand English soldiers running amuck somewhere in Cumbria?
Joe
The war goes well.
Now what is in that letter? The plans of those four thousand English soldiers running amuck somewhere in Cumbria? Joe
Chapter 4 (cont.)
Appleby, England – August 1477
Leslie McCullough pushed the English messenger down onto the ground in front of General David Campbell. The messenger spit a few drops of blood from his mouth and looked up at the general.
“Pull him up,” Campbell ordered with an upward motion of his hands.
Two guards placed their hands on the messenger to help him up when he hit their hands away and got up on his own.
“I don’t need any of you wretched Scots touching me again! God knows where you all have been.” He began dusting himself off to make himself look presentable though it was in complete futility.
Campbell rolled his eyes. The much acclaimed English politeness was well known in Scotland. “Sae, ah see ye were sent tae gi’e this message tae yer general.” He presented the letter in front of the man’s eyes.
The messenger ignored the statement.
Nodding at the reaction, Campbell paced in front of the messenger in a state of thinking. “Hoots! Ah guess there is nothin’ left tae say,” he said staring at the messenger hoping for any reaction at all. “Tak him away then.”
The messenger was escorted out of the room where only the general’s officers were left.
“Wi’ no reinforcements, the Anglish garrison wull fall quickly,” an officer said breaking the silence.
Campbell curled his lip at the comment. He didn’t know exactly what to think of the message.
“Aye, we shuld mak a full assault soon and move on,” another officer announced to the room.
“Is it just me who thinks this is all wrong?” Campbell asked in amazement.
“Whit’s wrong?”
“Four thousand Anglish troops are bogged down by the Irish? Dinnae mak much sense tae me.”
“Ye think we were meant tae find this message?”
“Ah dinnae what tae think.” Campbell replied, massaging his forehead in frustration.
“The Anglish arenae that smart. They cinnae trick a rabbit out o a hole, let alone a Scot.”
Many of the officers agreed. Their respect for English intelligence was quite low.
“Ye are probably right.” The general sat down, obviously tired from the long night before. “We attack in three days then,” Campell declared before motioning everyone out. The officers all left with smiles on their faces, greatly approving of the general’s decision.
Three days of preparation for the major assault on Appleby castle had passed. With seven thousand soldiers at his disposal, General Campbell believed he would be able to take the castle quite handedly in a matter of hours. The English only had a garrison of over two thousand soldiers, but half of them were mere militia, raised to arms with the sight of Scottish armies in the distance. Not only did the Scots have a numerical and training advantage over the English, they also were well fed. Though the English had the time to sufficiently supply the garrison with food, they were unaware that much of it had begun to spoil due to the combination of rain and worms finding their way into the barrels. Starving and with an overwhelming sight of Scottish soldiers surrounding them, the English soldiers struggled with morale. Unbeknownst to the Scots, however was a well-concocted plan to trap the large Scottish army and sandwich them between two English armies. General David Campbell was right to be suspicious. Unfortunately for the Scots, suspicion alone would do little good. The Scottish day would begin with high hopes of sleeping inside Appleby Castle but it would end far differently then expected.
General Campbell walked through the lines of troops as he made his final inspections. He saw his men were in good spirits and it raised his confidence even more of taking the castle within a few hours. He went to the back lines where his bodyguard unit stood, smiling and bowing their heads in respect.
“The men look guid, McCullough” Campbell said in approval. “Ready tae fight.”
“Aye, ma general, ready tae finally huv some decent shelter.” The officer grinned, being in good spirits himself.
“The Anglish winnae surrender?”
“No.”
“Pity, be better not tae lose any guid men, today.”
Leslie McCullough concurred. “The Anglish wull fall soon enough. Ah wull personally see tae it, masel.”
The general nodded his head as he made the final signal to attack. The Battle of Appleby had begun.
Before Scottish soldiers stormed the castle, a barrage of rocks, arrows and fire inflicted massive damage. In one direct hit by a boulder, a small portion of the wall crumbled giving an opening into the defenses. Scots cheered at seeing the path clear for them. Soon, the barrage stopped and Scottish troops started to march toward the walls.
Leslie McCullough was with his regiment, one of three on the left flank. Marching toward the castle, English archers began firing into the Scottish masses. Reaching two hundred yards from the castle, McCullough yelled for the charge. Immediately, five thousand Scots screamed and ran to the walls. Archers continued to fire, dropping unsuspected Scots with deadly accurate bolts.
McCullough reached the breached wall to see English men at arms waiting at the entrance. He stopped, raised his claymore and shouted, “Be brave men! Fight today and tonight yer bellies wull be full of English food and wine!”
Scots cheered and swarmed the tiny opening, knocking the English soldiers back. McCullough stepped onto a large stone to see what lay ahead. In front of him were over one thousand men, militia armed with short swords and barely adequate shields as well as some pike men. He jumped off and joined the fighting.
Thousands of men filled a small area, no bigger then a mediocre size room of many palaces. McCullough slashed through an Englishman before driving his claymore into the flesh of another. In only five minutes, blood had already stained his clothes. He realized it was going to be a bloody day.
Leslie McCullough and his Scots fought ferociously against the unbalanced English forces. After only an hour, the English troops were beginning to waver. Scottish soldiers had already driven the English forces back into the courtyard. Everything looked as though a clear victory was at hand until loud screams and horse hooves shrieked through the air. Leslie heard the hooves and recognizing that there was no plan for Scottish cavalry to join the battle, immediately turned around. That is when Scottish victory ceased to exist.
English cavalry rushed toward the Scots with full force. Before the Scots could be warned of an attack, horses and steel collided with Scottish backs. McCullough shouted for more troops to attend to the sortie.
A horse whinnied in front of Leslie, its hooves knocking him down. The English knight hoped to crush the officer, but with quick reflexes, the Scot rolled over and stabbed the horse in the belly. The horse buckled in pain and the knight fell. Leslie rose from the ground, walked over to the knight who was still struggling to get up and drove his sword deep into the man’s back, easily piercing his armor. He pulled his sword away from the flesh and ran to the breach. He expected the cavalry was from Appleby and had ridden hard around the town to surprise his men from behind. However, that was not the case. As McCullough reached the breach, his eyes sunk in complete and utter desperation. Over three thousand English soldiers were running straight for him and his men. More English soldiers were fighting with Campbell and his detachment of bodyguards. The four thousand English soldiers were not tied up with the Irish after all, it was all a ploy.
Devastated, he climbed down and yelled in frustration, killing two English soldiers within seconds. Knowing his troops would have no place to escape being sandwiched, he ran through the area ordering retreat. Scottish soldiers fighting victoriously or so they thought were confused at the sound of retreat. Many were reluctant to obey the order; however they soon realized their mistake. McCullough was too late. Before many of his Scots could escape, countless English soldiers plowed through the Scottish lines. Facing enemies from both sides, Scottish morale instantly wavered. It was a complete bloodbath. The Scottish soldiers panicked, not knowing what to do, they began to retreat. Numerous Scots ran dropping their weapons, climbing over lifeless bodies of their enemies and friends as they tried to escape. Only a small amount of Scottish troops would make it outside the walls.
Leslie McCullough with a small contingent of his men fought through the English reinforcements and ran to Campbell who was struggling in his own right. Reaching the general, the combined forces of Campbell and McCullough soon overwhelmed the English soldiers, forcing them to retreat back to their lines.
McCullough, out of breath and covered in blood looked at the general. “Glad tae see ye alive,” he uttered.
“Aye, ye too. Whaur are the rest o ma men?”
McCullough lowered his head in shame. His reaction and the chaos ahead was a good enough answer.
“Ah was wrong, the messenger, all o this was a fake,” Campbell lamented.
“We were all gowked. We must order a full retreat!”
“Aye, before we are all captured.”
Soon thereafter, Campbell ordered the full retreat, but it didn’t do much good. McCullough and his small contingent who had fought their way out would be the last Scots to escape. Over six thousand Scots were either slain or captured that day. It has been said that due to Scottish vulgarity to English troops in the past, each and every Scot captured that day was killed. The remaining eight hundred Scots were chased and hounded throughout Cumbria until finally entering Scottish lands once again.
It was a devastating defeat for the overconfident Scots. David Campbell was considered to be the best Scottish general the army had, but Scotland’s best had become a great disappointment. Luckily for Scotland, the major defeat did not put a damper on the entire war. Campbell’s army had been completely destroyed, but so had two of England’s. Under the leadership of Archbald Gilchrist, Scottish armies pressed on and captured Yorkshire and Lincoln before hearing of the grave defeat by Campbell. The general knowing no reinforcements would come backpedaled and met up with a small detachment of soldiers from the Irish campaign. With fresh troops, General Gilchrist finished what Campbell had started. Cumbria was taken three months later.
Though in the eyes of many Scots, they had lost an important battle, the English King believed he had lost the war. Unable to form a large enough army to invade Scotland, he sent a diplomat to Edinburgh offering peace.
Edinburgh, Scotland – April 1478
King Arthur smiled as the English diplomat was announced in front of his court. He knew victory had just walked in.
The diplomat bowed and immediately announced, “Milord, I bear an accord from my gracious King.” He stopped and unrolled a piece of parchment. He began again, “Milord, King Edward IV of England with great disdain has called for peace between our two kingdoms. If Scotland will agree to peace, the northern territories of Cumbria and Northumberland will be relinquished to Scotland as well as the northern territory of Ulster in Ireland. My gracious King hopes this will satisfy your warmongering appetite against free and honorable English citizens.” The diplomat rolled the parchment and without even looking in the eyes of Arthur stood still waiting for reply.
“Ah must say yer king is gracious and ‘ery well shuld be!” Arthur choked out before laughter erupted from his body and soon spread throughout the entire court.
The English diplomat only cleared his throat. Years of service had taught the diplomat not to show his emotion even with an obvious insult.
“Tell yer king, Scotland accepts his proposal.”
“Yes, milord.” The diplomat bowed and turned around to walk out of the court.
“Oh, wan mare thing tae tell yer king.”
The diplomat stopped right outside the doors and listened.
“This satisfies ma appetite fur now but rest assured this peace dinnae reconcile centuries between oor people. And it dinnae quench ma thirst tae see yer king beg fur his life, a luxury ma mither dinnae huv against his hired blade. Aye, God isnae the only wan who knows o his evil.”
The diplomat’s horrified reaction disappeared from Arthur’s vision as the court’s doors shut closed. The First Arthurian War was finally over.
Bravo on your victory ! The fighting scene into the breach was fresh as well as the backstab from the rear . The pace was excellent and the fighting scene is refined . You seem to be getting better and better at this ! The with of King Arthur's definitely one of my favourite things . Keep up the good work !
FlorisDeVijfde- A very good idea, those English can not hold their liquor. Though giving them a good Scotch? Way too good for them.
canonized- Thanks for the battle compliments. They are a lot of fun to write.
stnylan- Well I guess you are at least not wrong this time.
Storey- The war did go well until my horrible defeat at Cumbria. Thankfully I was able to take my regiments in Ireland to help defeat the four thousand English soldiers that were left. If the war lasted any longer and England didn't offer peace, the results wouldn't have been so favorable for me.
Thank you all for the comments. I welcome and would appreciate any other comments. If there is anything anyone would like to see including more screenshots, a better overview of gameplay strategy and so on just ask. I like to make this as enjoyable as possible for everyone.
canonized- Thanks for the battle compliments. They are a lot of fun to write.
stnylan- Well I guess you are at least not wrong this time.
Storey- The war did go well until my horrible defeat at Cumbria. Thankfully I was able to take my regiments in Ireland to help defeat the four thousand English soldiers that were left. If the war lasted any longer and England didn't offer peace, the results wouldn't have been so favorable for me.
Thank you all for the comments. I welcome and would appreciate any other comments. If there is anything anyone would like to see including more screenshots, a better overview of gameplay strategy and so on just ask. I like to make this as enjoyable as possible for everyone.
Caught up again and you've written some great detailed scenes of the war. The trap in the bog was my favorite. Shame about that last battle, but at least you won the war. A very nice opening move in what I assume will be many more fights between England and Scotland.