The boy runs on ahead of your forces, leaving the roads and following paths and trails that the knights barely noticed.  After a couple of hours of this, he stopped near a stream to rest.  The boy explained that Sir Cormacc would have scouts out watching the roads.  He knew of a place a couple of miles outside of town that you could lay low until darkness, then he would be able to sneak you into town when no one could see.

The trails were far less direct than the roads, so it was getting close to dark before the boy led you into a hollow where you could remain hidden from anyone coming near.  A couple of hours later, when the last light from the west was extinguished and the moon had not yet risen, the boy led you slowly around the fields and then in small groups to the back of the stables, which was next to the blacksmith shop.  It was a bit tight getting so many horses and men into the two structures, but you eventually managed.

Sleeping in shifts without fires and eating cold rations, the knights were weary when at last the first light of dawn crept above the hills.  Still, there was a certain excitement in the air as well.

See Game Map 2:  The blacksmith shop has a door on the road.  The stables have doors front and back.  Sir Cormacc will be coming from the north along the road to the storehouse.  Determine when you plan to attack (when you first see him in the distance, when he gets to the edge of town, when they are loading supplies, when they are leaving, etc.), with how many men, under whose command, and from where and by what route.  There are ~20 knights with Sir Cormacc.  You think he has another dozen or so . . . somewhere.  You have 75 knights split 25 in the blacksmith shop and 50 in the stables.

'We have to keep him trapped in the village, so we should spring our ambush once he is actually here,' Sir Dalan suggests to his brother knight. 'We can't let him escape or we'll never track him down. One of us can take the smaller force from the blacksmith - I can handle that - and fall upon him directly at the road. After the fight has started you could take the larger force from the stables out their rear door and circle around the village to cut him off from the rear.'

Gracian nods in agreement. "So be it. You take 25 knights and charge Sir Comacc and hold his forces. While you do that I circle the village with the remaining 50 knights and fall upon him from the rear."

He steps closer to Sir Dalan and put his hand on Dalan's shoulder. "There will be no glory in this battle, my noble friend. It will just be a bloody brawl in the mud, but it will take us off this cursed island so we can return home and rescue Lady Ellowyn. We must not and can not fail today!"

Sir Cormacc approaches the storehouse with a dozen knights.  Meanwhile, a half dozen knights head through town while another half dozen stay just outside the village by the road they arrived on.

Sir Gracian leads his men out the back of the stables and they remain out-of-sight behind the buildings as the six Irish knights head up the street toward the blacksmith's shop.  Once the six go by, Sir Dalan opens the door to the shop and leads twenty of his knights toward Sir Cormacc, with the other five engaging the six Irish knights.

Sir Cormacc, is startled by the noise and quickly remounts his horse.  Calling to his six northern lookouts, he charges toward Sir Dalan.  Neither Sir Dalan nor Sir Cormacc do a great job of reading the situation and reacting and the two groups end up fighting in the streets.

Sir Gracian, on-the-other-hand, is  able to correctly judge where the combatants are and keep his force hidden until Sir Cormacc is engaged fully with Sir Dalan, at which point his knights charge into the rear of Sir Cormacc's formation.  The Irish knights, badly outnumbered and surrounded, quickly surrender.

Sir Gracian gets a check in Battle.

The fighting did not last long enough for any significant losses or injuries.  Ransom for the Irish knights is probably around £100.  Sir Cormacc will probably not be ransomed.  Obviously, you'll want to get to Arthur's camp (you can be there by evening) but what else would you like to do?  How is the money to be split, what are you doing with the blacksmith, food stuffs, anything else you want to do before getting to camp?

'I don't care about the damn ransom,' Sir Dalan mutters impatiently. 'Or anything else here. I want to get back home now.'

"Indeed and home you shall come. We will ride to our King and bring him Sir Comacc and his knights. We will reward the blacksmith and his family with silver and leave half the supplies for the villagers. With a little luck the gift of food will prevent the villagers from lynching the poor smith. And then we ride to the King and bring him Sir Comacc, the captured knights and the rest of the supplies. We will then ask the King for permission to return home and free Lady Ellowyn."

---

The blacksmith is rewarded £2, the prisoners and Sir Comacc is brought before King Arthur and the supplies are split between the villagers and King Arthur's army.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:03, Mon 17 June 2019.

The knights arrive with their captives at King Arthur's camp.  It is a massive, sprawling thing and they pass through three lines of sentries before ending up meeting Sir Kay.  After handing over the prisoners and food, Sir Kay grudgingly compliments their service but when asked about leave to return to England, he is quite adamant that they must lead their troops and nothing can be done, so sorry.

Sir Kay scurries off, leaving Sir Gracian and Sir Dalan to fume.  Fortunately, as soon as Sir Kay is gone, Sir Gawaine appears.  It seems he watched the whole affair but did not want to interfere with Sir Kay.

"Excellent work, my friends," he says with a smile, shaking their hands and clapping them on the back.  "With the mass of their infantry gone and now this, this conflict will be over soon."

Looking around to make sure he is not overheard, he goes on, "I was sorry to hear about Sir Perin, and" looking over to Sir Dalan, "moreso your wife, Sir Dalan."  Seeing their questioning stares, he explains, "I brought word of Sir Perin's death to Countess Fiona.  She has been traveling with the army and we play chess now and again.  She is not really one to show emotion in public but I don't think I've ever seen her so upset.  I found out afterward that The King showed up not an hour later and told her she is marrying the Dux of the City of Legions this weekend.

Gawaine shakes his head sadly, "we were playing chess that night and I could tell she was barely holding it together but trying to put on a brave front like everything was normal.  Then a pigeon arrived and after reading the message, she told me that Ellowyn had disappeared.  She was quiet for a while before seeming to come to some conclusion.  She called her maid over and spoke with her for a minute or two before thanking me for the game and explaining that she was not feeling well.  She did not leave her tent for a couple of days but when she did she seemed . . . well, angry.  Anyway, she left the following morning for the City of Legions to prepare for her wedding."

His tale complete, he shrugs and goes on, "you have both done me a great service so it is the least I can do to help you out now.  I will let the King know that I am taking charge of your troops while you deal with an emergency.  You can catch a ship in the morning taking you to the City of Legions and then head home from there."

Based on Sir Gawain'e timeline, Fiona was sequestered in her tent from about a day before until a day after she appeared to Sir Gracian.  It is possible to ride that distance in less than a day but it would require a pretty special horse and it would be an arduous journey.  The King certainly wouldn't allow a woman, much less the Countess to take such a journey.

"Thank you Sir Gawaine. We are forever grateful for your aid in this hour of need. I am afraid it was me and my foolish words that upset Countess Fiona. One day I need to learn to hold my tongue and I fear that nothing I can do will ever make up for what I said to the Countess."

Gracian shakes his head and is clearly uncomfortable speaking about his shameful words.

"But one thing I can do is to help my Brother-Knight rescue Lady Ellowyn. We will be on the first ship in the morning."

Sir Dalan's face, so grave and taunt in recent days relaxes into something approaching a smile. 'Thank you good Sir Gawaine, without you we should be utterly lost and broken. Oh let us fly from this island that has brought us naught but hard luck and trouble.'

Sir Gawaine cocks an eyebrow but says nothing.  Whether impressed that Sir Gracian could have survived annoying the Countess or wondering how he could do such a thing when she was here remains a mystery.

The following morning they catch a transport back to England, mostly populated with wounded, and arrive on Sunday at midday.  As they disembark, happy to be back on dry land, they notice festive decorations everywhere.  A porter appears and addresses the knights by name, handing each an invitation to Randal and Fiona’s wedding to be held at 3:00.  He then leads them to an upscale inn, where rooms are waiting for them.  There are fresh clothes in the rooms.

As they headed towards the inn, they saw a large number of knights camped in the adjacent fields.  Getting rooms at such a nice inn, especially private ones, seems quite a coup.  On Sir Gracian’s invitation, a hasty note is scrawled:

Thank you for your note.  We need to talk at the reception.

- Fiona

The loyal squire Idres tends to Sir Gracian's belongings while the knight takes a long hot bath before preparing for the feast. He let his master be because he can see his is lost in his own thoughts. The knight doesnt speak a word as he is dressed but instead often pause to read the note left on the invitation.

The knight then leaves the inn and heads for the wedding and reception.

Attending a wedding was the last thing Sir Dalan desires. Still, he must go. The Banneret takes the time to bathe and dress well, before joining Sir Gracian on his trip to the wedding reception.

Stranger than being invited to the reception, the two knights find that they are also invited to the wedding itself.  Normally, such an invitation would be confined to family, close friends, and important or influential nobles.

Arriving at the grand church, they enter to find beautifully crafted stained glass windows, mosaics, and important artifacts.  An usher approaches the pair and inquires, "Groom's side or Bride's side?"  They notice that the left side of the church is practically empty, including the first couple of rows, which are reserved for the bride's family.  Meanwhile, the right side is practically full, with a dozen rows of nobles, clergy, and a couple of knights.  Interestingly, it appears that Sir Dalan and Sir Gracian are the only knights here who actually fight.

"The Bride's side" Sir Gracian replies a bit too loud. He want people to know that the Countess is not alone. He still cant understand the nature of the relationship that Sir Perin and the Countess shared but to them it was love so who is he to judge (more than he already has).

He allows himself to be led by the usher to his seat and glance at the guests seated to the right. After Ireland he do not hold knights that doesnt fight in high esteem. "Sycophants" he whispers to Dalan.

Despite his own spirits drawing him back from the ceremony Sir Dalan frowns slightly as he sees Sir Gracian's point. 'Indeed. Well, we must let our presence count for armies my brother.'

Walking down the aisle behind the usher, they overhear a fair amount of jokes and sniggering at the Countess's expense.  It seems that everyone she ever refused a dance, or marriage proposal, from is here today and enjoying her comeuppance.  As the pair arrive at their seats, they notice that one of the other four guests on Fiona's side of the church is Brother Diarmuid.  He smiles and nods to the two knights as they sit before looking disapprovingly over at those on the groom's side.  Shaking his head at such unchristian displays, he comments quietly, "the Lord does not look favorably on such churlish behavior."

Once everyone is seated, the music begins and the bride enters the church.  A hush falls over the crowd, even those who were making comments earlier are momentarily stunned into silence as the Countess makes her way toward the alter.  She is absolutely gorgeous, her hair done up in an artful nest of ginger curls, circled by a platinum diadem studded with emeralds and diamonds.  Her gown is long and flowing and made of dark green silk, embroidered with silver thread and more emeralds.  Her face a mask, hardened against those who would disparage her.

There is a sadness behind her eyes though, as if the fire has been quenched.  They seem to stare out into nothing.

The ceremony is mercifully brief and immediately followed by a sumptuous reception.  It seems that Randle has been most generous with Fiona's money, which paid for all of this.  There are musicians and acrobats, many courses, and free-flowing liquor, which Randle's guests seems to be consuming at a hearty pace.

The talk from the other tables is barely better than jeering and when the dancing begins, Randle takes his new bride for a spin before passing her around to all of his guests.  Sir Dalan and Sir Gracian can hardly miss the malicious looks on the faces of her partners as they are finally given what they were previously denied.  Worse, their hands seem rather adventurous, all the more so as the evening wears on and the guests get drunker and bolder.  Throughout the ordeal, the Duchess has an almost glazed expression on her face.

At length, Fiona makes it through all of Randle's guests and approaches Sir Gracian, holding out a hand, which seems to be shaking slightly.  As they begin to dance, Sir Gracian can feel heat radiating off of the Duchess.  He catches a momentary look in her eyes and it is as if he is staring into the very depths of Hell.  A chill runs down his spine and he gets a premonition that almost every single person in this hall is going to be dead within the year.

The moment passes, the heat and shaking disappear, and Fiona's eyes seem to unfocus once more, her 'armor' restored.  In an emotionless voice, she whispers, "thank you for coming, Sir Gracian.  And for your letter.  I am sorry I acted poorly."  After a couple more turns, she goes on, "I need you to promise to do something for me, on your Honor.  You have to save my library.  Move it from the castle in Hereford before the new Count arrives in a week, hide it at your estate.  Guard it with your life."  As the dance ends, she curtsies to Sir Gracian and palms a beautiful and ornate key to him as she releases his hand and heads to her final dance of the evening with Sir Dalan.

Approaching Sir Dalan, she holds out her hand.  She remains emotionless and unfocused as they begin to dance.  However, once away from the others, she whispers, "I am sorry, I could not prevent Ellowyn's capture.  Galeria is using Diabolic forces that are difficult for me to counter."  Spin, spin, turn, spin.  She goes on, "she kidnapped Ellowyn to get you to come back without soldiers so that she could attack you on the road from Whitechurch to Penkridge.  You must leave the City of Legions with the caravan to Whitechurch in the morning and as soon as you are out-of-sight of the City, head to the Kingdom Inapercu.  King Bellis can help you recover Lady Ellowyn, just give him this," she manages to slip a bracelet off of her wrist and slip it to Sir Dalan.  The dance ends, and the Duchess retires for the evening with her new husband.

Looking at the bracelet, Sir Dalan notices that it is not silver or platinum, as he first expected but mithril.  The gems on it are a strange and beautiful mix of shapes and colors that almost mesmerize him.  He gets the impression that he is holding a King's ransom in his hand.

Sir Dalan is in a daze by the time the dance comes, the strange atmosphere in the room near palpable. As he accepts the bracelet, his hazel eyes widening he looks to Fiona and whispers back. 'Thank you my lady for everything you have done. I am forever in your debt and should the moment come when I can repay you I shall honour it with every breath of by body and soul.'

Stepping back, bracelet concealed first in his hand then his belt he watches the new bride dance with her husband, feeling again concerned and confused. He glances to Sir Gracian to see how his brother knight is coping.

"I was a fool once, my lady. Your books will be kept safe. On my Honor and my life." he whispers before leaving the dance floor. The place makes him feel sick and he needs fresh air. He rush to the door and leaves the charade of a happy wedding behind him and welcomes the cool evening air.

Idres appears from the shadows. For some reason the squire always seems to be available when needed.

"Prepare for departure at once, my friend, and do so with all haste and as much secrecy as you can. We are heading for Hereford tonight. Go now. Go!" he barks. He knows it is wrong of him and his squire is not to blame but the wedding has just been .. too much.

Before hurying to his chambers to don his suit of armor he tries and locate Sir Dalan to tell him of his plans.

Sir Gracian finds his Brother-Knight and pulls him aside. "We must leave at once my friend and make for Hereford with all haste. The Countess wants me to seize her library and hide it from her buffoon of a husband. Please ... you must come with me. I doubt we are safe here!" he whispers. His eyes darting all over the place trying to see if they are being watched.

Sir Dalan whispers back: 'Fiona told me Galeria intents to attack me on the road from Whitechurch to Penkridge. She said I - we - should leave with the caravans at morn and as soon as we are out of sight of the city head to the Kingdom of Inapercu and the aid of King Bellis.'

"Let it be so then. On the way to the Kingdom of Inarpercu we will pass the castle in Hereford. Here we will seize the Countess' library and hide it at my estate. Once that is done we will rush to King Bellis and seek his aid against the foul sorceress and rescue Lady Ellowyn!"

Gracian adds "The sorceress may know of our connection to the Kingdom of Inarpercu so she will send spies to the north to chase us down. If we head south to Hereford we may fool them and then when we head north our pursuers will have lost track of us.

Are you with me, my friend?"

'I am my brother,' Sir Dalan replies solemnly. 'With God's aid - and each other's - we'll prevail.'