526: Continental Campaign

Sir Ellidyr here......

Well.... last year Count Edar decided that I was too tender of age and too inexperienced to go to the Continent and join battle. Of course he is wise and I accepted his decision without question as one ought to do. I served garrison duty under Sir Lucius, and we had quite a time trying to guard our count's borders. Lambor, Lonazep,and Bedegraine were the culprits. They shamelessly annexed parts of my count's lands. We were too undermanned to halt them. If it had just been one county then maybe we could have , but all three working together... imposible!
We heard later in the year that our Lord needed yet more of us to come to the continent as reserve reinforcements. We were told by a messenger that accompanied men of the first contingent that had returned home to Leicester. What a sight. They were sick, maimed and disheartened for the most part. Though some loot did come back. I wondered how these new men who were wounded were supposed to guard our borders. I am still afraid that we will return to find our count's lands gone. I am trying to put it out of my mind andfocus on the task at hand. My ord needs me on the continent so off to portsmouth I go. I must pray to God that he aids us so that we do not end up like the first contingent did.

Sir Lucius here...
So after trying to guard my lord's lands with only mild success, we were shipped to the continent, right where I didnt want to go.Large battles cause many deaths. But I would finally get to see the glory of old Rome where my ancestors flourished and shaped the world. Our first battle was at Geneva and after an entire day of fighting it was a draw. The Roman's had the strangest army I had ever seen. Black skinned ethiopians, pony mounted bowmen called huns, and italian crossbowmen with heavy bolts, and Byzantine knights with roman infantry, and a slew of other strange troops. I was truly impressed. Our own British knights were very good as well though to hold the battle to a standstill. I took only one superficial wound in the battle and even young Ellidyr who I have been mentoring took but one flesh wound. I hear that next we will be going through Tuscany, Milan and Genoa where the populace will give us no trouble as thet recognize the greatness of our high king. I can hardly wait to see Rome in all it's splendor!

Sir Amadis here
My special lady friend Scathath and her hulk of a brother seem to be coming around...we've been arm-wrestling. Sometimes I win.
She has beautiful biceps, my lady does.
I thought of that much while recuperating at the monastary outside Paris. I had the misfortune of falling in the first charge; either my horse's leg broke, or he stumbled upon some disfigurement in the ground, because my seat dropped out from under me, and I tumbled to the ground. Fortunately I landed on my side in the turf; the spear that struck me went completely through! Haven't had that happen before. Hurt less than I thought it would.
But when I was taken to the chirugen, at this monastary, there were some many injured men the monks said I was lucky to find space in one of the outbuildings. It was the shed where they housed the swine. A knight who lay near me, and who said that before he took service with his lord he had been a farmer, said that swine and bleeding wounds to not mix well; he died that night, but others spoke the same. I too almost died, and do not remember many weeks. When I felt well enough to stand, I had Evain, now a knight but still my squire at heart, take me out of there and back to the army, where I finished convalescing in the baggage train. By the time Arthur reached Geneva I felt well enough to fight, though my wound still oozed.
My sweet, sweet fighting lady fell on the field outside Geneva, and my good friend Sir Bledri saw to it that I got good and drunk that night. Goodbye, dear Scathach!
(I also sent home 8L in goods and chattel to my family in Nethersby.)