531 part two: Battle of the sun

Sir Arddur here...

After a month of hopelessly languishing in the Lady Camille's dungeon, I was permitted to speak with her. She seemed most agitated, and not at all as composed as she had at first seemed. I soon discovered why. She was soon to be under attack and was most distressed. She would not tell whom was the attacker, but asked if I would , by my honor, fight for her on the condition that I would be released after the battle. Having no choice I consented.
I soon found that most of my fellow knights had faced the same bargain and had likewise consented. All but our friend Gherin. He had refused her. Most noble of him. I'm sure that all of the rest of us, Myself, Sir Amadis, Sir Aedon, and the saracen S'aid, all felt a bit of shame. But for now we were free. We soon noticed other knights that had been freed. A great many of them, and as I talked to a few of them and they said thay had been imprisioned there for years. They all took their oath to do battle for their freedom. As we were preparing our unit for battle and just seconds away from our first charge against our unusual opponent, We had a huge surprise! Joining our ranks for the charge was good old Sir Bledri! He had also been imrisioned Since Amadis had already begun the battle as our commander, Bledri let him retain that honour.
As we charged we noticed that besides the knights we had on our side there were other warriors. To our shock and horror we began to see clearly that our comrades-in -arms were Goblins from darkest dreams, and twisted monsters from folklore. Myself , I had been to the otherworld of the fey and so was perhaps a little less surprised, but still i was uneasy. Who's side am I on? I became convinced that I was now on the wrong side.
Soon I was proven right. The other side came as the sun reached it Zenith and blinded us. I saw knights in armor of Gold and silver, with designs never even before imagined. There were dwarves, and animals, and all manner of creatures I can not name, but all seemed to glow brightly with righteous fury. I knew from the beginning that we were doomed. But an oath is an oath sio we all fought hard for the vile traitorous. We started out well enough but after fighting the strange dwarves, we then fought knights of silver and gold and fared horribly, and then fell prey to a hoarde of pictish knifemen. Our companion S'aid went down in the fray, never to be seen again. I will remember him fondly, evn though I only knew him for a short time. I enjoyed his tall-tales enormously. We then fell in with a foreigner call Wexford or Wexond I think. He was a Jute or Dane or something, and we all know king Edar's fondness for northerners, so we immediately befriended him.
In short we were routed and had to retreat back to the castle. When we got there we found it in total dissaray already. It seemed the castle was under attack from the REAL world as well as the fey one. We took the confusion as an opportunuty to liberate our friend Gherin who was still in the dungeon. We met some resistance and there a few knights were slain and one wounded, before realizing they were friendly. They were knights of Camelot and soon we met good sir GRIFLET the Marshal! It sems that King Arthur and several other Round Table knights were imprisioned just as us knights had been and Sir Lancelot had escaped with the help of a friendly maiden. He had just returned with the army to liberate the others including the King. Now shame was upon me. It seems no other of our knights had agreed to fight for this evil Lady Camille. They rather stayed in prision. Even our Good High King. Never shall I be in the wrong again.
We all got out of the castle and it soon crumbled away into the marsh. Soon it was over and Camille disappeared. The rebellion seems subdued a little for now. As my Count's Stewards are loking After Tilton and I am free to travel, I brought Meg and my son Osric with me to winter in Camelot. I also stopped into Surrey to see my sister Matilda. She had been married to a wonderful Saxon knight of Surrey named Edmond. She now has eight children and several fine manors. Good for her. As she was raised in Camelot with me she says she has really missed the life there. The excitement. She says edmond isnt one to tarry at court unless necessary. Poor girl. I am lucky. My family and I stayed with my Lord Sir Colgrevance of the round table at his residence in Camelot over the winter. He has always been a gracious Lord ever since knighting me.
As I sat talking with my lord Colgrevance I was priveledged to also speak to my Lords Sir Bors, Sir Lionel, and Sir Ector De Maris. They were visiting My Lord's manor as was I and the conversation was quite stimulating. Benoit and Ganis must be wonderful Lands indeed to have produced such a noble strain of knights. The conversation turned to my beautiful, but base-born, saxon lover Meg. The mother of my only child Osric. They all admire her great beauty and demure bearing. But all agreed after some discussion that I need to think of putting her aside and marrying to procure a legitimate heir. I am 28 , and not getting any younger. I suppose that next year I will do so. But I will NOT put Meg in a nunnery. It would slowly kill her. I will find some Lord at another court to allow her to stay there with my son and grow old. I will pay her upkep and my son's. Perhaps Lambor now that the old Lord is dead and Sir Blamore de GAnis is the new Lord. he is Kin to these good ganis knights and as they suggested it, I will most certainly agree. But where to find a suitable wife? They said they would keep an eye out.
I have been keeping an eye on my 1/2 brother Extavias over the years and visiting him regularly. Though we have different mothers, we are as close as natural brothers. I am going to equip him and make him my squire next year as he will finally be old enough. Cadamar , my current squire, will teach him all he knows, and Cadamar is an excellent squire. When Extavias is knighted may allow him To have Tilton-on-the-hill, or else have Cadamar steward it for him or myself. I will see. After this year I am hoping next year is calm.


Sir Ellidyr here......
I am headed home from Oriel, King Edar's new Irish land. I went there with CynFyn, Edar's Luitenent,and he was to administrate the Land while I was to help clean out rebels.I had never performed such a task and I must admit... I was ill suited to it. Years ago When I was first a knight , i came to ireland and King Edar's own men worked with others who took slaves. I freed those slaves woyh my own librum. Now... I am the one enslaving people and burning their houses and stealing their valuables. I know this is the way of war, but it feels so wrong. These People are fighting for their land and I must break their spirit. But... As CynFyn Points out regularly... they are a wicked people with wicked ways and magics. They profess Catholic Christianity but Pagans abound in the hills and countryside practicing their foul arts. CynFyn says so, and I believe him. After all, look at how they gave Count Edar hospitality then murdered his retinue while they slept. They killed them with foul magic. And in their Beds. Shameful. So... I will do my job. I find that I feel better about it after some strong drink. Then I am able to block out all the screaming and cries.
There is a girl too who I think I love. She is Irish, and as beautiful as the dawn. But She see's me as her master and we hardly speak. She is young but not too young. 22-23 perhaps. When I asked she said that my men amd myself had been responsible for making her a widow. She speaks to me and I can see her anger deep deep inside, but on the surface is simply fear, and complacency. Almost no emotion. This is worse then her anger, for how will I ever tell her how I feel? She hates me as I hate myself. And i drink some more. And I raid some more. I can't wait to leave this cursed Isle.