Squire Fier Feuille
You are 23-year-old squire whose father owns manors either side of the border at Embrun. You served first in King David IIIs court as a page at Valles in 699ATN. In 201 you joined King Reginald’s Royal guard as a squire. This was when you first met the love of your life Lady Sabine Velcraux, at the court festivities. Perhaps foolishly you gave up a chance to join the Lawic Host under Prince Eudes, by staying at Valles. Being a great beauty and an heiress, Lady Sabine had many suitors, mostly more wealthy and of more renown than you! However she gave you her favour to wear at one of the several tournaments. Unfortunately you were immediately unhorsed by one of your main rivals, Sir Leon Perdieu. You are sure that he had more of an eye on her fortune than her beauty. Two of her manors lie close to his. However you were fortunate enough to be one of several witnesses to his calling Queen Bettrys an evil conniving witch! King Reginald justly banished him from all the Kingdom of Foix! However any hopes you might have had with the Lady Sabine were dashed when her father married her to Sir Engeurard Flaneur a knight of forty-two years at that time. Then King Reginald and Queen Bettrys were murdered at St. Doucer and you went to the scene with the Royal Guard afterwards. During the chaos that followed your father called you home to defend the family estates. These being split by the Rathen/Bara border had not mattered much before but now the Royal Seneschal of Bara was trying to separate it from the rest of the kingdom. Your father looked after the Rathen manors whilst you had the Bara ones. You stayed home for the next few years until Princess Maudette defeated the usurping Basylt Devisage. Then you had to pay heriots and swear fealty to her. When at court you saw Lady Sabine again! Her husband Sir Engeurard was now in the Charles hospital of St Joan, suffering from the dropsy from which he is not likely to recover! You immediately offered your services to the Princess and have been taken on by her citadel guards under Sir Richard Nogent. Your attempts to get close to Lady Sabine have not been very successful. She is guarded by her abigail Lady Lys who is one of the spies of the Mistress of the Royal Household, Dame Melusine Dinegre. However you think that Lady Sabine likes the poems and small gifts you have been able to send her. You have heard that the Princess has renewed the banishment of your old enemy, Sir Leon Perdieu from Baratrean territory, when he was reported as being seen at Totillon. He had a manor there, which was now held by Maudette herself. He was known to have become an agent for Basylt, trying to win support for him in Perigord. You suspect that he may now be lurking over the Limura border near his Claux manors. This has become important as Lady Sabine is about to go there to visit her own manors! Maudette’s tax assessor is going there to investigate manors allegedly laid waste by the huns eight years ago as they have paid no heriots. Sabine’s are two of them so it is logical that she should go. You asked Dame Melusine if you could be part of the escort but she said no! However you are being sent on a special mission to aid the tax assessor.
You are to take a leisurely circuitous route ‘scouting and exercising the spare mounts’ to Loup sur Thoul, the most northerly point in Bara. Then you will ride by night to the forest West of Airvault Castle. There you will hide by day ready, on the night of Midweek 11th of the Ninth Moon to bring the spare mounts to the St. Rollo Monastery.
It is on your mind that you might make a call on Sir Leon Perdieu’s Vernon Mansion on the way to check if he is at home?
What time do you expect to arrive at St. Rollo’s Abbey?
Squire Fier Feuille (Brian)
In fact since leaving Charles and thinking about your mission you have decided to improve on it. The bringing of the twelve spare steeds can be left to the Head Groom Bried with Jibbot and a hobilar. The rest of your party you will travel in daylight so as to raid the Vernon mansion in the late evening. Not too soon as he might get a report of your approach. Dusk is around the 21st hour so an arrival around the 22nd at his manor would be ideal. En route you should be able to see whether a few of the suspect manors are under cultivation or not.
* * *
Detouring as planned you rode towards Claux circling back towards St. Rollo as soon as it appeared in the far distance. There were freshly harvested fields around and you saw several quince tree orchards. Apart from one group of distant peasants, no-one was to be seen. The few building encountered were burnt out ruins. Looking at some still part harvested oats one of the hobilars said “Someone planted these and that wheat field yonder Sir, but where are they?”
Another replied “In the woods I reckon. They must have seen us before we saw them!”
You decided to check the nearest wood and found a herd of pigs in it. “This is one manor where heriots should be due sire if that is our mission?”
“It is our mission but I know not if this be one of Sir Christopher’s or no.”
You carried on and saw enough well laden orchards and tilled land to know that the area had well recovered from the raid of 694ATN!
As dusk fell you approached St. Rollo and to you the more important Vernon Mansion from the Northeast. Eventually after dark making out its gaunt form ahead of you, you found a freshly ploughed field. Electing to go left past it you passed through stand of quince trees laden with near ripe fruit. Lights were showing at the mansions windows though the hour was late. This was good in that it indicated that Sir Perdieu was likely to be there but bad in that they were not abed yet. You dared not lose too much time before fulfilling the mission that had been set you. Of course to fulfil that Bried had to arrive with the spare mounts. You hoped that he had not gone astray! Keeping your eyes peeled you passed the Mansion’s stable block to reach the wood wherein Bried was hide. There was no sign of him as yet but that was to be expected. You dismounted the party and leaving two hobilars to guard the horses set out for the mansion on foot.
The mansion front door was onto the yard beside the stable so you hoped for a better chance of surprise if you attacked round the back. So you crept round onto the ploughed field which went right up to the Mansion walls. The windows were of the luxurious leaded glass type. Peering within you saw three soldiers watch two women dancing but then they stopped. Smashing both windows simultaneously you and a hobilar tried to enter as the occupants came to oppose you. The two women fled upstairs screaming as you cut down your two opponents. The third, an archer surrendered, so you chased up after the women. At the top, your way was barred by a bolted door. You hacked it open with your axe. Oh joy, you found the exiled Sir Leon Perdieu facing you!
“The snivelling tell tale boy! Prepare to breathe your last!” he snarled.
“You treacherous exile! It will be you who will die! Stand back men this one is mine!”
He replied “Yes, and you honoured shaman, let our steel decide this. This puppy sought to court my Lady Sabine in his effrontery! Prepare to die snivelling!”
Behind the knight crouched an old Limuran with five wide-eyed women behind him. They edged back as did your men behind you to make a fair fighting space. He was in full armour with morning star and shield. But undaunted you set to. Perhaps your recent training at Charles had kept you fit whilst he may have grown soft? Anyway after a few minutes you hacked his left leg off! “I am just and innocent Limuran citizen!” cried the old man raising his arms and the five women did likewise. By the time you had checked them all for weapons Sir Leon had bled to death!
“Tie all these up men and search the place!” your ordered.
Then one said, “Two riders are coming Sir and I think one is a knight!”
Looking out of the window you saw them reach the courtyard. You called out, “Whoever you are, I have just laid claim to this manor in Princess Maudette’s name! I have slain the exile-breaker Sir Leon Perdieu and here is his ring and shield!”
The two looked up at them. Then noticing your crossbowmen aiming at them, they turned and fled westwards back down the track.
“These women have some fine jewellery on them Sir?”
“Leave it. Just make sure that they are well tied and gagged, especially the old man! Marshal Morgana shall decide their fate.”
On Sir Leon was a sizeable bunch of keys and a scrap of parchment. It read
Dear Brother,
The Lady Sabine Flaneur has arrived at my Monastery with the Tax Assessor. Their escort comprises a squire, a sergeant and six hobilars. Eru be with you.
Pacific Abbot
You decided to have the men carry Sir Leon’s shield, morning star and gilt spurs. In the chamber was a chest that a key from the bunch opened. It contained only musty legal looking documents and some long out of fashion clothes. On the bodies were around 23 Gilden Pezzi. There was a bed and bedding and downstairs the kitchen was well stocked. So was the cellar but you let no-one else down there! The Sergeant was still alive though sore wounded, so you bandaged him and tied him up like the rest. In the stable were a destrier, two palfreys and a packhorse. More evidence that Sir Leon had evil intentions against Sabine! You decided to leave them there for the moment but they might be useful if Bried had gone astray. Then having checked that the prisoners were all secure you led the way between the stable and a large pond back to where your steeds were. As you arrived hoofbeats were heard to the east. You ordered everyone on guard but it was only Bried come with all the spare mounts. Realising that it must be well gone midnight you led all the party through the wood towards the Abbey. Emerging from the wood you were challenged from a stockade tower by the village militia. They had been set to guard the bridge. Seeing that you were so large a party they were very ready to believe that you came in Princess Maudette’s name! The porter at the Abbey gate was aghast when he saw your herd of horses. “In Eru’s name we have not the room for so many Sir!”
“They are not coming in but I must to report to the Marshal who I believe is already here?”
“Yes indeed Sir. Her party is staying in the hostel but I saw her and another lady go into the Abbey church. Doubtless she will be praying there.”
Militant Morgana praying, you thought? No very likely she was looking for your coming!
“Thank you sir I shall seek her there.” And there you met her with the dragon Mistress Lys following behind her.
“Madam Marshal I have killed the banished knight Sir Leon Perdieu. He was in his Manor of Vernon. We have left some bound prisoners there!”
“Indeed? Well I must think about that Fier. Meanwhile we must rouse our people and get them mounted.” So together you collected all her force and marshalled them outside the Porter’s Gate. Sergeant Neville had a couple of hobilars carry a wounded man to be bestowed the Porter’s Gatehouse. Morgana then mounted the great horse Punch.
“Squire Fier think you that word of your attack on the manor will reach Sir Christopher?”
“It is possible Madam. In fact when we had the place a knight rode up who might even have been him. He and his companion rode away when I told him Sir Leon was dead and I claimed the place in the Princess’s name.”
“Alack! Well it cannot be helped. We must makes such haste as we can to reach him little prepared. Do you lead the column with the groom Jibbot carrying one torch, Bried shall carry another beside me in the middle and Mistress Lys shall carry a third at the rear.”
Of course Lady Sabine would be well to the rear but you have obey the orders of the Marshal.
“Yes Madam Marshal, but I must give you this found on Sir Leon’s person.” you gave her the parchment scrap. She read it but said nothing so you went to your post at the head of the column with Jibbot. Then Morgana’s voice came again.
“Squire Fier! We have been assailed by outlaws here and there may be more who seek to do us harm! We will march on Claux first. Keep a good look out as you go!”
Once assembled in twos, the whole force advanced behind you over the bridge into the dark woodlands towards Claux.
Hobilar Rouncey Fol Mo 11” (6”), Fa 6/12, TI 1, TR –2 (0), SR –2 (0), D-5 (-5), C –4 (-4), W –3 (-3),
A –1 (+1), Ob 1.0 (1.2), Me +1 – 1 +2 = +2 1st rd +2 spear st 0, shield parry 7+ St 4. Speaks Simnith
Arbalister Rouncey Fol Mo 11” (6”), Fa 6/12, TR –2 (0), SR –2 (0), D-5 (-5), C –4 (-4), W –3 (-3), A –1
(+1), Ob 1.0 (1.2), Me 0 – 0 +2 = +2 sword st 0, Speaks Simnith
Head Groom Bried’s force Bried, Jibbot 1 hobilar 12 spare mounts = 3
Bried Rouncey Ind Mo 11” (6”), Fa 6/12, TR –2 (+1), SR –2 (+1), D-5 (-5), C –4 (-4), W –3 (-3), A –1 (+1), Ob 1.0 (1.2), Me 0 – 0 +2 = +2 sword st 0, Speaks Simnith, Edin
Jibbot Rouncey Ind Mo 11” (6”), Fa 6/12, TR –2 (+1), SR –2 (+1), D-5 (-5), C –4 (-4), W –3 (-3), A –1 (+1), Ob 1.0 (1.2), Me -1 – 0 +2 = +1 sword st 0, Speaks Simnith, Edin
Hobilar Rouncey Fol Mo 11” (6”), Fa 6/12, TI 1, TR –2 (0), SR –2 (0), D-5 (-5), C –4 (-4), W –3 (-3),
A –1 (+1), Ob 1.0 (1.2), Me +1 – 1 +2 = +2 1st rd +2 spear st 0, shield parry 7+ St 4. Speaks Simnith
The Action in Words and pictures