In Summer of the year 485 Sir Elad did bid the squires Arne, Riain, Saethwyr, Sisu, and Falcus to go from Castle Vagon to the village of Imber in pursuit of a beast sore afflicting the local folk, who claimed it to be ten foot in height and belching flame. There they did learn that many local men had been slain by the beast, which they reckoned in truth a bear maddened by disease or injury. None of the village-folk would venture into the fields or woods for fear of it. The next day squires did pursue the beast through the forest. Squire Saethwyr cunningly set out a bait of old meat athwart the clearing in which the beast had last killed a villager, and straightaway the mighty bear was drawn to the bait. Squires Riain and Falcus came upon the bear as it paced about the clearing, and were sore beset by it. Quires Sisu, Saethwyr, and Arne came about straightaway to lend their assistance, but the bear through some base animal cunning laid low both Squire Saethwyr and Arne. Squire Sisu accompanied by Squire Falcus did bring the creature to ground where they smote it hard and with great vigor. Squire Sisu blooded the beast, and as Squire Riain rose up to lend his own hand and arm, Squire Falcus did smite it so with his lance that it was the work of minutes to pull the lance from the body of the bear afterward. While returning to Vagon the squires saw a goodly farmer beset by brigands. They did ride upon them and did fearsome injury slaying two and sore wounding the others who were then captured and brought bloodied to Castle Vagon. On the squires' return Sir Elad showed great gladness and gave praise to all. The squires and their prisoners were brought to Sarum forthwith to give their report, and the Earl Roderick gave voice to gladness that the Squires had accomplished these things, and so ordered that two weeks hence they were to stand vigil and thereafter receive their knighthood, and afterwards there would be a feast of rejoicing in their honor, for the County of Salisbury was sore pressed for knights to fill its ranks, and rumor grew by the day of King Uther Pendragon desiring greatly to wage war upon King Ælle of Sussex. Fortnightly, the squires were knighted. Sir Arne lay rightly in his bed and passed by the festivities, but the other knights were not so dismayed from their celebration. Sirs Riain and Saethwyr made advances towards the wooing of the Ladies Gwiona of Ford, and Indeg. The Lady Indeg was much pleased with the tales of foreign lands brought forth by Sir Saethwyr, and bid him join her in future to discuss such things more deeply. Sir Riain befriended Sir Gwerin of Ford, speaking of a merger of families and a control over a larger portion of the Bourne River. Sir Gwerin proved receptive to the idea and made known that he would consider such a merger of houses and lands to a knight who had proved himself in battle. Dame Sisu was upbraided mightily by the brash Sir Malicon over a matter of weapon preference, and Sir Malicon, already somewhat in his cups, made the affair a matter of honor. The following day, they met in a dueling circle outside the Great Hall of Sarum, attended by many who were at the knighting feast, including Earl Roderick and the representative from King Uther himself, Sir Madoc, Bastard of Uther. As war loomed as Salisbury had few knights to spare, the Earl decreed that this duel be fought for love. Sir Malicon proved overrash, and in his blind charge at Dame Sisu overstepped his caution. Sisu stepped wide and smashed her pommel into his nose, smashing him to the ground and winning the duel. All who saw the duel were much impressed, and Sir Madoc himself commented approvingly upon her martial bearing. The true purpose of Sir Madoc in Salisbury came then to light. He passed orders from the High King to assemble the knights of Salisbury with great haste, and join the army of the King that even now was mustering to make great war upon the encroaching Saxon threat. As the newest knights in Salisbury, Sirs Saethwyr, Falcus, Riain, and Dame Sisu joined the host, while Sir Arne remained behind, far from death, but far from good health as well. They rode swiftly to the king's encampment some days distant. There they made their preparation, and found themselves placed along the front line under the charge of the Marshal of Salisbury, Sir Elad. There they rode upon the Saxons who were arrayed along the bank of the Mearcred Creek, where their charge did do great devastation to the enemy. The battle continued for many hours, and each knight overbore many foes. The first charge had bitten deep into the Saxon lines, and the knights passed through a horde of Wotan's Men who, shocked at the swiftness of their charge, scarce raised a weapon to defend themselves before being right ridden down into the mud. The Wotan's Men broke and scattered, and continuing their charge the knights found themselves suddenly intertwined with a group of hill men who fought in naught but leather hides, with the great skulls of horses as their only head covering. The bravery of the knights and their horses held firm, and as the horse-skull warriors were surprised as the knights themselves that the tides of battle had forced them together, the knights forced the horse-skull warriors to retreat away in confusion and terror. Then it came to pass that the knights found themselves in a lull in the midst of chaos. Looking about, Sir Elad saw a group of warriors, polished weapons glinting in the light and with gilt clearly visible stamped into their helms, moving forward from the Saxon reserve and prepare to attack. Elad spoke to the knights saying, "Stay calm and hold here, for we can break these wealthy warriors. Heed not their gold, for glory is wealth beyond measure, and these warriors are the only line between ourselves and a great Saxon chieftain up there on the near bank of the creek. Win this battle and he is ours for the taking." And the knights were calmed, and the wealthy warriors attacked the knights with sound and fury and were repulsed, and were nothing. The path now was clear to the chieftain, and Sir Elad spurred his horse on shouting, "Now! Have at them now! By god's grace we prevail!" The blue-cloaked bodyguard of the Saxon chief took the knight's attack, and spurred to vicious heights they were with loyalty for their chief, they could not prevail against the knight's down right blows. The knights seemed to bear a charmed life, which could not yield to someone Saxon born. Many of the Saxon guards were slain, Dame Sisu fought two at once. Sir Elad was toppled unharmed from his horse and fought on as though he hardly missed the beast. Sir Falcus was sore beset by a bodyguard and took injury, but prevailed. Sir Riain himself alone dueled the Saxon Chief, and as the pagan chief cried out a terrible curse upon the knight, Sir Riain split his head asunder down indeed to the nave of his belly. The Saxon army, beset on many sides and pushed back into the creek, was already on the verge of flight. When it was known that the chieftain holding their right side had been slain, the army collapsed, First one, then a dozen, then a half hundred turned and ran for their lives. The Saxon army broke apart and scattered to the winds and one in three were ridden down like dogs and like dogs in the dirt they died, never again to plague civilized shores. Sir Falcus, suffering already from his earlier wound, was struck by a cowardly javelin thrown from inside a Saxon camp tent. He survived the battle and was recovered forthwith by his squire, and would remain bedridden for some weeks after the battle. Much glory and loot was had of this decisive victory for King Uther, though the good news was tempered with bad. King Aethelswith it was said had sailed from Kent with his continental army and also many warriors from King Hengest. They landed near Maldon and pillaged widely until Duke Lucius did muster his army and met them south of Colchester. The fighting was said to be fierce, but the Saxons prevailed and the duke had to retreat to Colchester. British refugees fled into the Quinqueroi Forest but were pursued and enslaved by the hundreds. The mood in the kingdom over Christmas was tense and changed daily between hopeful and somber. There was great joy for the mighty victory achieved by the knights of Salisbury, but all knew the fighting was no nearer to ending. -END 485 In the year 486 of our Lord Jesus Christ the Salisbury companions visited about the county, where they comported themselves well and pursued friendships and courtships among the notables there. Sir Saethwyr did visit the Lady Indeg and share with her the entirety of his experiences from the continent, and was left much exhausted but held in high regard by the Lady. Sir Riain and Sir Arne learned to their mutual dismay that they pursued the same woman; Lady Gwiona, daughter of Sir Gwerin of Ford. The Lady was smitten by Sir Arne's charms and desired greatly to see more of him, but her father and Lord saw Sir Riain as a stronger match wherein a joining of families would benefit both and exert a strong control over the River Bourne.