Downton and Cerdic 519 AD
Birthplace of King Arthur's Kingdom of Wessex and England
by Michael Alwyn Slade
Copyright 2010 ©
Chapter 3b.
"OK Aelwyn, let's up and away." said Cerdic. Natan will be expecting us to show our mettle today lets show him our tails that will be his down-coming. You scout right around from the East and circle in from the West along the river. You should aim to get there undetected and have at least five hundred in readiness there. We will forge straight across the ford under the Moot and continue beyond onto the rise above. We will attack head on via the obvious downhill route. If we feint and appear to fumble we can then retreat as if in some disarray as they hit us with all they have got. Natan will gain some confidence and even more so if we do it a second time and see our cavalry in disarray and my standard lost. We will leave our main force out of site and with some degree of luck will entice Natan out in anticipation that he could at least force us back to Rum Sieg (Romsey) or at least scatter us to the Forest."
Cynric has the West and North well covered and we would expect skirmishing from him to keep their heads down out there. Our only concern is that we can expect more reinforcements coming in from those directions, they are out there but good scouting has shown us that they seem to be at least two days from readiness. Ector and Kay can hover here at Dun-Ton and we can direct them to any front that seems to be showing strain. They will stay out of action until we need them tomorrow for any further advances probably westward beyond Grims Ditch"
"Natan in the Moot will not want to be holed up there too long the local militia will begin to fret for their kin, the Saxons will be fine as long as provisions last and they will have to split their force to ensure the Moot is defended when they chase us off."
"Then we get to Wind Yeats in our retreat we should hope that we will hold Natan's advance and with your attack from your flank to his rear we will encircle them from the north and aim to take them out. Their only route out could be toward Franken Burgh but we have enough out there to meet them on the way. If we see them escaping over the Ford we take him out when they have crossed into the Marshes. Check-mate!"
"On your way Aelwyn, keep your colours low, keep your head down. Prepare for a noon celebration."
"Hail Wigt-Burn thank you for that hearty Royal breakfast- we expect to see more of you this eve, prepare a meals and more than enough ale fit for Kings. We will be expecting to have you in charge at the Palace and also provide a feast for the men here at The White Horse Ale-house - a good name, a name to remember into history! We will need more alehouses The Dragon, The Spoon, The Horse Shoe, The Stag, and The Yew Tree must provide for celebration for all our men. We will leave you one hundred militia here you can expect more as more defect. Put them to good use, more hay and feed from Wick for our horses must be high on the agenda.
What a fine morning this is for us and the Gwissae (Wessex) nation, it sure looks as if the nights storm has well departed it seems we can expect a day of sunshine all around."
The day went to plan and the icing on the cake is that Cerdics bowmen took out Natan as soon as he emerged seemingly half triumphant onto the heather moor nearby Deadman's Hill.
Cerdic trounced the Saxons and those few who did not die there broke off toward Withe Ring Ton. Cerdic was quick to return to the Moot, where the Saxons reasoning that Natan was now no more, fled across the river in an endeavour to reach safety Brem Moor and beyond. They failed miserably, thousands died caught in the treacherous marshland sodden by the downpour overnight.
Cynric that night released the celebratory Raven in tribute to the never to be forgotten warriors welcomed to the Otherland via the Battle of Cerdics Ford, Downton.
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