32.
Percival stared at the departing scouts. He was with Arthur and the others at the make shift tent at a valley surrounded by the low hills. All the knights have camped there with sentries on the hills to warn them of any enemies nearby. Arthur was studying the drawings provided by the scouts with Gawain and brothers. Lamorak and Sir Kay were with the knights to boost their morale. It was then he noticed Lancelot was not there in the tent. He stepped out and saw the knight was by himself near a clump of bush. He was holding his sword then.
“Nice sword.” Percival picked on the first thought that came to his mind. He still have his own gladius. Lancelot glared at the other.
“It’s the Arondight. It’s not any sword. And it’s not nice.” Lancelot was in his depressed mood.
“Aron…Arondight.” Percival replied sheepishly. “Anyway I am not here for…I meant on Arondight. We have a battle coming soon. So are you in or you are going to sit by the tree.”
Lancelot looked as if he was close to struck at Percival but he stepped down on his anger. He then asked Percival on an unusual issue.
“When was your first defeat after you joined the Legion?” Percival was taken aback by the question. He looked down at the grass at his feet and pushed his mind to recall his mentor in the Legion.
“It was my second battle then against the Gaul.” Percival recalled his first experience with the Centurion.
It was a hasty retreat for the Legion with the Gaul at their flanks. Their strength dwindled to a third their numbers with the Legate lying quarters by the Gaul somewhere behind them. The only surviving Centurion name Jullus had commandeered on their retreat. Percival then a recruit had been battered to shape with rigorous training was wounded in the last attack. It was not a deep wound but it was hampering his walk with the left leg dragging.
“Legionnaire, what ails you on your left leg?” The Centurion paced with him after having lost his horse in the battle. Percival replied and then he caught the Gaul had caught up with them. He hollered a warning to the others but they were a defeated force. The Gaul came at them with their numbers and the stragglers were cut down. The Centurion massed a defense force of twenty of the Legionnaires including Percival.
“Form a double line. Stand before them to allow the others to retreat.” The Centurion then swung his gladius to cut at the attacking Gaul. He used his right leg to use as leverage to pull the sword out from the dying Gaul. The Centurion then turned his body to face another Gaul who was charging at him. He thrust the gladius into the chest but the momentum of the charge by the Gaul caused both of them to fall down in a heap of bodies. Percival then saw the fall of his Centurion rushed forth to assist but he was blocked by a Gaul with a battle axe. Percival ducked the swinging axe and thrust his gladius into the Gaul’s side. He then pulled out the gladius and it was then he felt the hard knock on the back of his neck. He fell to his knees and felt another impact on his back before he lost consciousness. He was saved when regrouped Legion mounted a counter attack and sent the Gaul into a retreat.
“I was saved then when the Legion fought back but it was a major loss. It took us six months before we regained to full strength and then marched back into Gaul.”
“What happened to the Centurion?” Lancelot asked.
“He survived for another winter before he was killed in battle. I was too far away to help him.” Percival replied. “However he taught me many things that I was soon made to use. Why do you asked?”
“My first defeat was to my Centurion then. He bested me in battle and then became my mentor. He taught me many of my skills and horn the ones where I was lacking.” Lancelot replied. “He was the only one to call me Lance and I of him as father. He was not seen for years until recently.”
“Recently? Is he here?” Percival looked to Lancelot. “Invite him with our knights.”
“I can’t. He is the Black Knight.” Lancelot sighed. “He rides with King Carados.”
“Is that what you moaned about?” Percival asked back. “If he is not with us then we will fight him.”
“I can’t. He is like a father to me.” Lancelot was displaying emotional expressions thn. It was unlike him as a knight.
“I will fight your so named father while you battle my so named enemies.” Percival declared out. “I have no father to concern with in battle. Mine having died in one when I was a child. Now, return to your post Legionnaire. That is my command.”
“Fight your own!” Lancelot chose not to fight but the voice behind the two surprised him.
“You will fight, Lancelot. Not tomorrow but tonight.” The voice belonged to Arthur. “You are a knight of Camelot. We are the only family you have and will ever know.”
Lancelot looked at Arthur and then walked off. It was Percival who then spoke.
“Leave him be. He is of no use now.” Percival adjusted his waist belt. “I will ride tonight with the knights instead.”
Arthur looked away in disappointment. He had trusted Lancelot to be with him at all times but then the other had shown his refusal to fight. He did want to want to know why and then nodded to Percival for the stratagem of the war was to unsettle the enemies. It seems that the stratagem was working against him then. Percival rode off with the group of knights that was once Lancelot’s.
Percival rode over the hills with the dark skies as his companion. His group then consisted of about a hundred and ten knights. He had the horses hoofs covered with the cloth to muffle their sound of riding. They rode hard but with a steady formation as required by their leader. Percival was a Centurion and nothing he valued more than discipline in the forms. They rode to the nearby plains and then the sight of the campfire was seen.
It was the campsite of King Carados having a rest before they meet with King of Scotland. King Carados was not alone for he has several others of his alliance with him including King Urien. There was however some disparity in the alliance when the group was split into two with King Carados and King Urien on one end while the lesser Kings camped on the other side. The entire army of King Carados and his allies then stood at six thousand with two third the numbers with King Carados and Urien. In between the two groups were the corrals for the horses giving them a long boundary line of separation. The campfires were dying and few then as it was late into the night.
Percival plan was simple.
Chaos and for the weaker link.
“Hand out the torches to the others.” Percival gave the command. A hundred over torches were handed to the knights. The torches were unlit then. He then looked to a group of them with the hunting blowers. They knew their roles then. The signal was given and the knights rode into the camp. They went straight for the sentries and have them brought down with the swords.
The knights under Percival then charged at the horses at the boundary and caused them to stampede into King Carados and Urien. The knights with the horns blew it hard and directed the horses with the noise while the other knights went for the roused up knights at the tents. When they rode by the camp fires they light up the torches to later burn the tents. The horses then numbered over two thousands crashed into the campsite and trampled into the tents there and the knights who were awaken. The knights under Percival did not battle King Carados and Urien but they went for the lesser Kings with the one thousand over knights.
“Burn the supplies too.” Percival called out when he saw the wagon loads guarded by the servants. He rode over there and swung his sword at the servants. The servants were not trained to fight fled on their feet on seeing the knights. The unattended wagons were then set on fire.
The lesser Kings who were not as battle hardened like the other two Kings reacted in panic at the attack. In the dark, there was little light to differentiate them from each other. Percival knights seeking vengeance for the earlier routing fought fiercely with their swords swinging ast the knights and foot and soldiers. The enemies that were able to get a weapon were either slaughter then or sent packing to the other camp. Some retreated for they were not sure whom can they lean to for orders. The hundred over knights of Percival rode hard and fought harder through the campsite before they escaped in the darkness.
Percival lost a fifth of his knights but they had shaken the enemy from their position of strength and morale.
King Carados survived the attack and when told of the number of casualties, he threw a tantrum. He faced the knights and Kings.
“Who among you will now tell he is not with me?” King Carados threw the gauntlet at them. “Tell me now and faced me with your sword.”
None moved and then one stood out.
“Where is King of Scotland? We stand here in wait and he does not turn up.” The King then asked. “I stand to question for it was him who asked us to battle Arthur.”
King Carados glared at the one who spoke. He wanted to speak out but decided against it. He turned to pace away from the King.
“I came because of Pendragon letter. It was stated that Pendragon sanctioned this battle and yet I do not see him. Tell me of his new commands?”
“Pendragon is not here. I am in charge of this battle.” King Carados told the others. “I am told to battle Arthur by Pendragon.”
The other remained silent and it was King Urien who then replied.
“The King of Scotland arrives tomorrow with an army of three thousand strong and he will march into Arthur at the valley from the north while we attack from the south. It’s a pincer move and we will win.”
Those words drew some murmurings among the Kings but they saw the new numbers will be a significant number to ensure that they win. It was then another group rode in to the camp. It was the knights led by the Black Knight. The Black Knight dismounted and approached King Carados.
“I am the Black Knight. I came to pledge my knights to yours.” The Black Knight looked at King Carados. “I have one request. Lancelot is mine to handle.”
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