Arthur: The Legend and Myth Chapter 128

128.

The army met at a place named Camlann. It was a sloping wide valley which may had been a crater or an extinct volcano. Both the army arrived a day apart but they had their staging area set. At the centre of the valley was a cluster of low bushes, which some of it was starting to flower. Both the armies were massing up their numbers on their staging area.

On one side were Arthur and his reinforced army consisting of the allied Kings and Lords, with the mercenaries paid in gold coins. The mercenaries were paid in gold coins. He was in audience with more new arrivals who had come to fight for him.

“Lord Herny of Hemlock. He comes to us with his one hundred knights and four hundred foot soldiers.” The Lord actually came with a hundred foot soldiers and the others were his own servants and the common farmers. It was their desire to fight for Arthur which drew them there.

It was a rag tag of an army but the numbers build up to more than ten thousand. So were the army from the other side with Mordred also meeting his allies who came with the mounted knights and foot soldier’.

“My Lord, we stand at over twelve thousand men now. We can take them anytime.” Mordred looked at the open plain which separated the two armies. He had been to battles but that was the first one he had taken charge. It was overwhelming feeling to know how these men have pledged their life to him. He looked at the seated Gaul who had travelled far from their home to be there. They are a proud breed of warriors although they lost to the Romans before, their battle pride remained strong. He could identify with them with their tall frame and strength that saw them tore apart the enemy lines.

“My Lord, the Northern Warriors are here.” The Northern Warriors were from icy tundra lands above Gaul. They were a breed of hardened warriors and their conflicts with the Gaul were legendary. Mordred had taken to task on be friendly with them with by providing aids during the harsh winters and trade in the warmer seasons. He had shown his compassionate side and they have returned it with their reinforcement.

“Lord Mordred, we are few but we are a formidable strength to be relied on.” The chief had pledged then his support with the four hundred warriors he brought to the battle.

“Aye, we will fight.” Mordred replied to his knights. “Rest tonight and at dawn we will battle. By next nightfall, we will rejoiced.”

The early dawn was marked then by the knights taking the fore, while the foot soldiers followed behind. There were also the archers with their long bows that lined up at the flank. It was the same with both sides, and their leaders riding the lines to spur them with words of strength and courage.

Arthur sat high on his saddle and then he turned to look at his assembled knights. He missed the familiar faces but there was some he rejoiced in seeing there.

“Arthur, do you want to take the charge?” Arthur looked to the source of the voice. It was Tristam. Arthur ignored him and then took his ride down the line. He saw the accompanying knights assigned to protect him had formed a line between him and the enemy. He stopped his mount and turned to look for Lancelot. He saw the knight at the far end of the line with his sight on the enemy. He knew Lancelot was assessing the enemy strength which was more than his.

“Arthur, I will take charge on the other end. We can storm them…” Tristam ever eager to attack with the last war experiences he felt that the way forward wins the battle. Arthur called the knight over.

“Lancelot is in charge, and you will attack on his command.” Arthur then rode off to meet Lancelot. He saw the later still looking at the enemy.

“Lancelot, I ….” His words were cut off when the enemy started the battle horns and cries. The next thing he heard was ‘protect the King’. Arthur reined in his horse and looked at the enemies. They were marching forward. So it was then the battle was called on.

“My King, you must behind our line.” His protective knights were once again patronizing him then. He felt like a cripple then. He turned to look at Lancelot. The other was riding towards him.

“Lancelot, take charge.” Arthur hollered to Lancelot but he saw the other had already taken that to task with the command. The knights there with Lancelot had ridden past Arthur and down the line with their assigned tasks. One was approaching Arthur who then stopped him.

“What is the strategy?” Arthur asked.

“We will retreat for the archers to take their aims.” The knight then rode off giving the command.

“Retreat?” Arthur was baffled but the line had moved back as per command. He was to countermand the line task but then he saw the archers. They have stepped forth and took aim with the long bow strung with the arrow. The archers released the arrows high up in arc trajectory that slammed the arrow heads into the enemy line. The ones that were caught by the arrows screamed out in pain.

“Where are my archers?” Mordred hollered out. He saw the wave of arrows reached his line. It was no ordinary arrow but the lengthy ones favoured by the isle bowmen. The bows were three quarters their height and with the extra length, the arrows were able to travel further.

“We are calling them forward, my Lord.” The knight replied before he rode off to command the line which was swarmed then by the enemy’s arrows. The arrows came down hard and with their metal arrowheads they struck the shields and for the unlucky ones, the arrows pierced the armour or flesh. There were sights of the men and horses going down with arrows into them but the line held up. The archers of Mordred have rushed forth to form the front line. The archers with Mordred were using the normal bows with the arrows notched. They knew they could not reach the other line so they stood there with the shields to cover their body.

“Wait your turn!” It was a bold call for the archers while the knights retreated with the foot soldier. There were some who huddled there with the shields to protect them. These warriors under Mordred were more of close combat warriors with their axe and machete. They cursed and swore under their covers and waited the call to move forth.

Soon the command came.                                                                         

“Move forward!” Mordred called out. There the knights started their trots into a gallop with the foot soldier in the rear. The foot soldiers followed suit with their paces sounding the ground which paled compared to the galloping horses. Both armies had no desire to see the new blooms but with each step there were murmurs of prayers alongside the silent ones. The one who wanted to retreat were pushed forward by the eagers one and soon the fighting started.

The battle cries went out and then the bodies clashed with the blood spurting everywhere. The knights crashed their horses into the other sides with their spears or shields clashing. Some will be dismounted but they would get up to locate their horses or draw on their swords to fight. If they dropped their long swords, they would grab at their any weapons that they can find but that is no matched for the long swords of the other knights. Some may try to duck the swing and sneak in for a close thrust, or evade the swing and hoping some other would jump on the knight from behind. It does happen when the knight may find a sword at his throat from behind. Or if they are lucky, the foot soldiers would arrive, and created human shields to allow the knights to regroup. They would form into what was termed as "armoured shields" which is actually the foot soldiers group together and placed their shields on the outside as a defence and holding their swords or spears to hold back any attack. They would charge in unison and ram at the knights or the opposite foot soldiers line.

Arthur was in the midst of the fight protected by his knights, and clearly out of danger. It was until he saw Mordred and he charged out of the protection circle. He ran forth and confronted the nephew of his.

"Fight me, Mordred. Be a man like what your mother wants you to be." Arthur called out his nephew. The other saw him and rode towards Arthur. The army cleared a clearing for them to fight. The protective knights tried to block Arthur from moving in but he pushed his way in. He approached Mordred and then gave him a chance to stand down.

“You can’t fight me. Not when I held Excalibur.” Arthur told the other. “You are helpless against it.”

“Are you the King or the sword? You are a sad King. Leaving your Queen to another to take care.”

“Mock not my Queen and not my Excalibur.” Arthur charged at his nephew with his sword, which Mordred blocked the move with his shield. Mordred stepped back on the attack and encircled around without striking. He kept on taking Arthur's attack as he noticed Arthur was getting tired and with his previous wounds, he was not in his best shape to fight on. Arthur paused in his attack and stared at Modred.

"So the young one wants to draw the older one to wither before he strikes. I had seen them all, Mordred." Arthur backed up to rest but it was then Modred took on his attack on Arthur. The later was backing up on the relentless attacks and then Arthur fell back on his right knee. He blocked the thrust with his shield but the blow made him fall. He fell onto his back and it was then he thought he had lost when the sword aimed at his face was deflected by another.

“Lancelot, this is not your fight.” Mordred cautioned the other knight who had intervened then.

“As he is my King, his battles are also mine.” Lancelot went into the attack on Mordred.