The Rescue of Lady Arwen and the Desolation of Home

Military action

Sir Gaius learns of the capture of Lady Arwen by Saxon raiders and rides hard to her rescue, but Sir Gaius and Sir Bradwen return home to a terrible surprise.

Even as the threat of war with Cornwall subsided, our knights saw a young boy furiously riding a horse towards them. The boy revealed himself to be Barda II, brother of Lady Arwen, and told Sir Gaius that Lady Arwen had been riding towards Logres for her wedding to Gaius when she had been captured by Saxon raiders. All the knights of Malahaut were engaged in fighting the armies of the Saxon Kings Octa and Eosa.   Sir Gaius immediately rode to rescue Lady Arwen, taking his best horse and riding as hard as he could. So hard did he ride his horse that he lamed it on the road north and was forced to wait for his allies to catch up with him. Upon receiving a horse from them, he once again road north with great haste and came to the place where Arwen and her party had been captured. Once there, he attempted to ascertain where they had gone, but he could not find the way and was forced to wait for his allies.   Meanwhile, Sir Ralf asked to go with Bradwen and Monroe and was given permission by Sir Brithael. The three knights set out to follow Sir Gaius.   Sir Bradwen, Sir Monroe, and Sir Ralf arrived as the sun was setting, and the party spent a furtive night of sleep on the edge of the woods even as wolves prowled about. As soon as the sun rose, they set out and soon found a hastily raised Saxon encampment where Lady Arwen and many others were being kept.   Our knights assaulted the encampment and fought a vicious battle with Saxon Heorthgeneats and a Saxon berserker, who mocked them, telling them they had fallen right into Saexwulf's trap. The knights slew the heathens and rescued Arwen and the other prisoners.   Having accomplished their task, the knights returned home only to discover a terrible surprise. While they were gone, Saexwulf had snuck past the Salisbury garrison and had ravaged the manors of Sir Gaius and Sir Bradwen, leaving many of their peasants hanging as a gruesome sacrifice to Wotan. Thankfully, Lady Rhiannon had survived the raid and Count Roderick promised Gaius and Bradwen aid, even as he warned them that someone must have told the Saxons where to go to avoid the Salisbury patrols.   It was not lost on Sir Bradwen and Sir Gaius that Sir Monroe's manor had been left untouched.   Later in the year, Sir Monroe shed his disguise and went as Lady Maylene to Cornwall to visit Lady Ygraine. Ygraine granted Lady Maylene an audience and Lady Maylene told her that if she ever needed anything, she should ask her.   Sir Bradwen was visited by Sir Brithael. They spoke of the troubles they had encountered and Bradwen praised the help Sir Ralf had given them and promised aid to Cornwall as soon as he could manage.