The Homecoming 117.

Enemies...

As he sees them riding towards him. Sir Percavelle Lé Dic grins behind the visor of his full helm, then shrugs off the heavy canvas bag that's on his right shoulder. It lands on the trade road beside him, and he quickly reaches down, to make sure the top of the bag is open.
"Oh my beauties" murmurs sir Percavelle Lé Dic as he sees what remains in the heavy canvas bag, then the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che stands upright again, as he waits for the approaching riders.
"Move aside!" calls out sir Taevar the Harkonin army commander, to those stragglers on foot who have yet to reach the moat. As he and five other nobleborn riders from the fief to the east. Make their way up onto the trade road, here to the south of castle Lé Dic.
They ride around the third siege tower, that's on the road, and has been damaged beyond repair by the war machines within the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
Then sir Malmaré, who is the youngest of the nobleborn riders, who is infront of sir Taevar, and in the lead, calls out "There he is!".
Baron Harkonin's army commander, who thought he spotted who they're riding towards a few moments ago. Does indeed spot their target, who is now standing on the road, that leads to where the drawbridge would normally be here on the south side of castle Lé Dic.
"Percavelle" mutters sir Taevar, as he looks at the former earl of Lé Dic, just standing there without a care about the battle around him. Waiting for those mounted noblemen from the Harkonin fief riding towards him.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic stands there, ignoring the enemy who are close by. One of baron Harkonin's soldiers runs at the former paladin from behind. But he's dropped by a arrow that punches into the small of his back.
While another of the enemy soldiers, who thinks about throwing an axe at the heavily armoured knight standing there on the road. Staggers forward, then falls to his knees, then onto to his face, with a crossbow bolt in the side of his neck.
Up on the battlements along the south side of castle Lé Dic. Riley Hait the mercenary ranger has gathered together a handful of archers and crossbowmen to shoot at any of the enemy soldiers who get close to sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che is ignoring.
They're busy, as the former earl of Lé Dic who is standing on the trade road, is seemingly ignoring all that's around him. And is looking towards the group of enemy nobility, who are riding towards him.
Sir Percavelle or Percy as he's commonly referred to by the rest of the group, lifts an arm, then looks back over his shoulder, and shakes his head no. After he sees an arrow pass by the leading rider coming straight towards him.
Upon on the south wall parapet, above the main gates, the ranger Hait orders the archers and crossbowmen he's gathered, not to shoot at the enemy noblemen who are nearing the former knight of the first class. And instead to concentrate on any of the enemy soldiers, common born conscripts for the most part, who get too close to the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che.
Looking at the enemy riding towards him, sir Percavelle Lé Dic grins again as he sees them pulling back on the reins of their mounts to bring them to a stop.
The nobleman, who is the uncle of the lady Linara Lé Dic slightly shakes his full helmed head. For if he was one of his enemy, he would of continued riding, and ridden him down.
"Fools be here" murmurs sir Percavelle Lé Dic as the nobleborn riders, six in total, jump out of their saddles, and hit the ground.
Then the former earl of the Lé Dic fief, eschewing his normal bluster and frankly loud mouthed behaviour when he's confronted by anyone who he deems worthy of his attention.
Attacks straight out, as he knows the six noblemen from the Harkonin fief will probably want to have words with him. And they would expect him to verbally challenge them as well.
Not today chaps, the former paladin thinks to himself, as first he throws his pick axe, then throws his hand hammer. The knight in the order of Saint Mar-che is ambidextrous, a feat he learnt. And the hammer thrown from his left gauntleted hand, is thrown just as hard as the pick axe thrown from his right.
The pick axe, slams into the left shoulder plate of the leading enemy nobleman. Who from the tabbard he wears, is sir Malmaré. Percy doesn't know the young landed knight from across the border to the east. But he knew the youngster's father. Percavelle killed him in battle just after he became the earl of the Lé Dic fief.
And by the looks of it, the son is like the father. Rushing into combat, when he should of used caution against a far more experienced and skilled opponent.
As sir Malmaré hits the ground screaming in pain with the pick end of the axe, through his steel plate armour, and in his left shoulder.
Sir Taevar who knows to expect pretty much anything from sir Percavelle Lé Dic. Who he knows is not chivalrous at all. After all the man cheats in pretty much every tourney the Harkonin army commander has seen him in. So in actual battle, he'd be no different.
Dives to one side, and narrowly misses getting hit by the hammer the former earl of Lé Dic just hurled this way.
Not so, sir Olmard. Who was following sir Taevar. The hand hammer clangs off his face plate, and he staggers backwards, and falls on his rump, then onto his back. Where he groans as he tries to sit up, then get up feeling dazed.
"Spread out!" orders the commander of baron Harkonin's army as he scrambles to his feet. He knows taking on sir Percavelle Lé Dic head on, is a recipe for disaster. As the ordered knight, isn't like his landed contemporaries here in the east of the kingdom of Druvic.
He's trained to use multiple weapons, many of which he has on him. While those noblemen from the Harkonin fief he faces. Have only mastered a single weapon. Most likely the sword, which is the weapon of choice for pretty much any noble, in any kingdom.
The knight in the order of Saint Mar-che who once ruled the Lé Dic fief. Has also trained to fight multiple opponents at the same time. As he faces now.
While those nobles in baron Harkonin's army who confront him now, just over the moat from the south wall of his family's castle. Have only ever fought as a group in one previous battle. During the border conflict over eighteen months ago. Even during a tourney in a Lé Grande Melee it's every man for himself. Where alliances are brief, which usually end when one or the other turn on each other after defeating the opponent they ganged up on.
As sir Olmard tries to get up off the ground, and sir Balick hauls the injured sir Malmaré up off the trade road. The young landed knight from the north of the Harkonin fief groans in pain, and almost passes out from it, as the older, and more experienced sir Balick quickly yanks out the pick that punctured his left steel shoulder plate.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic doesn't move, and waits where he is as he watches the nobleborn enemy spread out around him. He only knows two of the six he faces. Sir Taevar and sir Balick. Both are younger than he is, but both are older and more experienced than the four other landed knights from the Harkonin fief who are with them.
Both sir Taevar the Harkonin army commander and sir Balick are competent fighting men. But no way should sir Taevar be the commander of baron Harkonin's army.
He's perfectly capable of being in battle. But he's no leader of men. Nor does he have any tactical nouce.
The baron should of had sir Dontast the knight in the order of Althilgah as his army commander. At least the ordered knight would of been trained to lead armies. Unlike sir Taevar, who only got the position because he's married to the younger sister of baron Harkonin.
The former earl of Lé Dic looks quickly at sir Balick, who says to sir Taevar "At the same time". The Harkonin army commander nods his full helmed head, then says to the other landed knights from the fief to the east "As Balick says, attack him at the same time" followed "He can't defend us all at once".
Grinning behind the faceplate of his full helm, the former paladin, who was demoted from the rank of first class in the order of Saint Mar-che. For going on a holy quest, without the sanction of his order. A quest to vanquish the ork, Dorc da Orc. But more importantly, for stealing the most valuable holy relic of his knightly order. The shield of Saint Mar-che, which at the moment is strapped to his back.
Knows that nobleborn enemy would normally be right. Attacking a superior opponent at once is the best option. But the former earl of Lé Dic, knows that's only relevant if you and your companions have been taught, and trained to fight like that.
Which he knows, none of those he's up against now. Have been taught to fight in a group as one, especially against someone like him. They're more than likely to be a danger to themselves, and to each other. Than they are to him.
"You're surrounded Percavelle" says sir Taevar as they circle the former earl of Lé Dic, who still hasn't moved, and continues to stand in the middle of the road "You're not getting away from this alive" adds the Harkonin army commander who is a little surprised the heavily armoured knight who is the uncle of the lady Linara Lé Dic hasn't said anything in reply.
After all the nobleborn knight who is both ordered and landed, is known across the kingdom for his overly loud voice, and his rather inflated opinion of himself. Not to mention his total disdain for anyone else's martial skills, especially in a confrontation against himself.
What are you up to you mad idiot? sir Taevar thinks to himself as he watches the former earl of Lé Dic, who is silent as he watches the noblemen from the Harkonin fief surround him.
Baron Harkonin's army commander reaches out to his left, and shoves the dazed sir Olmard that way, saying "Stay sharp Olmard".
Ah ha, so that's Olmard, sir Percavelle Lé Dic thinks to himself as he looks at the landed knight who he hit with his thrown hammer. Who is more than a little wobbly on his feet. Not to mention the faceplate of his full helm is dented in quite a bit.
Sir Olmard, who as a young squire over a decade ago. Applied to join the order of Saint Mar-che.
The former knight of the first class learnt of that particular application. And quietly disposed of it without the knowledge of the then knight general of the order of Saint Mar-che. For the simple reason Percy didn't want anyone from the Harkonin fief being a member of his order.
"He's not so great" says a knight who moves behind the former paladin "The great sir Percavelle indeed" adds the knight, who is unrecognizable to the former earl of the Lé Dic fief.
That particular knight from the Harkonin fief continues with "His reputation gets the better of him, if he thinks he can stand there against all six of us". "Quiet Hamdell" says sir Taevar the Harkonin army commander.
And that is Hamdell then, sir Percavelle Lé Dic thinks to himself with a slight nod of his full helmed head. He has heard of the baseborn knight, who was given his peerage by baron Raevar Harkonin during the civil war.
A former captain in the baron's army, who was knighted when one of the nobility in the south of the Harkonin fief died without an heir. And the baron gave his lands to the then captain Hamdell.
"Jarmick keep to my left" is what the former earl of Lé Dic hears sir Balick quietly say to the knight next to him on his left. Who wears a suit of armour, with steel polished to a high sheen.
Armour that the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che instantly recognises is better hanging up in a hall within a castle. Than to be worn in battle.
He'd always heard that the Jarmick family were poor. And living as they do in the very south of the Harkonin fief. They're probably the most devout of the enemy noblemen he's facing at the moment. And devout, as in a follower of the old ways. The druidic ways. And since he's from the south of the Harkonin fief. It will be the ways of the dark druids.
And that's six, sir Percavelle Lé Dic thinks to himself as all of the nobleborn, landed knights from the fief across the border to the east, who now surround him, are now identifiable to him.
The heavily armoured knight, who until now hasn't said a single word to any of the noblemen from the Harkonin fief, says "Rather pleasant day for a bit of a work out".
He looks at each and everyone of the six who have surrounded him. Who have now been given a wide birth by their soldiers who are assaulting the south wall of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
"Shame I've got no worthy opponents to face this fine, spring day" adds the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che, who continues with  "Just lickspittles, common born upstarts, and dirt poor druid lovers from that backwoods quagmire, that Raevar stinking Harkonin rules have bothered to show up. And who have the audacity to face their better. I, the great sir Percavelle".
Behind the visor of his full helm, the former earl of the Lé Dic fief grins, as both sir Jarmick and sir Hamdell roar in outrage and protest. And the dazed sir Olmard, says in a confused, and bleary tone "What did he say?".
While an unsteady sir Malmaré sways from side to side, as he groans in pain, while blood seeps down from his left shoulder plate.
Ha! Fools alright! sir Percavelle Lé Dic thinks to himself in satisfaction, as both sir Hamdell and sir Jarmick, who are on opposite sides of him, rush him. While sir Taevar the Harkonin army commander, who for a brief moment, forgets he's now a follower of the old ways, and says "Wait! By the gods, damn you wait". As the landed knights sir Hamdell and sir Jarmick charge the former earl of the Lé Dic fief.
Who still stands there in the middle of the trade road, without moving. The only move he does make, is a glance down to his right. At the heavy, canvas bag beside him. To make sure that the top of it remains open. Seeing that it still is. The heavily armoured knight in the order of Saint Mar-che grins again.
Well Percy old chap, it's begun in earnest now, sir Percavelle Lé Dic thinks to himself in satisfaction as he's rushed by two of the enemy noblemen from the Harkonin fief.
And as both sir Jarmick and sir Hamdell draw their swords as they run at him. The former knight of the first class, who was once a paladin, finally moves again as he's attacked by his enemies . . . . . .