YoungLisa
She Wolf
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2008
- Posts
- 2,974
OOC For nearly two years I have wanted to write with a man who has supported me through the China Pearl Inn, its founder – C G Raven or as we love to call him CG. At last I can do this. I know time restraints will make his postings few and far between but it is worth the wait to fulfil this ambition. I hope the readers will enjoy reading it as much as we enjoy writing it.
After the Romans left the British Isles in 410AD the breakdown of law and civilisation was fairly swift. To counter the raids from continental pirates, the indigenous communities hired mercenaries from Europe to defend them from attack. These mercenary soldiers were Angles and Saxons from northern Germany.
The deal was that the mercenaries brought their families with them, and got paid with land which they could farm. Eventually the Anglo Saxon mercenaries realised that they were stronger than their employers and appear to have taken over the running of areas themselves. The new Anglo Saxon invaders were not organised centrally, as the Romans had been, or as the Normans would be. They slowly colonised northwards and westwards, pushing the native Celts to the fringes of Britain. Roman Britain was replaced by Anglo Saxon Britain, with the Celtic peoples remaining in Cornwall, Wales, Scotland and some even sailed to Ireland. The Anglo Saxon areas eventually combined into kingdoms, and by 850 AD the country had three competing kingdoms of Mercia, Northumbria and Wessex, not only were the kingdoms competing between themselves, but they were also under sustained attack from Viking raids.
The Viking incursions culminated with a "Great Army" landing in East Anglia in 865 AD. It made wide territorial gains, and by 875 the kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria had succumbed. Only Wessex remained as Anglo Saxon.
The Vikings attacked Wessex in 878, and the Saxon king, Alfred (of burning the cakes fame) had to flee to the Somerset marshes. However he was able to regroup and counter attack. His efforts and those later of his son and grandsons, gradually pushed the Vikings northwards and eventually into the sea.
Our story is set in the Wessex village of Woking, now a town in modern day Surrey shortly after Alfred has fled to Somerset.
ICThe Saxon village of Woking proved very stubborn opponents to the invasion. Even after Alfred fled the small resistance group continued to attack the Vikings causing death, destruction and disruption to the invader’s plans. Raeden and his seven sons led the rebellion but one by one they fell in battle leaving his daughter to lead the remnant. Acca had learned much from her brothers, how to handle a sword, use a bow and arrow, and above all leadership. Six foot tall, blonde hair, blue eyes and weighing a comfortable thirteen stone Acca had all the dynamism of a man locked into a woman’s body. Her father and brothers had trained her well in the art of fighting. As she approached her nineteenth birthday she had genuinely defeated each of them in mock battle and yet they still would not allow her to join them in the field. After the battle in which Raeden and his last surviving son died Acca organised the cremation before calling together the ever decreasing resistance movement.
“We don’t have time to mourn” she said firmly “We have to make these Vikings regret they ever landed here. They can murder, rape, burn and steal. But they will have no peace until they have killed each and every one of us.” The small group of survivors rallied round Acca and over the next seven months she led them in raid after raid as against all the odds they inflicted defeat after defeat on the invaders. Acca’s name was on the lips of every Saxon in the Woking area, and even more, it brought fear into the hearts of the Vikings.
So concerned were the invaders that they summoned Hedin the Bloodthirsty back from his battles with Alfred to bring an end to the uprising in Woking and to remove Acca from the equation once and for all.
The rain was falling heavily onto the roof of Acca’s tent when she was awoken by Drew, one of the scouts. “The Vikings have called Hedin back to deal with you. If you’re quick you can escape before he and his army attack. You know what he’ll do to you if he captures you.”
Acca called an assembly of the warriors and stood to address them. “I hear Hedin has been called back to deal with us. No doubt he is already planning an attack so let’s surprise him by striking first.” She could feel the unrest and concern in the camp so she raised her voice holding her sword in her hand. “ONE MORE BATTLE!”
The warriors soon caught her mood and repeated “ONE MORE BATTLE!” They beat their swords onto their shields in time with each word. But secretly Acca feared she might be contemplating a battle too far.
After the Romans left the British Isles in 410AD the breakdown of law and civilisation was fairly swift. To counter the raids from continental pirates, the indigenous communities hired mercenaries from Europe to defend them from attack. These mercenary soldiers were Angles and Saxons from northern Germany.
The deal was that the mercenaries brought their families with them, and got paid with land which they could farm. Eventually the Anglo Saxon mercenaries realised that they were stronger than their employers and appear to have taken over the running of areas themselves. The new Anglo Saxon invaders were not organised centrally, as the Romans had been, or as the Normans would be. They slowly colonised northwards and westwards, pushing the native Celts to the fringes of Britain. Roman Britain was replaced by Anglo Saxon Britain, with the Celtic peoples remaining in Cornwall, Wales, Scotland and some even sailed to Ireland. The Anglo Saxon areas eventually combined into kingdoms, and by 850 AD the country had three competing kingdoms of Mercia, Northumbria and Wessex, not only were the kingdoms competing between themselves, but they were also under sustained attack from Viking raids.
The Viking incursions culminated with a "Great Army" landing in East Anglia in 865 AD. It made wide territorial gains, and by 875 the kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria had succumbed. Only Wessex remained as Anglo Saxon.
The Vikings attacked Wessex in 878, and the Saxon king, Alfred (of burning the cakes fame) had to flee to the Somerset marshes. However he was able to regroup and counter attack. His efforts and those later of his son and grandsons, gradually pushed the Vikings northwards and eventually into the sea.
Our story is set in the Wessex village of Woking, now a town in modern day Surrey shortly after Alfred has fled to Somerset.
ICThe Saxon village of Woking proved very stubborn opponents to the invasion. Even after Alfred fled the small resistance group continued to attack the Vikings causing death, destruction and disruption to the invader’s plans. Raeden and his seven sons led the rebellion but one by one they fell in battle leaving his daughter to lead the remnant. Acca had learned much from her brothers, how to handle a sword, use a bow and arrow, and above all leadership. Six foot tall, blonde hair, blue eyes and weighing a comfortable thirteen stone Acca had all the dynamism of a man locked into a woman’s body. Her father and brothers had trained her well in the art of fighting. As she approached her nineteenth birthday she had genuinely defeated each of them in mock battle and yet they still would not allow her to join them in the field. After the battle in which Raeden and his last surviving son died Acca organised the cremation before calling together the ever decreasing resistance movement.
“We don’t have time to mourn” she said firmly “We have to make these Vikings regret they ever landed here. They can murder, rape, burn and steal. But they will have no peace until they have killed each and every one of us.” The small group of survivors rallied round Acca and over the next seven months she led them in raid after raid as against all the odds they inflicted defeat after defeat on the invaders. Acca’s name was on the lips of every Saxon in the Woking area, and even more, it brought fear into the hearts of the Vikings.
So concerned were the invaders that they summoned Hedin the Bloodthirsty back from his battles with Alfred to bring an end to the uprising in Woking and to remove Acca from the equation once and for all.
The rain was falling heavily onto the roof of Acca’s tent when she was awoken by Drew, one of the scouts. “The Vikings have called Hedin back to deal with you. If you’re quick you can escape before he and his army attack. You know what he’ll do to you if he captures you.”
Acca called an assembly of the warriors and stood to address them. “I hear Hedin has been called back to deal with us. No doubt he is already planning an attack so let’s surprise him by striking first.” She could feel the unrest and concern in the camp so she raised her voice holding her sword in her hand. “ONE MORE BATTLE!”
The warriors soon caught her mood and repeated “ONE MORE BATTLE!” They beat their swords onto their shields in time with each word. But secretly Acca feared she might be contemplating a battle too far.
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