Sunday 5 June 2016

A Battle II

See A Battle.

The Frankish allies are laeti.

Gratillonius leads the charge. They strike the Germani and the battle becomes chaos. Gratillonius' horse, Favonius, goes wild, screaming, lashing and slashing. Gratillonius keeps him away from friends.

Foes are plentiful, then gone, killed, crippled, fleeing or forming little knots which are killed by Armorican archers and slingers who collect missiles from the snow. Armorican horse and foot pursue and kill the fleeing, quitting only when exhausted. Perhaps a hundred escape but most of them will not survive among a hostile population. Peasants and garrisons will attack stragglers. A very few will take the news home.

Gratillonius and his allies have done the work of the Roman state for it. By arming and organizing, they have made themselves guilty of rebellion.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Commenting on your last paragraph. The regular authorities should have APPROVED and encouraged what Gratillonius had done. And INCORPORATED the militia he had raised as part of the administrative structure as rear area reservists. NOT in persistently opposing Gratillonius.

Sean