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The citizens of Bretin gathered around the old man in the villages lone tavern. Usually the bar room would have one or two drunken patrons, or on a busy night the barmaids would serve as many as ten townsfolk at once. Tonight the room was packed full with villagers eager to listen to an old veterans war stories. The old man was pleased to have the attention.
When I was a young man I was a competent swordsmen. I had to be in order to join the Duke's Second Swords. We were the best company of soldiers in the Duke's army. The best trained, best led and best equipped. When there was a battle we were in the thick of it, we held the center. I do not tell you this to brag or to impress. I tell you so that you will listen and take to heart what I am about to tell you.
It was the first day of the Battle of Moors Bridge, and as you all know the Duke's army was fighting a defensive war after the invasion of the Northmen. The bridge had to be held or the enemy would have a clear run to the road leading to our Keep and to this very village. The Second Swords were tasked with defending that bridge against anything that came across it. We failed in our duty that day, although I'd say no company of men would have done better, and I tell you this story so that maybe you will not fail in yours.
I was a Sergeant in the Second Swords back then, and as I said, I was an excellent swordsmen. We had fortified our side of the bridge and had repelled multiple attacks from the Northmen. The barbarians were strong men and excellent fighters, but they lacked in disciple and decent arms and armor. This gave us the advantage and allowed us to hold the bridge without taking heavy losses. We had just put down the most recent attackers when a mist started to come off the water. My men and I could feel the temperature change in the air and see the mist turning into a thick fog. That is when I first saw the doom of the Second Swords walking across the bridge.
It looked as if this Northman was born out of the mist. The bridge was empty and then a hulking barbarian who must have been seven feet tall marched out toward our position. Wearing full plate armor, and holding a sword as long as that bar stool there, the behemoth walked as lightly as if he wore nothing but leather. Our Captain yelled for the men to make ready for an attack. We braced for more of the enemy to come charging from the fog, but only the giant walked slowly across the bridge. This was not the Northmen's way. During the other attacks they had come screaming and raving toward us. This man walked across the bridge and seemed to have no care in the world. As large as he was it seemed like suicide for him to come across that bridge alone.
When it was clear that only one of the barbarians were coming across the bridge the Captain ordered four men to move out with him toward the enemy. I am sure he thought that this was a single crazed warrior and that five men would quickly put the Northman down before returning to friendly lines. To all of our dismay when the Captain came close enough the giant northman charged. One second the hulking beast was slowly walking and the next he had covered half the distance to the Captain and the men who accompanied him.
The Captain and the others barely had time to get their shields up before that thing was among them. Two of our men were felled the first time the barbarian swung his over sized sword. The other two men stepped forward to take their fallen comrades place. This time it took the Northman two swings to kill the two men. Around this time I finally regained my senses and ordered our entire company to move forward across the bridge. We marched out knowing that this avatar of war would kill many but would eventually fall to our superior numbers. Sadly we did not make it in time to save the Captain. He was foolish to not fall back toward us, and instead of doing the sensible thing he raised his shield and charged in. The barbarian grabbed the Captains shield, pulled it straight from the Captain's arm, and stopped him mid-charge. Our leader was defenseless when the giant swung his sword and removed the Captains head from his shoulders.
Upon witnessing our Captains murder I bellowed for the company to charge forward. That man was our leader and we all respected him. We planned to have vengeance, but a horde of the barbarians charged out of the fog toward us from across the bridge. I knew then that we had been tricked. The fog and the giant coming across the bridge were a distraction, but this attack was meant to wipe us off the bridge. I am ashamed to say that it went quickly once battle was joined. The barbarians fought with a fervor I had not previously seen. Most likely inspired by their leader. Myself, I was only spared because the giant barbarian struck me with a closed fist as he cleaved another man in two with his sword. The force of that strike was great enough to send me flying over the bridge wall and into the quick moving waters below. After that the only thing I remember is washing up on shore and being carted to a field hospital once I was found.
I do not tell you all this story to frighten you. Although all of you should be frightened. I tell you this story so that all of you know that preparing for the Northmen's next invasion should be the most important thing in any of our lives. All the men here will be required to fight and all the men here will be worth much more on the battlefield if they are properly trained beforehand. We must form a professional militia now before it is too late and hope that is enough when the Northmen come. And they will come.
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