Cavaliers and Roundheads Episode 4 How now King's Cow

November 5th, 1642.  Currently stationed at recently captured Banbury Castle Captain Hewitt has dispatched Sargent Charles Osbury and Mable banks with Plunket and Towne to travel to the market at Wardington to pick up a small herd of cattle from Edmund Bray which were to be used to provision the King's Lifeguard.  The cattle have been paid for but they must be driven back to the castle.  

Upon arrival in Wardington the Royalist party discovered that Edmund Bray had been killed by a troop of Parliamentarian militia and the King's cattle stolen.  Their trail was easy enough to pick up.  They were heading east into a stretch of wooded area.    

    

After tracking the cattle thieves for about an hour they came up on the rear of the Parliamentarian column.  The militia members were having a hard time controlling the herd as they traveled through the wood.  As the Royalist were planning their attack they heard someone shout out "Stop in the name of the Queen!"  It was the Sir Roberte and his party challenging the Roundhead men.  He was apparently still under the delusion that Queen Elizabeth had returned from the grave.     

Mable, Plunket, and Towne took up a position on a hill behind the Parliamentarians and took aim at two of the men trying to catch up to some wayward cows.  Charles waited just behind the hill on his charger ready to join the fight.  

 

Sir Roberte and his party began to argue with the enemy soldiers.  The Roundheads seem both confused and amused at his insistence that Queen Elizabeth was alive and trying to regain the throne.  At first they began laughing at his but when they realized he was serious they fell into formation and raised their muskets.  

  

As the shooting began the Royalists joined the fight picking off the stragglers of the Parliamentarian militia.  

Sir Roberte and his party defiantly charged the green coated soldiers leading the cattle, taking down several of their number.  

As Sargent Osbury charged past a thicket a Parliamentarian marksman hit him in the back, wounding him badly.  

Sir Roberte continued to create havoc among the enemy troops supported by his motley band.  The green coats continued to fall back under his charge trying to find cover.  Though old and addled Sir Roberte was still a fearsome combatant.    

  

Charles spun his horse around and charged the marksman that wounded him discharging his pistol at short range almost exactly as Plunket shot at the man.  Both shots struck the Roundhead and he fell among the scrub.  

The militia scattered in all directions confused as to who was attacking them and from what direction.  A young woman in Sir Roberte's party was shot, causing his squire and another woman to charge the shooter and cut him down in their rage.  

 

Mable Banks ran to help the wounded woman and although she was able to keep her from dying she was challenged by the Knight's followers so she withdrew.  

Sir Roberte charged Charles as he came around a hill giving him a buffet with the handle of his hammer despite that fact that Charles has just shot one of the green coats.  "Stay out of this King's man!" The knight shouted.   

After the last of the Roundheads had been dispatched the Royalists and Sir Roberte's party stood apart from each other once again.  The herd had begun to scatter in every direction during the skirmish and there was a real chance most the herd would be lost.  Charles asked for a temporary truce to prevent this from happening and Sir Roberte agreed.  

With both parties working the herd was once again gathered together.  Charles promised Sir Roberte that if they helped get the cattle back to Banbury castle he would try and find better lodging for the "Queen's" court.  Roberte agreed and the whole host set off together.  

Captain Hewitt was amused by Sir Roberte and his party.  As a reward for helping bring in the herd Hewitt granted the old knight a run down manor outside of Banbury for he and his "Queen" and promised him that he would set up an audience with King Charles to resolve the matter of the two rulers.  The Captain of course had no intention of actually approaching the King about the old man's Queen but Sir Roberte fell for the ruse and was quite pleased.  

Notes:  It's been almost two weeks since we played this game but I've been really busy and unable to Blog.  We've also had another session since that I will also need to get put up.  The details about this game are a bit fuzzy in my mind but this is a pretty fair representation of the events.  I hope to have Sir Roberte show up in the future to cause more mischief for the player characters.  Eventually he will likely go away if he doesn't get himself killed but we shall see what the future holds.