Through Shadow Deep, 1421 - Setting

22rd March, 1421.

The Battle of Bauge has been fought throughout the day, with a confused and fiercely contested melee taking place around the Chapel of Fauborg St Michael and its cemetery, finishing with the English soundly defeated. The day ends with an action by Salisbury attempting to rescue the holdouts of the English army, as well as attempting to recover some of the bodies.

Just before Dawn, 23rd March, 1421, Easter Sunday. 

John de Covham, Baron of Covham wakes from being knocked unconscious during the melee. Sitting up, he finds himself surrounded by the dead and injured. A handful of other survivors are confusedly looking around and attempting to assess the situation and immediate dangers - apart from the French being in the locality, scavengers have descended onto the battlefield to strip the corpses and those too weak to defend themselves.

Amongst the small group of survivors - a mere handful of men at arms and archers - Covham finds himself the senior voice, and the decision is made to strike out and attempt to reach either the English army in retreat, or to make way through to English held territory. All know how dangerous this is likely to be, as they remain in the midst of hostile forces, terrain and locality, but a small party has a better chance of slipping through unnoticed.

Taking what they can from the field for travelling goods, weapons and supplies, the group departs through the thick morning mists as the sun rises, leaving the cemetery before anyone can detect their presence, out into a ruined land.