The Battle at the Tulip Hills - 1431

I stared out across the hills. It was a beautiful sight. Tulips of the brightest reds and yellows scatterd the land as far as the eye could see. I wished that Lucy was sharing this moment with me. How I wanted to hold her in my arms right now and never let her go. I loved her so much that been away from her hurt more everyday.

"Wipe your tears from your eyes you big girl!" said a laughing voice by my side.

I turned and saw my best friend standing next to me. Jack Olders had been my friend since we were children and we went everywhere together. I grabbed him by the head and rubbed his hair fiercly as pay back for mocking me.

"Just because no one loves you back home!" I lauged.

As the sun began to set we returned to our camp. Thousands of tents lined the outskirts of Tulip Hills. We were a big army. We needed to be against the French invaders. It was an honour to sign up for the military and fight for our country. At least it had been at first. Our ranking officer, Captain Walter Hobbers, was a horrible man. He cared not for his soldiers. He cared not for England. The only thing he cared for was himself. His own career and the money that lined his pockets.

At first dawn we would head back out onto the fields. All of us. The entire army. We would face the French army head on. It should have been a fair battle. The squadron that I was in should have had a good chance at staying alive. Instead however we were all been sent out to die.

Captain Hobbers had ordered that squadrons 1, 2 and 3 were to head out towards the French first, with no backup from archers or cavilry. We would be walking to our deaths. We were cannon fodder. An attempt to make the French use up valuable resources by killing us. It was a horrible fate for us... but what was there we could do about it? Captain Hobbers had given his orders.

The next day arrived. The sun was high and there was not a cloud in the sky. It was a hot spring morning. The tulips shone like the sun on the tops of the hills.
We stared out at the French army ahead of us. There were many of them. I gripped my rifle. My rifle was the only thing that ould possibly keep me alive.
Jack stood by my side as he always did. I could see that he was shaking.

"We will live through this Jack," I said to him, "we'll find you love yet my friend!" We both laughed but I could tell that Jack's laughter was forced. I hated myself. Why did I make him come with me?

The horn sounded and we set forth. Squadrons 1, 2 and 3 began to slow march towards our enemies. It wasn't long before the arrows started to flie, the catapults began to fire. Our men began to drop like flies yet our orders where to keep on marching.
Soon the French sent out squadrons of their own. Their own cannon fodder. We heard the horn to attack.

At once we rushed forward, clshing into the French army. I only managed to let off three bullets from my rifle before we were too close and had to resort to hand to hand combat. But my shots had been precise. Thy always were. There were three less French an we had to worry about.
I drew my sword and swung it at any of the enemy that stood in my way. An arm was slice dof one man... a deep slash through the chest of another... the head swiped clean from anothers shoulders. I hated killing. But it was either them or me.
I looked across to Jack and saw that he too was taking down our oponants. I moved towards him and together we kept on with our advance, swinging and slicing. Blood splattered everywhere. The screams of dying men rung out in the air.
I could not beleive it. We were winning!

Then our horn sounded again. I spun on my heel and looked back to the rest of our troops still at the side of the battle. Archers were preparing to fire! I thought I was seeing things but I was not. Captian Hobbers had given the order to reign arrows down at the French army, even though we were still down here amongst them!
I stared at the face of Hobbers. He was smiling!

"Jack!" I shoute to my friend, "we have to get out of here now! We have to move before its too late!"

Someone lunged towards me with, piercing my shoulder with his sword. I turned away from Jack and thrust my own sword up into my attackers gut. Then I heard a whistling in the air. I looked up and saw a thousand arrows heading towards us. A thousand of our arrows!
I grabbed the man I had just killed and ducked under his body. The arrows hit home with deadly accuraccy. The body above me was peirced by four of these arrows.

"Jack... time to leave!" I shouted as I turned to my friend. He smiled at me although his face was pained.

"I'm sorry... Adrian..." he said before falling to his knees. One of our arrows had pierced his back.

"NO!" I screamed and ran over to him. I held him in my arms, shouting at him to get to his feet. But it was too late. Jack Olders, my best friend in the whole world, was dead. He wouldn't have even been here if it wasn't for me. However it was not I that gave the order to fire those arrows.

I looked to the top of the hill and saw captain Hobbers smiling. His sick face made my blood boil. He was ordering the archers for a second attack.

Behind me the French were sending in a second wave of their troops but I did not care. For me this battle was over and a whole new one had begun.
I stood slowly and picked up Jack's body. Then, without caring if I came under attack, I headed back up the hill towards Hobbers.

He would pay for his unhumanity...

To be continued...

The Revenge against Captain Hobbers...?

Captain Walter Hobbers... he was a disgustig, vile man. He had ordered so many of his men to death... so many of my friends... including my best friend, Jack Olders.
I held the body of my friend in my arms as I headed away from the battle, away from Tulip Hill, towards the rest of the fleet where Hobbers was standing with a smug look on his face. By the sounds of things we were now winning the battle.

When I arrived at the camp, Hobbers had retired to his tent. I was stopped by one of the officers. I didn't know him very well but I heard people call him Sheppard.

"Where do you think you're going soldier?" he asked looking at the body of my friend.

"I need to have a word with Hobbers" I growled.

Shappard stared into my eyes.He could see how angry I was. He knew what I was thinking. He seemed concerned.

"Captain Hobbers is budy at the moment," he continued, "he has told me not to let anyone through. I'm sorry."

"I don't care if he's busy," I spat, "he needs to answer for what he has done! So many of our men are dead because of his orders!"
Sheppard knew I spoke the truth. I could tell that he was a good man but was just following orders.
"I won't tell anyone you let me by," I said.

Without saying a word, the man nodded his head and stepped to one side. It looked as though he was going against everything he had ever been taught, but he was doing the right thing.
I thanked him as I strode past. Hobbers tent was in sight. I furious anger raged through me. Hobbers would pay!

I ripped open the door to the tent and stormed inside. Captain Hobbers was sitting by his desk sipping brandy and eating chicken legs. He almost chcked as I barged in. So... this was his busy work.

"What the devil are you doing in here?" he shouted and looked disgusted at Jacks body. I dumped Jack on his desk, knocking all his food and drink everywhere.

"This is the result of your orders," I shouted and pulled out one of the arrows from his back, "arrows that YOU ordered to be fired!"

"There are always msitakes in battle," he said as he stood up and backed away.

I reached down and drew my sword. A dull gleam shone off its blade, dulled by the blood of my enemies. It was soon to be stained with more.

"Mistakes in battle?" I repeated, "Well... this death will be no mistake... just another casualty of war eh?"

I stepped closer to Hobbers and raised the sword. I pointed it towards his throat. The vile man was sweating like a pig, his hands raised, pleading for mercy. Tears swelled up in his cruel eyes. I readies for the strike. My arm twitched in anticiption. My eyes stared into his... I did not flinch. All I could see was the look on Jakcs face as he died before me. Hobber deserved this for what he had done.

However, just as I was about to thrust the sword forward, plunging it into his throat, I hesitated. Something held me back. I couldn't do it. I so wanted to get my revenge, I so needed to... and I deserved it... Jack deserved it... but I couldn't do it.

Before I knew what was happening, several Sergeants had entered the tent and were dragging me away. The sword was knocked from my hands and I was punched several times in the face and stomach until I collapsed on the floor.

Hobbers wiped the tears and sweat from his face and stood proud and cockey. I looked at me and then to the Sergeants.

"Take him away," he said laughing, "throw him in a cell. Give him no food or water. Oh... and alert the people. Tell them we gather in the town tomorrow... for an execution!"

With that I was dragged away. My fate was sealed. Tomorrow I woul be hung as a traitor to my country...

To be continued...