The Company Of The Boar’s Last Stand

The poem refers to the disasterous battle of Dunwich Vale in the spring of 1104, where goblin forces decimated the Harts’ expeditionary force to the area. Well over a dozen Harts fell attempting to hold the village; amongst them General Lysander Constantine, Baron Miles Osbourne Hulce and Baron Richard Falcon, plus every single member of The Company Of The Black Boar there present.
Records indicate that Eborus himself also fought at Dunwich vale was personally witness to the slaughter that he writes of.
Library Archivist
Spring 1105

Arrayed on the walls they defended the weak

As the enemy came onto the field

Not a man bowed his head nor escape did they seek

For never to fear would they yield
With their bows strings pulled taut they awaited the call

That would rain down both death and despair

But their Captain stood silent on the top of the wall

His eyes to the heavens in prayer
As a murder of crows were the skies on that day

As dark as the night of before

When he’d killed with his men in a mood foul and fey

All the enemy ambassadors
Admitting at last that their fate had been sealed

He looked out instead on his foe

Once the whites of their eyes in the gloom were revealed

Only then did he raise his bow
In a voice loud and clear he ordered his men

“Bring death to all those who’d oppose”

“The will of the Queen whose laws we defend”

“Leave nought left but meat for the crows”
Wave upon wave broke apart on the walls

Whilst the Company arrows still fell

But riven asunder the skies rang with thunder

Death had rung its beckoning knell
Tears of anger and grief rained on down from the sky

And the bowstrings too wet pulled their last

The ringing of swords joined the hue and the cry

While the enemy came on thick and fast
Beaten back from the gates Cooper rallied his men

As he saw Gen’ral Lysander fall

But too late they regrouped and returned to defend

Overrun was the gate and the wall
Unknown to the Company an envoy survived

And in vengeance he brought back the dead

Through the veil of sky’s tears Lysander arrived

Back to kill those in black, white and red
The Hart’s line was broken and retreat had been called

Death picked off its victims with ease

And the blood and the rain into lakes had now pooled

To the Furies a balm to appease
On that terrible day small victory was gained

When the Company decided to stand

By holding the line honour ended unstained

For the Company was wiped out to a man
Eborus, High Bard Of Albion
Spring 1104