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