God Save the King?

October, 1664. Outside Oxford
Rain pattered on John's helmet. He considered himself lucky to have one, for many pikemen in the King's Army had only a hat, and maybe a padded shirt to protect them from gunfire, sabers, and other pikes. He thought wistfully of his home in Wales, and of his mother and father, his brothers, who most likely have been killed by Roundheads already. With that, he snapped back to reality and heard the thudding of horse hooves on ground. He looked at his Sargent, Robert, and said, "Did you hear that?"
"Aye lad, I did"
"What do you think it is?"
"Sounds to me like a Roundhead Cavalry Patrol"
"Should we prepare for attack?"
"Aye."
 
As soon as the sergeant had spoken, a small group of light cavalry came charging over the hill. At the top of his lungs, Sergeant Robert ordered "Lower pikes!"
All of the pikemen in the regiment did so. "Ready! Charge!" John hated that order. Nothing was worse than running uphill, with an eleven foot long shaft of wood, at screaming cavalry. Rain, which had been bearable while standing still, became intensely painful as the water cascaded into his eyes, making it difficult to see. A trooper charged at him, and tried slashing at him with his saber. John quickly stabbed him in the throat with his pike. John grabbed as much of the trooper's gear as he could, and stuffed it in his bag Everything suddenly got quiet, and somebody began cheering. Must be a new recruit, Thought John. No one else picked it up. John thought We're just to damn tired to cheer. The kid's lucky he made it out alive. John knew many people who didn't. That's why it didn't pay to make friends. Roberts said "All right lads. Let's get a grave dug." John groaned. He wasn't the only one.
 

Krall

Banned
I have a few questions about this story so far:

1. Why would a pike regiment be sitting in the middle of nowhere in battle formation?

2. Why would you charge cavalry with pikes? Seriously, the cavalry will die in droves if they charge into the pikes, and I don't think pikemen ever 'charged' so much as 'slowly walked forwards'.

3. He stabbed someone in the throat with a pike? Not likely, a throat is quite a small target, and really a pikeman would just be pointing his pike forwards not moving it to any great extent, waiting for the charging horses to skewer themselves on their pikes, not stabbing horsemen in the throat.

4. What kind of moron charges pikes with cavalry?

5. What's this 'grabbing the dead trooper's gear' business? For one, I doubt that they ever did that, and for two, if he's holding a pike how does he have a free hand to pick 'gear' off a dead soldier and stuff it in his bag?
 
I have a few questions about this story so far:

1. Why would a pike regiment be sitting in the middle of nowhere in battle formation?

2. Why would you charge cavalry with pikes? Seriously, the cavalry will die in droves if they charge into the pikes, and I don't think pikemen ever 'charged' so much as 'slowly walked forwards'.

3. He stabbed someone in the throat with a pike? Not likely, a throat is quite a small target, and really a pikeman would just be pointing his pike forwards not moving it to any great extent, waiting for the charging horses to skewer themselves on their pikes, not stabbing horsemen in the throat.

4. What kind of moron charges pikes with cavalry?

5. What's this 'grabbing the dead trooper's gear' business? For one, I doubt that they ever did that, and for two, if he's holding a pike how does he have a free hand to pick 'gear' off a dead soldier and stuff it in his bag?
To be honest, I know it wasn't that accurate, but I saw the thing in a dream, and I really wanted to put this in there. Sorry. (This more or less answers 2-4, and as for 1, I forgot to mention that they are guarding the area around Oxford (The capital of the Cavaliers, and as for 5, I forgot to mention again that he dropped his pike. :eek:)
BTW, update soon!
 
Ah, a Cavalier victory timeline. Excellent choice, a royalist victory will greatly alter the timeline. Your prose style is good, IU anxiuosly await further, and hopefully lengthier intallments.
 
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