Ye Ballade o' Fair Lady Mary Bell - Verse I

 Tonight, I played "Verse I" of a small Border Reivers campaign I have half thought out in the days that have passed since I posted the recently painted Border Reiver figures. I have a rough concept in mind, we will just have to see how many games I actually manage to get played and where the nascent mental screenplay leads us! 

These are the very simple rules used to play the game.

Initial layout. Fair Lady Mary Bell and her maid Mistress Jessie Nixon and their escort wend their way along a quiet Border valley.

A short distance away, a small hamlet beckons, promising a brief rest and perhaps some food and drink to sustain them on their journey, for the Border folk are renowned for their hospitality towards travellers.

Suddenly, Jessie screams, as from the wooded hill to their right, three fearsome horsemen canter towards the small party.

Ahead, another mounted trio thunder past the awestruck farming folk.

The air is rent as shots ring out and smoke billows around as the Calivermen of the escort send their lead balls hurtling towards the closing attackers. One of the closer group is affrighted and takes to his heels back towards the safety of the wooded hill!

The other two horsemen press on, the mounted Heidman charging towards the leader of Lady Mary's escort.

Whilst his lance armed companion closes in on a caliverman.

A flash of steel and clash of blades - and despite the advantage of being mounted, it is the Reiver Heidman who comes off worse, reeling back with a bloody wound - he will take no further part in the combat this day!

The caliverman, however, is not so staunch to his lady's cause, dropping his weapon in terror and waving his empty hands in a show of surrender.

"Quickly, my Lady, take cover behind this stone dyke" shouts one of the escorts, as the Reivers mill around on their tough little horses, slashing down with their wicked blades.

As the wounded Heidman heads towards the safety of the woods, four of the remaining horsemen dismount and advance menacingly towards the wall.

The second Reiver heidman and a Reiver take on the English leader, whilst the other two Reivers line up on one of the calivermen.

"Hurry, ladies, back down this way" the remaining caliverman shouts to his charges, as the last mounted Reiver, previously driven off by a whistling ball of lead, returns to the fray.

Disaster for the foot party - their leader is mortally wounded in the melee and falls to the ground, breathing his last.

But his sturdy caliverman wins his combat and wounds one of the attacking Reivers - that's one less of the rogues in the fight!

The one remaining mounted Reiver overcomes a caliverman in combat and the latter throws up his hands in surrender. Meanwhile, the remaining foot troops, although now leaderless, continue to resist, letting loose a round of fire, but to no effect!

The victorious heidman, having made sure the enemy leader is dead, moves along the wall towards Lady Mary and Jessie Nixon.

One of the local farmers has rushed over to help the ladies party, but he is easily defeated by an experienced Reiver, and driven back, wounded.

The ladies cower behind the protection of the last two calivermen and the wall.

"Look out, m'Lady!" cries one of the calivermen as he fires at the mounted Reiver - but misses!

Behind him, his coverman is engaged by the Reiver heidman, and suffers the same fate as his late leader, dropping lifeless to the wet, boggy moor!

Away from the immediate vicinity of the ladies, the struggle sways to and fro - one defeated caliverman is being led away by the victorious Reiver, when another charges in and overpowers him - now the Reiver is a prisoner!

General view of the action - the one mounted Reiver (top left) has just about reached Lady Mary, whilst to the mid right, two more villagers are rushing to the aid of the ambushed party.

Secret words pass between the Reiver and the ladies ........

The captured Reiver is dragged towards the village......

..... as Lady Mary and Jessie follow the Reiver over the stone wall and mount the two pack mules.

Meanwhile, the remaining Reivers also remount, and head back the way they came, into the shelter of the wooded hillside.

Leaving behind one unfortunate colleague, who will likely feel the Wardens noose around his neck before too many days have passed!

The butcher's bill was relatively high, for so few engaged - the leader of the escort and one caliverman killed, and a caliverman and local farmer wounded, whilst the Reivers had a heidman and Reiver wounded and another Reiver captured. (The Reivers, in their haste to be gone, released the two calivermen who had surrendered earlier in the fight)

Overview of the final situation as the Reivers withdraw with their "captives."

Strange to relate, but the Fair Lady Mary does not appear to be too concerned about the turn of events......

To Be Continued!