Chapter 2
What began as the steady puffs of wind and tiny droplets of rain, soon escalated into the worst forked thunderstorm.
The twenty-five metre long vessels that carried William and his army began to swirl from side to side, the water splashing over the men at full force.
The deafening neigh of the horses filled the sea as the seafarers struggled to get the ships to safety. The horses feared the storms but they had been put in stalls equipped with canvas slings that went under each horse's belly, helping to keep it steady against the pitch and roll of the ship. At least they were safe. All that was left was to keep the ships safe until the storms died down.
No one foresaw the thunderstorm when they set sail a month ago from the mouth of the Dives. Knowing the ships were completely dependent on a favorable wind, they waited till the wind was just right before they set sail and meeting a storm halfway their journey was a surprise.
Every thunderbolt that hit the wild sea twisted William's gut, his worrying increasing steadily at the sight of his men fighting the Strom for their lives.
Two hundred men on fifty ships was not sufficient, William thought, the storm was going to take with it a lot of his warriors.
The heavy weight of their armoury at the bottom of the ship prevented broaching by thwarting the force of wind on the ships. The storms were tremendous. Some of the ships got pulled off, but others sank when so much water was brought aboard.
By the time the Norman fleet landed at Pevensey, William had lost most of his men at sea. The ten thousand men he set sail with now stood at seven thousand.
He stood there in bereavement ready to let go of his faith of defeating Harold, but the codes of chivalry - himself, asked his men to recite before they were ordained knights kept replaying in his head.
"To fight for the farewell of all,
...to keep faith,
…to persevere to the end in any enterprise begun,"
William knew he had to be the leader his men looked up to and lead them to win in honor of those lost at sea. This wasn't the time to cry over the dead but let their death be an inspiration for their success.
He ordered his men to build a wooden castle at the coast.
Night descended on Hastings with William's castle fully erected and his men were in position for any surprise attack from the English. He had already received word that Harold and his men had taken a defensive position at the top of Senlac Hill six miles away from their camp.
This gave Harold and his men an advantage over the Normans. Not only did it give them a bird's eye view of the battlefield, but also was set to weaken the Normans after they had made an arduous climb to up the hill.
The day aroused with terrible sound of trumpets on both sides, sending an eerie atmosphere over hastings. This was more of a warning of the impending bloodshed.
William and his men knew it was time to get the throne of England. He climbed his horse and faced the seven thousand men who hailed him with a loud cheer. He raised his sword up high and silence descended the Normans camp.
"Today, we head to war. Let me tell you all something you already know. The battlefield is not a walk through roses under a gloomy moon with a lover. It is where we show our enemies where power lies. The anglo-saxon troops may have an advantage over us now. They may have formed a defensive shield that may seem impossible for us to break through but I don't see that as an advantage. I see that as cowardice and this should give us the faith that we can defeat them, and with the help of God, we shall."
He paused and scanned through the seven thousand men who stood in front of him. Then he added.
"We didn't battle through the storms for months to be trampled on by the saxons. Some of us will make it alive out of this battlefield some of us won't, but if we are going to die, we have to do so as heroes. We have to be remembered after our deaths as heroes who died risking our lives for a greater cause. As heroes who died honouring the Knight's code of chivary. Which is why we will climb uphill and be heroes that we are supposed to be!"
He bellowed what seemed like a chant and the men roared the same chant after him.
They marched in chainmail hauberks armour of knee-length, with slits to allow riding, some with sleeves to the elbows. They wore on their heads a conical metal helmet with a band of metal extending down to protect the nose. The Horsemen and infantry carried shields. Both the infantry and cavalry carried a straight sword, long and double-edged swords. Some of the infantry also used javelins and long spears. Archers held their self-bows and crossbows.
To win, the saxons needed to stay behind their shield wall, to allow the Normans to be decimated in repeated assaults, and then sweep forward to defeat them. In contrast, William led his men to climb the slope to be within bowshot of the English – a couple of hundred metres at most - then destroy the English line with archers and infantry, then the cavalry could ride through and finish off the broken remnants.
Harold's forces repulsed the first Norman attacks, the English battle-axes cleaving the Norman shields and armour. William's forces regrouped, but then some of them on the left flank, hearing a rumour that the duke had been killed, they fled in panic. William wasn't seen on the battle field and some of the saxons saw their fear and began to pursue them down the hill. They couldn't maintain the orders by Harold not to give up their high ground and charged after the normans.
To stop the panic spreading and rally his troops, William rode out of nowhere in front of them.
Raising his helmet to show his face, he shouted, "Look at me! I live, and with God's help I shall conquer!"
This gave his men a renewed hope. In a successful counter-charge, the Norman troops surrounded the pursuing English forces on a hillock and annihilated them. They were completely outnumbered and there was no way out.
Blood filled the land. The battlefield lay quiet. The clanging of swords, the hissing of arrows and the shouting of the slaughtered had died away. Thousands of men killed in battle. Harold had already lost thousands in his encounter with Harald. All hope seemed lost.
He turned to look at the faces of the few saxons behind him, the disappointment of losing all over their faces. His eyes turned back to look at the impending figures of Norman army, everything seemed to move in slow motion.
He took steps back, removed his helmet and dropped his shield.
He can't have this throne! Not as long as I'm alive. He thought.
"Try to keep them off the Gates," he shouted and hopped back on his horse. With the speed of lighting, he headed West.