MedievalAuthor
Historical fiction by Jean L Gorman
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The Battle of Mortimer's Cross

The Yorkists and the Lancastrians faced off at Mortimer's Cross. By this time, 1461 AD, guns, though primitive, were used in battles.
The Yorkists were led by the young (18yrs) Edward of York.

As dawn broke, three suns were seen to be rising. The appearance of this phenomenon so soon before the battle frightened his troops, but Edward convinced them that it represented the Holy Trinity and that therefore God was on their side. He later took it as his emblem, the "Sun in splendour"
He later became King Edward




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Before the battle, knights fully prepared in their armour are nervously boasting their prowess.
Leaders discuss their tactics and send orders to the pikemen and archers to assemble.
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Pikemen stand bedore the archers to protect them against any charge by horses. Archers in white stand behind the armoured troops and start to shoot as soon as the enemy is within range.
The knights in front watch, wondering if the parley may yet avoid battle.
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A small group of archers loose the first ragged volley, getting their eye in and the range of the enemy. After this they settle to a regular fifteen arrows a minute. Thus, with even just a thousand archers, 15,000 arrows rain down on the foe in the first minute. After about five minutes they are running round collecting spent arrows from the ground. 
Meanwhile those in the front ranks look uncertainly at the enemy, waiting for the order to engage.

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