Honestly, this is the last prelude to the actual Battle of Fulford Gate. In it I describe how the Anglo-Saxons set out their forces in readiness for the coming struggle. Also, I give Coenred and Sigbert a chance to voice their opinions. They are both men of long experience of warfare and, as they are both still hale and hearty, clearly good warriors. I enjoyed giving them the last words to speak on the subject of a battle yet to begun.

I found the task describing in detail how the two armies were constituted and deployed within the landscape quite difficult. I have read accounts of actual battles in other historical fiction novels and sometimes became lost as the conflict progressed. It was my intent to try and avoid that. The fact that the Saxons held a line along Germany Beck with the river on one flank and the marshes on the other helped, but as you will see in an installment to come, things do not stay static in a battle.

Below is a PDF file of the chapter under discussion. Please, click on the link and enjoy.