Think you have what it takes?

Want to get some practice?

Just need an excuse to put pen to paper?

Then enter the Secret Attic Short Story Competition!

Each month you can submit an entry that will be passed onto our judges who will pick the best and award a winner. During some months the subject matter will be a 'free for all', where you can write anything you like, other months will have a specific theme.

Previous Competition Winners

February 2005 David Willshaw

April 2005 Christine Sutton

May 2005 George L Darley

July 2005 Robyn O'Hara

August 2005 Richard Adamski

September 2005 Hannah Southgate

October 2005 Crusade by Heather Parker (Ulverston, UK)

Crusade

It was June 18th, 1205, and dark days lay ahead for the serfdom of Sedgefield. Even the Baron's closest friends had not been told of his plans and the rival knights of Blair Manor and Castle Howard were suspicious. Everyone knew Sir Anthony had returned from the Court of King George and they were afraid of the terrible events that might come to pass as a result of the visit. What dreadful notions would the warrior king have put in his head this time?

Lord Blankett began to warn the country of imminent attacks by the Scots. He even had the clever idea of staging a mock attack, using travelling players in kilts and a battering ram. Unfortunately he forgot to inform the villagers and the players have been buried quietly by the duckpond. Lord Blankett still hailed it as a success, saying it 'would show the buggers what would happen if they tried to get in here.'

Yes, it was a dark time for the barony and an even darker one for the followers of Sir Alex de Salmond in the godless north. Sir Anthony of Sedgefield was about to announce the Great Crusade and Scotland was to be liberated! And as Jack Daw, the Baron's emissary, would be at pains to point out - they had no interest in the oil recently discovered by a lone shrimper in the sea off the Orkney Isles and he was very hurt that anyone could suggest it.

And so it was on June 19th, the people of England discovered they were at war. The first thought to cross the villagers' minds was where could they hide? They did not wish to leave their comfortable hovels, equipped with fresh water conveniently running down the walls and one good square meal a week. But where could they find sanctuary?

One bright lad came up with the interesting idea of hiding in the convent but the Abbess of Widdecombe was a formidable lady and would discover his ploy, wimple or no wimple. The situation was desperate.

Many of Sir Anthony's knights were equally unhappy about the campaign. They were not by nature a warrior cult and they couldn't understand the new philosophy which seemed to have taken root. Across the Blue River, the Earl of Howard was having problems of his own. The two previous owners had vacated the Castle after only a short stewardship but he had promised to restore it to its former glory. It was not to be and jousting contests will be held shortly to choose his successor. All waited in trepidation for the meeting of the Great Council, when the knights would cross swords, metaphorically it was hoped. Although there had been that nasty incident with the mace.
Meanwhile, throughout England, the Campaign for No Deaths on the Battlefield or CND as it had become known, was planning its strategy. Banners appeared, proclaiming the message "Knot in Meye Kname!"

Direct action in Sedgefield was trickier, as Lord Blankett refused to let the protesters march into the village, saying it would upset the oxen. The duckpond was as far as he would go and only if those involved carried boards with their names and hovel numbers on.
'The innocent have nothing to fear,' he insisted, smiling gently. But his men fully expected trouble if the maniacal Scotsman, Lord Charles, were to speak. He only had a small estate but felt he had a right to oppose the established rulers of the country! The increasing popularity of this man amongst the peasants worried him. The last thing they needed was a leader who espoused peace - what manner of man was this?

Naturally Sir Anthony employed a scribe to write articles for the Plantagenet Bugle and it was his patriotic duty to cast doubt on the Scotsman's loyalty to his country and the great King George. Was he just an innocent appeaser or secretly working with De Salmond? Could anyone really know?
And so, having set the scene, our story begins on June 20th in the Great Chamber with Sir Anthony's weekly "Ask Me Another" session.

'Will my honourable friend please tell us what is to be gained by invading Scotland?' asked Sir Menzies Camberwell, an ally of Lord Charles.
His knights nodded in unison as knights of the realm do. Classes for synchronised head nodding and group murmuring were held weekly in the Lesser Chamber.
'Let me make it perfectly clear,' replied Sir Anthony, getting to his feet and tapping the carved trunk. 'I care passionately about education.'
Sir Menzies looked perplexed.
'And furthermore, I accept full responsibility. And lessons will be learned, by those who need to learn them - not me of course.'
He was pleased with his answer and the knights cheered, waking Sir John Wainscot who had been dozing gently in his chair. He was bewildered and waved his order parchment in the air, starting a craze which was to last for many centuries.
'Order, Order,' called a man wearing a strange wig on his head.
The Earl of Howard was on his feet now. 'Mr Speaker, could I ask my right honourable friend if Scotland poses an imminent threat to England?'
This was obviously cunning and avoided saying whether he agreed with the action or not.
'I have already answered that question,' retorted Sir Anthony, looking hurt. 'And the September Tome is available for anyone to read. The inclusion of the section by Tacitus, wrongly attributed to Sir Geoffrey, was just an unfortunate mistake - but not made by me.' There was more hurling of parchments, the knights having quite taken to this new idea.

But it was the next speaker who started the riot. A bubbly cheery character, Sir Gordon got to his feet and spoke for no more than three hours. He succinctly put forward the reasons for war; border raids in Carlisle, the use of bagpipes as weapons of mass destruction and tartan carpets.
Most people could see the justification and began to sympathise with the cause - until he announced the return of National Service, an increase in taxes and a rise in the price of oats for the horses, due to instability in the markets in Scotland. The Chamber erupted...

Meanwhile back in the village, Mistress Margaret Beckwith was doing the milking. Sir Anthony had made her responsible for the countryside and she contentedly watched the Abbess of Widdecombe walking towards Castle Howard with the fair Lady Edwina. That estate seemed to change hands so often nowadays. Mistress Beckwith had been glad to see the young Lord Will disappear, as he was awfully good in the Great Chamber. The next man to inherit, Earl Dunkin-Smyth, reigned only a short while before dissension amongst his knights forced him to take refuge in a monastery south of Eccles.
'You have heard we are at war then, Mistress?' called the fair Edwina, almost dropping her basket of eggs as she waved.

'Of course. I mean Sir Anthony would have told us soon. How did you find out so quickly?'
'It was in the Plantagenet Bugle, dear,' replied the formidable Abbess, smiling sweetly. 'We thought you would know.'

There was a loud, distressed mooing from the unfortunate cow as Mistress Beckwith clenched her fists, quite forgetting she had hold of her udder at the time.
'Pardon, Margaret? Didn't quite catch that,' said Edwina, her face serious. The two ladies continued on their way.

And so began one of the bloodiest episodes in British history – and there have been a lot. In spite of the opposition, the war went ahead. The crusade dragged on for many a year and thousands died in the bitter fighting. Sir Alex de Salmond was removed from power and the government began to rebuild Scotland. Some pointed out it did not require repair until England invaded but many builders' guilds from Manchester were on hand to help.

In other ways the campaign was a disaster. Feuds broke out between the inhabitants of Glasgow and Edinburgh and the country was close to civil war. King George had lost all interest, declaring that the Irish were becoming more of a threat and his troops were needed there.
The people of Scotland suffered the most. Many were afraid to come out of their cottages and normal life became impossible. They were told they were free and that was nice but it was hard to feel grateful. They might be accused of subversion and thrown into the dungeons of Edinburgh Castle, where it was said there really were fates worse than death.

And Sir Anthony? He still defended his crusade loudly and firmly in the Great Chamber but his followers were quiet and subdued. Somehow, the speeches had a hollow ring now. One or two parchments fluttered in the air but some of the knights felt uncomfortable and strangely guilty.
Perhaps they had misjudged the threat?

Like so many others, they had dreamed of a new millennium, without war and without suffering. Perhaps in another thousand years…