Your Majesty, Alfred the Great.

The Anglo-Saxons are in great distress. This letter is to make you aware of the current situation. I am Sir Parkington, one of the many knights providing protection for our great kingdom. The Saxons have ravaged our lands for decades, sir, their brutal raids destroy villages across the coastline. At a young age, I experienced these raids; death took my mother and father’s lives with a brutal swing of an axe. I then was taken to be a knight at age 7 and trained for 14 brutal years. Then I was dubbed at the age of 21 by a Lord. I was lucky to be a knight living under a roof on a small fief generously given to us by a Lord while serfs had to work to death. Our serfs have to sleep with an eye open and casualties rise by the week.

We must defeat the Saxons and end this violence in Europe. These attacks are having a huge impact on our food supply and trade. Long-term effects will happen, like famine due to the loss of food. We have no defence for the villages across the shoreline. I’ve seen their attacks while taking watch of a village. The northern winds blew down on my armour. Fog obscuring my vision of the ocean. Then came out of that mist boats made with wood and masts that soared high up in the sky. Men lined up bearing shields and weaponry. I have never seen such speed. It was as if they planned it all out. It was as if they knew the weather was awful. The village was still sleeping, and grey clouds swooped over the village. I rang the bells, but it was too late. I had to flee with my horse. I took refuge at a peasant’s house by the inland. This looming warfare needs to be dealt with or else these barbarians will take our lands effortlessly. 

A solution to these attacks could be bringing reinforcements to villages by the coastline as they seem to only raid and not push inland. We need to create barriers and walls to slow down these raids. Enforce Christianity on captured Vikings. Possibly also create a temporary alliance to ease the violence. Create our own fleet of ships patrolling our shores due to the constant raids, forgery of armour and weapons. The wealthy should have full armour, but the wealthy have only but chain armour. Anglo-Saxons must fight as one.  To overcome this situation, the knights of the kingdom have to be dealt with first sir. Your majesty, if you are reading this, this is my signal to you as one of your knights about the current situation of our great kingdom. Serving for your lord is a pleasure, and I hope our glorious kingdom lasts forever.

Sincerely, your loyal knight, Sir Parkington.