Battle of the Spear

* The Royalist and Marshes armies are shattered, a small force is led back to Newcastle by Sir Marlon Barrin
* Prince Cayle Boyce is captured

Casualties| Moderate | Heavy* Prince Cayle Boyce captured
* Sir Joal Kell†
* Sir Howard Rush†

The **Battle of the Spear** was a major battle during The War of The Bears. The rebel victory on the Spear allowed the rebel army under Prince Kaegan Boyce to march straight to Newcastle and lay siege.

## History

### Prelude

Following the defeat of the Pyke Army and the joining of Kaegan's Army and Daltas Carlisle's Northern Army, most of the lands west of the Spear was largely in open revolt. Only the Southlands, the Marshes and the Borderlands remained loyal to King Dannis. After the victory against the Pykes and sending Daltas and the Northmen to wage war against the Bordermen of House Slait, Kaegan cut his way eastward through any Royalist Houses that attempted to stop him at Timberwood, Moontooth and Arcton. It was at the Battle of Arcton where Kaegan defeated a proper Royalist Army under the command of his younger brother, Prince Cayle Boyce, who was the Lord Commander of the Bronze Cloaks.

While Kaegan was fighting Royalist Houses, mostly of House Rush and the Marshes and some elements of House Ross, Dannis in Newcastle had become increasingly alarmed at the rapid victories of the Rebels. He was also concerned of the roughly 30,000 strong Rocke Army under Wyllam Rocke who were marching south in order to relieve the Siege of Arkridge where the entirety of the Ross and Tarbor armies were engaged. Dannis ordered Cayle to raise an army and march west to stop Kaegan's advance. Despite Cayle's loyalty to his brother, he did so and raised an army around 30,000 strong. He then marched his army at the Battle of Arcton and was defeated. Cayle marched his army back east to camp at Summercross in order to stop the Rebels from sieging Newcastle where he was joined by 10,000 Marshmen under Sir Howard Rush who had been routed at the Battle of Moontooth and had marched to join the Royalist Army.

Kaegan's rebel army at the Spear was mostly composed of half of the forces from the Lakelands, who had not marched south with Wyllam, but were also joined by some men from rebel houses of the Domainlands and the Marshes, such as and most notably House Farrest and House Glovelyn. Kaegan's personal guard of Boycemen was somewhat diminished in size from all of the fighting it had seen but was more battle-hardened. The rebel forces from the Lakelands, Domainlands, Marshes had also seen action at the Battle of Arcton and though outnumbered by Cayle's army, had more combat experience. The army group was commanded by Kaegan himself, Sir Anron Rocke, Lewys Farrest, Toman Glovelyn, and several other bannermen, as well as Prince Byrron Boyce.

Cayle's Royalist army consisted primarily of the direct Boyce vassals from the Domainlands, joined by 10,000 Marshmen under the command of Sir Howard Rush who were defeated at the Battle of Moontouth. A few men from the Southlands were also present, but the bulk of House Ross's army was tied down further south besieging Arkridge, held by Dayron Durham. Cayle's forces were fresh and larger than the rebel army, but were less experienced. Cayle himself commanded the Royalist forces along with several of his most trusted Bronze Cloaks.

### The Battle

The Two Forces clashed on the crossings at Summercross itself with the Royalists attempting to defend the crossings over the Blue Ribbon and the easterly crossing over the main branch as well as fighting in the Spear itself. The Battle was not in favour of either side until Prince Kaegan and Prince Cayle met on the battlefield and duelled with Kaegan winning the duel and taking his younger brother captive, resulting in a crucial and critical victory for the rebel forces. Sir Howard Rush, the commander of the Marshmen, also fell in battle, as did Sir Joal Kell leaving Sir Marlon Barrin and some lesser Lords of the Domainlands in charge.

The Royal Army was annihilated with most of the army scattered save for a small force led by Sir Marlon Barrin that retreated across the Blue Crossing and fled to Newcastle to join the defence. The Marshes lost all 10,000 men that had joined the Royal Army along with Sir Howard Rush, rendering the Marshes powerless and they had effectively surrendered. Lord Wynston Rush later surrendered to the Carlisles before the Battle of Newcastle. The rebel army took heavy casualties, but not nearly as many as the Royalists. It was enough, however, to put into doubts that they could siege and capture Newcastle alone, requiring the combined forces of House Rocke and House Carlisle.

### Aftermath

The defeat marked the beginning of the end for the Royalists and King Dannis. Most of the Houses of the Domainlands pledged fealty to Prince Kaegan following the Battle of the Spear as it became clear Dannis would lose the war. No army stood between the rebels and Newcastle, the only other royalist armies being Rodrick Ross's army besieging Arkridge, and the remaining royalists in the Borderlands under Lord Tobin Slait. Dannis was forced to order the Ross and Tarbor armies back to Newcastle as the city was largely without a defence. Lord Wyllam soon followed the Southlander army and joined the Battle of Newcastle.