Life of Lord Leighton Allister

Allister's education begins, primarily under the Court Sage of Cranwich Motte, Awnrothan Tannach, and his father. Taught the history of the Autumnvale, the ways of its people, flora, and fauna, along with religious teachings in accordance with Credasvar, Allister is an attentive student. During their education, the children of the Autumnvale traditionally make trips to learn in the courts of other great houses, and Leighton often learns and plays with the children of the Ashdownes and Walmoors.

After a year's service with the Cranwich Rangers in the Farandun Hills under his father and Dunstan Harlow, Leighton Allister is knighted in a small ceremony outside Cranwich Motte. As a knight, he joins his father in carrying out the official duties of House Allister, continuing to learn matters political, military, and social.

Although unenthusiastic about jousting, Allister is strongly encouraged by his father to participate in a tournament held by Randell Ashdowne in Ardingly, and finally agrees. Unaccustomed to fighting on horseback, and much less acquainted with the sport (which was generally uncommon in the Autumnvale), Leighton was unhorsed immediately by a Bergic knight. With the honour of his house at stake, and aware that Evelyn Ashdowne was watching the event, Allister instead enters at the bottom of the foot combat lineup. Fighting doggedly with sword and shield, Leighton is able to overcome each opponent in succession, some by only a hair's breadth. However, he is soundly beaten by his formidable childhood friend Hamon Ashdowne. Nevertheless, the duel concludes in good spirits and Leighton manages to place third overall, after Hamon Ashdowne and Cynesige Walmoor: no small feat for his age. Battered, bloody and aching, with armour dusty and tattered, he claims the customary wreath of Queen's Lace and binds it to a small piece of parchment. The latter contained a poem which Leighton had written, and had survived the fighting pinned to the inside of his shield. These two gifts he then raises with the point of his sword up to Evelyn Ashdowne as she sat in her family's stand. After this gesture, the two begin their courtship.

Scarcely a week after the attempt on the Allister's lives, news reaches Cranwich Motte that Bergeaux has declared war on the Autumnvale. Furthermore, a Bergic host had already begun moving through the Farandun Hills, hoping to begin the offensive before the Autumnvale's defenders had time to prepare. Thrysten Allister gathers the Cranwich Rangers and departs into the hills to halt their advance, and orders Leighton and the other knights sworn to House Allister to begun mustering their troops.

Following the Fall of Stonethistle, Leighton is ordered to muster any forces available to him and prevent the Bergic army from moving further into the Autumnvale. Marshalling the forces of his own house plus Ashdowne and surviving Walmoor men, Leighton is faced with the daunting prospect of stopping a far larger enemy force while a second line of defence is prepared at Wythemore. As the Bergic army advances along the Cynestray Road, the most important avenue along the Autumnvale’s southern shore, Leighton and his men whittle them down using ambushes, feints, and isolating pockets of Bergic troops to defeat them in detail. Only after two days of these tactics does Leighton commit to a pitched battle. Employing mixed formations of archers and billmen, the men of the Autumnvale are able to beat back successive Bergic charges throughout the third day, and pursue their subsequent retreat until nightfall. The cohesion of Bergeaux’s offensive is broken, and their ability to follow up the victory at Stonethistle is severely hampered. The valuable prisoners taken during the battle, including nobility and valuable mercenary troops, also enables the Autumnvale to buy time with ransom negotiations and prisoner exchanges. Cynestray Road is also Leighton’s greatest victory, in which he employed the lessons dearly bought in the hard years of war.