Chapter 5: The First Battle

Over the next six months, Arron ensured that as much as possible of the stolen money was returned to the victims. After his position as guard commander had been confirmed by the town elders he put in place a rigorous training program for the guard and reinstated the Nightwatch, staffed by the guard on a rotating shift basis. Once the corrupt grip of the former guard sergeant had been removed from the town the demeanor of the citizens changed and the town started to prosper.

With the increased prosperity, the revenue available for the guard was increased. Arron accepted that while his role as guard commander might not be keeping a low profile, at least he found himself in an ideal position to monitor for any Grojan activity. As commander, he had to keep himself informed about all that was happening in his town and the countryside as a whole. One thing did concern him however, and that was the increased reports from Matheros, Halcyon's far more powerful neighbor who, from time to time would raid and plunder the surrounding countryside largely unopposed. Harcross was situated on a crossroads, and one road led down from the mountains bordering Halcyon with Matheros. The trade route allowed Harcross to prosper, but it was always at risk when Matheros flexed its muscles. The reports from traveling merchants and caravans indicated to Arron that Matheros planned a raid.

From discussions with Jerros and elder guardsmen with experience of previous raids, a typical Matheros raiding party would normally consist of five hundred to a thousand men, mostly an undisciplined rabble. He now had at his command, with the increased town funding, two hundred well-trained and well-armed men. Arran had included battle formations as part of the training. At school, back on Earth, he had become interested in ancient and medieval warfare, so he borrowed from that knowledge. Each man had a mail hauberk, an oblong shield in the style of a Roman scutum, a short thrusting sword and three spears. He trained them as a unit, using techniques developed by the Roman legions. For town guard duty, they dispensed with the shield and two of the spears. As their training progressed and their equipment improved, his men began to look on their commander with awe, and the morale of the guard soared.

When time allowed, Arron pored over maps both of the local area and Halcyon as a whole. He also spent free time exploring the local area. The road through the mountains followed the course of a wide valley that narrowed to a narrow defile before dropping down the side of the foothills to Harcross. Arron had decided that this time the Matherosians would not get free rein to pillage and plunder the land round the town of Harcross, but would be stopped at the defile. He had a lookout stationed at the head of the valley just before the road turned up towards the defile. The lookout point afforded a good view along the road and would give them plenty of warning to prepare for any hostile invasion attempt.

Towards the end of his first year, Arron received reports that a force of Matheros troops were camped at the entrance to the pass. He doubled the lookouts and ensured they had fast mounts available. He increased the training periods of the men and made them practice with the use of their weapons, shields and maneuvers.

Six days after the first reports of enemy activity the lookouts sent back a rider with the news a force of approximately six to seven hundred men and wagons were moving along the valley. He called the guard to arms and waited as they assembled in the parade ground. Arron paced his office; this was what he had been training them for. While he had not strictly broken any Intelligence Corps rules by giving the local population technology they did not already have, he had certainly bent them by training the guard in new battle techniques and giving discipline that did not exist before. But he was allowed to defend himself and those around him if he deemed it necessary. He took a deep breath. Intelligence Corps had put him in this position by giving him an identity of a captain in the town guard. The fact that the state of the guard and their commander was such that he was forced to take command was outside of his control. Now, if he did not take action, his position would be in jeopardy. He clenched his fists - there was no one here to call him out or question his decision - he glanced out of his window. The men had assembled in ordered rows, weapons and armor glinting in the early morning sunlight. "Fuck it! Here goes." He spun on his heels and walked out of the office.

He had already donned his own armor and buckled on his sword and long knife. He clattered down the stairs, through the rear door and out to the parade ground, and as he walked round to the front of the men Jerros called them to attention. Arron looked along the neat lines and at their faces. They all seemed eager and ready.

"Men, now is the time we put all the training and hard work to the test. A force from Matheros is on its way. They intend to pillage, plunder and kill our homes our friends and families are in danger. They have done it before, totally unopposed, taking much of what is ours back to Matheros with them. Now we draw a line and tell them no more! We will destroy them and turn them back. We will send them a message they will never forget; they will never again take or kill that which is ours."

The men cheered and Arron's heart pounded in his chest. Now I commit, we can do this. "Right men, move out!"

The defile was an hour's march from the town, and Arron had a blockhouse built at the entrance to the defile and had stocked it with food and water to supply the men for several days. When they arrived, Arron had the men rest and eat while a runner was sent to the lookout post to get an estimate of when the enemy would arrive and when to withdraw the lookouts. He placed two men at the head of the defile so they would get warning to form up.

Three-quarters of an hour later the lookouts arrived with news the enemy would reach the entrance to the defile in just under an hour. To Arron's relief they confirmed the approaching Matherosians were poorly equipped and little more than a rabble. Arron intended to make the stand where the defile narrowed, with steep un-scalable cliffs either side. Behind the cliffs, the foothills rose steeply, making it almost impossible for Arron's force to be flanked.

His men were as ready as they would ever be, and he knew they were eager and now itching for the fight. The two final lookouts came running along the road and straight to Arron. "Sir, the force is ambling along not suspecting anything; it is as if they were taking an afternoon stroll. The first ones will be here in about ten minutes."