Chapter 12

By the time the skirmish line was approaching the bridge our mules and the escort’s horses were rested, watered and had been fed a handful of oats. Furthermore, the Raider’s reserves had infested the farmhouse looking for us, while the main battle line still faced the city defenders. In fact, the enemy’s entire attack had been disrupted and they weren’t happy. Without any mounted scouts they were at a substantial disadvantage, which gave us great personal satisfaction. Indeed, we all had smiles on our faces.

When I left them, the Wolves moved like shadows, well-trained teams of three squads, and there was something predatory about them. Julie and Zetia stood together with the PDA in hand alongside Count Vee. By contrast, the lancers sat stiffly on their horses, waiting in a rigid formation on the road in front of the carriage for my command. We had pulled back our troops to the reverse side of the hill to make sure no one could spot us. Only Scout and I remained by the river bank watching the advancing Raiders from behind bushes in an unlikely location some distance from the foot of the bridge. I was sure the enemy scouts wouldn’t give our vantage point much consideration. Vengeful happiness bubbled up inside me at the thought of removing more of these scum from the world.

About a dozen shirtless men hustled across the long stone bridge with shields raised and swords ready. Their determined faces scanned the hillside for any movement, expecting an ambush while still on the bridge. When there wasn’t an attack, they stopped a moment looking confused. One of them shouted an order and a man ran back across the river to signal to the large group of warriors waiting outside of the range of our bows. They were the men from the skirmish line that had been thinned out with the initial assault on the city defenders, and only a few of the Raiders still had a throwing spear. There couldn’t have been more than fifty men left; however, they were all armed warriors with helmets, shields and short-swords. Not taking anything for granted the Raiders scouting us slowly spread out and started up the hill, and the other men across the bridge began racing towards us like a mob of amateurs.

“Seize the moment,” I whispered into the PDA, giving the pre-agreed signal to Julie that announced our attack.

All along the tree covered hill the Wolves scaled the last few feet to its crest and stood, and then without any need for orders they unleashed two volleys of arrows. Not waiting to see the impact on the mob my men dropped their bows and drew their swords. Now out of arrows, the Wolves ran down the hill with naked blades, some of them pulling their shields from their backs. The enemy scouts froze a second too long as our men descended on them at a full run. Scout had a full quiver of arrows and he started shooting across the river at the approaching men. I immediately jumped up and began running along the river bank to meet my men. I hadn’t gotten more than four or five strides when a thunder of hooves galloped down the road and onto the bridge, as the lancers charged the mob. Four men abreast, the column of lancers rode like demons full of black fury.

While the Wolves slaughtered the startled men on the hill, the charging lancers dipped their weapons and plowed into the mob that had skidded to a stop. The resolute charge with powerful horses had a terrible effect on the lightly armored Raiders. Without a doubt, the horror of seeing two dozen mounted men surging forward with long lances broke the fighting will of the mob. They weren’t even in a fighting formation when the first lancer hit his foe. Most of the Raiders had immediately turned their backs and attempted to flee. It wasn’t a savage fight, it was a rout. The fleeing Raiders scattered, throwing down their shields to outrun their comrades. Those wounded in the leg from the arrows didn’t have a chance, so they fled along the river bank hoping the horsemen wouldn’t turn back towards them. With practiced ease the lancer’s column broke apart into pairs of horsemen to hunt the disheartened Raiders running across the farm fields. The Wolves’ war cries followed the lancers as they ran across the bridge to dispatch those fleeing along the river bank. Only a few Raiders turned to face our men, even injured they were a threat; but the individual combatants were overwhelmed. I didn’t try and run any of the enemy down, I took up the task of killing the wounded Raiders. None of those hanging on to life had long to live anyway. All my efforts were mercy strokes.

“It’s great to see the land fertilized by shit,” Scout announced as he slipped to my side, pointing at all the dead Raiders.

I thought it a fitting observation, so I playfully slapped him on the back.

“You know they will send their best men after us?” He asked.

I shrugged at the point, extending my arm to placate him, patting his shoulder. “I know.”

Under the crisp, clear sky the sun started to take its toll on me, parching my mouth. I licked my lips and looked at the ravens that started to circle the field of death.

Scratch had run back to me and jostled my arm in his excitement. “Lord Solon, this is a fine victory. Our men are untouched except for a few minor cuts and scrapes. Yet, I did see a lancer break his neck when his horse was killed under him.”

“One less noble to trouble the world,” Scout muttered. “Present company excluded.”

Scratch laughed and I just shook my head at Scout.

“Tell the men to gather up their loot and get back across the bridge,” I ordered Scratch.

He beat his chest in acknowledgement and excused himself, bellowing my orders out to the men with a few added curses.”

Something disturbed me in a way I couldn’t put my finger on. “What am I forgetting?” I asked out loud.

Zetia rushed up behind me. “I heard that.”

Scout and I turned to see both Zetia and Julie. My wife had her PDA out, pointing to the screen.

“We have company,” Julie announced. “We had the satellite view zoomed in so far that we were able to overlook the area behind us.”

Worried I looked behind Julie but didn’t see anything.

She looked into my eyes without concern. “It’s Captain Tear Minetos and his regiment. They are just now reaching the carriage and Count Vee.”

“Oh,” I commented, while not betraying my surprise. “Of course, he is,” I added.

Julie smiled not fooled. She knew me.

“Your husband is a mastermind and blessed by Moon Mother,” Scout mumbled, truly impressed with me.

“He impresses me too,” Zetia mimicked.

“Well, in the absence of any immediate threats perhaps our master should look at what the enemy is doing now?” Julie said with a slightly mocking tone.

I ignored her and kissed Julie, and then pulled Zetia in for a kiss too. “I am so glad you both are unhurt.”

“He is a little worked up,” Julie explained to Zetia.

“I can tell,” Zetia responded, clearly tasting active nanomites on her tongue. Absent mindedly, she licked her lips a few times and swirled her tongue.

Julie passed me her PDA and pointed out the Raiders had formed up by the farm house.

“They are already responding,” I commented.

Julie just nodded. We could see two hundred men in a battle line that had just begun to advance towards us. Our men were riding an emotional high, still stripping the dead, not moving fast enough.

“Get over the bridge now!” I shouted, expressing concern in my tone.

The Wolves listened, their lazy movements took on urgency. All of them stopped what they were doing and started running towards the bridge, their ripples of laughter died out too. Scratch had moved far afield to gather our furthermost warriors, but he quickly came back into earshot.

“Get the men back to their mules,” I shouted to Scratch, who nodded back at me.

Some of the lancers seeing our retreating men turned and trotted back to the bridge too. They were spread out all over the battlefield. We didn’t wait for them, if they lingered the riders would see the approaching Raiders soon enough to spur their mounts to safety.

Scout, Julie, Zetia and I were the last of our party to cross the river. We were three paces over the crest of the hill when we saw the regimental column coming up the King’s Road. Captain Minetos was at the head of the column. Once again, he stopped as his men pushed on. He dismounted this time with a warm smile, but his brawny frame still towered over me.

“A busy day for you,” Captain Minetos said. “Your Count has done another notable service to my people.”

“Lord Solon is in the company of the Count, not his vassal. It is he that led these men in battle,” Zetia declared, with a wildcat’s fury.

Minetos lifted his hands to ward off Zetia’s zealous words. “I apologize. No disrespect was intended to your master.”

Captain Minetos glanced around my party, and then back at his men that continued to march over the hill.

“We killed their skirmish line, but their best troops have shifted their line towards the river,” Julie commented.

The Captain walked to the crest of the hill and looked over the river, the dust cloud was likely obvious to him. The arrival of the provincials made my prior plans irrelevant, so I followed the Captain. He surveyed the dead bodies from our recent skirmish and looked pleased. It was obvious that we had slaughtered the Raiders, because there weren’t any of our own dead within sight whereas, a number of our foes had arrows protruding from their bodies near the bridge’s mouth.

“Well done,” the Captain said to himself, not giving any hint he had heard me approach.

I watched him in silence, as all of his men eventually crossed the bridge and deployed by companies into a solid line. My mother had taught me my manners, and I recognized that this commander needed a few moments to take in the implications of what was happening. Indeed, this was his land and I was only a guest. If he wanted my opinion, I’d give it. He had the majority of the warriors on hand, so it really wasn’t my place to act his equal and assume he cared for what I thought. In fact, I was on a mission for Derwen not a crusade to eliminate the Raiders, so I wasn’t eager to add more blood to my blade today.