War Maidens
Copyright© 2018 by Lapi
Chapter 7
Dahlia was instrumental in providing a solution to win this battle. Twenty or so black armored women, riding winged mounts descended around the enemy camp. Just above the tree tops small seed like things were scattered almost forming a huge circle. In modern times it would be called an envelopment. As night fell several things happened, first what was to be the time of a full moon did not happen, a strong wind came up, not an ordinary wind since it seemed to blow from the edges of that circle towards the center.
Joining the wind was rain, sleet then a light snow. From the muddy earth, man like forms emerged, armor clad forms. Through the armor, bones, skeletons of who once were men could be seen. Skeletal horses next appeared. These were like demons from Hell, black as the night with long flowing manes and large red eyes.
Upon a rise stood three very large forms. All appeared over seven feet tall. The one in the center had the appearance of a masked face, His countenance might best be described as looking like the personification of Death. He now raised his hand into the air. Several thousand men mounted those steeds, grasped sabers from some unknown place in thin air and sat ramrod straight up without even saddles. Simultaneously a drumming sound could be heard. It started out very slow then reaching an ever increasing volume of a ‘crack, crack, crack’ sound.
What followed was a dull, thud, thud sound inter-spaced with a clanging of metal on metal. What could not be seen by most was the tearing away of flesh by those inhuman forms as they closed up the open spaces of the circle. As if by some magical command they all stopped their progress towards the center. That drumming sound started up again.
Those enemy who remained were now tightly herded together within the circle. Nothing was said nor requested of them and each effort for parlay was met with headless messengers returning to camp. Rain, sleet and now began again to the tempo of the drumming sound. Any who attempted to break through that circle were either killed or turned back. Sleep was near impossible mainly because of the drumming sound and that of the wind and rain falling.
All this continued through the night. The enemy welcomed the reprieve, no attack allowed their hope to rise up for reinforcements from their allies which had been sent for. The extra time was what they needed to reach them. That, however, was exactly why further attacks ceased. The additional enemy troops to be killed were much welcome.
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