Chapter Twenty-Seven: Dawn
Currare was panting as he crested the hill. Captain Resscutt ran up behind him. From the far side of the next hill, the sounds of the battle could be heard. Curra looked at Resscutt, "Should we just, go right into it?"
The hare captain thought hard for a moment. "No, we'll circle around to the east a bit, if we time it right, the sun will be in their eyes when we charge. That'll make it harder for their archers to hit us."
The hares sped off around the hill.
Beechtail knew the woodlander army was losing; there were too many Rapscallions. They were growing tired, as they had been fighting all night.
Beechtail found himself fighting alongside Maplefur and Aspen. The squirrelmaid started to say something, "Beechtail, I wanted to tell y-"
"Look!" Aspen interrupted her.
The first light of dawn was glinting off the spear points on the crest of the hill.
Beechtail did a double take. There were spear tops showing over the hill! A moment later, Currare and Captain Resscutt came over the hill at the head of a hundred Long Patrol hares, armed with long pikes.
Nettleclaw saw them too. "Archers, fire on my order."
From the top of the hill, Resscutt could be heard, shouting orders, "Spears down." Instantly, a hundred pikes pointed at the Rapscallions. "Long Patrol…Charge!"
"Eulaaalliiiaaaa!"
As the hares thundered down the slope, the Rapscallion archers drew back their arrows, waiting for Nettleclaw's signal.
Nettleclaw was waiting for the perfect moment to fire, when it happened.
The sun rose, directly behind the charging hares.
Blinded by the sudden light, many of the Rapscallion archers accidently released their arrows into their own ranks.
At the same moment, the Long Patrol hit the front ranks of the Rapscallions. Their long pikes easily outreached the Rapscallion spears. Vermin fell like wheat before a scythe.
As the hares cut through the vermin ranks like a knife through butter, Adaracor could be heard roaring out, "Hahaha, I knew you'd do it, Curra! Eulaliiaaaa!"