Chapter Seventy Two

The Battle of Arendelle

ELSA

Eyes wide and breathing faster than ever, Elsa watched with bated breath. Her heart hammered sporadically in her chest like the thumping of the twelve pounder cannons going off. The Northuldra and the sorcerers were holding up impressively well against their enemy skirmishers' superior numbers, though at this point it was a little hard to see who was left standing inside the thick white smoke.

And then from her vantage point on top of the hill which gave her somewhat of a bird's eye view of the battlefield, she could see a cavalry squadron being dispatched from the enemy lines to aid the Exonian skirmishers in driving back the Northuldra.

But of course, from behind the smoke, the Northuldra couldn't see them. If they don't move now, it's going to be a massacre. Elsa gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to spring into action to do…something. Anything.

And then thankfully, as if by some miracle, the skirmishers began to turn and retreat back to the safety of the Arendellian infantry and cavalry.

While the skirmishers had advanced to screen the enemy's attack and slow them down, the Arendellian battalions had used the time to deploy from column into line, three ranks deep. The cavalrymen continued to wait in the wings, with two columns of infantry on the flanks behind the lines made up of two company fronts, spanning four companies deep.

Elsa knew enough to know that this was the best formation they could adopt given the terrain and enemy they were facing, but still she didn't feel comfortable. However, the sight of the Northuldra sprinting back into friendly territory was a relief. In all the mayhem, she obviously couldn't see Janus, Honeymaren, Deirdre or any of her friends from her elevated position, but she fervently hoped that they had all made it back safely without injury.

Upon seeing the Northuldra escape, the enemy cavalry stopped short and reined up, staying well out of reach of effective musket range. They wheeled about and returned to the Imperial Horde which had already begun their advance in column.

"General Kane only wanted to clear the skirmishers out of his way." Elsa heard one of the other senior officers mutter.

"He knows well enough that charging his cavalry into formed and readied infantry from such a long distance is suicide." Another agreed.

Frederick remained silent, and together with Elsa, they watched the huge columns of the Imperial Horde joined by the Exonian skirmishers and cavalry draw closer towards the Arendellians. All the while, the guns from both sides of the battlefield continued to roar and belch fiery balls into the sky, rocketing through the air with the hopes of dealing a crushing blow to their rivals. Every now and then a well placed ball would smash the ground, ricochet and plough away scores of screaming men away in their wake like a giant tractor on a farm.

"No one fires till I give the order." Frederick said to one of his senior captains. "Anyone who does so will answer to me personally."

"Yes Sir."

The words of the officers beside her was drowned out by yet another nine pound round shot from a cannon, crashing onto the ground a short distance in front of the main Arendellian line. Swallowing hard again and steadying her breathing, Elsa kept her eyes glued to the scene of carnage that was just minutes away from growing all the more intense. She draped her coat on tighter. Just a while longer.

JANUS

Sprinting the last twenty yards, Janus reached the formed Arendellian line, which opened up its ranks sideways for the skirmishers to squeeze through without skewering themselves on the muskets' fixed bayonets. He slid through two soldiers gracefully and only stopped when he was well through on the other side and clear of the mass of humanity.

Many of the Northuldra lay sprawled at the back of the infantry lines, breathing fast and hard to catch their breath, while others were sobbing at the loss of their friends and loved ones on the battlefield. Janus glanced back at the field. Not everyone had made it back.

However, upon surveying the survivors, he found that Deirdre and the rest of the sorcerers had survived, and so did Elsa's friends Honeymaren and Ryder. He deflated a little in relief and levered himself to his exhausted feet, which screamed in protest at him.

By this point his boots were already well muddied, and so were his pants. Blood stained his jacket, though it didn't belong to him. The Northuldra who had died beside him and his partner who Janus had to leave behind…Janus shook his head. He had been in battles before as a hired mercenary, but this…this was far bigger than anything he had ever been involved in before.

"First rank load!" Janus heard the lieutenants echo the command up and down the line of formed infantrymen, who stood shoulder to shoulder, covering the entire width of the field.

The first ranks of soldiers dropped to a knee simultaneously, and began the process of opening the frizzen. Tearing the paper wrapped around the lead ball with their teeth, the soldiers spat it out and pulled the weapons' hammers back to a half-cock, priming their pan with the pre-measured amount of black powder and slamming the frizzen back in place. They then poured the rest of the black powder down the muzzle and rammed the ball and the remaining wad of paper home with the ramrod.

"First rank level!"

Hundreds of muskets swung into place, pressed against the right shoulder of every man down the line in the first rank. The well oiled machine that was the Arendellian infantry was ready for the Imperial Horde, and sure enough, like clockwork, the enemy emerged from the smoke.

"Hold!"

Up and down the line, there were men who twitched, anticipating the command to fire which hadn't come. Instead, they all managed to hold their fire as the enemy continued to advance in column.

They're not in range yet, Janus observed, watching as the Imperial Horde drew closer. They were flanked by cavalry who paced themselves with the advance, the skirmishers waiting in the wings with them.

"Steady!"

The Imperial Horde had closed the range to two hundred yards, still out of range but closing fast. As they approached, Janus could feel the atmosphere grow increasingly tense, till he was sure that one could reach out with his bayonet and cut out a thick slab of tension as if it were a piece of meat.

"Steady!"

The first rank shifted slightly, keeping their muskets levelled and trained on the Imperial Horde who were still approaching at a constant, unwavering speed. The Imperial Horde emerged through the cloud of smoke left behind by the skirmishers, moving fearlessly at the beat of their regimental drums.

The enemy columns deployed into line to match the Arendellians, folding outwards like origami into neat lines, formed three ranks deep. This increased their firepower and number of muskets on the front rank by at least a few times, and the Arendellians still managed to be disciplined enough to hold their fire.

Janus estimated the distance left between them and the enemy, which was closing fast. A hundred and fifty yards. Almost there.

ELSA

A hundred and fifty yards. Elsa watched the battlefield intensely, fingers twisting the hem of her coat.

"Almost there, Your Highness." Frederick said, anticipating her thoughts as he too watched the valley with great intent. "Almost there."

She nodded and swallowed. She had finally managed to catch sight of the sorcerers, her Northuldra friends and Janus, all at the back of the lines after having broken through to safety. Still, she knew for a fact that once the fighting begun, things would likely to descend into chaos. Which is where I'll come in.

"A hundred and twenty." Frederick reported.

Her heartbeat drowned out all other sounds, including that of the cannons which continued to take turns at discharging smoke and round shot with deafening roars every few seconds.

"Steady!" Elsa heard the commanders at the front line shout, and glanced at Frederick.

"A hundred and ten." He spared her a brief glance, and then fixed his eyes back on the scene before him. The Imperial Horde were still at marching pace, without firing a single shot yet. Elsa felt uncomfortable at how unwavering the Exonian soldiers were, and she could only imagine that for the rest of the Arendellians down there it was utterly unnerving.

"One hundred yards." Frederick turned sharply to the senior captain. "Open fire."

"Open fire!" The command was relayed and screamed down the line as quick as a jolt of lightning, like fire spreading at an alarming speed. The single, unified volley from the first rank of Arendellians was ear shattering. The musket balls crashed out all at the same time, pink-white flares from the muzzles lighting up the battlefield like Christmas. Smoke rose simultaneously from every single weapon up and down the first rank, and a good number of soldiers from the Exonian lines fell.

Elsa watched silently and anxiously as the unscathed Exonians closed up, swallowing those who had fallen and filling in the empty spots in the lines. They continued to advance as though nothing had happened. It was almost as if the Arendellians had not even slowed them down or dealt them any serious threat at all.

"First rank kneel and load, second rank fire!" The command rang out from the valley below as the Arendellian soldiers from the second rank swung their muskets into place, butts of their weapons against the right shoulder, sighted, and waited with increasing nerves.

"Fire!" The second rank of soldiers pulled their triggers, slamming out another deadly salvo towards the enemy lines. More flares and smoke rose from the Arendellians' muskets, but as far as Elsa could tell, the Imperial Horde were still advancing without firing a single shot. Ninety yards.

"They're not stopping." Elsa spun to look at Frederick.

"General Kane has blood and bodies to spare. He's not going to stop, which is why we need to keep luring them in, till the time is right."

"Till the time is right?" She echoed, staring at him. "Our people are going to die! Your people!"

"Trust me, Your Highness. Remember the plan." Frederick paused for a moment as if he had just seen something terrible. He blinked in surprise for a brief fleeting moment. Regaining his senses almost immediately, he whirled round to one of his other senior officers. "Get them to form square. Now!"

Elsa turned back to the battlefield, and felt the blood drain from her body all the way down to her toes as she watched two squadrons of the Exonian heavy cavalry finally gallop forward towards the smoke to meet the Arendellian line. No, no, no, this isn't part of the plan.

At this range, the cuirassiers mounted with carbines would barrel into the Arendellians without giving them enough time to form square safely. Ninety yards, no wonder they had waited so long to close the distance before mounting any offence agains the Arendellians.

The worst part was that through the smoke, the Arendellians obviously couldn't really see the enemy cavalry charging towards them. Even now as the command was hurriedly dispatched for them to form square, the Arendellians would barely have enough time to deploy into the safe formation of squares to ward off the cavalry.

Her people were about to collide head on with the Imperial Horde, and things would turn ugly. No, she gritted her teeth. I can't stand by and watch any longer.

"I'm going in."

"Your Highness!" Frederick shouted after her, but it was too late to stop her.

Elsa leapt from the hill, plummeting towards the valley. Spreading both hands, ice formed beneath her to form a slide that was wide enough to carry her all the way to the ground safely. Touching down behind the Arendellian lines, she was plunged into the midst of screaming soldiers who were desperately trying to manoeuvre from line formation into infantry square. Looking round frantically, she spotted the sorcerers helping to hurry the last few Northuldra skirmishers into the safety of the squares.

She heard a whine above her head, and looked up to see an eight pound ball falling straight towards Deirdre and the others.

"Deirdre!" Hands jerked upwards, Elsa froze the cannonball in the sky. The ice pushed back against the deadly round shot till it made no further progress, and smashed uselessly into a million pieces on the ground.

"In here!" The fiery sorceress spared a look at the smashed round shot in awe before hurriedly beckoning her to one of the battalions which were almost finished with forming square.

Elsa sprinted with all her might and slid into the interior of the square just as it closed up with the gleaming bristles of steel on all four sides. Skidding to a halt to avoid crashing into anyone in the tightly packed interior full of skirmishers and sorcerers, she looked round.

They had barely made it, with almost no time to spare just as the first few mounted cuirassiers galloped round the line and pulled back.

"I don't remember this being part of the general's plan." Vonco groaned as Jordan helped him to his feet.

"You're right, it isn't." Deirdre muttered.

Elsa watched silently as the soldiers held formation, and heavy cavalrymen swerved round to avoid spitting themselves and their horses on the bristling walls of bayonets. No it isn't, she thought. Which is why we have to improvise.

JANUS

"Form square! At the double!"

Janus spun at the first voice of the command, distant at the opposite end of the line. That could mean only one thing. The enemy cavalry are coming.

He watched as the soldiers began frantically deploying into their respective positions. Going from line to square in such a tight space with these many battalions was immensely difficult, not to mention having to deal with the fear of the enemy cavalry charging through the smoke at any moment.

The Arendellian cavalry squadrons had been dispatched of course, to attempt to counter the enemy cuirassiers' attack. Or to slow them down at the very least, though he wasn't sure it would be very effective. After all, Kane held the numbers, and sooner or later the Arendellian cavalrymen would fall to the superior numbers. All they could do was to stall and give the infantry a few extra precious moments to form before it was too late.

Somewhere down the line, the command must have stopped, because the order did not reach the battalion closest to him. Either that, or the lieutenant in charge of the nearest battalion wasn't responding. Janus whirled, his eyes scanning keenly to find the commander, only to find him shocked and stoned, frozen in fear.

The men of his battalion were confused as well, seeing as everyone else was forming but having not been ordered to do the same by their commander. Again, it could be that they were equally frightened as well, because they were the only part of the line that still stood without a square with the enemy approaching.

Janus sprung into action, knowing that if he did nothing, it would be a massacre. Hundreds of lives would be lost, and things would descend into absolute chaos.

"Form square!" He bellowed through his mask, hoping that the voice filter would not drown out or muffle his volume in a critical moment like this. "Form square now!"

Six hundred soldiers began to shuffle into place, some still looking terrified and others jostling to get into position without spitting themselves on each other's bayonets. Their lieutenant, still shell shocked, stood stupidly in the midst of his frantic men, unable to do anything to help.

Janus seized control of the battalion. His expertise from prior battles was coming in extremely useful now. "Form square! Four ranks!" He roared.

As if by some miracle, the six hundred men of the battalion made it into a square formation, four ranks deep with the soldiers still looking frantic and headless.

"First two ranks kneel, third and fourth rank load!" Janus bellowed from the centre of the square, where he had managed to drag the incapacitated lieutenant to safety.

The first two ranks presented their bayonets in a gleaming wall of bristles, creating a four sided steel barrier that would discourage any of the cavalrymen from getting too close. The third and fourth ranks hurriedly loaded with trembling fingers, the tension in the atmosphere dangerously overwhelming.

"Third rank level!" Janus watched as the four faces of the square presented a hundred and fifty soldiers brought their muskets to bear, eyes front and arms quivering from the nerves.

They were ready. The Exonian cuirassiers, though slowed by the Arendellian cavalry, had broken through and began to heckle the infantry squares, swerving out of reach as they realised that the Arendellians were ready for them.

The cuirassiers fired their carbines into the battalion square, keeping their distance of more than thirty yards at least. Their horses paced back and forth, steering well clear of the bristling bayonets of the various squares while a few of the cuirassiers dared to move nearer in the hopes of killing a few of the Arendellians.

Janus glanced down at the lieutenant who had curled up into a ball, muttering incoherently to himself. He shook his head exasperatedly and glanced at the men whom he had seized command of. What have I gotten myself into?

ELSA

"They're not backing off!" Honeymaren shouted from inside their square.

Elsa hated to admit it, but she was right. The enemy cavalry had too great a number, and the attempt of the Arendellian cavalry to fend them off had only succeeded in slowing them down momentarily.

The Exonian cuirassiers rode back and forth, careful to stay a safe distance and fired their carbines into the squares. Every now and then, their shots would find their mark on some unfortunate soldier, who had to be dragged into the safety of the square and replaced by someone from the third or fourth rank.

When a battalion such as this one had only six hundred men, Elsa guessed that if the enemy kept this up, soon all the squares would cave. Kane wants to make this a long drawn battle of attrition.

She winced as one of the soldiers near her clutched his arm and spun away, a bloody ruin on his shoulder. Someone snatched up his place while others dragged him to the interior of the square where quite a few soldiers lay, squeezed together with the Northuldra skirmishers and the sorcerers. The number of casualties were beginning to pile up, and Elsa assumed that her square wasn't the only one.

Just when she thought that things couldn't get any worse, they did. The enemy infantry which were in line had closed the gap to sixty five yards, and finally opened fire. They began emptying their ammunition into the front faces of the squares in unified salvos. So that was their plan all along, Elsa gritted her teeth. Hold fire to save their ammo, and wait till we're forced into square so that they only need to deal with the firepower from the front faces of the squares.

At the same time, the Exonian horse artillery unit had advanced to the battlefield, and had unlimbered their eight pounders from the caissons. Wheeling the guns around in a half circle, they began to position the barrels of the guns straight at the squares, at a distance of sixty yards, inching them forward to achieve maximum damage. Wait till they get to fifty yards…

"Eyes front! We've got a new problem!" Vonco yelled.

"You don't say." Deirdre muttered, and Jordan shook his head.

"I think it's time!" Cornelius who didn't often speak, finally raised his voice in hopes that Elsa would listen.

"Not yet!" Elsa shouted back, glancing at the right side of the field and then back at the artillerists in front of their square. Fifty five yards. "Almost!"

"Almost?"

"At this rate we're not going to last much longer!"

Elsa looked about for the Arendellian cavalry, who were still engaged in a fierce, back and forth battle with their counterparts. The Arendellian artillery atop the hills had shifted their focus to the bulk of the Imperial Horde, but it was risky since they were already so close to the Arendellian squares.

She turned her attention back to the front, where one of many cannons brought out into the field had been put in place, and the Exonian artillerists were now loading canister into the barrels of the eight pounders. Canister. We've run out of time. She felt her blood run cold, and judged the distance. Fifty five yards. It has to be now.