Chapter 6 Is that a Rock or a Mass of Soldiers Coming Here?

"Two and a half weeks we have been marching." Complained a simple recruit as his lance was digging deep into his shoulder from a grueling day's march. The 37 under charge of the soldier captain Lester Valtrex were marching hard toward battle. Many in the platoon were simply joining the military to escape hunger and poverty in the city, as the place was still overpopulated, yes several caravans had been moving into the nearby Valtrex' lands but those were still too few in the land, and hunger was still a present factor even in spite of Fulcrum's best efforts.

"It cannot be too much farther. It's not like we're going to the south coast." Another recruit spoke out releasing a light chuckle at the thought.

At the head of the unit was Orlando upon his horse, he was the only with a horse other than those in the four four wagon train hauling rations and supplies. Next to Orlando leading the march was Lester himself. He was in his early 60's, and while he was becoming frailer with the march of each day, he was still respected and vastly better than the general soldier was as the landed gentry often were in life. He never married and never fathered any legitimate children in his life as often happened in the free states that dwelled far far away from other held holds. Valor was the only feudal city in the Northeastern free lands prior to the recent campaigns of Fulcrum, so the Valtrex house never needed to seek political marriage actively to retain alliance and power. So thus, Lester never received pressure to marry, and being his position in the House was nothing special he was not sought out hard for marriage.

Lester was nervous about the battle as he knew in his heart these recruits would cause heavy losses and possibly harm the townsfolk by mistake. Yet, the opportunity to return to battle and for the first time as a commanding officer was a grand spectacle for the season soldier.

"How much further is this town Orlando?" the old leader asked the scout. He had never been this far south, and the only time he had been this far from home was decades ago when he served in an army under Fulcrum's father leading a minor squadron as they sacked Winter's Edge for harboring a traitor to the House.

"Just over this hill we will be able to see the village." The scout spoke as he looked down from his mount toward the weathered noble. He did not enjoy the mission that was his charge but alas, as a scout to the house it was his duty to obey and he did understand the strategy at play being that he in his previous scouting failed to ascertain several key factors at play in Riserstead. Orlando was thrilled to know that the lord he served knew him by name, but felt guilty that he perhaps in bringing the limited news he gathered may be sending the men with him to their demise. As he rode he turned his head around and gazed back at the men marching behind him. All were young, all were thin, not a specimen among them that looked battle ready or truly seemed to have the body for war. They were a collection of people who chose to fight over starving, which meant they were at least brave. "But will they fight well?" the cavalier asked himself as they topped the mound in front of the village.

"Let the men catch a breath." Lester called they reach the apex of the hill, keeping the majority of the force just out of sight, as they reached the hill it was just slightly past midday. "Keep low and rest a smidgeon. We attack as the sun begins its descent." Lester knew the sun fading would provide a slight sight edge to his troops, as they would be marching into the town from the northwest. The sunlight would be at his recruit's backs giving then a sight advantage. An advantage he needed all the more to secure for his soldiers as he knew that if the enemy in the town were anything more than a series of brigands, the battle would be trying. He knew the afternoon would be best as in the morning they would be at a sight disadvantage, and at night he feared his men would unintentionally inflicted friendly causalities due to poor sight and the confusion battle brings in general. Lester knew this would be his best chance. So atop the hill he waited.

….

As the afternoon sun set in upon the village of Riserstead the day progressed as had been for nearly the past month. By this point Tico had come and gone six times reporting on the lands all around the village. Calle and her cavaliers had put their steeds to use by using them to help plow fields and erected a few small barracks for the men to sleep. They were nothing special but the townsfolk appreciated the effort put forth by the Savoy military presence in their village. The barracks were well welcomed as by this point Dalton had overstayed his welcome with nearly every woman in town both old and young alike. "Well now I know why the Valtrex men didn't kill these ladies here." He often joked after a recent squabble with a lady friend turned jealous or upset over is lack of intentions toward making an honest go of it.

The mercenary was outside taking a lazy stroll as he noticed a large movement from the north. "Hey Shenis! Come over her pal!" the lord was quite comfortable with his subjects and those in his employ being informal with him, yet he always found Dalton's manner of speech particularly off. Nevertheless he left his personal shack to come toward the mercenary's side.

"Yes Dalton, what is it? Did you get another black eye from Kaitlyn, or was it Courtney this time?" he giggled as he approached. Dalton paid no mind to the comment and immediately grabbed Shenis' shoulders and turned him northward.

"Boss, is that a rock? Or is that a mass of soldiers headed this way?" the mercenary was not trying to be funny in his asking as he wanted to believe his eyes were deceiving him.

"SOUND OFF! SOUND OFF!" Shenis called quickly he and Dalton quickly broke from their idle standing and grabbed their armor and weapons. As he quickly got dressed Shenis got the attention of Calle who quickly moved to ready her riders as fast possible. Yet, the encroaching enemy was nearly upon them.

"Lord Shenis can you give us a few minutes?" Calle called to her lord. "Many of the cavaliers are not suited for combat and the horses are not saddled. Neither was Highlight, his heavy armor would take several more minutes to ready and the enemy was now within 70 meters.

"Hey Calle-bear." Dalton hollered. "Get your men and horses with all their armor behind that choke point. Shenis and I can form rank there and try to buy time for your riders and Highlight to finish getting ready." Shenis agreed to the plan and all frantically moved into positon. Shenis and Dalton pitched up with Bryan behind them in a spot between the barrack buildings and the inn. The wagon was parked there making it a narrow slit that they could use to make a brief stand, one that they could hold until the rest of the enemy circled around the barracks. "Priest I hope you know some good prayers." The mercenary readied his sword as the recruits came stammering into the choke.

"CRASH!" the initial impact thundered as the recruits smashed hard into the two standing ground. Wild noises they made as they failed to hit anything yet collided with each other and the two swordsmen holding their ground. Lester saw the congestion and rallied a portion of the men to move behind the building around to their flank.

Calle knew the needs were to immediately ready whomever she could for whatever she could. She ceased putting her own armor and saddle on and immediately helped the nearest cavalier to finish. Quickly together, they finished strapping the mail upon the cavalier. She signaled the soldier once mounted onward and ordered him to hold the flank until reinforcements arrived. She quickly moved to saddle another steed as quickly as possible. The cavalier sent alone around the building was met by a wall of spears and lances, the sight of which forced the horse to his hind legs in fear of the sight before him. The cavalier got control and turned the horse to its side and thrust deep into a recruit chest sending him to the ground with the brute force on contact. The recruits kept pushing however in spite of the first sight of death in their face. The cavalier knew he could not give ground.

Calle finished preparing a second cavalier and sent him onward to the flank. She could her the violent grunting and howling of Dalton as he tried to keep the attention off the young lord. Calle moved over to Highlight, who was frantically strapping his leg plates down. "Come on Highlight let me help." She hollered as she knelt beside him. Dalton let out a scowl as a glancing blow caught his shoulder. He leaned over favoring his right side where struck before, and dug his sword into the face of a young recruit. The noise and sight of his lord unprotected was causing Highlight to get antsy and Calle could tell. She slapped the knight hard in the face.

"What was that for?" the knight hollered as he brushed his red cheek.

"You need to get this armor on! You're no good to Shenis if you cannot provide a proper defense!" the knight nodded and quickly the two finished readying his armor he grabbed his shield and lance and bolted toward his favored person, his lord.

"Lord Shenis!" the knight called as Shenis parried a lance blow in flamboyant style. "Switch!" the lord knew exactly what knight was calling for and he leaped backward allowing an opening for the knight to take his place on the frontline.

"Pleased for you to join us!" Dalton joked as he stuck and slashed down another recruit while holding his right shoulder with his offhand. "Bryan how's that healin' spell comin'?" the mercenary gritted his teeth and ducked below a sharp lance's blow aimed at his head.

"HOW DID I MISS!" the recruit cried as the mercenary proved too shift to stick. Dalton jumped forward and lunged his sword into the boy's throat before dashing it out to the side.

"Aim small, miss small kid." He smiled as he gave the statement.

Around the on the flank, Lester took the opportunity to lead his troops. He switched to a javelin and thrust it with critical force knocking a cavalier clean from his horse from a distance. He then re-grasped his steel lance and blocked a downward blow from the remaining mounted rider in front of him. "NOW!" as he hollered three of the recruits at his side shoved deep into the cavalier. He began spitting blood, yet refused to fall from his mount. As the recruits let the lances sit in his back and side. He teared up as he unsheathed the sword from his side and swung down one of the three stabbing him. Breathing heavy He readied overhead one last thrust of his sword when.

"SHUNK!" a sharp spear thrust through his neck releasing his grip of his own blade. The horseman fell from his mount and the horse quickly fled from the scene absent someone tugging the reigns. Lester had claimed a second cavalier.

"Charge men around the flank we go!" he hollered as an opening had been created from his well-used lancing. He waved on eight of his men around the horn hoping to overpower the enemy where they stood.

Off in the distance was Orlando simply observing all that transpired. He could see the sigil on the wagon and the sigil on the barrack houses and recognized it to be the Savoy banner. He could tell he was correct on his initial reporting on manpower in the camp. Yet, he was most impressed by the control the recruits appeared to have for the moment. "Perhaps ol' Lester can win it?"

Highlight swatted hard at a recruit, the force broke his jawbone and floored the boy flat. "Dalton can you hold?" The knight with deep breathes and a bewildered look asked the man to his left.

"Yeah I should hold. The priest here is keeping me upright!" He tossed his sword into the sky then jumped, whilst in the air he grasped the blade and thrust downward splitting a man clean in two. "That makes 8 today." He spat as he recovered his blade from the newly made pile of bones. While he was decimating the enemy fatigue was beginning to show itself upon the mercenary.

"HAHH!" the recruits sent first around the side further caused chaos. Calle immediately ceased dressing other cavaliers and mounted up herself as the fight was now upon them. The horsemen still on the ground grabbed what they could to fight the recruits. Shenis turned from backing Dalton and Shenis at the front point and moved to back the dismounted horsemen. Calle quickly rode through two of the recruits with ease. Yet to her left one of her more seasoned riders fell to his knees after enduring a series of blows. Shenis provided quick respite as he cleaved and carved the remaining men harassing the half-prepared horsemen.

Within a series of seconds all eight sent around the flank had fallen. "Get mounted and ready now!" He said to the remaining dismounted riders. The enemy still held a slight numerical advantage yet it was dwindling hard with each thrust.

Shenis had his back turned ordering the men to arms. This was the moment the seasoned Valtrex thought. He figured if he could slay the commander then the others would falter. He moved with purpose, step after step with intent to spear the young lord in the back hard. As he approached Shenis was still was his back turned.

"NO!"

"SHRRHH!" Lester smiled as he knew the sound of rended flesh upon a lance all too well. However, his eyes soon registered that it was in fact the flesh of cavalier absent his horse who had in the last moment positioned himself between Shenis and the blow. The man dropped to his knees as Lester removed the spear tip and crossed it over in his hands, taking position.

Shenis quickly sauntered around his fallen soldier as he wished to thank the man for his sacrifice but now was not the moment. "So you're the commander?" he asked Lester as the two squared up mono a mono for a duel.

"I am young Savoy." Lester mentioned as he tilted a teasing jab at the young lord. Shenis flinched in his posture. The soldier twisted quickly and through downward blunt thrust onto Shenis head. The contact floored the lord. The old man readied himself for a stab yet, Shenis rolled away from the thrust. Lester pierced the ground three more times in succession attempting to dress his spear tip with the blood of Shenis.

"Have at you!" Calle rode in hard and struck her lance into the old knight's side. The blow was in no way lethal but the damage was felt. The knight removed his focus from the lord and while the lance tip was being removed by Calle he returned fire and dug his lance into her side. "AHHHH!" Calle was wounded, the pain and force of the blow knocked her off her horse completely. As she hit the ground she quickly scooted herself back from the hobbling soldier pursuing her. While she was injured, age and the blow to his side had with each second further and further crippled the old soldier. Shenis had returned to his feet and noticed this opening and darted forward and slashed the opposite side of the enemy commander. Blood flew with authority from the veins of the soldier as he after a moment dropped his shield. Then he found himself leaning upon his lance for support, as his legs seemed to be absent strength. Shenis moved to the soldier's backside and placed his blade upon the side of his neck.

"Do you have any final words?" the young lord asked.

"None that would make any sense to you." The aged man said as he gasped and spat up blood. His body was broken, and in death he knew this would end his torture. He embraced it as Shenis hacked into his side with the rapier. The blade failed to go deep but the damage had been done, Lester was dead. The young lord continued to hack at the man's head attempting to cleave it from his body. Calle who hobbled herself to her feet noticed what he was attempting and offered him her sword for the action which was better for chopping than a thin rapier. Shenis took her sword and with one swing removed the defeated man's head. He handed back Calle her sword which she used to keep her balance. The fighting was still raging at the chokepoint. Shenis immediately got upon on the roof of the barrack atop choke and Held the head of Lester high.

"SEE THIS! SEE YOUR FALLEN COMMANDER!" the young lord bruised and weary from fighting yelled in his loudest voice, a voice so loud even Orlando atop the ridge could hear. "HE HAS BEEN BESTED! YOU HAVE LOST!" the fighting almost immediately ceased from the proclamation. Sure, most of the recruit had fallen by this point but those that remained quickly panicked and turned tail running back to the hilltop.

"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" "LIVE FOR ANOTHER DAY!" they cried as they moved with the greatest speed they could muster over the hill.

"They are on the run!" Highlight exclaimed as he and Dalton took the respite as a chance to haunch forward and admire the victory.

"Lord shall we ride them down?" Calle asked as she winced holding her side.

"No Calle-bear! MEN DO NOT PURSUE!" Dalton exclaimed as he fell backward and plopped on his behind.

"Why no pursuit Dalton we can finish them off!" Shenis questioned his mercenary's call.

"Look around Boss." Calle and Shenis and all others gazed around the scene. "We have causualties, and wounded, and we have no clue what is beyond that hilltop." He pointed where Orlando stood as the first of the retreating recruits arrived to his position panicked and terror upon their faces.

"He's right." Calle begrudgingly remarked as she returned her sword to her sheathe before sitting down as well. "My men are in disarray and I am in no shape to ride." Shenis took heed to the words both spoke, and he quickly recognized and understood that the chance to pursue was over. He stood up for a few more moments before plopping down as well.

"Thank you for your efforts today everyone." Shenis spoke with heavy breathing as Bryan went about cast spells and beginning to isolate and wrap the wounds. "Guys, let us clear this up tomorrow." He spoke as the sun faded away from sight beginning the start of night. Exhaustion and wounds occupied his men. His men which had suffered the first casualties of the campaign. Shenis looked over to Calle who was shedding tears for her fallen comrades as Bryan removed her breastplate and began treating her wounded chest. "Calle, where is Tico?"

She gritted her teeth a few more times as the priest applied a healing ointment on the afflicted flesh. "He is due northwest, mapping out the area we mark for our next onslaught near Til."

"Something tells me that won't be happening in the near term." Shenis started giggling a tad as he made the statement. Calle and Dalton began chuckling as well but Calle stopped due to the pain in her side, and Dalton began wheezing.

"Hope he keeps safe." One of the cavaliers said. All were in agreement on that was they just sat and collected themselves from a hard fought battle. Shenis and his retinue may have won victory, but in no way did it feel like one.