Fighting Back
"The village is just over that hill over there," Tino yells over his shoulder after signaling for them to halt just on the edge of a sparse forest, where the trees barely provide them with any shelter from weather or potential scouts. He waits there for Matthias and Berwald to ride up beside him and points ahead of them out on a large open plain before them that seems void of almost all life. The trees thin out further away from the forest and the only vegetation is smaller bushes and some grass but little else, and even the ground appears grey and lifeless.
The hill itself is not very tall, consisting of mostly rocks and gravel, but it stretches on, seemingly forever in each direction in an otherwise flat and empty landscape, creating a natural wall, separating the north from the south. It is hard to believe that a village is on the other side of it, judging from the lack of life on the plain before them. The roads they travelled over to get here were narrow and empty and in the five days on horseback, they did not encounter a single traveler. There were little signs of wildlife either and the the ground does not look like it can support crops and certainly not a village.
"I know it does not look like much from here," Tino says, speaking out Matthias' exact thought about the place. "The soil on this side of the hill never supported any life and nobody knows why. I heard somebody say once that the ground is cursed and that is why nothing grows, but others say it is just bad soil and the cold winds and no water. Trust me, the other side is completely different, bushes, trees, crops," he takes a pause to breathe and continues talking, waving his hands wildly in emphasis. "I think there's a few bushes and some grass growing on top the hill, if I remember correctly, so we should be able find some shelter if we want to climb up on this side to do some surveillance. We just have to leave the horses on this side and climb up on foot."
"If the village is just on the other side of the hill, then where is the main road?" Matthias finally asks once Tino appears to run out of air long enough for him to get in a word.
"Ah, yes," Tino says brightly as if he suddenly remembers and gestures vaguely ahead of them to the open landscape. "The road follows the plain and goes parallel to the hill for as long as it goes. You can't really see it from here with this ground being so dry, but it is there. It cuts through the hill a few kilometers further down the road where it is lower." He points as he talks and twists around in the saddle to point the other way. "There is another cut through the hill, maybe a day's ride or so behind us, but you will have to ride through a nasty forest and a bog on that side to reach Dale, so most people prefer the road on this side even if it is longer just because it is easier."
"Why have nobody made a cut through the hill right here where the village is?" Matthias asks. "It will take time and effort, but shortening the trade route should be worth it, right? Make them a little less isolated from everybody else."
Tino laughs softly. "Most people would think so, but the villagers are a bit superstitious and think it will bring bad luck to break up the hill, so they kept it that way. If you ask me, I think they like being out of the way, and it serves us well right now. Makes it easier to make our way up that hill unseen." He jumps off his horse and ties the animal to one of the sparse trees. "Are you ready to go?"
Matthias and Berwald agree easily enough and jump off their own horses to tie them up as well. They also decide to leave behind most of their gear behind to make the climb easier, but bring their weapons just in case, none of them willing to take the chance that they will not need them.
They let Tino take the lead since he has the most knowledge about the landscape and seems to know where he is going to get the best view over the village.
He never sees to slip on the loose rocks and sand that makes up most of the hill and his movement are silent where Berwald and Matthias struggle to remain standing on the treacherous slope and every step they take seem to send smaller pebbles rolling down and kicking up dirt in their path.
When they close in on the top, they crouch down low to keep out of sight from the opposite side, and crawl their way forward over the crest of the hill, hiding in the sparse grass.
It turns out that Tino was certainly not lying when he said the other side of the hill was different from the one they started out on and it is like stepping into a completely different world.
On the side they just climbed, the landscape almost looks dead, the ground hard and brown, barely supporting vegetation while the other side is lush, green, and golden, just beginning to show the beginning of autumn colors. The slope is far steeper on this side, but there is still grass and a few smaller bushes clinging to the side, defying gravity. At the bottom of the slope lies the village with an open market square closest to the slope, surrounded by small and sturdy houses, with tufted roofs.
Matthias and Berwald both are incapable of holding back a gasp of wonder at the sight and Tino laughs softly at them. "It is almost like a fairytale, right?" he says and crawls a bit further to peer down at the people moving about below them. "The change from one side of the hill to the other is so dramatic that many of the locals calls it 'the Witchwall'."
"The name Witchwall does not scare them away from settling down here?" Matthias asks.
Tino makes a grimace as he thinks. "Some people might not want to live here because of that, but the advantage far outweighs the fear I think. They built the village there so the hill can give them shelter from the norther winds. It is genius really, makes the winter storms less harsh and the crops have more time to grow and they have a much larger yield than most others manage around here, making them far less reliant on hunting."
"I would say it is smart, but this makes them so much more vulnerable for an attack," Matthias sighs. "Soldiers can easily surround the place without them noticing and there is no room for the villagers to escape. The hill is too steep on their side to climb, and archers will have plenty of time to take them out before they ever make it over the crest."
"Matthias is right," Berwald adds. "They are the perfect target for the soldiers. Their position is vulnerable and if they are famous for large yields of crops, they are going to want to take it all. He squints down towards the village watching the people milling about ignorant of their presence. "It does not look like the soldiers have been here yet, but I think it is reasonable to think they will go here soon," he looks at Matthias. "I think your information was good."
"So what do we do now?" Tino asks. "Should we just go down there and warn the villagers? They might think we are crazy; we don't exactly have proof that the King ordered his troops to steal from the people they are supposed to protect. There is just our word and they don't know us."
Matthias ponders the question for several long seconds. Lukas said the soldiers would reach Dale within two weeks or so. The three of them used five days on horseback to get here and the fighters from Griven and Dalahurst will probably use five more. That leaves only a few days between the arrival of their own fighters before the soldiers might appear, and that is if they are lucky enough that their support arrives first.
"The more prepared the villagers are, the better our chances will be," he says carefully. "I say we warn them now, even at the risk of them not believing us. If we don't warn them and the soldiers show up first, they will be dead for sure."
"That is true," Tino agrees. "It would be stupid not to say anything. I say we do it, and if it goes well, we can send one person back to Torleif with the news and while one stays behind to help the villagers prepare and then I can scout for the soldiers and see if I can give us a better idea of when they are coming."
"We just have to hope they are willing and take our warning seriously," Berwald mutters. "I would have a hard time believing the soldiers would come to steal food and kill people for protesting if I had not seen it for myself."
"We will just have to be convincing then," Matthias says firmly. "Let's go."
Without waiting for any further comments in their discussion, he crawls backwards in the grass until he is behind the crest of the hill and can move down the slope without anyone on the other side being able to notice him. He moves fast, eager to talk to the Chieftain and to begin work, kicking up a cloud of dust as he skates down the rocky slope with Tino and Berwald hot on his heels.
It takes them a great deal of persuasion to convince the village chieftain than an army is most likely coming their way and arriving within little more than a week. As they suspected, the man finds it hard to believe the King would turn against his people, but the more they talk, the paler he grows until his composure finally breaks.
"What are we supposed to do now?" he asks, and it looks as if he is on the verge of being sick judging by the ashy color of his skin. "We are not fighters, just simple farmers. We barely even have hunters amongst our numbers, how are we supposed to protect ourselves against an entire group of trained soldiers?"
"We win by using the element of surprise against them," Matthias says firmly. He cannot afford to sound hesitant if he wants the Chieftain to trust them and their abilities, three strangers that just rode into town and probably count less than half his age. "We have armed men and women from two villagers prepared to fight and they are on their way right now under the command of our leader Torleif, an experienced veteran and they should be here before the soldiers. We will make sure they receive more than they bargained for when they arrive. They are only expecting to meet a few unprepared and unarmed farmers. Instead they will meet armed fighters from three villages and I am sure we can cook up a few extra surprises for them in the time before they arrive."
"Like what?" the Chieftain asks sharply.
"I might have a few ideas," Berwald supplies carefully. "This hill puts the village in a weak position concerning escape, but we might also be able to use it as a weapon."
The Chieftain tilts his head curiously and one can practically see his mind working. "Go on," he prompts.
"We will have to trick the soldiers into the middle of the town square if it is to work though," Berwald continues slowly as he looks from the steep slope towards the village square, seemingly lost deep in thought as he considers his options. "We will have to make sure our people are out of harm's way as well, but if we manage that, then we can send boulders over the edge of the hill, cause a slide that will head right for the square maybe. If it doesn't do anything to harm the soldiers, it will surely cause chaos and we can use that distraction to launch an attack of our own."
"That sounds kind of dangerous," Tino stutters nervously. "We don't have any control over the boulders once they go over the edge, they could hit anything."
Berwald scratches at his chin, still calculating. "We could build some guide walls closest to the top that can help direct the rocks towards the square, but once those boulders start rolling properly, there will be no stopping them, which is exactly what we want. It will be hard work to put them up in time, but it should be worth it. We just need enough lumber and manpower."
"I can give you those two things," the Chieftain says. "But how will we trick the soldiers into the village square without risking our people?"
"It might be as easy as doing nothing," Matthias says. "Usually, the village square is where people tend to gather and if the soldiers find an empty town that is probably where they will go first in search for an answer. That way they will trap themselves at no risk to us."
"It is worth a shot," the Chieftain mutters. "We don't have a lot of other options, but this will only work if your people make it here in time and we don't know how much time we have before the soldiers are upon us."
"Well, there is one way to find out," Tino says. "I will ride out and search for the soldiers and if we find out they are too close, we still have the option of evacuating. They will most likely travel by the main roads, so it should be easy enough to find them and I should be able to calculate how soon they should be here. There is no use in protesting!" The last line he adds quickly and points at accusingly at Berwald, whose mouth is halfway open to do exactly that. "I am the best choice to go, and you know it! Besides, you are the one best suited to help the villagers build the trap. It was your idea after all."
"I guess that makes me the one to report back to Torleif then," Matthias concludes.
The Chieftain nods slowly, carefully considering. "Then we have a plan," he says firmly. "I will find some fresh horses for the two of you," he gestures at Matthias and Tino. "Then you," he points at Berwald, "will come with me, and we begin work on our defenses immediately. There is no time to lose"
Matthias returns on the third morning a few hours after sunrise.
The first people to meet him are the two guards stationed on the northern and empty side of the hill, the Chieftain unwilling to leave his village without guards on every road, just in case and they approach him the moment he exits the forest. One of the guards even follow him all the way to the village square, not recognizing him from two days past.
The guard only leaves when Berwald takes notice of their arrival and waves at them. He comes trudging over from the foot of the hill where he was busy working on something alongside a few other villagers. He is wearing only a shirt, soaked through with sweat, and covered in mud. He looks utterly exhausted, with black bruising underneath his eyes from lack of sleep and cheeks red from exertion.
Matthias glances towards the hill to take in all the work done in his absence and whistles impressed. "Wow," he breathes. "You have not been lazy that is for sure." He finds a nearby fence pole and ties up his horse before he returns to Berwald. "I know it's only been three days, but have Tino returned yet?"
Berwald shakes his head and attempts to brush mud off his hands with little success. "No," he says with a sigh. "Not yet. I hope he is alright."
"From what I saw the first time we met him, he is more than capable for this sort of thing," Matthias laughs and elbow Berwald in the side much to Berwald's obvious annoyance. "Don't worry, he'll be back soon enough and then we're going to wish we had more time to prepare." Berwald still does not look impressed, and Matthias decides it might be time to change subject. "I found Torleif and the others on one of the smaller roads; they should be here in two days or so. Since Tino is not back yet, that should mean our backup should arrive before the soldiers do."
"That is good news!" A voice declares, and they both turn around to find the chieftain marching up to them and having heard the tail end of their conversation. "I'll be glad to have reinforcements. There is still a lot of work left and we need every day we can have to prepare. Berwald has been the most wonderful help in planning our defense; you have a good mind on you." He pats Berwald on the back and smiles tiredly. "We still need to place a few good rocks along the edge and secure the homes closest to the square but it is all coming together nicely. Walk with me," he gestures for them to follow and heads further into the village square to show off their work. "Berwald has suggested a few improvements to our plans along the way as well."
There are villagers busy at work all over the square, they are boarding up windows and blocking off alleys. They nod respectfully as the three of them walk past and then return to their work.
"I thought you were training to become a smith, not a trap maker," Matthias attempts to joke but receives no laugh in return.
"Does not mean I don't have other skills," Berwald eventually grumbles and Matthias remembers how so many over the course of their younger years used to joke that the smith and his apprentice were all brawn and no brain when that is quite untrue. The jokes has dies down over the years as Berwald has helped the old smith with several clever ways to improve the forge, but memories of childhood tend to linger in memory and Matthias feels a little guilty for his remark, but Berwald thankfully shows him mercy and moves their conversation along. "It makes sense to block of the square, and all other routes of escape," he continues. "We want the soldiers contained and properly trapped."
"You think we can block them off completely?" Matthias asks. "Close the road somehow off after they enter the square."
Berwald shrugs. "We could roll some carts into place maybe. They are mostly silent, but we would need quite distraction for that to work without being noticed," he says carefully.
"You know what," Matthias says brightly with all the confidence only a youngster can muster having not faced as much opposition in life as most adults, "I think I will be able to keep them occupied for a little while."
Berwald still does not appear certain, but there is a calculating look in his eye that Matthias knows means he is considering the options and he is almost sure they will come to an agreement sooner rather than later on which approach to take.
They spend the rest of the day working on their trap. They help move large boulders along the ridge of the eerily named Witchwall and even roll a few up the gentler slope on the northern side to add to their collection right above the square, ready to roll at the right time.
It is grueling work and they constantly slip in the thick mud that is the result of villagers moving over the same ground repeatedly and turns their work into a nightmare with each passing turn over the same ground. When they work on the southern side of the hill, the sun beats down on them relentlessly, drenching them in sweat, and when working on the northern side, the wind turns cold and sharp, but still they keep on working.
They are pausing for a quick water break late in the afternoon, resting against a large boulder after finally getting it into position after an hour of pushing, when a guard down in the square yells that somebody is approaching the village and they snap to attention.
People instinctually startle at the warning, but calm down once they realize there is no sight of a large army and only a single rider escorted by two more guards making their way along the main road towards the village.
Berwald squints towards the approaching group, shielding his eyes from the low hanging sun. "Can you see who that is?" he asks.
Matthias cannot hold back his grin once he recognizes the figure, the rider being on the shorter side. "I think that is Tino, we should go met him. I cannot wait to hear what he has to say."
He does not even finish the sentence before he is moving down the slope, sliding rather than walking as his eagerness wins out over care. "Did you find them?" he yells once he is close enough, not caring that he is obviously interrupting a conversation between Tino and the Chieftain.
Berwald follows a little slower, but is not far behind. Tino turns towards them and nods gravely, his brows furrowed I worry. "I did," he says, sounding a little out of breath. "They are still almost six days march away I would guess, they have large carts slowing them down, but they are definitely heading this way and it is nothing like what either Griven or Dalahurst had the misfortune of facing. This is no less than an army, at least 200 strong and heavily armed." He breathes slowly, hesitating a little before he continues. "With a force that big, they surely intend to destroy the village and not leave anyone alive."
The Chieftain looks pale and horrified, as he is finally realizing the threat is real and not just a rumor. It is no wonder, as most Chieftains have no idea how to deal with armed conflict. Usually, their tasks consist of dealing with minor disputes between villagers, theft if they are unlucky, mainly just keeping the law and keeping a good tone with neighboring towns.
Matthias pats him on the back in sympathy. "Good thing we made preparations then," he says, keeping a bright, confident tone. Two hundred men is a lot, but if their plan works, and he believes it will, then that number will not matter. "We're ready to give them a proper welcome."
Tino looks at the hillside and he gasps in admiration. Matthias notices and smirks, he cannot help himself. "All part of Berwald's plan," he says and struggles not to laugh at how Berwald actually looks uncomfortable being the focus of attention when Tino's gaze turn on him.
"There is still a lot of work to do," Berwald eventually mutters, and Matthias still files the reaction away in his memory, ready to tease Berwald about it later should the occasion arise even though it might be childish of him. He raises his hands in surrender when Berwald gives him a cold glare, but he is still grinning when they return to work.
The next six day passes by in a blur of hectic preparations. Two days after Matthias returned to Dale, the villagers from both Griven and Dalahurst arrive and together the three villages work together on preparing Dale for battle and they work from dawn to dusk, barely taking breaks to eat and sleep. They roll boulders, build railings and board up doors and windows as well as train with the weapons they have.
Matthias lies on his stomach on one of the grass covered rooftops, waiting impatiently. He can hear the slow steady breathing from Berwald on his right side and the slightly quicker one belonging to Tino on the other. Other than that, there is not a single sound from anywhere, only the wind and occasional bird.
Tino only just returned from one of his scouting trips just an hour earlier and made them aware the soldiers were only a few kilometers away, sending the villagers into a flurry of last minute preparations before hiding away in their designated spots.
There are villagers hiding on every single rooftop around the square, hidden underneath layers of grass to blend in with the tuft roofing, all of them quietly waiting and praying.
They can hear the soldiers long before they can see them. Their armored boots are heavy on the ground and they are talking loudly amongst themselves, laughing and telling stories, not worried about a single thing. Once they draw closer to the village, the general tone changes. The careless laughter dies and the voices turn quieter, more hesitant as they realize there is not a single person in sight when the entire area should be bustling with activity of harvest season.
"What is going on?" Matthias can hear one of them asking. "Where is everyone?"
Matthias creeps forward, just to the very edge of the roof so he can see the road and the village square before him.
Most of the soldiers carefully make their way into the middle of the marked square, a few of them breaking away from the main group to look through the empty market stalls and peer into blackened windows. Three large carts follow into the square; all of them empty, probably to carry the goods they wanted to steal from the villagers.
Finally, the rest of the soldiers gather in the square, leaving the roads empty, the men looking confused and uncertain.
Then one man pushes his way through the group until he reaches the front and gaze out over the army. His cloak is of fine make and carrying the royal sigil on the back, singling him out as the commanding officer. "The bastards must be hiding," he roars and tears off his helmet, arms shaking with unrestrained fury. "There is no way they all left, there is still smoke from the chimneys and animals in the pens on the way here. Search every single house!" His voice cracks as he shrieks out his order.
That is Matthias' clue to act.
Before the soldiers have the time to obey their order and scatter to search the houses, Matthias stands up on the roof, carelessly brushing grass of his tunic. "Welcome sirs!" He yells cheerily and all the soldiers turn to look at him in surprise, halting their steps. "I believe I can give you some answers if you will care to listen."
Still lying on his stomach and carefully hidden in the grass, Tino draws back the string on his bow, carefully aiming it; ready to shot in a heartbeat should things go awry. Matthias knows that on several other roofs, there are more archers doing the same thing, silently aiming arrows towards the soldiers.
Matthias leans forward slightly and grins at the commander. Back home the smile might be considered charming, but he doubts the soldier feels the same way judging by the dark shade of red creeping up his neck at the way his jaw clenches. Every single eye in the square is on him, and Matthias relaxes into his posture, carefully avoiding looking the villagers that are busy blocking of the roads back out of the square with carts and logs while the soldiers are looking away.
The commander snarls angrily and raises a finger threateningly. "Get down here you coward!" he screams. "Where are your people?"
"I can assure you that they are all very close," Matthias says sweetly and holds up his arms in mock surrender. He sees the barricades are almost in place and most of the villagers are already retreating into cover again. He just needs to keep the soldiers busy a little while longer. "You know," he says slowly, dragging out time. "You make quite the display, marching into town all donned up in armor and armed to the teeth, have we done something wrong I wonder?"
Matthias shifts his weight from foot to foot, pretending he does not have a single worry in the world and the guards appear to swallow the bait, completely. The commander even snarls loudly enough that Matthias can hear it on the roof. "We barely feel deserving of such attention," he gestures at the gathered men, "it seems impolite not to return the favor and we would hate to be poor hosts." He raises his voice and yells, letting the villagers know to get ready. "So, we have prepared you all a little surprise to wish you all welcome and to let our beloved king know exactly what we feel about his care and consideration for people of the outskirt!"
Matthias easily dodges it by leaning sideways when one of the soldiers fires arrow in his direction, finally sensing foul game. "That is not a very nice way to greet you host," he yells mockingly in return and watches how the commander's face grows even redder and how several of the soldiers draw their weapons, sick and tired of his display.
"Boulders!" Matthias screams and his command echoes further up the hill.
"Boulders! Release the boulders!"
The soldiers finally realize the danger they are in as they hear a deep rumble from the hill and look up, only to see several large boulders thundering down the hillside. Slowly at first, but quickly gaining momentum and speed as they roll.
Instinctively they back away from the danger and turn to run only to realize they cannot escape the square the same way they arrived. There are carts and logs blocking of every single path, cleverly jammed into place with logs and planks to make them impossible to remove quickly.
A few begin pushing at the blockage while others realize it is futile and begin climbing, pushing aside their friends to do so and even climbing over those who fall, the only thing on their minds is getting away from the rapidly approaching death and who they sacrifice in order to reach safety is worth it. The rest scatter, trying to get as far away from the hill as they can, crouching behind house walls, hammering on windows only to realize they are nailed shut from the inside along with all the doors.
The ground rumbles as the boulders knock loose more rocks on their way as the rockslide builds in strength. Matthias throws himself down on the roof, holding onto the edge, bracing for impact. On the streets below, the soldiers are screaming in panic.
Then the rocks crash into the village square.
The noise is deafening and disturbing, and the house shakes underneath them. Matthias clings on with all his might as the ground comes to life underneath them, trying to knock them off. They can hear the shattering of wood as the boulders crashes cleanly through the houses closest to the hill, leveling them to the ground and cut off screams along with the sickening sound of shattered bones and torn flesh.
Matthias staggers to his feet once the tremors quiet down, but there are still smaller rocks rolling down the hill, a few large enough to knock over some of the soldiers that survived the initial bloodbath, for that is what it is.
The square is red, covered in boulders, rocks, mud, and bodies.
There is no more than half of the original army left after the slaughter. Many of them lie crushed under the boulders in middle of the square, never making it further away, while others lie piled against the roadblocks, crushed by smaller rocks or boulders and even by their own people as they fought to escape. The ones that survived and somehow remained standing, looks shocked and confused, clumsily moving around as if they cannot comprehend what just happened to them, but then they realize there is a fight and most begin reaching for their weapons mostly on instinct it would appear from their slow and hesitant movements.
"Archers!" Matthias yells and on the surrounding roofs, people throw aside their cover of leaves and grass, jump up and releases a deadly hail of arrows against an army already in chaos.
There are more screams piecing the air, only to stop suddenly, arrows ping off the boulders and then the soldier kick into action. They know that staying down in the town square is a guaranteed death, most of them storm towards the barricades, climbing them to get at the roofs where they can reach the archers that turn on them with whatever weapons they managed to scramble together for close combat, be it kitchen or hunting knives, scythes, pitchforks, and axes.
Matthias draws his own weapon that was carefully tucked against the edge of the roof while he was speaking to the soldiers. Besides him, Berwald draws his sword and Tino notches another arrow.
He jumps off the roof, moving quickly between the boulders, heart pounding in his chest and flooding his system with adrenaline. They will need to end the battle quickly or the few remaining soldiers will cause too much damage, having far better weapons and more experience in combat. He swings his axe wide in a large sweep, knocking over a soldier attempting to climb a roof to reach the archers and moves towards the middle of the square.
Berwald disappears off to the right, presumably to keep more soldiers from climbing the roofs.
After his speech, Matthias seems to be one of the main targets for soldier aggression and several runs toward him, roaring in anger and desperation, which is fine with Matthias. The more that comes after him, the fewer can go after the other villagers. He widens his stance, preparing to stand his ground and raises his axe in front of himself.
He knocks one of them over with the first swing of his axe and hits the second in the stomach with the butt end of the axe when he rushes in to take advantage of what could have been a good opening when Matthias was distracted with the first.
A third one comes rushing after him and Matthias realizes he will not be able to swing his axe back in time. He backpedals desperately to regain some room to maneuver, but the soldier never manages to swing at him.
Three steps away, he falls forward with an arrow sticking out of his back.
Matthias lifts his gaze and notices Tino still on his roof, giving him a firm nod before he notches another arrow and loosens it, taking out another soldier somewhere to the side.
Matthias gives him a nod in return, glad to know that he has friends looking after his back and looks around the battlefield.
It turns out the commander survived the rolling boulders, and he is now making his way across the square, coming straight for Matthias with murder in his eyes. There is blood streaking down his face from a cut above his eyes, but it does not seem to slow him down as he raises a longsword and breaks out into a run between the large boulders.
An arrow pings off one of the rocks as Tino attempt to take him out before he can reach Matthias but misses and the commander keeps running.
Matthias easily sidesteps the first slash and lifts his axe to block the second one.
His arms shake from the brutal impact and suddenly he does not feel so confident anymore.
The commander hacks at him with a mindless fury and he is almost strong enough to knock Matthias over, even when he manages to block the incoming strikes. He is losing ground quickly, his axe feeling heavier each time he swings it, and he knows he cannot continue for long in the same pattern.
In the corner of his vision, he notices another soldier rushing towards them, ready to defend his commander and realizes this might be the end. He has nowhere to run, having backed himself into a corner of large boulders and all his focus is on keeping the commander at bay.
Then Berwald appears out of nowhere crashes into the second soldier, sending them both tumbling over on the ground and out of their reach and sight and Matthias barely hears a cut-off scream of pain not knowing who is the one to make it.
The commanders gaze flickers nervously around the square as he hacks carelessly at Matthias, growing increasingly desperate and sloppy and he hesitates.
Matthias hazards a quick look himself and realizes the villagers are swarming the battlefield: The boulders and archers have done their part and now they are jumping off the roofs, drawing their simple weapons and screaming in fury, jumping into the fray. There are more jumping over the barriers they were waiting behind as a secondary assault team and the few remaining soldiers are far outnumbered and quickly succumbing to their fates.
Matthias smirks and violently pushes forward feeling invigorated, using his axe as a battering ram and pushing the commander back to regains some ground.
The commander stumbles on one of the rocks, losing balance and Matthias swings at his feet.
He falls over with a groan and his swords clatters on the ground.
Matthias moves quickly then, swinging his axe in a high arch and uses all of his remaining strength to smash it down on the commander's chest, where it slices through the plated mail, caving in his chest and he stops moving.
Matthias breathes hard, looking around for more enemies, but the battle is already as good as over. The villagers are swarming the remaining soldiers and the screams die out one after one, leaving a strange silence behind.
Berwald stands up from the ground, wiping some sweat and mud off his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt and Matthias runs over to embrace his friend, patting him on the back, relieved beyond belief to see him alive and well.
Berwald remains stiff at first, but breathes out a sigh as he relaxes, realizing that the fight is over.
When they separate, they see Tino running toward them cheering, "We actually did it!" he yells. "We won!"
Matthias laughs, he is just so relieved. "We certainly did!" He yells back, and even a few villagers gather around them. "And this is only just the beginning." He can see Torleif in the crowd giving him a nod, grinning with pride. "There are more villages to save and the King will soon realize we will not allow him or his soldiers to step on us!"
The square rings out in a deafening cheer.
They are bloodied, muddy and exhausted, but they stand victorious. Despite the dangers ahead, they are all optimistic. They defeated the soldiers and proved that it is possible, and the day seems brighter than and warmer than the entire summer as hope blooms bright among them.