Joel Shepherd - Haven

There were yells and clashes from below as the downhill plunge encountered men milling at midslope and below for the next uphill attack. But here on the left flank Ilduuri artillery had been heaviest, and there were not so many still living.

Yasmyn galloped in from her right, and came alongside. “Lenayin pulls back,” she announced. “The Regent pursues.”

“We must give them cover. Tell the artillery to put every available unit to fire on the Regent's forces if they come within range. And then come back fast, because if Arken's men are pursued back up the slope, they'll need cover, too.”

Yasmyn nodded and disappeared at a gallop, running Ilduuri replacements skipping aside from the cleared path. Sasha had nineteen thousand Ilduuri in total and nearly four thousand of those were cavalry, now divided between Enoran and Rhodaani forces down in the valley. They'd been reluctant to part from their infantry, but she simply had no use for them up on the ridges, and the other Steel armies had need for more horsemen.

That left fifteen thousand infantry. Kessligh had four thousand guarding the ridges on Jahnd's eastern flank, and she had nearly one thousand manning artillery. Ten thousand fighting men. If none of these just departed came back, she'd have nine. Casualties so far were only in the dozens, but that would change when Balthaar truly got his act together, claimed the Dhemerhill Valley mouth, and forced her to widen her line. If he came up in all places at once, holding could become nearly impossible.

The Army of Lenayin would need to fall back and regroup. The Rhodaani Steel could then move up the valley to defend her right flank and pressure the Regent's left, but they would have to do so without much of their artillery, as the defensive wall across the Dhemerhill Valley had been built without gates for weakpoints, and the valley sides around the wall made it very difficult to haul heavy artillery up and around. And once up the valley, as the Army of Lenayin had just discovered, they'd be exposed to the Regent's own artillery fire.

She had to get some of that artillery here. Dare she send more men down the slope? If she lost too many on such risky charges, she'd never have enough to hold this ridge for even a short while, and if the ridge itself fell quickly, so would the entire heights back along the south side of the Dhemerhill Valley, outflanking the Rhodaanis and their defensive wall completely.

And worse, looking out at the Regent's army beneath her, she'd begun to suspect that she'd underestimated his numbers. If his cavalry were all coming from the east, that should leave him with about a hundred thousand here, mostly infantry. But now, as she tried to count, she thought it was probably more.

Yells and cheers arose from the Ilduuri as the charging force reached the bottom of the hill and laid into the Regent's forces with a distant clashing that sounded like a thousand pots and pans being bashed together. Sasha wished there were more space upon the ridge to deploy artillery further forward, but there was not. Arken's men were now beyond his own artillery range, and exposed. More hooves came toward her, but it was Daish, not Yasmyn. “Kessligh says forty thousand cavalry, led by Koenyg,” he told her, steadying his sweating, gasping horse. “The talmaad did well, but the Enoran cavalry got smashed, lost about half.”

Sasha nodded grimly, not especially surprised. “Well, he can't have any horses from here, we're going to need them.”

Daish shook his head. “No, he's not asking, they've stopped them cold but dear gods there are still a lot of them. But they've the Enoran Steel before them now, plenty of talmaad , a defensive wall plus artillery on the ridges overhead.”

“Koenyg won't attack directly,” Sasha said with certainty. Her brother could be a hothead, but not where military victory was in question. She stared at the battle below as she spoke. Arken's men were pressing through the Regent's massed ranks, closing on the artillery. Artillery teams were trying to move, but were hemmed in by men on all sides. “He'll wait and force Kessligh to hold many forces to the rear. Tell him to get down to the western wall, that's where the action will be.”

“Now?”

“Now. Go find someone down in the valley to get a report on the Army of Lenayin's status on the way, and tell him that the Rhodaanis are going to be in big trouble if they have to move up to defend my flank, and get hit by the same artillery that hit Lenayin. I'm trying to get some of that artillery now,” she pointed below, “but I can't afford to lose huge waves of men attacking from this position. And tell him I think we've underestimated their numbers here by maybe thirty thousand.”

Daish paled. “You think?” He looked along the riverbank.

Sasha nodded. “I don't know how, but we did,” she murmured, staring downward. Arken's line was nearly at the artillery now, but having penetrated into the Regent's force, his flanks were under pressure. A thin silver wall of men fought hard to keep the tide at bay.

Daish galloped away, and passed Yasmyn as he left. “The Lenays are crossing the river as they pull back,” she informed Sasha when she arrived, “they're coming under our artillery cover. The Regent's forces pursue, but not hard; they seem shocked.”

“Lenayin does that,” Sasha agreed.

Yasmyn smiled ferociously. “The artillery captain tells me that any who pursue them beneath his fire will regret it. How goes the fight?”

Sasha merely pointed. Yasmyn watched for a moment. “Courageous,” she said. “Should you send more?”

“In very little time I'm not going to have enough,” Sasha replied. “Even with what I have now.”

“Like trying to plug twelve holes with ten fingers.”

Sasha nodded. “Soon we'll be using toes.”

Jaryd made his second run back at a canter, holding a Valhanan man with a slashed arm before him in the saddle. The Valhanan had insisted upon walking, but lost a lot of blood, and his comrades had insisted he take a horse. Jaryd rode with him in front so he could be caught if he fell.

The Army of Lenayin retreated in good order along the south side of the valley, beneath heights held by the Ilduuri. Many were frustrated, yelling aloud to any commander who would listen that they should turn about and go straight back. No doubt enough of them remained in good enough shape that they would win yet another glorious victory, and then perhaps another, if they wished. But after a few more such victories, the Regent's army would simply continue to advance, while the Army of Lenayin would fairly much cease to exist.

The Rhodaani Steel now advanced in gleaming squares up the valley centre, men on the near flank sending cheers to the retreating Lenays, who saluted back in good humour. No doubt the Rhodaanis were somewhat cheered to see that despite obvious losses, the Army of Lenayin still appeared strong and in high spirits. Jaryd looked at those tightly packed squares of Rhodaanis, and wondered if the same would stand for them, when the hellfire rounds began falling.

He joined other cavalry heading upslope and around the valley wall, and then down again to the far side. There, a hospital was working feverishly in the yard of a farmhouse, and he was assisted by Jahndi women in taking the wounded Lenay from his saddle. There were many serrin here also, men and women, villagers from across Saalshen who had come to help, yet could not fight. Many of those were learning archery, which could certainly be of use in later defence, even if poorly aimed. Others made arrows, or ballista bolts, or even hellfire, prepared further defences, and helped to tend the wounded.

On a horse nearby he saw a familiar figure directing a steady flow of wagons that now trundled out from Jahnd, and threatened to make a blockage as they churned up the valley roads. Jaryd smiled, as she talked to some hard-of-hearing individual who had aroused her displeasure.