David Dalglish - The Shadows of Grace

That done, she wrapped her arms around Seleven’s neck and shouted orders above the wind. The winged horse turned, flying back toward Auchby.

“They’re trapped now,” Aurelia said. “Without a bridge, they can’t reinforce from the Vile Wedge.”

Harruq grinned. Without a way to retreat, the orcs would be crushed against the chasm by the Hillock’s soldiers… assuming the soldiers hadn’t hacked each other’s heads off in their feud.

When they arrived back at Auchby, it appeared their feud might wait. Lord Sully’s men camped about half a mile south of Auchby, while Sir Kull’s were set up to the east. Aurelia landed in Sir Kull’s camp since they were still uncertain what Lord Sully’s reaction would be to them breaking out and disobeying his orders.

“Welcome back,” Sir Kull said. “Might I ask where you’ve been?”

“The orcs were building a bridge across the Bone Ditch,” Aurelia said. “I destroyed it. They have nowhere to go. If you march now, you might wipe out the whole lot of them before they can scatter north.”

Sir Kull nodded, then turned toward Lord Sully’s camp.

“His men are searching the village,” he explained. “I sent out a messenger with request to parlay. We’ll see if he accepts.”

A soldier arrived, his armor polished and his tunic clean. Evidently Sir Kull had fixed him up a bit before sending him over to Lord Sully’s. The man saluted, then delivered his report.

“He’ll meet you between our camps, in front of Auchby,” the soldiers aid. “Their camp is stirred, and angry, but I don’t feel it directed toward us.”

“Good,” Sir Kull said. “Dismissed. Gentry, fetch me a horse. William, see if you can find me a fresh tunic.”

Sir Kull turned and bowed to the Eschaton.

“Forgive me,” he said. “I have much to do.”

“We’re glad to get out of the way,” Harruq said. “Just make sure I get to kill some orcs by tonight, eh?”

Sir Kull flashed a smile.

“I pray you have your chance,” he said.

The Eschaton ate a bit of food offered by Sir Kull’s soldiers, and then rested while they kept their eye toward Auchby. The two noblemen met, each accompanied by three escorts holding flags waving their family’s coat of arms. For a long while they talked, to the point that both armies became nervous and fidgety. Finally, they saluted and broke. When Sir Kull rode up, he held his sword high.

“Tonight,” he shouted, “we repay the blood spilled this day! Lord Sully has granted me my rights, and shall press no claim until the day our lands are safe! To the west!”

Harruq let out a whoop.

“Time to kill some orcs,” he said.

They rode atop Seleven, but kept to the ground. Following them marched the combined armies of Sully and Kull, their animosity vanishing like the smoke behind them. They followed the inner slopes of the hills, the Eschaton leading them northwest toward the bridge. Aurelia angled them a bit, so that when they were parallel to the bridge they’d have a bit of distance between them in case the orcs had fled either north or south.

“They’re likely to assume an army will be near,” Aurelia said as the hills steadily smoothed out toward the Bone Ditch. “Though if we’re lucky, they’ll think we were alone, as the Scoutmasters of the Quellan elves often are.”

“I don’t think we’re often the lucky sort,” Haern said. “They’ll be ready, and from what I saw, our numbers advantage is slight.”

“Yes, but we have horsemen,” Aurelia insisted, gesturing to the two hundred knights riding with Lord Sully’s group. “We’ll trample the orcs against the cliff.”

At last the hills smoothed out completely, and waiting for them in battle formations were the orcs. They formed circles around the remnants of the bridge, a thin line of spearman before a great many with axes. They howled and cheered at the sight of their enemy. Lord Sully and Sir Kull joined the Eschaton at the front.

“They’re packed tight,” Lord Sully said as he rode up on his horse.

“Too tight,” Sir Kull said. “If we surround them, they’ll have no way to maneuver. One steady push with your horsemen and we’ll knock them right off the cliff.”

“I’m sure you’d love my knights to drive headlong into their spears,” Lord Sully said. “What’s your plan, to push us off after we finish with the orcs?”

“If I wanted your men to die, I’d simply give the word,” Sir Kull said, his hand falling to the hilt of his sword.

Aurelia saw this and felt her temper flare.

“Auchby burns,” she said, recalling the words each of their own men had shouted. “Or have we forgotten?”

Both men glanced away, as if embarrassed. In the distance, the orcs shouted and clanged their weapons together, working themselves into a frenzy.

“My men will engage their left flank,” Lord Sully said. “Have yours engage the right. When we see a gap or weakness, I’ll lead the charge with my knights.”

“Good enough,” said Sir Kull, saluting. The two noblemen returned to their armies, shouting orders and encouragement.

“Once these orcs are dead, we might have a tough battle still waiting,” Harruq said as they left.

“We’ll have to remind them that these orcs are just the tip of the arrow,” Aurelia said.

“So you heard their plan,” Haern said. “Where do we fit in it?”

“Well, since each army is taking either left or right, how about… middle?” said the elf.

Haern grinned.

“Perfect.”

With a call of trumpets and a communal shout, the human army approached. The orcs howled, sounding almost impatient. As Lord Sully swung his men left, Sir Kull broke them right. They swarmed about the orcs, giving them no path to retreat, only the long fall in the Bone Ditch. If they were worried, the orcs didn’t show it. With unusual control for their race, they didn’t even charge when the humans neared. Instead they waited, letting the fight come to them. That alone worried Harruq as he dismounted from Seleven.

“Something’s wrong,” he said. “Orcs aren’t that disciplined. Think they trapped the lines?”

“They can’t have had time, and the ground is bare,” Haern said as he leaped off and drew his sabers. “Whatever trap they have, it isn’t in the dirt.”

“Hope you’re right,” the half-orc said.

“Actually, I hope he’s not,” Aurelia said. “I prefer the trap we suspect to the one we know nothing about.”

Another trumpet blew, and then the humans charged. Harruq drew Salvation and Condemnation and clanged the sister swords together. As a red glow surrounded their steel, he bellowed a war cry and charged. Haern ran alongside, his cloaks billowing behind him. In a terrible cacophony of pain, steel, and blood, the armies collided. The humans, smaller in stature and weaker in strength, relied on their numbers and training to endure the sudden, brutal fury of the orcs.

When Harruq reached the fight, he dashed between two sorely pressed soldiers and swung his blades, cutting off the arm of an orc and disemboweling a second. Haern slashed and spun, blood splattering as his enemies fell. Several more orcs lined up, trying to form a defensive front against them.

“Harruq!” he heard Aurelia shout, her voice magnified by magic. When Harruq glanced back, he saw Aurelia in the midst of casting a spell, her eyes locked skyward. He turned, and then dropped to his knees out of reflex and horror.

Four boulders hurled through the air over the Bone Ditch. Aurelia hit one with a wall of magical force, cracking it in half and killing its momentum so that it fell into the chasm. The three others struck the ground outside the orcs’ formation, crushing the human soldiers.

“Aw, come on!” Harruq shouted. On the other side of the Bone Ditch he saw four enormous catapults. About fifty orcs scrambled about them, pulling levers and lifting boulders. Aurelia rushed closer, watching the far side as the orc forces howled with glee.