Chapter 175 Long Mane and Broken Horn
In a pasture.
The priest of the Pegasi watched the ribbon as it fell to the ground. His heart leaped into his throat when a hundred Unicorns and knights appeared beneath him. Shadow Dancer, too, was stunned to witness such a strange scene. Beneath her, animals and men discovered the price of such a long leap.
The Unicorns stood on weak legs. Their manes were long, and their hooves were overgrown. Their bodies cried out for water and food. The humans were worse off. Their bodies ached, and their stomachs were empty. Some of them fell from their mounts. But both types of warriors were determined. The men took out apples for their mounts and bread for themselves. They served weak beer to both as to quench their thirst.
In the air, the Pegasus circled over the farmhouse, observing. Below, some men sounded their horns with great alarm. The signal warned of imminent danger. A short distance to the south, Captain Pasqual wheeled his mount around and gazed across the grassland.
Pasqual whispered: Impossible...By the God of the Greenwood.
His mind refused to accept what his eyes saw. But his deep love for his commander was more powerful than his fear.
Pasqual sounded his horn and then shouted: We ride north to stop them from attacking the house! My king is in danger!
Two companies galloped swiftly to intercept any attack.
At the house, men prepared horses. A group of knights, including Count Aurelio, set out toward the southwest, toward a camp of soldiers held in reserve to attack the city once the gates had been breached.
Shadow Dancer projected an image into the mind of her rider. The priest saw the armor of the Count of War of King Aloisio.
Danilo: Follow him! If he dies, we win.
When the Blue Knights were ready, the companies of Pasqual had formed lines between them and the fleeing men.
A knight: Can we jump to the other side?
Rodrigo raised a spear: I do not think we will survive another jump so soon. Boys! Cut your way through them!
Each man drew a spear from his saddle and signaled his mount to charge. They ran but were slowed by the exertion of the leap. The horses on the opposing side were exhausted after having covered a long distance. These knights were not the elite companies of the first day. The eyes of the knights and Unicorns spotted those places where the mail did not cover the leather. The bodies of their enemies betrayed their intention to pivot and hurl their lances before they were even close enough to do so. The Unicorns lowered their heads slightly, tilting them to the right or the left, depending on which hand the opposing knight used.
One hundred and ten spears were hurled by the knights in red. Ninety-two were blocked by horns. Eighteen missed. Two struck knights, and only one drew blood. One hundred spears flew from hands clad in blue gloves. Thirty men were knocked from their horses. Many others remained in their saddles, but with spears in their torsos.
The Blue Knights drew their great swords and wielded them with both hands. The others drew swords or battle-axes. The horses attempted to fight Unicorns using the blades on their armor, but the horns were stronger than steel. Blows crashed against the armor of both sides. Horns pierced horses and men alike. In the center, a group of Unicorns burst through both lines of horses, leaving numerous bodies in their wake.
Rodrigo spotted Pasqual amidst his group of elite knights. Cobalt Storm leaped toward them, followed by several others. The lance hurled by Pasqual was deflected by the great sword. As he closed in, the captain dealt a slashing blow to the body of the other man, from neck to chest. The blade remained embedded in his body as he tumbled.
Cobalt Storm placed a hoof upon his chest, and Rodrigo drew his sword free. He looked around and saw that just over twenty others were free. The rest were locked in combat. He shouted to his men.
Rodrigo: To Aurelio! His head must fall!
Near the valley of the warriors.
The two swords of Captain Pedro were a gift from Count Esteban. They were the fruit of more than six weeks of labor by a master craftsman. Swords so well-forged were worthy of his prowess in battle. The sword of King Gutierre had been forged by two master blacksmiths over the course of three months. The blade was perfect. The Count knew that his own prowess in combat did not merit a sword such as that one. His honor and his keen eye for recognizing promising knights were the reasons he had risen to his high post.
The soldiers surrounding the valley never saw the Unicorns until they were already too close. The knights hurled spears at unsuspecting men. Swords sliced through leather armor and poorly crafted mail. Esteban struck down three men before one could attack him. Pedro killed seven in the same span of time.
But it was neither the attacks of the men nor those of their mounts that destroyed the courage of the soldiers. Azure Death and the other riderless Unicorns attacked in a bloodlust. Horns stabbed, hooves shattered legs or ribs, and jaws crushed shoulders.
The old man was weak after the leap, but his heart was stronger than his horn. He understood much of the human tongue. And the brave queen had given them an order; after nearly two centuries among humans, duty was important to him. He also recognized the ranks and tabards of soldiers. When he spotted the tabard of a Captain of Banners, he attacked him.
Broken Horn stabbed Diego in the stomach, lifted him up, and hurled him toward another knight. With their heads and armor covered in blood, the war Unicorns of Queen Olivia mangled fifty bodies and destroyed the courage of the rest.
The men who could, mounted horses to flee. Most simply ran to where there was no way to die. Warriors emerged from the valley. They shouted as they joined in the hunt for the cowards in red.
Hundreds of voices: Arkady the Bear! Arkady the Bear!
Tatiana the Puma stopped on the hill, gazing at a man riding a young unicorn.
Nineteen years earlier, she saw Esteban for the first time after a battle. The young knight had ridden for nearly an hour to warn her uncle that a tribe was preparing an attack against a village. He had watched as the hunters set out for the day. Without hesitation, this man left his post to seek protection for the women and children, those whom his own people called savages. She listened as he told the story to Arkady and that his actions went against orders. The warrior knew at that moment that her heart was not her own.
She shouted and pointed into the air, toward the south: Esteban, look!
The Count looked first at her, and then at what she was showing him and shouted: Danilo is following Aurelio!
Tatiana ran and leaped behind her husband. They rode alongside twelve others toward their objective.