Chapter 143 War
On the main road south of the royal castle.
Everyone who could leave those neighborhoods had already fled. This part of the city was trapped between two armies. The noises echoed far into the predawn darkness. The footsteps of hundreds of men echoed in the air.
The ranks were twelve soldiers wide and twenty deep. They carried white shields painted with three green ships and spears twice as tall as they were, with leaf-shaped points wider than the thigh of a man. Behind them, groups of soldiers entered every path, alley, and area they could walk through. Archers with bows taller than they were, ready to fire at the signal, followed the soldiers in groups of twenty. In the fields of the northern peninsula, hundreds of horses carried men in black and gold from Puerto Blanco, others in sea green and white from Colinas Gemelas, and others in blue and red from the Royal Islands.
The soldiers and knights of Colina Alba were in every house, building, and tent they could find. Those who were awake began to rouse those who were still asleep. The veterans recalled a time before when an army from Puerto Blanco had invaded the city. That army was only stopped when it attacked the royal castle of Aloisio. Those who had not been in battles before had heard stories of the fierce men who carried these shields. More than fifteen hundred men dressed in red and yellow formed ranks in every empty space. At every window and door facing south stood a soldier with a crossbow. Behind them, hundreds of mounted cavalrymen were ready to occupy any section the enemy penetrated.
Above all, two Pegasi flew in circles with riders dressed in blue and silver. They carried white banners on long poles. They searched for large groups in open spaces. When the woman or man pointed their pole into the air and their Pegasus flew in a smaller circle, arrows from the bows began to fall in that area. With quick adjustments, the archers were able to fire arrows into key areas. This, combined with powerful attacks, pushed the battle line further north.
When his army took the main road leading west toward Colina Verde, Heinrich marched along it with his companies of knights. The son of the servants of the White Hall castle flew above them on a Pegasus to help them with their movements and warn them of dangers. The northern captains easily noticed him. They began moving troops westward to counter the attack. Sigard continued attacking northward with the young woman on the golden Pegasus above.
Marisela and Patricia sat in a tower watching the battle and praying. The Sisters of Shadow were preparing for a long and arduous day.
South of the bridge.
Aurelio surveyed the lines of his army in the first rays of sunlight. He had fewer troops than he had hoped for, thanks to the bad wine and the suicidal soldiers of Puerto Blanco. But the sight was still impressive.
The Count: Captain, who went out last night to find our soldiers following us?
Pasqual: Rolando. He only has fifty knights with him. But they should push them across the bridge soon.
Aurelio: Good. Two thousand soldiers in poor health would still seem like a considerable force in a battle. They may be thinking of fighting now. But when the young queen sees how powerful this army is, she might decide to accept me as her king. And she will live until she bears me two sons for my lineage. Then she will die in childbirth like her mother.
Pasqual: Good plan, my king. After a woman has served her purpose, she is like a horse with a bad leg. It is kinder to dispos of them.
At the crossroads.
The captains rode alongside the royal road. They watched the lines of men who walked with determination and fear.
Rolando: Well done, Captain. The Count will be pleased when you cross the bridge tomorrow. Your path is clear of the blonde madmen we faced.
Fernando: What did we lose because of them?
Rolando: A day and a half. And about five hundred men. We burned nearly a thousand after two battles. Aurelio is going to burn their cities after conquering the throne.
Shouts and horns began to sound. The captains looked north. Then they heard the sound of hooves.
The soldiers quickly formed lines with spears, shields, and only a few crossbows. War chariots and bison advanced in a V formation. Women fired arrows toward the lines while others armed secondary crossbows. Three hundred knights and warriors rode in long lines on either side of the chariots.
Some soldiers fled before the force of Tatiana reached their lines. Many fled after seeing hundreds of men dead, wounded, and trampled by bison and horses. The sixty cavalrymen and two captains attempted to attack the chariots to turn the tide of the battle. Their charge resulted in a strange mix of animals and warriors fighting in all directions. The engagement lasted less than twenty minutes.
The mounted warriors charged any group that was not running. Some soldiers ran until they collapsed from exhaustion. Most ran until they could no longer see a warrior who wanted to kill them. But in the end, everyone ran if they could.
Arkady: My niece, this force was weak, but they will never catch up to the army. The chariots cannot advance any further south. The snow is not deep enough for them. What are your orders?
Tatiana: We will kill the bison and cook them with the wood from the chariots and any other we can find. We will wait for the warriors to arrive. Everyone will eat and rest until nightfall. After that, we will continue without stopping until we find Aurelio.
The Bear: Fine. We can use the horses that are still in good condition to search for them until they can no longer run.
The Puma: Take all the weapons that are still useful. We will kill as many soldiers as we can. Esteban is young. He can still have children with another woman if he wants.