Being forced to march in the stuff, and then fight and die in it, too, was just too much. To be asked to do so on scant rations was infuriating. And doing so just to be abused or summarily executed by an irritated superior had most of the normal gurvani ready to bolt.
Gurkarl gave them the chance. On the eve of their withdrawal, he spread word that the Goblin King would offer refuge to all gurvani soldiers who made it to his flinty hills. And that Ashakarl had made an agreement with a cursed humani mage to spare them the ire of Gaja Katar and his loyal troops.
When the time came, the normal gurvani arranged to be in the vanguard of the attack on the Sudden Fortress, after crossing the ford. Gurkarl informed them that any gurvani who reversed his weapon in battle would not be targeted by the vile humani in the magical fortress, and allowed free, safe passage, if they would defect to the graces of the goblin king. The remainder of Gaja Katar’s forces would be dealt with by the humani, he promised. There would be no retribution for the defectors.
For his part, Tyndal had convinced Terleman that he could reduce Gaja Katar’s army in size by thousands if he cooperated with Gurkarl. To that end, Terleman agreed not to fire on the gurvani who were willing to quit the field and flee the Magelaw. The conversation between he and the goblin commander secured that agreement.
Thus, almost five thousand gurvani escaped, their weapons held high by the blades, while the small outpost held their fire.
As it was, the mass defection did as it was intended. Gaja Katar’s remaining force huddled on the eastern bank of the Wildwater ford and watched in dismay as their comrades escaped past the Sudden Fortress and reduced the army in size by a third. Two miles further west Tyndal had arranged for a small store of food to be left with Gurkarl, to further incentivize their flight. He would lead them back across the north country to the Goblin King’s distant lands. He had given Tyndal his parole, and pledged that he would see that they did not molest any of our settlements along the way.
It was a bold proposition, and one that I doubted I would have approved – had I been informed of it. Which was why, Terleman explained, later, that I wasn’t informed of it. Tyndal and Terleman had taken responsibility for the stratagem. Had it failed, they would have borne the consequences, perhaps with their blood. I would escape the charge of conspiring with the enemy, should it go horribly wrong.
Of course, I knew none of this as I stood in front of my own army, awaiting orders. Landrik continued to inform me of the great mass of grateful gurvani streaming past the Sudden Fortress, under the watchful eyes of the archers, and the cries of outrage that arose from the main army at the ford. My orders came in the middle of it . . . but not the explanation I was eager for.
Minalan, form up and advance to within bowshot of the remaining forces, Terleman told me, mind-to-mind, as I was starting to get impatient. Deploy your archers and await further orders.
Should I—
I’m a little busy, Min, he told me, sharply. You have your orders.
I was miffed by the dismissal, as well as impressed. But I didn’t argue. I’d been in the army long enough to know when to shut up and soldier.
“Give the call to form up for an advance,” I informed Sire Aveden the Resolute, who was acting as my aide. The big Wilderlord had led his company from his new lands and directed the defense of the northern trenches during the attack. He was eager for more combat.
“How do you want them arrayed, Excellency?” he asked, a smile splitting his beard under his helmet as his horse pawed the ground impatiently.
“First three ranks should be heavy infantry,” I ordered. “The rest should ready their bows. Cavalry on our flanks, split according to terrain.”
“Very good, Sire!” he agreed, and rode away to implement the command.
“What’s happening, Master?” Ruderal asked, anxiously. He had come as my banner-bearer, though he was an uneasy horseman and he barely knew how to hold his blade.
“I wish I knew, Ruderal,” I murmured. “But it appears as if we are going to apply pressure to Gaja Katar’s rear. He’s just lost a goodly portion of his army, it appears.”
I couldn’t explain further because the war horns called out a chorus of musical orders, and battle flags indicating the new formations were raised.
It took surprisingly little time for the biggest men to move forward and arm themselves with shields, axes, spears and swords, while everyone else strung their bows and prepared their quivers. It was a testament to the constant training Sandoval had insisted upon that these former slaves and farmers were able to execute their orders so quickly and efficiently. Or it could have been the cold. We’d been stationary for over an hour, and the men were starting to get chilled.
But then we were marching forward through the small, deserted town of Asgot, spreading out our ranks to fill the available space and reforming on the move. I rode near the front ranks which were filled with some veterans who’d volunteered. Sire Barthalon of Anstryg commanded the infantry company closest to me, and he did not hesitate to break ranks and walk a bit near my stirrup.
“A fine day for a battle, Excellency!” he boomed, cheerfully. “We are expecting battle, aren’t we?”
“That’s for the gods and Commander Terleman to decide,” I proposed. “How fare your men?”
“The Anstrygi Company is hale and ready for what the Spellmonger demands of us,” he assured me. “Likewise the Korwyni Company, who march under my command. Magelord Emeran entrusted them to me, as he was required by Commander Terleman for other duties. A hundred stout Vanadori, ready to drive these vermin away from their homes!” he said, loudly, earning a cheer from his men.
I smiled and waved back, and they began singing a cadence. Not a military song – the Road to Vanador, a ditty I had composed myself on the way here.
I was surprised, but quickly joined in, until everyone within earshot was bellowing it out at the top of their lungs as they marched. Even Ruderal joined in, though his voice broke every time he sang the chorus.
We arrived at the spot Terleman had selected and quickly spread out to bar the way back to Vanador. Just to be flashy, I cast an arcane illumination I’d prepared for the occasion: a giant snowflake that transformed into a giant black hammer that hovered translucently over my troops. That inspired a cheer from my men that competed with the cries of dismay in Gaja Katar’s diminished army.
There were just over ten thousand of them left, now, but they were the toughest and most loyal ten thousand: great goblins and hobgoblins, some loyal shamans, a few miserable trolls, the Enshadowed officers, a few score draugen and two remaining siege beasts. The army sprawled like a dark stain across the snowy east bank of the Wildwater. Beyond the even darker stretch of river was the hill upon which the Sudden Fortress had been established. I could see the distant defenders even without magesight.
“Are we going to have another ceremonial discussion with the Nemovort?” Ruderal asked, distastefully.
“I don’t think so,” I decided. “I think Terleman is done with debate. He has turned his trick, and reduced his opponent’s numbers. He has surrounded Gaja Katar on two sides and put him in a tenuous position. I think Terleman is ready to finish him off.”
“We still lack numbers, my Count,” Sire Avden the Resolute observed, with concern, as he joined us at the front. “If they charge us in earnest, we will be hard pressed.”
“I trust our commander,” I said, more confidently than I felt. The goblin army was re-arranging itself to face both sides, now. A few crossbows fired from their midst, their bolts falling far short of our front ranks, but it looked as if most of the army was preparing to follow the renegade legion across the ford. “We will fire at his direction. Which I expect we will have presently.”
But I was wrong about one thing. Terleman was not done with his tricks.
The sudden presence of my army pushed Gaja Katar to attack the Sudden Fortress with most of his forces, leaving enough behind to stand as a rearguard while the rest of hi
s army began to wade through the ford. When the first of the attackers made their way up the opposite bank, their war cries and drums were drowned out by a sudden roaring.
Every head on the field turned toward the source of the deep rumbling noise. At first, I suspected cavalry – riding in unexpectedly to save the day is the dream of every young cavalry captain, and Tyndal was out there, somewhere.
But it wasn’t horses we heard, we discovered. While we all watched, the river began to surge, rising up to the knees and then waists of the thousands of confused gurvani. Then a wall of water ten feet high appeared, dousing everything in its path. The river expanded quickly over its banks, engulfing much of the rest of the army up to its knees or worse. Plenty were swept off of their weak, tired legs and into the torrent.
Terleman had sent a squadron of warmagi upstream, right after he arrived, I learned later. They had spent most of their time building a spell to entrap a portion of the frigid river as ice, which they transported by hoxter pocket to a rock a quarter mile upstream of the ford. At Terleman’s command, they had changed its material state, converting a giant pile of ice into water all at once.
Creating ab instant flood.
It didn’t destroy the army – in fact, apart from knocking over a couple hundred unfortunate souls, most of them simply got wet. But in below-freezing temperatures, that in itself was a deadly weapon. Especially if your fur is absorbent.
As the churning, icy water swept over the army, Terleman got into contact with me again, mind-to-mind.
Advance a hundred yards, stop, and start volley fire into the main center of the army. Focus on rate of fire – put as many arrows in the sky as you can, he ordered. Before he was gone, I managed to ask a question.
If I do, they’re likely to turn and attack me, I pointed out. Is that part of your plan?
If my plan works, they won’t get close enough, he assured. Just do as you’re ordered.
Then he was gone.
“Duin’s sweaty sack!” I swore to myself in irritation, before raising my voice. “Sire Aveden! Call the advance! Forward a hundred yards, and then give them every flight you can!” I called, and urged my horse forward, into battle.
Finally.
“The only good thing about war is victory.”
From the Scrolls of Lawbrother Bryte the Wiser
Chapter Forty
The Battle of Asgot Ford
“Let FLY!” bellowed the archer marshal, and four thousand Wilderlands bows and a lesser number of arbalests twanged in unison. Thousands of shafts filled the freezing air. The first volley had been a ranging shot, and many arrows had fallen short. The second volley was better aimed. An avalanche of steel-pointed shafts crashed down on Gaja Katar’s rearguard. They were well-armored, but with so many arrows in the air, there was little that could protect them. A third volley followed, slower than the first two, but no less deadly.
I watched with magesight as the commander of the rearguard, a big maragorku with shoulders as broad as a man’s, desperately tried to reposition one of the remaining siege beasts to block the rain of death that was decimating his troops. The first two messengers he deployed did not run more than ten steps before being slain from the sky. Other commanders saw the slaughter and sent their shieldmen to the rear to protect their comrades from the withering fire, as fast as they could move in waist-deep water, but long before the first of them could arrive Terleman unleashed the next part of his plan.
He had but a few hundred warmagi and rangers at the Sudden Fortress, enough to defend it but not enough to present a potent threat. He didn’t need to – after the defection of the tribal gurvani, Terleman’s magical fortlet was acting as bait, not a credible enemy. Bait in a cunning trap. For, the moment the bedraggled gurvani army made their way across the flooded ford to advance on his position, Terleman gave an order, mind-to-mind, and Tera Alon began emerging from the Ways, coming through the Waystone Terl provided them. Not in ones and twos, as happened with the human magi. But all at once. While only a few High Magi can freely travel the Ways, all of the Tera Alon could.
Ithalia was among the first to emerge from nothingness, I was later told. The irritated Avalanti maiden led nearly a thousand of her folk through the Ways to the Sudden Fortress. As fast as they emerged, Terleman directed them to good firing positions next to and in front of the installation, where the transformed Alka Alon immediately set to drawing their own version of the Wilderlands bow. Just as we were firing our fifth devastating volley, the Tera Alon were preparing their first.
It had to be galling to Gaja Katar and his Enshadowed minions to be attacked by the epitome of all they hated: Alka Alon stalwarts in humani-style bodies. Just as soon as the Nemovort made a tactical commitment, Terleman kept changing the parameters of the battle. Attack had come from the front, the river, and from the rear, from places where he had not anticipated attack. The defection of the tribal gurvani had reduced his army by a third. Now, enemies who could bring their own deadly entrainment to bear on him faced his troops in battle, giving him a serious threat from both front and rear while his army was bogged down in a flooded river.
Though they were a quarter the size of our company, the Tera Alon archers shot twice as quickly, and twice as accurately with their massive longbows. Every few moments another volley darkened the sky, sending hundreds more goblins into oblivion. Not since the Battle of the Lantern had I seen archery affect a contest so decisively.
No answering volley came. Those gurvani who had bows or crossbows were discouraged from returning fire. Only a few stray shafts made the attempt. We discovered, later, that Gurkarl had instructed the rebels in Gaja Katar’s camp to procure as many arrows as possible, when they fled. Those they couldn’t carry, they broke. Gaja Katar was very low on ammunition. By the time my lads loosed their seventh consecutive volley, the Tera Alon’s faster rate of fire had nearly matched us in volume. I figured the rest of the battle would be a meticulous mopping-up.
But still, Terleman was not done surprising me. The flurry of shafts from the Tera Alon ceased, for a moment.
“GAJA KATAR! THIS IS KNIGHT COMMANDER TERLEMAN!” my friend’s commanding voice boomed across the battlefield, augmented by magic. “BEHIND YOU IS COUNT MINALAN THE SPELLMONGER! YOU ARE SURROUNDED AND UNDONE!” he declared, with a trace of pride in his voice. “LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS NOW AND SURRENDER . . . OR FACE YOUR ARMY’S DESTRUCTION!”
It took a moment for the embattled Nemovort to respond. But he managed a spell, or had one of his minions cast it, that similarly raised his voice over the din of battle.
“I CAME TO DESTROY YOU VERMIN, AND I SHALL NOT QUIT THE FIELD UNTIL I SEE THAT DONE!” the Nemovort bellowed back. It wasn’t the most intimate way for enemy commanders to communicate with each other, but it was effective.
Nor was Gaja Katar content to suffer the withering fire unanswered. A few moments later, more than a thousand gurvani broke out from the western bank and launched themselves against the warmagi and Tera Alon defending the Sudden Fortress. A second detachment broke off and charged toward our position, desperate to escape the relentless volleys.
“Prepare to receive charge!” Sire Aveden bellowed from behind me, as the ragged line of gurvani raced across the bloody snow toward us. “My lord, if you have any arcane answer to this, I strongly encourage you to consider it!” he added to me, as he rode past my horse to spread his orders.
“It’s about time you asked!” I called to him as I drew Twilight and manifested Blizzard. “Sparks, grind ’em up!” I called to the other warmagi in our company who had been largely inactive, during our pursuit, which earned me a ragged cheer. I could feel the excitement of battle come over me as my weapons came alive in my hands and waves of arcane energy rose around us.
The Magolith whirled over my head as I drew power from it and laid three or four nasty defensive spells in front of our long line of troops. The other warmagi were doing the same. Sandoval was seeding the ground with constructs, simple but effective devices
that instantly appeared as bulky, hulking four-armed monsters with wide chests and slabs of stone for hands. The sky overhead crackled as some other mage prepared a strike, and I could even feel Ruderal prepare a few small spells as he drew his blade.
Then Sandy surprised me. Instead of preparing more spells, he called for Sire Aveden to conduct a completely mundane maneuver his men had apparently practiced for just this sort of situation. While I hung my spells against the charging horde, the heavy infantry that screened my archers stepped into file with each other. Behind them, ranks of archers knelt and stood to send a final wave of shafts against the charging gurvani in aimed fire at close range, before the call came to cease. Then the heavy infantry returned to their shield wall in time to receive the charge.
It was a well-executed maneuver, and it dropped hundreds of gurvani. The rest continued their charge undeterred, and a moment later they began to encounter our spellfields. That brought an additional element of violent chaos to the charge that was impressive to behold. But it didn’t stop them from coming. Indeed, plenty had avoided both shaft and spell and continued toward us.
“M-master?” I heard Ruderal calling from behind me. “They’re getting closer!”
“That happens, in battle,” I called in return, as I exploded a few charging goblins with Twilight. “Get behind the shield line and hold on!” I commanded, as the lead goblins got close enough for us to see the glint of their slitted eyes.
There were a tense few moments as the ragged charge finally came against us with an unsteady crash. The Vanadori shieldmen held fast, and spears lashed out over their shoulders to impale the attackers. Our organized line were churned as gurvani and maragorku threw themselves at us in panicked fury. Several made it to my position, slightly ahead of the shield wall. They died glorious deaths. I laid about my horse with blade and staff, using combat magic liberally to break them as the infantry behind me stiffened to accept the charge.
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