Frays in the Weave

Hammer, part two

Trindai understood why the planned retreat through the forest had become a rout. He turned. "Outworlder, use your devices now or the day is lost." And turned back again so as not to have to meet the eyes of the man he had ordered to butcher soldiers indiscriminately.

"As you will."

Nothing happened. "What are you waiting for?"

"Which, sir?"

Trindai sighed and stared at the madness ahead of him. "All of them. All," he whispered.

"I didn't..."

"All of them!"

The sound threw the horses into a panic. One moment the narrow field between Trindai's reserves and the forest was a moving mass of fighting bodies. The next there was only dust and earth and a whiteness rolling over them like a hammer. Then silence, and from that silence the sound of moaning emerged.

The outworlder-made fog slowly dissipated and he saw shadows of men staggering around, most of them trying to come to their feet but far, far to many only shaking or rolling on the ground. Whatever had shielded the enemy didn't protect their horses, and Trindai watched as a few of them fled the field. Several of the beasts rolled impotently on the field just like the fallen men they crushed as they flailed about.

"Dagd regiment. On foot, daggers and sabres. Finish this!" He turned away from the slaughter. Dagd fielded as professional a regiment as any from Verd. They would make certain the men they murdered were clad in leathers only. The De Vhatic soldiers would be carried to the waiting medics. More would survive than he deserved.

A few hovercraft carried outworlder medics with outworlder equipment, and he needed as many of the enemy dead as possible before he allowed their sky kingdom allies onto the field. They had been adamant on treating all wounded on equal terms, but there were simply not enough of the miracle doctors even for Keen's wounded.

Trindai shook his head. This was why he commanded the army. He knew that, but it didn't make him less disgusted.

"I want Roadbreak and Hasselden through that forest now! De Markand needs us." He waved his staff to his side. "De Tenerius, you're in command here. I'll lead the reinforcements. Rephrase!"

"I handle the mopping up here. You can be found due east of the forest with Roadbreak and Hasselden regiments in case we need to get your sorry ass out of there."

Trindai grinned. General de Tenerius sometimes took the rephrasing too far, but he never misjudged a command. If there were more of the shining cavalry on the other side the enemy could still win the day. At least their horses weren't invincible, and if they stopped singing they went down like normal men.

They marched through the narrow forest. There was no reason riding trough it. Between the trees men and weapons lay littering the ground. Daggers, broken spears or dropped quarrels worked just as well as caltrops, and they had to tread carefully.

Trindai could see where the retreat had turned into a rout. Then they were through the trees and he ordered his men mounted again.

To his north he saw the enemy staff, and he ordered his few surviving staff masters to screen their approach. The high ranking enemy officers wasn't his problem. Walking Talking had promised a last surprise. Trindai concentrated on his part of the dirty work.

"De Markand is still holding out. We bring the anvil to the hammer. Line up and report when you're ready to charge!"

***