When the command to advance came, Bear hadn't yet reached the first rank. He was still pushing past smaller animals to get there.
Progress was slow; everyone kept bumping into everyone else. Bear moved along, still worried if the injury he'd sustained stumbling in the Forest had healed.
All those days ago.
It was a sunny day, but a few clouds scudded across the sky. A breeze blew from their left across the field, not strong enough to deter them. Unlike the fierce winds on the days he'd spent crawling through those dreadful marshes.
It was quiet. All chatter had stopped. He could hear the wingbeats of birds as they flew overhead, and the occasional seagull's call.
It's a fine day to be out, he thought. A fine day to...
They were off.
He felt himself tipping forward, almost breaking into a run. With relief, he realised his knee was pain free. He felt the warmth of bodies near him, heard rapid breaths, and snorts from a nearby horse. The smell of skin and sweat, and fur. Behind him a dog started barking. The clamour grew.
He kept pushing, past glistening hides and swaying flanks. Trying to keep ahead of the swell. He had been told to get to the first rank, behind the Riders.
It wasn't easy.
Striding faster, he finally made it, and for the first time saw the problem that faced them. In the far distance a chanting wave of darkness was moving down the slopes of the city toward them.
The figures he had seen earlier, but swollen to a huge crowd. The sound reached him first, a rising crescendo of intent. Rolling toward them like thunder after a strike of cold lightning.
The metal of polished swords and makeshift weapons glinted in the sun.
The Riders were ahead, Bear could see them now, leading the way across the plain. The ground shook beneath Bear's paws as the animals lurched after them.
Gobs of saliva flew up from the open mouths of creatures strained by exertion.
The pace picked up. Animals that hadn't run for years, ran now. Hearts raced, heads lolled, paws and hooves pounded the grass.
The army of animals slammed straight into the army of men.
Bear was behind the Riders now. Bodies parted, and he was face to face with a snarling, wide-eyed man, brandishing a wooden club. Bear avoided the first blow, but felt a second crack on his arm. But it was feeble, and he clubbed the man on the jaw, sending him down without a whimper. Stepping over his body, a younger man, with fear in his eyes, came at him. Bear swept him aside and the youth careered into the flank of a horse. His head lolled as it hit the horse and he was down too, trampled on by myriad hooves and paws.
Bear didn't dwell on that horror, intent on preserving his own life and those of his fellow creatures. Again and again he clubbed at bodies and clawed at faces, drawing blood on some. He swept them aside as he pressed further into the throng. The noise was deafening: shouts and roars mingled with barks and anguished cries. The smell of sweat and endeavour washed around.
Spaces opened up where Riders held sway, their horses whipping around so men didn't dare approach. Mighty boars and antlered deer charged among them. Citizens swung their makeshift weapons, but couldn't get close enough to cause damage. Bear saw smaller creatures appearing now, their bites adding to the blows of bigger animals. Cats squealed as they attached themselves to legs and arms, clawing and snapping. Men dropped weapons as they drew blood. Rats, prairie dogs and ferrets weighed in as birds plunged from the air in strict rotation. They struck heads, hands and arms that were trying to defend themselves. Yet it was not all one-sided. From blows and sweeps of blade and club smaller animals lay injured and maimed. Bodies of both men and animals lay scattered around.
It became harder to move about with freedom. As Bear beat off another soldier, a mob of cats sprang to help him, jumping on the soldiers's back. They ripped and shredded clothes and skin till he ran off with two still clinging on. Bear saw a man with a squirrel hanging to his ear, and a dog's jaws clamped on a leg as he hobbled along.
Then Bear saw a Rider pulled off his horse and hit with a wooden post. Enraged, Bear grabbed the assailant's shoulder and wrenched him off the Rider. For a moment they faced each other. The man charged, and Bear punched with all his might into his midriff as he passed. The man doubled up, but turned and came back at Bear, one hand holding his middle, the other raising the post. This time Bear swung higher as they came together. He felt his claws sink into soft flesh. Bright blood spilled from the man's neck. He clutched the wound, dropped the post and fell jerking and flexing to the ground.
The Rider was by now back on his feet, his horse by him. He swung up into the saddle, looked at Bear, inclined his head forward in thanks, and was off. The man on the ground moaned and writhed as the fight raged around them.
Bear couldn't leave him to die. Yet even as he waited, two figures came out of the melee, grabbed the injured man and dragged him back into the throng. Through the gap they left came another man, and another, and yet another. Who would have thought there were so many in the City? Men and youths came, and pressed the animals hard. They walked forward in unity and tried to force the animals back. Bear looked into the faces of the citizens. They had a plan, and he realised the animals didn't. Apart from that initial assembly they were fighting on instinct and spirit. Had the Riders hoped that the energy and natural weapons of the animals would be enough?
If so, the plan wasn't working.
The blows were fewer now. Snarling dogs, screeching cats, snuffling boars and whinnying horses were in retreat. Ahead a closed wall of men were waving weapons and shouting, the air thick with sound and scent. Bear felt pain in his leg, he looked down to see blood on his fur and a long gash in his skin. He felt faint; fear overcame him. Now he could see it in other eyes. Around him the snuffles, grunts and whinnies of hundreds of fearful animals.
The army of citizens were pressing them back.
A few Riders, ahead of them, held the line, but were backtracking too. The rallying cries stopped. Overhead birds still wheeled, unsure of their role. They rose, higher, circling in the cloudless sky, waiting, and watchful.
Animals began to turn, look around and wonder. The pace of retreat increased. A couple of dogs started to run along the line of Riders, looking through the horses' legs to see what awaited.
Then all eyes turned to the East. Over the brow of the hill to the side, the grey hills that flanked the City, a few birds appeared in the sky, squawking. But these were no woodland species. Their broad wings spread across the sky. Eagles, hundreds of them.
They started to block out the sky.
Then anyone there would later testify, they heard the sound first.
'What's that?'
A rumbling.
Not thunder.
Beneath their feet.
Hooves. Over the brow of the hill, as anchored to the ground as the birds were to the sky, came a sea of dark shapes. Thundering, galloping horses.
Riders.
Cries of relief and joy went up from the animals. The black cloud of eagles came down and everything was suddenly wings and feathers. They fell on the heads of the advancing citizens, who tried to fend off the blows from claws and beaks.
The eagles scratched faces, carried off clubs and swords. Some birds fell, but they kept coming all the same.
The animals turned. Momentum was now forward, buoyed by the sight of the Riders sweeping in from the east. As the new arrivals joined the line, animals once again fell on the army of the City.Despite the pain in his leg, Bear limped forward. A stag to the side of him, antlers lowered, charged forward. He met an unfortunate soldier full on, smashing into his shoulder and tossing him to one side.
There were squeaks, grunts, howls, whistles and groans all around. Men dropped their weapons and abandoned their positions. With shrieks of pain and blood spattered bodies, they started to hobble back to the city. The animals pushed after them. The Riders led the animals on the ground, the eagles commanded the air. All sensed they were in the last throes of the battle.
Long minutes went by.
Much blood had been spilt. On both sides limbs were lost, eyes blinded. But the fight left the citizens as they began to run back up the slopes to the city, dragging the injured with them.
The Riders followed them, supported by those animals still able. But Bear stopped, and slumped to the ground. His leg hurt and, whether the fight was lost or won, he couldn't do any more.He rocked back on his rump and looked at the ragged red scar that ran up his leg. He lay back on the grass and looked up at the bird-flecked sky. Crows, eagles, gannets, owls and rooks circled above him. Dogs and small deer ran around him. One or two stopped. A badger asked if he was all right, before moving on.
Bear closed his eyes as he thanked him. He was grateful for the concern, but for him the battle was over.