Kestan had sent men to kill the scouts Tynrasa had discovered, which would save lives later. Sylphs always found it hard to justify violence, but he preferred to think his reports saved lives, rather than caused deaths for which he was at least partly responsible. Even so, he didn't always sleep well.
He moved silently, taking care over every step. Sunlight streaked through the morning mist and a gentle breeze ruffled the treetops. He could be alone.
To believe that would be a dangerous delusion. He did not scout through some wooded idyll; there were two armies intent on slaughtering each other here. And the breeze meant the mist would not last.
He scorned the road. Even the enemy scouts ignored it, another sign these men were much better than other Eldovans he had seen. Had they learned lessons from last year, or were these just better trained?
The trees were suddenly behind him. He crouched on his heels and stared at the scrub, looking for cover and places for a sylph to hide. The enemy would not be much further away.
***
Kelanus briefed his junior officers as they rode in the brilliant sunshine. Bascon paid little attention while the general outlined his plans, as always keeping his men informed. Bascon's attention focused further away, listening for messages. Even so, a lot of the humans' conversation reached his long ears.
"Kestan will punch a hole through the center," Kelanus was saying, "and we will fall on them from the flanks. Do not let yourselves get bogged down. Hit and run all the time. Let them regroup, then hit 'em again from a different place. Keep them guessing."
"We do not even know how many there are," complained one captain.
"We will soon enough." Kelanus gestured towards Bascon. "The scouts will tell us."
Bascon pretended to be elsewhere as all attention briefly focused on him. Some of those looks held disbelief. Not everybody was sure sylph scouts were up to the task.
As always, the doubters would be proven wrong.
"We know the local population may have exaggerated Eldovan numbers," continued Kelanus. "That is natural when you are unarmed."
"And when they want a higher price for any food you want to buy," chortled another of the captains.
The others joined in the laughter.
Kelanus waited for silence. "I estimate perhaps fifteen thousand Eldovans in total."
That killed the merriment.
"Which is why we must think like Kestan did last year." Only Kelanus smiled now. "Different, cunning tactics are what will win us this battle."
"Is that all of them?"
"There is a group unaccounted for," replied Kelanus. "General Mirrin's mob. How many men are under his command remains unknown. Any number is guesswork."
"But unlikely to be insignificant."
"Correct. So remember, hit and run. Hit him where he least expects and run when he thinks we will fight."
Bascon's attention turned outwards again. He hoped this would not turn into a melee. He happened to be in the wrong place if it did.
He stiffened and his earpoints came bolt upright. A message, the message, was finally coming through.
***
As always before a battle, a couple of things bothered Kestan. The scouts consistently reported that the men they had run down were a lot better than other Eldovans they had encountered. What lay ahead was not just the tattered remnant of Hingast's besiegers, but a fully reinforced army. Had the fresh soldiers come from Eldova throughout the winter or had they always been held in reserve?
And why had Hingast not deployed his full strength against Marka last year, assuming these men were available to him? A number of things lurked at the back of his mind, not least the fact that they were outnumbered. So long as they were not outmaneuvered.
He glanced at Tilipha. The wild sylph walked in silence and looked to be half-asleep. His earpoints were relaxed, so no messages had come yet.
After the siege, Kestan doubted if more than half a thousand Eldovans had fled north, yet now they had fought two thousand and that was clearly not the main force.
Where had they all come from?
"Probably from other armies already on their way to Marka when we defeated them," said Lieutenant Yulman.
Kestan started, unaware he had asked his question aloud.
"They are not General Mirrin's men," he replied.
Yulman nodded. "Mirrin, the man with reinforcements. After sending men forward, he probably got more from Eldova. After all, had Hingast won, he'd need a garrison for the city."
Kestan grimaced. "So many men under arms. What damage will that do to Eldova? Still rather a large force for a city garrison."
Yulman shrugged. "Who said Hingast would stop at Marka? He might keep going."
"Perhaps. Certainly makes more sense."
Kestan felt a chill. Given how Hingast had behaved towards other defeated cities and peoples, the large number of men might have been needed for something a lot more frightening than a garrison.
Yulman managed a small smile.
"They had all winter to call up soldiers from Eldova," continued Kestan. "he winter further west was not the harshest in memory."
Yulman nodded. "If I may say so, sir, it is a pity Kelanus was not allowed to go and hunt them down while they were still a rabble." He shrugged. "I suppose that's easy to say with hindsight."
Kestan nodded. "Wonderful thing, hindsight. But so too is foresight. We were warned the Eldovans weren't heading home. Too late to worry about what might have been now."
"Yes sir, we just have to deal with the problem."
"That's right."
Tilipha stiffened and his earpoints came bolt upright. When he looked at Kestan, his silver-gray eyes held fear.
"Message from Tynrasa-y-Fallon," he said.
***
Tynrasa made the most of all available cover. He made for the skyline, where he expected more Eldovan scouts. They might even have seen him; he certainly moved enough for a blind man to know he was there. At least he had the sun behind him.
Clumps of bushes provided cover, but the open spaces between made hiding impossible. Despite what so many people believed, sylphs were not invisible.
He made dash after dash, waiting for a shout, or men riding down the slope to catch him, anything that might suggest he'd been seen.
Nothing.
Surely the Eldovans didn't rely just on the men in the forest? How could they pass messages? Or did they expect threats to come along the road? Tynrasa had stayed well away from that.
He sent a quick pinger and felt reassured when an answer returned almost immediately, if faintly. He sent a caution, which should keep the rest of the scouts in the forest. Bad enough risking himself.
He reached the skyline. Sure enough, there were lookouts, but not scouts. The Eldovans weren't looking for a lone sylph, but a large army. Which meant that, unless he did something stupid, he was safe for the moment.
Beyond, the rest of the Eldovans waited.
Tynrasa's eyes widened and his earpoints came upright in shock.
He dropped back into cover and formed his sighting report. He sent it quickly and prepared to dash back to cover.
He paused. Another report reached his ears; not from the scouts behind, but from somewhere further south. Another sighting, more information. Smiling now, he passed this on to Kestan as well.
Mixed news, but at least there was hope.
***
Chapter 20
The Banner
Belaika tried to give Haema a reassuring smile.
As commanded, the sylphs were sandwiched between Dekran and Yochan on the hilltop. They were in turn surrounded by the defensive square of pikemen and supply carts. Belaika knew enemy archers would send their arrows up here once in range, the reason why Dekran insisted the sylphs kept hidden between the horses.
Hidden or not, Belaika still had a job to do and his ears strained for whistles from the other scouts. He would hear little once the fighting began, but he could not change position
now. Even if Lance Captain Dekran allowed it.
Belaika had enough experience to know they had no chance of victory. In the distance, he heard ranging whistles and pingers from the other scouts, hoping more Markans were nearby. But nothing reassuring came back and Belaika began to despair.
Assuming he survived the battle, he had no wish to fall into Nicolfer's hands again. Eldovans had a poor record for taking prisoners and there were no guarantees that being a sylph would save him from slaughter. He remembered three dead sylphs from last year's siege, shot down or run through simply because they were in the way.
The pikemen formed their traditional defensive square and behind them the light cavalry waited. One hundred men, against five hundred. And the Eldovans had archers. If the Markans had archers, they might have had a chance.
Haema crouched on the ground, earpoints wilted. When she looked up, Belaika saw terror lurking in her eyes. He understood, because battles terrified him too.
The idea that they should follow General Mirrin beyond the range of reinforcements now looked rash. But all good ideas were foolish if things went wrong. When Dekran led them so far west they lost contact with Marka, it had seemed the right thing to do. Nobody had expected Mirrin to stay out here so long.
They had not brought archers because nobody expected this to be anything more than a mission to seek and follow. The lack of archers troubled the scout more than being surrounded. The enemy could pick them off at leisure, and do so without suffering casualties.
Good for the Eldovans, bad for the Markans.
Fhionnen sent a report.
"Dekran-ya, from Fhionnen," said Belaika.
"Yes?" Hope was palpable in the Lance Captain's voice.
"Mirrin continues east, towards Marka. No sign of him wheeling back to support this detachment."
"Thank you."
Belaika looked up. No hint of anything wrong. Dekran looked calm.
Another whistle came from Kadhen, far behind.
"Dekran-ya, from Kadhen," continued Belaika.
"Go on."
"The new arrivals have moved forward into the forest, but have left their camp followers behind. All those who have moved forward are armed, except for one female."
"Thank you, Belaika." Dekran managed a smile that even looked genuine. "Are they with the Eldovans, or a separate mob altogether?"
"They do not move to support the Eldovans," said Belaika. He almost added a "yet" to that, but Kadhen would have said if he suspected the newcomers were hostile. Assuming he had the experience to work it out.
Perhaps all armies should be assumed to be hostile out here.
He looked down as Haema touched his leg.
"Is it all right?" she whispered.
Belaika smiled and nodded. He said nothing, in case she heard the lie.
Haema gave a weak smile in return, but her earpoints were still tucked away. She looked as Belaika felt and he was more accustomed to battles.
"Don't let Nicolfer take us back," she begged.
Infantry and cavalry waited. Below the small tor, Belaika watched the Eldovans form up.
Soon the dying would begin.
He felt his own earpoints wilt.
At the bottom of the tor, groups of Eldovan archers moved forward and unslung their bows. Eldovan horsemen accompanied each group of archers and all halted together.
Dekran looked around to work out where best to send his lancers and what their chances of survival might be.
Belaika knew that the lancers would attempt a breakout. That was better than waiting for the archers' slaughter to begin. One enemy horseman continued forward until he was almost within sling range. He must expect something like slings, or he might have come closer still.
"Captain, general, or whoever commands you," he called. As he had come from the windward side, his voice carried. "I am Captain Jediyah. Surrender and you will be spared. Prisoners, but alive. You have no choice. You are without archers and you are surrounded."
Yochan spat. "Taken prisoner. Remember what happened to the Jarlyens at Voyel Marr. Every manjack who gave himself up was slaughtered after watching those who fought on die."
"I have no intention of surrendering, Banner Sergeant Yochan." Dekran's voice was quiet and determined.
"Course not, sir."
Dekran turned to Belaika. "Make sure the other scouts carry on sending pingers and ranging whistles, just in case. Quickly before you cannot hear."
"Se bata."
"What about the mysterious three hundred riders?"
Belaika's silver-gray eyes locked with Dekran's dark blue. The Lance Captain looked outwardly calm, but the sylph knew the man must be in turmoil within. He saw death in the human's eyes.
He whistled Dekran's commands and waited for the answer.
"The newcomers have not moved, Dekran-ya. They stay in the forest."
"Thank you."
Belaika looked around again and received a reassuring wink from Yochan.
Dekran continued to give orders.
"Villim, take half the lancers and attack the weakest batch of archers. Detail Lance Sergeant Toman to attack the strongest batch with the other half. Break off engagement, regroup, then attack the others. Hit and run, Villim, hit and run."
Sergeant Villim nodded and wheeled his horse, barking orders. Toman joined him and the lancers split into two groups.
Among the pikemen, shields went up to protect against plunging arrows when the shooting started.
Captain Jediyah shouted to them. "Your time is running out. Listen to reason, Captain. Surrender and live!"
Belaika shook his head. This man did not understand his enemy.
"Anybody got a rock we can throw at that cockgob?" asked Yochan, conversationally.
Riders and pikemen within earshot burst into laughter. Men who had not heard the insult joined in, because laughing was better than crying. It helped them forget what they faced, no matter how temporarily. Everybody knew what would come; that they were unlikely to see the sun set.
Belaika wanted to offer his sylph companion comfort, but he had nothing to say. Haema curled up into a ball and screwed her eyes shut. She waited for the inevitable, but did not want to see it coming for her.
He looked at Dekran. "No change from the newcomers, donenya."
"Thank you, Scout Belaika."
Captain Jediyah had clearly given up on talking them into surrender, for he rode leisurely back to his archers and drew his sword.
"Stand ready!" cautioned Yochan, unnecessarily.
A deadly flight of arrows momentarily turned the sky black. Most bounced harmlessly off the shields, or buried themselves in the ground. But not all missed.
There was a short silence.
Worse than the screams from the wounded was silence from those now lying still. Belaika's nose twitched and some of the horses whickered uneasily as the coppery stench of fresh blood filled the air. The smell that drove some men insane with a lust for more. Yochan cursed as a second flight of arrows filled the air. Thankfully, those on the tor were still out of range. For now.
Sergeants Villim and Toman had worked out where the strongest and weakest groups of archers were. The two groups of mounted lancers leapt from behind the pikemen and carts. They galloped downhill to try and cut down as many Eldovans as possible.
Eldovan lancers rode forward to defend their archers. Belaika sensed they had not expected an attack.
In moments that seemed like hours, the lancers broke away to reform. They wheeled aside and attacked the next two groups of enemy archers.
The pikemen took more casualties now, yet still no gaps showed. Soon, the only way to fill gaps would be to retreat uphill.
Belaika flinched. He should be out there in the field and not stuck here in the square. But a sylph scout had always been with the commander, to pass on incoming messages and communicate orders. But today, this was not a happy place to be.
The other scouts were helpless to intervene. They would watch for new t
hreats and surprise moves from the enemy. They would see that Dekran and his men were pressed hard. Even the slowest would recognize victory was unlikely and that Belaika would be unable to hear any whistles. Therefore, they could get no messengers through to Dekran.
Belaika hoped they had their eyes open for potential escape routes. He doubted if there would be reinforcements.
The enemy archers advanced the same distance the pikemen had retreated. Only a matter of time before the hilltop came into range. The safe zone shrank rapidly.
Dekran continued to snap orders, rallying his men and urging Villim and Toman to greater effort.
Belaika did not look at Haema again, fearing he might see accusation in her eyes. If she had split from him last night, she would be safe now. Probably.
They were all going to die here.
Villim and Toman rallied their lancers yet again. There were fewer now, but they had considerably reduced the archers' numbers.
Eldovan lancers reached them and light cavalry fought light cavalry. Now free from interference, the archers returned their full attention to the defensive square, sending in barrage after barrage of arrows.
Markan pikemen fell back and Eldovan archers advanced. Their arrows reached nearer the tor top.
Still curled up, Haema quivered.
Belaika kept his ears open and looked downhill. He flinched as the arrows came ever closer, presumably aimed at Dekran and Yochan, although it was impossible to tell with Eldovans.
The archers should be out of arrows soon, if not for that steady retreat by the Markan pikes. Even as the sylph watched, the surviving archers pulled arrows free from the ground, ready for use again. More men pulled arrows free from corpses, but most of those were useless, damaged by armor or bone.
Soon, Eldovan pikemen and cavalry would enter the fray and try to storm their position. Belaika wanted to cry when he saw how many bodies there were. The wounded added their cries to the racket.
Like most sylphs, he was wary of horses as they had hooves and teeth, as well as being rather large, but he found their screams heart-rending. No animal deserved such levels of pain, no matter how intimidating that creature might be to a sylph.
Now he knew the end must be close, he thought of Eleka. She would have had her child now – he had missed the birthing! – and he hoped the newborn was a son.
A boy to carry on his line.
He looked outwards again and fought tears. Death waited for him here and he must face his fate bravely.
That was the soldier's way: take what comes with as good a grace as you can muster. Grumbles were one thing, cowardice another. No coward, Belaika steeled himself.