Chapter 30

Battle of Vindebona

The snowy field outside Vindebona turned into a gruesome battlefield. The unexpected daring counterattack had shocked the Nicopolans and turned the tide in the defender's favor. The Nicopolans southern group was routed and ended up stampeding their own just to get into safety.

Soon afterward hundreds of wounded men scattered across the icy field. They crawled and dragged their mangled bodies until the cold and wet took their consciousness away.

Despite looking like the onset of a victory, the Korelians were losing steam. This was the limit of what their small numbers could do. After only a moment of respite, the Nicopolans' center and northern groups marched upon them.

Refusing to accept defeat and knowing the bulk of the city's defender was out in the field, the mercenaries were hell-bent on capitalizing on this rare chance. They launch a speedy march over the snowy field and quickly commence a general assault on the Korelian’s position.

Facing a thousand-strong elite mercenary, the Korelians found themselves scattered and exhausted. Slowly but surely, the mercenaries turned the table on them.

***

Lansius

“Now, repeat,” I asked Liam. I needed to be sure he remembered the message.

“Y-yes; don’t retreat. You are to reform the line and do a rearguard action. Cavalry and reinforcements are on their way,” Liam answered confidently.

“Good, now go,” I said after being satisfied with the response.

Liam nimbly ran down the flight of stairs and headed in Audrey's and Rabanus' direction. Contrasting the squire, a lieutenant from Midlandia climbed up the escalade. “My Lord, you asked for me?”

“Yes,” I said while gesturing for him to wait. “Signalmen, sound the trumpets. Get the cavalry to pull back.”

The trumpets rang as ordered, playing several high notes in quick succession. The cavalry on the field seemed to respond as they began to disengage.

“Your name, sir?” I asked the Midlandia’s lieutenant.

“My Lord, I’m not a knight-”

“That can wait.” I cut him as time was running out and I'm yet with a solid plan. “I want you to send a message to Sir Michael. Flank the incoming mercenary column. Avoid their center and keep harassing the edge. That'll be all.”

“At once, My Lord.” The lieutenant ran down the escalade, climbed into the saddle, and galloped into the regrouping cavalry.

Mann, this whole thing turned into a shitshow…

Things had gone smoothly, but Anci and the guys’ aggressiveness bit us back in the end. The plan was for Anci and the rest to disengage once the cavalry arrived, but they were caught in the spur of the moment trying to inflict maximum damage against the fleeing opponents. Now they were trapped against larger opponents.

I tried to get a glimpse of Audrey but she was too far away. From where I stood, the line of men was just an array of tiny dots in the distance. Cold sweat ran along my back. The last thing I wanted was to concoct a half-assed plan, but to force a retreat in this situation would be disastrous. “Margo, find whoever is in charge of the reserve and get them here.”

“At once.” Margo readily ran along the battlements.

And just like that, I spent all the staff and aides assigned to me. Only the crossbowmen attached to my person were left around.

I watched the lieutenant arrive at the cavalry column. Sir Michael seemed to receive the command and the column began to trot along the muddy snow field. They built up speed and slammed into the mercenaries’ right wing.

“My Lord, you summon me,” a mustached man greeted. Margo was beside him.

“Theo is it?” I recognize the ex ‘horse trader’.

“Indeed, Theo at your service.”

“Theo, take command of the reserves and reinforce Lady of Korelia and Sir Rabanus' column."

“But the wall-” he hesitated.

“Let the men-at-arms from Midlandia take care of the wall,” I reassured him. There were also the city guards and the militia, but nobody took them seriously.

Theo bowed his head and led his men to march down the escalade. As they passed I passed words of encouragement for them. It felt hollow and empty, but that was a part of my responsibility. Contrary to my feelings, the men seemed to like it and responded kindly.

I estimated them to be at least a hundred, all were veterans and handpicked for this campaign. They should be able to revitalize the ailing line.

Now, I had committed all the forces directly under me. That was when I noticed that the cavalry faced heavy resistance. The thick snow also seemed to dampen their move.

No way, they’re struggling that much…

I gulped. Cavalry should always be on the move, without mobility they were vulnerable to anyone with pointy sticks. “Signalmen,” I cried.

“My Lord,” the man came while holding his beautifully polished brass trumpet in one hand.

I hesitated but the cavalry looked far too troubled. “Sound the trumpets, get the cavalry to disengage.”

The trumpets rang for the second time and the cavalry responded by turning around and leaving the field. Now, there were only infantries in the field. Slowly but inevitably, the two battle lines began to converge.

Theo’s reinforcement noticed the changes and ran toward their allies. They arrived just in time to bulked up the line. Our number rose to three-hundred, but we were still outnumbered four to one.

"Can we really pull that off?" one of the crossbowmen whispered nearby.

"Stay low... and keep quiet," Margo reminded them.

After a brief period of shouting and cursing, the two lines on the field collided. Our small line defending against a massive opponent.

Despite the preparation, our line was swarmed and easily giving ground.

C’mon Audrey, tactical retreat… Rabanus, Anci, you better pull this off.

***

Battle of Vindebona

As if all for naught, the Korelians' newly reformed line faltered after only several pushes. The clashes were brutal and soon there were gaps in the Korelians’ line as the number of wounded men rising. Despite inflicting heavy losses to the mercenaries, the Korelians were losing ground.

The only thing that prevented rout was the Lady and her top Knights that kept fighting in the frontline. Audrey, Anci, and Rabanus were giving their all, but the column got pushed closer to the wall. Their men were desperate, many were already thinking about climbing the escalade back.

Things were dire enough that not even the presence of Michael’s cavalry who returned to shadow the mercenaries’ right wing made an impact on the opponent's ferociousness.

The mercenaries finally gained a breakthrough, they drove a wedge into the Korelians’ center. The Korelians’ line almost frayed; Rabanus’ closest guard was cut down, Audrey’s squire was injured, and Anci was fighting extra to save his men from dying.

When it looked like certain defeat, suddenly a hail of bolts rained down on the mercenaries’ position. Their tightly packed center was soon bathed in blood as the attack was accurate and relentless. The attack came from a high position, the mercenaries soon realized the Korelians had hidden their crossbowmen on the top of the escalade.

Hiding in plain sight, the Korelians’ crossbowmen had waited patiently for the mercenaries to come into their firing range. Now, they were mercilessly firing salvos after salvos.

As the screeching sound of hundreds of bolts filled their surroundings, panic paralyzed the mercenaries’ top commands. They suspected that they had been baited; the cavalry action, the line reform, and the retreat were all part of the Korelians’ plan. Spurred by indecision, the line quickly collapsed. In large and small groups, they ran and left their frontline fighters to their fate.

The fleeing masses only stopped when they reached the old city ruins. There they found safety in greater numbers, reorganized, and began adding men into their depleted ranks.

Battered, the Korelians chose not to push further. They took few prisoners, evacuated their wounded, and returned to the city victoriously. Thousands poured onto the street in celebration as the troops marched through the gate.

Today’s result was anything but predicted, the besieged against all odds had dealt a heavy blow to the besieger on the first day of the siege. Hundreds if not a thousand Nicopolans lay dead and a siege engine destroyed.

***

Lansius

I let Margo unlatch my armor and helped with the doublet. They were wet and cold, I could get pneumonia from wearing them for too long. Almost naked, I shuddered from the chill. Even inside the meeting chamber with a roaring fireplace, it was too cold for comfort. I quickly wore a tunic, a doublet, and lastly a thick fur coat. Only then did I begin to feel warm.

“Thank you, Margo, that’ll be all.” There was tiredness in my voice.

The effeminate Margo bowed and exited the chamber. Afterward, there was only the cracking of the fire. I had used the meeting chamber in the gatehouse as my work office. I pulled a chair and sat in front of the fire to wind down.

Just when I started to feel relaxed, somebody barged in.

“Ah, so you’re here,” Audrey exclaimed with a grin on her lips.

“You’ve changed?” I noticed her fresh set of clothes.

“Yeah, I headed back to the inn but you’re not there,” she responded while dragging another chair and joining me in front of the fireplace.

“Are you okay, any injury?” I asked worriedly.

“Me? Nope, but Carla and several of my closest got light grazes or cuts.”

That alerted me. “How bad, do they need anything?”

“They should be fine, but Carla won’t be able to use her sword hand for a while.”

I exhaled deeply. Carla was one of our close retinues, the few we could trust with our life.

“Hey, we did good today,” Audrey reminded me.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” I responded with leftover optimism from the victory.

Audrey suddenly sat straight and looked at me. “Umm, thanks for covering my ass... Anci and I overdid ourselves.”

“You guys are so reckless out there. It’s almost a total loss,” I let it out weakly.

Audrey didn’t answer, probably feeling guilty.

“So how many?” I asked about the losses.

“Me, Rabanus, and Anci are still breathing. So not much I guessed.”

“Oh, that’s how we count troops now?” I said rather amused as I found it to be funny.

She smiled but kept her mouth shut.

I could only sigh deeply at my wife’s shenanigans. “Alright, is anyone hurt from our camp? Margo won’t let me go near the infirmary.”

“Well… Michael got a sprained leg, he fell down his horse or something because of thick snow.”

“That doesn’t sound bad.”

“Yeah, no big deal. Anci gets treated for skin lesions, his ringmail on the joints got frozen and dug into his skin. Nothing serious, he’s having a hot bath right now.”

“Reminds me to give him a large meal. It’s for recuperation, not favoritism," I added the last bit for clarification.

“How about me?” Audrey asked.

“Of course, you did well as the rear guard commander.”

“Ha, praises, so unlike you.” She giggled afterward and then in a more serious tone. “So what’s the plan for tomorrow?”

“No idea, but I think we better prepare for tonight." That seemed to catch her attention, so I explained, “With today’s result I fear they’re going to try to tip the balance as soon as possible.”

Her face looked tired all of sudden. “Then, this is going to be a long day.”

“Yeah… to think that the Nicopolans are this well-organized and well-prepared…” I felt guilty for underestimating them.

“Hey, you can’t be sure about that,” Audrey protested.

“Oh, you haven’t heard? Mikhail, the little guy, has returned. He slipped in when we won the battle.”

“So the lil guy survived…” Audrey leaned in. “So, what did he find?”

“Food, storage houses stocked to the brim. It’s as if they collected all their raiding prizes here.”

She moaned, “We just snatched a victory but why is the end getting harder and harder.”

That was when I noticed bandages on her right hand. “You’re injured!”

“W-what, where… blood?” Audrey stood up.

“Your right hands, dummy, it’s in bandages.” I wanted to grab it but I was afraid to hurt her.

“Oh, that?” She laughed after realizing what I meant. “It’s nothing, it’s just light bruises.”

She unwrapped it and showed me a reddish scab and bluish mark on her hand. “See nothing to worry about.”

“Not convinced, is there anything else?" Audrey had a history of hiding injuries.

“Well, what do you want me to do, strip?” She jested but instantly regretted it after watching my reaction. “For real?” she asked with a condescending look.

Eh, ehh! Does it show on my face?

I felt blood rushing into my face. “N-no, I’m not thinking about it.”

Audrey let out a sigh and walked to the door. But instead of leaving, she locked the door from inside.

♥♥♥

Observation Floor

The place was rather dim despite the lanterns and candles on the table. It was kept that way so the eyes had little trouble adjusting to the darkness outside. The smell of ale and the crackle of fire from the fireplace added a sense of relaxed atmosphere.

“Ladies and gentlemen, sorry to interrupt your evening,” I greeted as soon as I entered the room. As the Lord and Lady, Audrey and I were the last to arrive. Behind us, the squire had closed the door.

Rabanus and Michael bowed their heads slightly, but Anci chuckled.

“What’s funny?” Audrey stared at her old comrade.

“Oh, it’s just that; I still couldn’t believe you’re married. I mean, I don’t think a squire is good wife material,” Anci rambled.

Audrey took no offense and laughed at Anci’s remark. Afterward, she gave me a warm look.

“Eh, the Lady suited me well. I couldn’t ask for any better,” I said so casually that surprised myself.

That little act of affection put the others smirking or smiling silly. It was rather funny as they looked battered. Despite their fresh clothes, I could see bulges from bandages, especially in their arms.

“Moving on,” I said with a serious tone. “Good work on today’s battle. I’m happy that you all survived the fight.”

There was a tense atmosphere and some awkwardness among them. They knew they had fucked up, but I was praising instead of scolding them.

“Aye, cheers for the good luck.” Anci raised his cup to break the impasse. A portion of his hand was in bandages.

“Cheers,” I replied and the rest followed. I sipped the light alcohol instead of gulping it down.

“That reminds me that congratulation is in order. Sir Anci, despite the setbacks, your merit from devising that battle plan cannot be forgotten.” I slightly bowed my head in respect.

Audrey and the rest clapped her hands while Anci bowed gracefully.

“However, the fight won’t be over from just that one victory. Tonight, I believe they’ll try a night attack.”

The three men looked at each other. Anci was the one who commented first, “It’s a much riskier plan. I’m not sure they will be so reckless after today’s battle.”

“That may be true, but I have a different view.”

The guys seemed ready to listen.

“I believe we’ve beaten them so badly that naturally they’ll be more compelled to change the result quickly or risk damage to their morale. Moreover, they’ll likely assume that we’ll be exhausted or drunk from today’s victory. Lastly, they have the numbers to risk a night attack.”

Rabanus nodded. “Then should we prepare the men so they’ll be ready for tonight?”

“That we can’t do. There’s still a bigger fight tomorrow. And then there’s also tomorrow night, and then the third day and so on. We can’t ask our troops to be on alert every day and night,” I clarified.

The room grew quiet as they started to grasp the situation.

“The Nicopolans have such a numerical advantage over us. They could easily divide into two groups for day and night attacks,” Michael commented.

“Meanwhile, we don’t have the numbers,” Anci remarked.

It was the main issue; our combined troops not counting the dead and wounded at most were around six-hundred. They barely defended against today’s assault. Dividing them into day and night would be impossible considering Vindebona’s lengthy wall.

“This is why I gathered you all here. I want you and your men to fully rest tonight,” I explained my intention.

“… huh, didn’t you just say stuff about night attacks?” Anci's face was bewildered. The rest also gave me questioning stares.

“Sir Michael and I will do the night watch tonight. Both of our men aren’t that exhausted from today’s battle. I think this should be the best compromise,” I reasoned.

Audrey moved closer. “Will it be enough? Both of your men combined are not even a hundred.”

“I believe it should be alright,” I reassured her. “Both of our men will act as a reserve, the militia should-“

“My Lord, I beg you to reconsider. A hundred men and militia won’t be enough to fend against a committed night attack,” Rabanus said while looking at the others to gather support.

“Indeed, it’s much harder to defend in the night,” Michael supported that view.

I could only smile at their caring attitude.

Knock- knock!!

Before I could say anything, a guard peeked inside and called, “My Lord, Squire Liam is asking permission to enter.”

“Let him in,” I replied.

Liam marched inside with clothes as bandages wrapped around his head. He bowed and reported, “My Lord, I found the things that you’re asking for.”

I got excited all of sudden. “Where are they?”

“They’re rather big, My Lord, the men from the castle are using special carts to carry them on the street. I believe you could watch it from the window.”

I dashed toward one of the observation windows and peeked through the open slit. “Whoa, huge.”

Suddenly, the rest of the guys pushed their heads together and the wooden cover swung open. I retreated as the guys' curiosity gets the better of them, all pretext of formality literally was thrown out of the window.

“Anci, after me-”

“My Lady, it isn’t wise," Anci remarked as they tussled.

“Ouch- ouch.” The one-eyed knight groaned while walking with a limp as the snow gets into his only eye.

“Shut the windows shut, it’s cold,” I complained weakly.

Rabanus sighed, pulled the three from the window, and shut it tight after peeking at the object below. “My Lord, are those what I’m thinking?”

I nodded. “I think so…”

“I’m not sure they’ll be useful,” Rabanus voiced his doubt wisely like a grandfather hearing a child’s crazy idea.

I couldn't help but grin. “We’ll see, we’ll see…”

Rabanus nodded and faced the other three who still cleaning up the snow from their attire. “The Lord has commanded, Sir Michael will accompany the Lord for the night watch. The rest will rest their troops and be ready in the morning.”

“That is all,” I confirmed the order. “I’ll count you all tomorrow.”

***