A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor-Chapter 1002 - The Counterattack - Part 1

1002: The Counterattack – Part 1

1002: The Counterattack – Part 1

Of course, he meant for Oliver to charge in the other direction, given that was what he was already doing.

Three ranks of shield-wielding men now seemed surprisingly thin as they chomped through the side of it with all the momentum of their men.

There wasn’t enough room on the left for both their forces combined.

“Yorick!

Follow!” Oliver said, noting that the Yorick men still hadn’t abandoned their posts wielding those corpse shields, despite the approaching line of shield wielders from the rear.

The men began to shuffle in response to his shout, bit by bit, though they did so delicately, careful not to leave themselves open to the arrow fire that continuously came their way.

It was another full minute before Lombard reemerged from his charge and circled his men back around.

Oliver did the same, having all but demolished what was left of that particular wall of shield-wielding men – at least to the right.

The numbers still extended a distance to the left, but there was only so much that they could do with the time that they had.

“On me, Patrick!” Lombard shouted.

“These formations will be shifting again.

We’ll be boxed in if we stay any longer!”

As tempting as it was to keep driving the men that they’d cornered further into the ground, Oliver knew that Lombard was right.

There was only so much that they could grab out of the advantage that they’d secured before General Khan would do the same as he’d done earlier, and box them in – this time six hundred of them, rather than merely Oliver’s lot.

“Retrieve the horses!

We move!” Oliver shouted.

Verdant relayed his order in a louder voice for him, and a dozen of the Sergeants began to do the same.

The men were only too happy to be out.

Now they stood on the road that Lord Karstly himself had managed to carve, all the way on the right-hand side of the formation.

It was wide, and nearly devoid of men, apart from those roadblocks up ahead, and the wall of men to the left side, preventing them from diving too easily into the bulk of General Khan’s formation.

Forward they went.

Oliver took care not to drive Walter too hard.

His pace was slow, even for a trot, but it was exactly what his men needed.

They’d been more swimming than they’d been battling.

They’d been lost in an ocean of men, and only now were they able to finally get their breaths, as bloodied and bruised as they were.

Lombard similarly slowed to match them.

He positioned his men to the left, closer to the wall of shield wielders, allowing the Patrick men the position to the right, where it was only the natural steepness of the terrain that kept them barred in.

It was far less suffocating, and it allowed them far more time to breathe.

Their forces were so close that they might have been one unit.

The Patrick men were ragged and disorganized – seemingly – for the most part, aside from Yorick’s men with their degree of order, and the Blackthorn men with their disciplined positioning.

In that sense, the Lombard soldiers were far more similar to the Blackthorn men.

They seemed almost to be in competition in their displays of discipline.

The one-armed Captain brought his horse alongside Oliver’s, whilst Verdant drew back respectfully, pulling on Lady Blackthorn’s arm and bidding her to do the same. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

“I’m in your debt,” Oliver noted.

“I would have struggled to escape from that.”

“It is not my debt, Captain Patrick,” Lombard said.

“It is the General’s.

I act on his whims.

That is the only reason I am able to ride beside you.

You chose a reckless path for yourself in this battle.

You split off from the main force before we’d even established our ground.

A less forgiving General would have you disciplined for that.”

“I would hope that he at least waits until we get out of here,” Oliver replied.

It was an attempt at a jest, but even he could not deny that he was tired now.

It showed, even in his humour, and Lombard took note of it, giving him an appraising look.

“You’ve exerted yourself, and your men.

Any more, and your lot will begin to fall to pieces,” Lombard told him.

“Do not give in to your excitement.

You must exercise restraint.”

“What are we doing Lombard?” Oliver pressed.

“We’re stuck.

The charge was never meant to go on this long.

The longer we stay here, the worse it is for us.

What are General Karstly’s intentions?”

“…I do not know,” Lombard replied after a moment.

“I simply know that the enemy General is of a calibre we could not have expected.”

“That much is obvious,” Oliver said, a little irritated.

“The General gave me the order to close the distance towards him, and I couldn’t do anything with it.

We were surrounded in an instant, and the chance was wasted.”

“That is to be expected,” Lombard replied.

“I imagine the General expected much the same.

The fact that the enemy was forced to change the formation of his left-side troops was what Karstly was after.

In that, at least, you succeeded.”

“It isn’t enough though, Lombard!” Oliver said.

“There’s no chance of getting out like this.

How is our main force still pinned down?

We should have been free long ago.”

“Calm yourself.

It is not your place to see the future of this battlefield.

You cannot fall into panic just because you don’t imagine the way forward.

As accomplished as you might be, this is your first taste of a true battle amongst Generals,” Lombard said.

“Trust in the man that Lord Blackwell trusts, just as I do.

He is not moving blindly.”

Chapter 17 – The Counterattack

“PRESSSSSSS!” Came the bellows of Colonel Gordry as he led his men.

It was a full Blackthorn front line now.

A little over three thousand men pressed forward together with relentless ardure.