The soldier waved off the remark. “Keep it. We’ve looted enough crockery I’m thinking of opening a store.”
Erik strolled along, drinking his coffee, which wasn’t too bad for camp fare, and inspected the area. There were no more than a thousand men behind the wall, and from the look of what he could see along the barricade, no more than twelve hundred total at this position. Another mystery. From the other side, it looked like half of Fadawah’s army waited, yet from this side Erik knew that if he could get the gate open, this battle would be won in minutes, not hours.
When he was halfway back to the gate area, Erik heard a shout raised up at the eastern end of the barricade. Then more shouts as an alarm was raised. Erik paused, and counted slowly to ten, until he heard a horn sounded, a call to arms. Men sprang up from where they slept, and Erik tossed aside his cup and hurried along. In his most commanding voice he started shouting, “They’re hitting the east flank! Get to the east!”
Men who were half asleep started hurrying off toward the far end of the line. As he neared the gate, a man hurried over and said, “What is this?”
Erik knew at once this was a sergeant or captain of some company, one not used to obeying mindlessly. “Rastav’s orders! Are you Captain Gaja?”
The man blinked and said, “No, I’m Tulme. Gaja is due to relieve me in an hour.”
“Then get two men in three off the gate and rush them to the eastern end of the line! The enemy is breaking through over there!”
Erik hurried along, and kept shouting, “Get to the east! Hurry up!”
Men saw other soldiers rushing off to where they were ordered, and hastened to obey. Erik ran back to where he could be seen by Akee and signaled. Instantly the Hadati hillmen were running from the trees.
Erik ran to the gate and shouted, “Orders! Open the gate. Get ready to sally!”
“What?” said a man. “Who are you?”
Erik had his sword out and killed the man before he could react. “My luck couldn’t run forever,” he said to Akee as the Hadati reached his side.
The Hadati killed every man standing before the gate before anyone more than twenty-five yards away noticed. The supporting poles were kicked aside, and before they hit the ground Erik and Akee, along with two other men, were lifting the heavy oaken bar out of the brackets that held it in place.
As they carried the bar aside, others opened the gate.
“Two minutes!” Erik cried. “We have to keep it open for two minutes.”
Seconds slipped by slowly, as shouts up and down the line demanded answers and suddenly it was clear to Erik that those to the north of him on the defenders’ side of the barricade knew something was amiss.
Suddenly men were charging at the Hadati, who were to a man armed with long swords and short swords, held in right and left hands respectively. They moved out to keep enough room between each that they could do a maximum of damage. Erik hesitated only a moment, then ran and leaped atop a pile of grain sacks, and pulled himself up on the ramparts behind the breastwork. He could not afford for bowmen to get above the Hadati. If he did, the fight would be over.
Erik glanced to the south and saw the Kingdom cavalry was already on its way. One more minute and the day would be won.
Erik charged along the ramparts, and the first man he encountered looked confused, still trying to see what was occurring to the east. Erik grabbed him and threw him off the rampart. He landed on top of a pair of men running along, and those behind stopped. A crossbow bolt sped past Erik’s head and he ducked.
He retreated, weapons ready, and when he saw soldiers heading toward him, he halted. The first man to face him slowed, uncertain of what was before him. Erik was happy to wait, and let the Kingdom cavalry reach the gate.
Abruptly a sense of alarm passed through those near the gate, as if they finally realized what had happened. They charged the waiting Hadati, and the man opposite Erik let out a howl of rage and charged him.
Erik took a step back when the man swung, letting him overbalance himself, and with a swift kick, Erik sent the man tumbling over the side of the rampart. The second man approached a little more cautiously, if just as intently, and struck out. Erik took the blow on his sword and parried, then unexpectedly, he stepped into the man, slamming him in the face with his sword hilt. The man stumbled backward into another man behind him and both fell back.
Erik glanced over the wall and saw the first pair of Kingdom horsemen was near, lowering their lances as they started up the last part of the incline toward the gate. Erik had a sudden impulse, and shouted at the top of his lungs: “Throw down your swords! It’s over!”
The man opposite him on the barricade hesitated, and Erik shouted, “This is your last chance! Throw down your sword!”