Lerial is glad that the trail is hidden from the Heldyans, because his force is strung out for almost a kay on the trail, although he can order-sense his surroundings almost two kays away in the more open grounds away from cities and buildings, and there are only a few Heldyan scouts, and those are a good kay away, along the western perimeter of the Heldyan encampment. It is well past eighth glass when the combined forces reach a point north and west of the Heldyans and Lerial reforms the companies before they begin to circle more to the north around the area of pines and thornbushes that Lerial had noticed the day before.
Lerial, at the head of Eighth Company, still cannot sense any chaos-mages until he is less than half a kay from the Heldyan perimeter, just over the top of the ridge overlooking the western end of the Heldyan encampment. There he calls a halt while using his senses to get a better understanding of where the Heldyans are located. There are four chaos-mages, but three of the four are strong enough that they carry the diffuse shields that make discovering their location, except in very general terms, almost impossible. The Heldyans have mustered close to three battalions behind the low earth embankments they have created overlooking the creek.
After several long moments, Lerial decides that his original attack plan will not work in the way he had hoped, and he sends for Majer Paelwyr.
“Yes, ser?” Paelwyr reins up.
“We’re going to have to change the plan of attack slightly, Majer. The Heldyans still have most of their forces in tents and quarters. There are likely about three to four battalions in ready positions, along the southern perimeter at the end of the flat ground overlooking the creek. We can do far more damage—and leave more quickly—if we charge down the western perimeter, behind their lines, until we reach the southern lines, and then swing east. We can cut through the defenders and make for the shore road. From what I can tell, there’s only a company of mounted armsmen stationed at the east end of the hamlet, and they’re well north of the southern defenders.”
“You lead, and we’ll follow, ser. I’ll pass the changes on to the company officers.”
“We’ll wait until you can.”
The one problem with Lerial’s plan is that they will not be able to move down the east side of the slope at more than a fast walk, not until they reach the grassy swale, but that is a distance of less than two hundred yards, and even if the Heldyans notice them immediately, it will take some time for them to react, since there are far fewer defenders on the far west and north sides of the encampment.
Once Lerial is satisfied that Paelwyr has passed on the change to the Afritan companies, he turns to Fheldar. “Five-man front! Lances tight!” He waits as Fheldar and the undercaptains relay the orders, then adds, “Forward! Fast walk!”
All of Eighth Company is over the crest of the ridge and headed down, less than fifty yards from the grass of the swale, before Lerial can see any movement among the defenders, and he and the first ranks are at the swale before shields start forming.
“Charge!” Lerial raises his sabre, then drops it, letting the first rank sweep past him, since he is not carrying a lance, and then keeps pace with the second rank.
In moments, or so it seems, Eighth Company has smashed through the thin line of surprised defenders and turned south against the troopers manning the perimeter. By now loud clangings and horn signals are coming from everywhere in the Heldyan camp, along with shouted orders, and groups of armed Heldyans taking defensive positions almost randomly.
A single chaos-bolt arches from somewhere to Lerial’s left toward Eighth Company, and Lerial immediately redirects it to a line of defenders on the south perimeter that has already pivoted to bring shields and pikes against the Mirror Lancers. The chaos-flame slashes through a score of shieldmen and pikemen.
Almost instantly, two lines of brilliant chaos-fire sear toward Lerial, almost as if the Heldyan mages had sent up the first chaos-bolt as a way to locate him. Which they probably did. He manages to deflect and redirect both bolts into more defenders, but the attack is so swift that he cannot redirect that force back at the mages.
Even before the next wave of chaos comes, though, he is forming a multiline order pattern that returns that chaos to the Heldyan mages. Fast as he has been, the Heldyan mages are just as swift—and add more chaos—to send that power again at Lerial. That return redirection gives Lerial a better feel, and his return of that massive chaos slams into one of the concealed chaos focuses.
WHHHSASSTTT!!
A pillar of brilliant reddish-white energy flares skyward, momentarily as bright as the white morning sun, so powerful that Lerial can barely sense the accompanying silver-gray death mist flowing out from the chaos, especially since some of that energy slams back at his shields, likely the effort of one of the surviving mages. A searing surge of heat burns at his hip, then fades.
“To the left!” roars Fheldar, for which Lerial is grateful, struggling as he is to deal with the Heldyan chaos-mages.