Chapter 56

Nicopolan Pursuit

 

Coalition Side

The morning sun blazed upon the battlefield. North of the Korelia plains, two cavalry units made a beeline into the forest. The Coalition was hot on the heels of the Korelians, ready to punish them for their daring surprise attack. Every move made by the Korelian cavalry was quickly mirrored by the Coalition forces.

With their lords present, both sides gave their all in this chase. Even as they entered the outskirts of the forest, dense vegetation did little to slow them down. The sunny scenery of the open plains rapidly gave way to the brown and dark green foliage of the woods, with both sides navigating the increasingly narrow paths in single file.

The Korelians began to slow down as the terrain became harder to traverse. Their horses, already tired and some injured, struggled to maintain pace. It was then that the foremost riders of the Coalition finally caught up with the Korelians’ rear guard.

They weren’t the famed Black Knights, but the Nicopolan mercenaries. With their lighter cavalry, they began their attack.

The Korelian horseman tried to fend them off, but it was simply too hard. One rider, unable to keep his balance, tumbled from his horse and was quickly taken hostage. Another, already wounded, was grabbed from behind and captured without much resistance.

At this point, the Korelian cavalry seemed destined to be overrun. However, the mercenaries' hunger for ransom proved to be a double-edged sword. Each enemy they captured slowed down the entire pursuit.

This occurred with such impunity because their commanding officer and the Black Knights, burdened by heavier armor, lagged behind. Ironically, the mercenaries' success was inadvertently aiding the Korelians. After five enemy riders were captured, the Korelians managed to gain a considerable distance from their pursuers.

In the narrowness of the forest path, the pursuit began to bog down until Daniella arrived on the scene. Taking control, she ordered her most loyal group to continue the chase. Despite being a mercenary herself, Daniella often found herself frustrated with the lack of discipline among her ranks and their penchant for taking hostages or looting at any opportunity.

With Daniella at the helm, the Nicopolans returned to the chase. They were on the verge of catching up with the Korelians' rear guard when the Korelians suddenly led them into a large glade in the middle of the forest.

Daniella initially thought little of the clearing, but then the Korelians abruptly split in two directions. Tens of her riders blindly pursued them, but Daniella's instincts sensed a trap. “Halt, halt!” she commanded, her eyes darting between the glade and the two narrow paths.

Despite her command, several riders stubbornly chased after their targets. Many more would have followed if Sir Morton hadn’t arrived and blocked the path. He too had sensed that something was amiss.

Riding up to Sir Morton, Daniella said, “I don’t trust these narrow paths, not on horses. We should send men on foot.”

The knight captain silently agreed, though for a different reason: they were venturing too far from the battlefield, thereby putting their allies behind at risk.

Following Daniella, the rest of the ranking officers gathered around Sir Morton, deliberating whether to pursue or not. Meanwhile, behind them, the sudden halt of their advance caused a bottleneck in the clearing.

Though the glade was quite large, space quickly became limited. With barely enough room for thirty horses, the area soon became overcrowded as more cavalry flooded in. Friction ensued as the horsemen jostled against each other, struggling to turn or find a spot to stop.

The mercenaries, feeling deprived of ransom and loot – their main sources of income – started to grow increasingly agitated. “Why aren’t we giving chase?” they grumbled.

“Are the men from Three Hills afraid of the woods?” another taunted.

“You dare to mock us, sellsword?” The Three Hills knights shouted back angrily. And just like that, curses filled the air. Several men needed to be restrained before drawing blood.

Despite having been allies for several years, there was little love lost between the Three Hills knights and the Korimor’s Nicopolan mercenaries.

“What’s the meaning of this?” demanded Lord Jorge, addressing the situation as he arrived, flanked by his retinue. He unlatched his visor to fully reveal his handsome face.

Nobody dared utter a word. They all knew too well that a Viscount could throw anyone into a dungeon on a whim and forget about them indefinitely.

“Morton, why are we stopping-”

Fssshh!!

Jorge’s question was cut short by the sudden sound of crossbow bolts. They rained down on them with deadly accuracy.

“Crossbowmen!” several cried in panic.

“Ambush!” others shouted as a warning.

Horses collided as their riders scrambled to hide or evade the attack. Crossbow bolts landed indiscriminately, often shattering upon impact against plate armor. Each near miss drove the riders into a greater panic.

With no place to run, the riders frantically dismounted and scrambled for cover. Those attempting to ride back found themselves trapped in a bottleneck. The return path was still clogged with the incoming cavalry, who were also under attack.

Caught in a dire situation, unable to advance or retreat, they became easy targets. Each successive salvo injured more horses, sparking a deadly rampage. More and more wounded warhorses galloped wildly, without care for their riders.

These once-proud mounts had become a menace, stampeding everything in their path. Under their mighty hooves, unlucky men were trampled into bloody pulp.

One large steed, with a bolt embedded in its neck, trampled a knight and then slipped on the fallen man’s cuirass. The warhorse tumbled onto two other men, crushing them to death.

Despite the carnage, the crossbow attack did not ebb. The dry leaves on the forest floor were stained red, and the smell of blood, along with other fouler stenches, permeated the air.

All those who stubbornly clung to their horses eventually met their deaths. The last one to persist was now being dragged deeper into the forest by his maddened horse. What remained of him was the dull, muffled sound of his plate armor being thrashed around.

Amid this madness, only Morton stood unfazed, with Daniella at his side holding a kite shield to protect them both. Another Black Knight had raised a shield in defense as well, but despite their efforts, several bolts struck Morton in various spots.

Fortunately, Lord Jorge had equipped Morton with high-tier plate armor. The Centuria Steel deflected the bolts, resulting in only superficial scratches on the armor.

Behind them, a dozen frightened men huddled, using trees for cover. Meanwhile, Morton continued to recite a verse corresponding to the wind barrier that surrounded Lord Jorge. However, the barrier, due to their distance, did not extend to protect Morton himself.

The forest finally turned quiet, as all who still drew breath had successfully hidden or found cover. The pause prompted everyone to look around, trying to make sense of the situation.

Morton ceased his recitation and withdrew the barrier over his Lord. He then turned to the Coalition men who had lost their nerve. “Where’re your balls? Cowards!” he roared.

“Regroup!” he commanded, before adding, "You’re wearing plate armor. Act like it!"

A few bolts stormed toward Morton’s location, but his scathing rebuke had reached its intended recipients. The Black Knights began to regroup on foot, with the other knights clustering behind them.

Morton grabbed Daniella by the arm and guided her to a safer spot. “You lead them out. I’ll hold the rear.”

“We can fight them back on foot,” protested Daniella.

“Not against an ambush like this.”

Daniella sighed, her face glistening with sweat, and her long, brown hair disheveled. “What’s your plan?”

“Wait for my signal,” Morton replied, then hurried off to his Lord’s hideout. Daniella whistled to call her lieutenant and signaled for them to approach.

As the Coalition forces began to reorganize, the Korelians unleashed their ranged attack again. Yet, this time, the Coalition knights remained resolute. They were not fearless, but they drew confidence from their experience and trust in their gear.

As trained knights, they knew that at such a distance, potshots were unlikely to penetrate their plate armor. While some areas were vulnerable, these were small and well-hidden.

After Morton reached Lord Jorge, they, with concerted effort, successfully escorted him to the safety of a large pile of fallen trees.

Just as things were nearly under control, two mercenary groups suddenly launched a sortie, determined to flank the attackers' position.

Daniella and her lieutenant dashed to Morton and Lord Jorge’s side. “Those fools wanted to die, but they’ll buy us some time. I suggest we make our move.”

Morton glanced at his Lord, who appeared still shocked by the turn of events. “My Lord, you need to return to the open field. The best of my Black Knights and Lady Daniella’s finest will escort you,” he outlined his plan.

Lord Jorge remained silent, his face etched with sourness from the failure.

Morton continued, “I’ll keep twenty men with me to act as your rear guard.”

“Do as you wish,” Jorge responded harshly.

Unperturbed by his Lord's tone, Morton chose his lieutenant to spearhead the escort duty.

Daniella then stood, raising her shield above her head. “Korimors, Nicopolans!” she shouted with authority. “Listen to me: follow my lead and fight your way back, or face death. There is no other way!' Her voice echoed throughout the woods.

Her urging ignited a spark in the broken-willed mercenaries, stirring them into action.

Under Morton’s watchful eye, the column, led by his lieutenant and Daniella, began to carefully navigate their way out.

 

***

 

Contrary to the Coalition's expectations, the returning column faced heavy opposition on its way out. As fate would have it, the Korelians had repositioned themselves. Morton, at the rear, was only dealing with light attacks, while the newly formed vanguard was braving a hailstorm of bolts.

Daniella led the Coalition men as they trudged through the dense underbrush, no one daring to venture onto the exposed path.

Even surrounded by bushes, they offered almost no protection from steel bolt heads. Just moments ago, a knight had been struck in the backplate. The bolt hadn’t penetrated but was deflected into the man behind him. With their visors raised due to exhaustion and heat, the unfortunate man’s upper lip and everything behind it was torn.

A similar fate loomed over everyone as they made their slow escape through the forest.

After enduring a series of relentless attacks, the mercenaries were blinded by anger. Daniella knew better than to hold them back, so she directed their anger towards the silhouettes of crossbowmen that had appeared. Just like that, the Nicopolans launched another assault.

The initial stages of the counterattack seemed promising, with the mercenaries’ rallying cries echoing through the forest. Some of the Three Hills knights and their squires even joined in.

However, within a few minutes, the counterattack bogged down. Soon, they were brutally crushed, leaving only cries of agony as the mercenaries writhed with bolts embedded deeply in their limbs and bodies.

For the Korelians, their windlass and cranequin proved to be worth their weight in gold. In combination with spears and polearms, they were a lethal force.

The devastating defeat finally drained the mercenaries of their appetite for battle, causing them to shy away from danger. The dwindling number of Three Hills knights followed suit. In a desperate move, the remaining nobles used their squires, clad only in ringmail, as body shields.

Many of these squires fell, struck by direct hits or stray shots, their tight groups providing an ideal target for the crossbowmen.

It was only through sheer tenacity that the Black Knights, together with Daniella’s elite, were finally able to lead the survivors through the thickest of the attacks. Eventually, they reached larger openings in the woods.

They had passed this spot before while chasing the Korelian cavalry. It was previously empty, but now the place had been barricaded. Dozens of wooden frames bristling with spikes were aimed toward the approaching Coalition forces.

The Korelian crossbowmen who had haunted them now revealed themselves. Scores poured from the forest, reinforcing the footmen from behind. They were completely protected by the barricade. Blue and Bronze Chevron banners marked their allegiance.

The blockade wasn’t just on the road. Men with polearms and swords were also spotted waiting in the woods.

Now, it was obvious to everyone there that the Korelians were well prepared. This wasn’t a half-hearted trap.

Fear was in everyone’s mind. Without knowing the opponent’s numbers, dismounted, and exhausted, the once-mighty Coalition knights hesitated. Their situation was dire. Many simply hid away, waiting for someone to take action.

Even the Black Knight’s lieutenant was having second thoughts. Only Daniella was smiling. She had just conceded defeat to the Lord of Korelia’s strategy.

Defeating this many knights and cavalry... Turning the famed Black Knights into target practice, how ridiculous...

With their superiors either dead or lost, the mercenaries wanted none of this and split up to find another escape route. Daniella was left behind with just her trusted retinues, but she couldn’t care less.

Fewer souls to save...

The battle in the forest came to a standstill. Defeated as they were, the Black Knights and Three Hills nobles still had their numbers and armor. If forced into a showdown, in a fight to the death, every man would readily show their mettle.

Lord Jorge understood this too. Outwitted but unafraid, he stood with a sword in hand. Known as the Big Fool of One Hill he now embraced his fate with calm grace, awaiting the slow coming of his fate.

 

***