Unkarra Gate (1st draft)

Chapter 34.1

Fires sprung in the Geberran's camp, and many death cries had pierced the morning silence. Men which had been roused by the commotion were now charging into the battle, armed and ready. Their cries of battle changed the tone of the surprise attack, and Bogrel was fervently hoping the Unkarran swordsman would retreat quicker.

He stood at a vantage point in the very nearby woods, in front of his ranks. The men behind him were completely silent, but he could hear their nervousness and fear in every breath they took. The line of sight had been cleared a bit on the swordsmen's initial charge into the camp, and that was how Bogrel was observing now. As the minutes passed, fires grew, daylight was coming, and more could be seen. The battle was getting too large, and the Unkarran swordsmen would be overpowered.

"Run, curse you fools, run," he said to himself, knowing that no matter how loud he yelled, they would never hear him. But Flavias, standing next to him, did.

"What's happening?" he asked.

"Just be ready to do your part." A moment later he saw the first of them running back towards them and their main force. "Here they come! Remember, hold your position!" Bogrel yelled at his spear regiment. "Front spears, brace yourselves!"

Twenty Unkarrans swordsman had led the assault on the Geberran camp. Just over half that number was running back now. Right on their heels were dozens of Geberran Warriors. Their metal shields, helms, chest plates and blades reflected the glint from the fires, which immediately reinforced the magnitude of the mismatch in armour.

The yelling came into focus as they came nearer. Out of the roar of the battle came the panicked shouts of the Unkarrans, including those of Bryan, near the front, but being overtaken by the more athletic men. At the rear of the pack, he could see that at least the lack of armour meant that the Unkarrans were outrunning the Geberrans.

All but for a few men, and they were gaining on the trailing Unkarrans. One man's arms were filled with swords, and he was caught first. A man with a wild red beard caught him from behind with an axe, brutally cutting the man down in three successive chops. First it was the one man, then it was two, then three.

Bogrel had seen enough. "Hold your positions!" He charged past Brian and the other retreating swordsmen, his own sword in hand and raised high. The ground was wet and slippery, and men were losing their feet all about. He used his free hand as needed to keep balance and brace himself against trees or push away branches, and managed to pass through the forested ground quickly.

The wild axeman had his weapon raised high for another killing blow when Bogrel charged into him delivering his own killing blow, as he leapt through the air and drove his knees into his chest, but leading with the sword point, and drove the blade clean through the man's collar. The Unkarran was up and running while Bogrel extracted his sword.

Two more Geberran men closed for combat, these two being the being the fastest of the charging army. When they made their attacks, Bogrel was set, and quickly turned away the first attacks and cut the throat of the attacker, then preemptively ended the attack of the second with a bold and deceptive stab to the heart.

The more heavily armoured Geberrans were approaching quickly, and Bogrel retreated back to his ranks quickly. For weeks Bogrel had drilled the young Unkarran men for this moment. He looked upon them as he rushed back, their faces determined and their eyes scared. An array of spear tips was before him, three rows deep, and dozens of men wide. He found his place by his unit and slipped by the tips deftly as space was cleared for him, moments before the chaos was unleashed all around.

The Geberrans bearing down upon them looked wildly excited for battle, some of them covered in blood already. They charged into the spear men, fearless for their lives and confident in their swords. As Bogrel had drilled against them endlessly, the first spears were knocked aside, but the men behind quickly stepped up to catch the opening provided. There were nasty incidents along the formation, but the Geberrans were too few in number to break them. The attackers were disorganized and foolish, but dogged, as though too prideful to think wooden spears could stop them, even as the men in front were being stabbed to death.