While the road hugged the bottom of the hill it was an obvious ambush spot and any army traveling along it would know this and be mindful, including the Rhondono. Which was why Tanner avoided the obvious and instead chose a spot nearly a mile farther east. Here the road veered nearly a half-mile from the crest of the hill. He hoped it would be far enough along that the enemy would begin to relax. Complete surprise from such a distance was not possible; still a half-mile offered little time to prepare against a charge of cavalry. Captain Tanner was counting on generating a great deal of panic and confusion as the enemy attempted to meet his charge.
The main group of Massi cavalry reached their destination after only a short hour-long ride. Captain Gaston joined them some forty minutes later, just as the first of the Rhondono foot soldiers came into view. He pulled his mount up next to his Captain.
“Losses?”
“Three. Blaxley was killed. Turnbrook injured and Colby lost his horse,” Gaston reported matter-of-factly. Turnbrook and Colby are heading back to Manse…double.”
Tanner nodded, pleased despite the loss of Blaxley, who was skilled and well liked. “Take control of the left…follow my lead. Hit their rear hard.”
Jeffery smiled again and rode off.
The Rhondono, despite their caution, were spread out so their lines were just over a quarter of a mile long. A small group of scouting horseman rode the top ridge of Bald Knock hill, but due to the rough terrain they lagged a bit behind the lead elements of the foot soldiers. The Massi charge came just as the Rhondono cavalry spotted Gaston’s position, which was along the very western tip. Tanner and the center force topped the hill and began their descent just as the enemy scouts began to race back to raise the alarm. It was a pointless exercise, for the Rhondono foot soldiers were aware of the Massi cavalry almost instantly.
Tanner aimed his charge at the very center of the column meaning to cut the enemy forces in half while Gaston attacked from the rear and Captain Kerr rounded on those in the lead.
The attack was hard and fast, and though the Rhondono troops were well-seasoned and hard soldiers, they were tired and weakened from fighting the Toranado on their way through the Scar Gap. The charge, even before it reached the enemy line, was just as frightening and demoralizing as Tanner hoped it would be.
He charged down the steeply sloped grassy hill, elated that the enemy appeared to be panicking even before the start of the fight. The lead group of Massi horsemen was only about fifty yards from the Rhondono lines when suddenly Velvet, Tanner’s mare, disappeared from under him.
‘Gopher hole,’ he thought as he flew through the air. He flipped and landed hard on his back, stunned. He rolled over and over as his body made its way down the rest of Bald Knock hill before finally coming to rest. He tried to rise, not fully in control of his senses, when a passing horse kicked him in his head and all went dark.
Even without their Captain, the Massi annihilated the Rhondono soldiers. But the rout of the enemy was not just a matter of surprise and energy level. The Rhondono did not exhibit the skill of the Massi foot soldiers and archers with whom the Massi cavalry practiced. Later, after the battle was over, Captain Gaston was sure that they would have lost a great many more horses and men had they been attacking the lines of David Hahn and his group of formidable archers. But there was another reason why the Massi lost just seventy-five men and a hundred horses…their own skill was growing; they were becoming seasoned. Battle, and the constant need to hone their skills were turning the Massi cavalry into a truly lethal force.
Nearly nine hundred Rhondono died in the attack and of the eleven hundred or so survivors, another two hundred carried such mortal injuries that they were quickly put out of their misery. The remaining nine hundred were stripped of all arms and clothes down to their drawers, then marched ceremoniously back to the Scar Gap. Along the way another fifty or so were killed for rebelliousness before the rest were left to their own devices at the mouth of the Gap. They would make their way back to Eno or not, it was of no real concern for the Massi. The Massi horsemen did not have the means to take prisoners.
Gaston and his men were saddened by the loss of their Captain. Tanner was found with a broken leg and the left side of his skull had been crushed.
“Let Lonogan know of Tanner’s death,” Gaston told the Speaker Wynth, having assumed temporary command. “Inform him that we will be heading back to Manse.” Jeffrey added vaguely. He knew the cavalry were on the plains to engage and distract the enemy, but the Temple Knights, who outnumbered the Massi more than two to one, where a very imposing force and Gaston was not at all confident he should be leading these men against them. One mistake could mean all their deaths and the Knights were known to exploit any weakness or error in judgment. Gaston was only confident about one thing, command did not sound quite so appealing when it was thrust upon you suddenly.
VI
Samantha scrambled into the room she shared with Gwaynn, and whipped out of her clothes like a harlot on a time limit. She quickly pulled on a blue velvet dress Gwaynn gave her while they were in Solarii.
“It was my favorite,” he said as they went through his sister’s things, handing Samantha anything she wanted. Gwynn apparently was just a bit shorter than Samantha with a slightly larger bust, but the clothes were nearly a perfect fit, at least in Samantha’s mind, and the garments she took were much finer than any of the rags she’d worn recently.
She dressed rapidly, only having a bit of trouble with the ties that ran up each side of the waist. When she was finished she checked her look in the small wall mirror, which also belonged to Gwynn at one time. The dress was gorgeous, but her hair was a bit droopy from the humidity, but it would have to do. She was anxious for Gwaynn’s return. She needed him, needed to feel safe once more. The appearance of another Executioner frightened her badly…even more so when Cyndar Huntley informed them that Samantha was the true target. She shivered just thinking about it, and felt horrible about the wounds Cyndar had taken on her behalf. She was jealous of Cyndar, jealous of her beauty, of the way she moved, of her natural sexuality, and now Samantha was afraid Cyndar would no longer be beautiful. The doctor believed her jaw would set with no problem but she would have a scar along the side of her face right at the jaw line. On one hand, Samantha felt awful about the woman’s wounds but delighted that Cyndar’s good looks were now marred. The two conflicting emotions bubbled about in her psyche and caused Samantha to feel slightly nauseated whenever she thought of the beautiful Captain.
She brushed through her hair and checked herself in the mirror one more time. Once she was resigned to the fact that her hair was the best it was going to get, she dropped the brush and bolted out of the room, hiking up her dress to her knees to free her legs to run. She passed several soldiers in the main hall but they just smiled at her without saying a word. By the time she arrived in the courtyard Jess, Lonogan, Monde and Gwaynn had already arrived. Her eyes focused on the latter and she could tell instantly from his expression that all had not gone well on the trip, but then he turned and spotted her coming through the main door and his face broke into a delicious smile. She ran to him, uncaring what the others thought, loving the fact that he was moving toward her as well. When she was close enough she launched herself into his arms, trusting him to catch her, which he did and then spun her around once to bleed off the momentum of her run.