"Forward!" he could hear them screaming. "Forward with Sky Father! Death-shame for all cowards! Will you turn your backs on women? Your ancestors will piss on your spirits!"
The Fiernan spears were ready, but their ranks were thinner-had to be, when so many were archers. The shafts kept falling out of the sky, but soon the foremost enemy would be at handgrips, too close to risk blind fire.
Everything seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then the rhythmic shouting gave way to a long roar, and under it the flat unmusical clang and crash and rattle of metal on metal and wood and leather. The Fiernan ranks swayed back a step under the impact, then another… and held. Men gasped and struck, and here and there one would sink down; the front ranks were dropping their spears and drawing shorter weapons, while their comrades thrust over their shoulders. Knives were out, and men were rolling under the feet of others locked shield to shield, stabbing upward. He saw one such take a heel in the face, try to crawl back, and then go down under a half-dozen boots as the line swayed over him and men stamped desperately for footing. Flung spears from the rear ranks of the attackers answered the rain of arrows, and dead men stayed upright in the close press.
Alston was standing like an onyxine statue as she tried to keep the whole long thrashing line of battle in sight, through dust and smoke and confusion. Then something wobbled up out of the enemy ranks, slow enough to be clearly seen-a barrel.
"Down!" she shouted, diving for the earth.
Something jerked Ian's feet out from under him; he went down awkwardly, the air battered out of him through his armor. Something went bwammp 'behind him, and something else went whrit-whrit-whrit over his head, hitting something with a sound like a buzz saw going into wet wood. Blood splashed his face. Then there was a larger, softer whump from behind him, and he felt heat wash over the back of his neck.
Doreen's hands were fumbling at him. "I'm all right," he gasped, kicking in revulsion at the mangled something that lay across his legs. "I'm all right." Which was physically true, he realized, but otherwise a lie. "What happened!"
"Gunpowder, barrel full of gunpowder-it landed right on top of the flamethrower and its fuel. Why didn't you get down, you idiot? I had to pull on your feet-you could have been killed. Meshuggah!" Her voice had a touch of shrillness.
"Oh," he grunted, coming half upright. "Thanks."
He looked back that way and then averted his eyes, wishing he could squeeze out the memory as people braver than he felt tried to haul survivors out of the lake of fire. Alston was on her feet again, listening to a messenger.
"Running?" she said sharply.
The Fiernan messenger grinned. "No, but backing up very fast-that way," he said, pointing. "They don't like our arrows, not as many there have armor, either side."
Alston blinked, looked to her left, to the north, and tried to remember exactly how the ridge curved, and her line with it. "They're backing up to the northeast? Not just east?"
The sound from that direction had altered, a different note to it.
"Yes," he said happily. "Northeast-maybe they want to go home."
"Oh, shit," she said. "Rapczewicz! Take over! Ortiz, move the second company to face north, refuse the flank, we've got a disaster brewing. I'm taking the first company and doing what I can. Get to it. Now."
She turned and ran down the hill-the horses were gone, they'd been too near where that barrel of powder had landed, and thank the Lord Walker didn't seem to have more to spare. One of the reserve companies was waiting there, a company of her precious Americans-troops she could really rely on to do as they were told. As she ran her mind's eye could paint the picture. The Sun People falling back, Maltonr-he was the senior Fiernan on that end-going whooping in for glory and vengeance, real redhead stuff. Then the enemy turning out in the open where the Fiernan archers couldn't mass their fire, turning the fight into a melee, sweeping back up the ridge and into the rear of her line…
Just like Senlac. And Harold Godwinsson led an army of militia from Wessex too, and the Norman commander was named William. God, I know You're an ironist, but isn't this going a bit far?
"Enemy breakthrough," she snapped to Hendriksson. "We're going to contain it." Or so I hope. "Follow me."
The Americans formed up smoothly, moving off at the double-quick. Ahead of them was a growing roar.
"Ask me for anything but time," Walker quoted angrily to himself, then took his temper in an iron grip.
"No, father and lord," he said to Daurthunnicar. "You must stay here with the last of the reserves. I and my hand-fast men will strike the enemy from the rear, and then they will give way. You must strike then, to push them into rout-when they start to run, to flee in terror, then we can slaughter until our arms grow tired. But it must be at the right time."
Daurthunnicar hesitated, shirting in his chariot. The framework creaked; he'd put on a good deal of weight over the last six months. "Honor is with the foremost," he protested. "How can men obey me as high rahax if my spear is not red and my ax is still bright?"
Oh, fucking Jesus Christ on a skateboard. "Honor is in victory, father and lord," he ground out between clenched teeth. "When all men see your banner sweeping the enemy into flight, honor will be yours."
After a long moment the Iraiina chieftain shifted his eyes, not convinced, but giving way to his son-in-law's superior mana. "I hear your word. Go and take the victory, chieftain who shares my blood."
"All right," Walker muttered, raising a hand in salute. "Let's go."
His eyes were fixed to the north. Right on target. That Shaumsrix. is a smart cookie. Pretend to run away, take 'em when they got scattered in pursuit, then follow up with a nice brisk attack of your own-the Iraiina had caught on to the idea like it was a religious revelation. Just two things were needed to turn it into the battle-winner it deserved to be.
He turned in the saddle to look at his men. They were gripping their weapons and leaning forward, their longing eyes trained on the great heaving scrimmage up along the crest of the ridge.
"Listen up!" The helmeted faces turned to him. "We're going there-" he pointed northwest-"and we're going to kill them all. Limber up those guns, and keep in good order-any man who breaks ranks, dies like a dog. This is the ax blow that will decide this fight, and I mean to hit hard and straight."
They cheered him, roaring out his name. "Cheer after the victory, not before. Let's go!"
He led off, keeping the horse to a fast walk; the men behind him were on foot, and no matter how fit you were, you started puffing and blowing pretty fast if you tried to run in armor. No use at all getting there with the men too exhausted to fight. The field guns rumbled along behind him, and he grinned at the sound, looking down at a map drawn on deerhide with charcoal held across the horn of his saddle. Most of Alston's army was sheltering on or just behind this long ridge, with a broad smooth stretch of open country just beyond. If he could get the cannon setup there at the north end of the Fiernan line, they'd have enfilade fire right down the whole enemy force. Alston wouldn't have any choice-she'd have to come to him. All the men would have to do would be to guard the guns, and when the enemy rushed them… well, that was why God and William Walker had invented grapeshot.