POV Smith
I sighed as I wiped the crud from my eyes again. The morning dew glistened in the early light. Last night had been long indeed.
After the hill was cleared and the last of the 57th surrendered when all hope was lost. I had them rounded up and marched south by 2nd brigade. Now Ponatoski's brigade stood where Isser had yesterday evening. A grueling march and night action, followed by another grueling march under only the light of the moon. Hopefully Isser would keep the ruse going until the time was ripe. To that end I'd taken everything I'd needed, Isser's battalion's standards were with Ponatoski to further the ruse that she hadn't even moved.
Sure the troops grumbled about not fighting under their own standard but I really could not care. Victory was what mattered, and not the 'victory' my brother wanted either. That may count as a strategic victory, keeping Golmor focused on me while the Queen marched on Heston. Heh. Victory would constitute nothing less than the total destruction of Golmor's ability to fight.
I grumbled to myself about the damp soaking my powders as I drew the balls and loads from the pistols and cleaned and reloaded them fresh as I waited upon the hill, overseeing the vast plain and Golmor's army. I smirked a bit as I glanced to my left at Ponatoski's brigade masquerading as the 3rd with their two battalions just at the edge of the forest where the standards were visible to the enemy. I turned to look back on the line to my right where Tullio had 1st brigade on the reverse slope of the hills. It was unnecessary really, but the more I could mislead Golmor… the better.
It was a few hours after the sun had fully risen and both armies had eaten that Golmor made her opening move. Her line began to shift in an oblique manner to my right. I snorted derisively, what in the world was Golmor hoping to accomplish with that? I watched as that absolutely gargantuan mercenary company was used to fill in the section of line that the move had opened and shook my head again. A full half of their army had moved into positions to better attack my center and right. I watched with a grin as her cavalry appeared on my left… right where I'd hoped they'd be.
A war horn blew and the army began advancing by formations from its left, moving in a sweeping advance. I nodded but looked to Golmor's reserves that hadn't moved. Still they stayed put. Why not bring the full force of your numeric superiority to bear? I'd be hard pressed as it is to hold the line, let alone deal with this. But I had a plan, as long as Ponatoski and Tullio held. An hour, maybe two. That's all Isser would need.
Battle began on the far right of my line, along the heights as the mercenary company 'khemite warriors' led the attack on Tullio's positions. The clash of steel and the cries of battle starting all along my line, but it held, for now at least.
I glanced at the staff I had gathered around me, mostly majors and their subordinates, but also several of David's sucubi… they were an unwanted distraction to my officers. Hell Shyora was even flirting with two of them at the same time. "Shyora."
She spun around and snapped to attention and smiled seductively. So she gave me lip service? Ohh… I'll change that soon. But the battle first. "Your squad will range up and down the line, relieve a bit of the pressure on the men where they need it."
She nodded and turned to the other women around her that were no longer disguising themselves. I detested how they blasphemously ruined my uniforms, it disgusted me. Though I knew a lot of the enlisted enjoyed it… for a lot of reasons. I tore my mind away from the path I didn't need to worry about. Why should I care about five succubi in skimpy uniforms when I was outnumbered almost three to one? Regardless they followed my orders and ran off. I turned my attention to my left as I watched Golmor finally commit her right.
All of her cavalry started at a trot across the open field. Polished armor gleamed and little guidons snapped at the head of the small companies of mercenaries. I looked a bit further north, to the lone hill and saw what at a glance looked to be the 57th marching down the hill at double time. Good, judging by the confident canter of the cavalry they hadn't realized their flank was about to be completely smashed.
As the cavalry continued their advance on the unprotected flank of Ponatoski's brigade I began to feel that special charge in the air. The decisive moment was at hand. Everyone could feel it… all along the line the troops pressed forward, trying to kill, main, and wound their foes. Then the tension snapped.
A company of cavalry, infantry mounted on horses taken from the 57th thundered out of Lodi and into the enemy cavalry. The surprise was total, and my grin widened as Isser's brigade enveloped Golmor's prided mercenaries. Now as Golmor had intended to do, I had done the reverse. But first the butcher must have his bill, and I wanted Golmor to balk at it.
A systematic slaughter began as the company of infantry disengaged and let Isser begin her dance. On all sides all the mercenaries saw were pikes. Slowly closing in, constraining what space they had left. Order and discipline broke down, it quickly became every woman for herself as they desperately tried to escape the encirclement. It was a long hour indeed…
But… I did regret having to give Golmor some credit. I'd underestimated her a bit. Her troops began to fall back in good order, though some regiments and mercenary companies were absolutely mauled. Though in the end I did manage to nearly encircle and destroy the mercenary regiment 'the Ethereal Sisterhood'.
I looked over the killing fields as both armies began to reorganize themselves. I received messengers from all my brigade commanders requesting new orders and updating me as to the state of their forces. It painted a grim picture…
Casualties among 1st and 2nd brigade had not been light. The fighting in the woods had been particularly brutal and Ponatoski outright doubted her brigade could sustain another attack. I looked over at my enemy.
I could see Golmor and her staff on a ridge opposite me, her runners frantically rushing to pass their orders off. The last regiments and mercenaries began to move, a few regiments were pulled out of line to reorganize and the fresh troops inserted. But her deployments displayed where the blow would fall, on Ponatoski's crippled brigade.
"Send word to my brother, bring up his… command…"