Bordering the ledge, Cadin looked down.
About thirty soldiers surrounded a small campfire, talking amongst one another as a pot boiled above flames. Tents were built around the camp, lit up in the inside with an assortment of supplies in each one, food to weapons and arrows.
'Supper time, good thing all of them are in one place. Makes this easy.'
Just at the side was the gate. A large wooden plank was stuck in place in the middle, keeping the door shut but easily removable.
'Need to make this quick for the cavalry.' Cadin looked back and forth at the gate & soldiers.
He jumped down from the side, landing on the grassy ground. Quickly he ran to the wooden plank, putting his hands under it and attempting to push it out.
The plank was heavy but Cadin continued, using his strength. In just seconds, the plank fell down with a loud thump.
The guard soldiers heard the sound, turning around just as Cadin pushed the gate wide open. His soldiers, seeing their leader and the gate open, started moving in.
As he looked at his men charging down, suddenly, an arrow pierced into Cadin's neck. Shock filled his mind, blood began gushing out onto the ground forming a thick puddle under him. Turning around, the rest of the soldiers were aiming at him.
As they prepared to let loose, the cavalry rushed through, moving past Cadin as they flooded into the camp. Arrows were soon released, now aimed at the horsemen. Yelps of horses and men soon followed as some were hit in the scrambled volley of arrows.
'It seems they're more of an archer army.' Cadin, unsheathing his sword, grabbed the shaft of the arrow. Ripping it out as the wound started to heal, ceasing any more blood from pouring out.
With his sword, Cadin attacked the remaining soldiers, huddled with one another, frantically firing in all directions at the circling horsemen as they cut down anyone at the front.
Cadin slashed down the soldiers quickly who were only wearing thin leather clothing rather than armor. He continued advancing, spraying the ground with more blood. In each swing his sword cut down three or even more, throwing them back with long deep slash wounds on rheir bodies.
Soldiers started unsheathing small daggers as Cadin killed more and more, now ignoring the horsemen and focusing on him alone.
A minute passed and the fight came to a slow end. Bodies lay around with the scent of the bpiling pot's contents filling the air.
Horses lay around wounded with two dead alongside their riders.
After some minutes, the army arrived with Joken and a horse handler.
"My lord, shall we rest or continue on the attack?" He asked, waiting just in front of the gate as soldiers walked inside.
Civilians continued hiding inside while soldiers posted outside of them, watching them.
"For now let us rest, we will only take out one more camp. Despite the casualties sustained we will head out in a few minutes." Cadin responded.
The handler immediately went to work, tending to the wounded horses in the area.
"My lord, your horse." A fellow horseman brought along Cadin's horse, holding onto its lead until reaching Cadin.
After a brief thank you, he got on top of the horse, watching over the new camp's garrison and the scared individuals still hiding inside their tents.
'These people have bows. And in greater quantities. They must be accustomed to creating them.' Cadin trotted towards the army unit's leader, standing in front a tent.
"You, leader." The man turned to him.
"The deal states that you may take half of the prisoners. Due to this, i suggest a request on this. You will go to every tent, and ask who are skilled at making bows. Once you have brought them all up, then leave them be for me to claim once i return." The leader nodded his head in response, turning around to enter the tent.
'Judging from the soldiers in the forest, it seems bows are a rarity. Even after trading, bows are still difficult to find. Swords to spears only.' Cadin thought to himself, seeing the new opportunity in the soldiers.
Cadin jumped onto his horse, waiting for a few more minutes of rest before speaking. "Men, we have only one more camp to take. And we shall return home. We have lost some today, but after this camp we shall no longer attack. Now, follow me!"
Ten in total remained with the wounded and dead staying behind inside the camp as they ran out into the night, carrying torches in their hands.
The last camp was now in their midst, in the distance, far smaller than the last four before. A line of wooden stakes was their only protection from outside threats, a few tents stood inside the camp as a single fireplace glowed brightly.
'Odd, this one is quite weak compared to the others.' While he watched, a figure walked out of a tent, bow and arrow in hand. In a few seconds, the figure let loose an arrow.
The arrow flew under the cover of the night sky above, before whistling down and striking one of the soldiers in the chest behind Cadin. The unit was shocked, the man slumped on his horse, heavily breathing but still alive.
"It seems they know our presence, Joken, stay behind with him. The rest, follow me, we must bring an end to these people. The stakes will make it difficult to enter through, so once you enter, start running on foot. Onwards!"
Immediately, without a delay the entire cavalry unit started rushing forward. The figure ran back inside the tent, shortly returning with more figures.
As Cadin neared the camp, the figures launched a volley of arrows towards them.
"Soldiers, disperse! Move away from one another!" Cadin shouted.
Horsemen began moving away from Cadin, slowing down or moving to other directions, splitting off from each other.
Arrows crashed down from the sky, slamming into dirt and a few soldiers still caught in it's path. Cadin stayed focused on the entrance.
Next to the stakes, jumping off his horse, Cadin with his surviving men ran passed the stakes and inside the camp.
Men and women, holding bows in their hands, fell lifeless to the ground while the rest ran for safety.
In just a minute, the attack stopped, soldiers rounded up any fleeing civilians and threw them back inside tents. They wore basic leather clothing, none wore any form of armor, even layered leather.
'Weak ones, this camp could be used as an observation post of sorts.
After waiting, the reinforcements showed up, signaling the end of the conquest.
Cheers roared out after Cadin shouted, "The conquest is over! We have taken the enemy's homes!" The remaining eight horsemen and arriving soldiers celebrated with one another.
"What shall be done now my lord? We have taken all of these territories. What is our next move?" Joken asked from behind, on foot with a bloodied sword.
"Send the handler to treat the wounded horses, about two fell in the field and find the soldiers who rode them. They may still be alive. When the next day comes," Cadin walked forward, putting his hands in front of the open flame.
"This entire camp shall be ours, and we can push forward with integrating and connecting them with our home. Say, what of the refugees that are coming to our camp?"
"They are arriving my lord, we may expect to accommodate them by tomorrow."
'Good, we may create a larger force to expand.'