Chapter No. 55 Machina belli

And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

Even at distance they looked ominous, the huge wooden and metal machines mounted on large wooden wheels being pulled by twelve-oxen teams. Many men helped guide these machines of war, and many more knights and men-at-arms accompanied them. Still more men escorted large wagons filled with heavy round stones.

These trebuchets stood as high as a five-story building and had weight buckets that could hold five tons of sand, enabling them to fling three hundred pound stones over two hundred yards at collision speeds exceeding a hundred seventy miles per hour. Engineers accompanied each machine to apply the art and science of trajectory.

Along with several regiments of knights, Estard watched the march of the war machines across the Plain of Terra on their way to positions around the city. The knights and an army of archers were prepared to defend them against the expected attack of the royalists.

They were not disappointed. Enemy knights and archers waited south of the city for attack orders. When Estard saw these knights moving into a line three deep and the archers moving off to the side, she knew that the battle was imminent.

"I don't like this," Morton said. "They're going to attempt a double flank."

"We will need to split our forces," Paladin said, patting the side of his horse's neck to calm it. "We have no choice but to chance a counter move."

Morton's brow ferruled. "What counter move?"

Paladin pointed to the knights accompanying the trebuchets. "Send a messenger to those knights. Have them line up opposite the left flank."

"There's not enough of them," Morton pointed out. "They can't hold their line."

"Bring Estard over here," Paladin said. "Perhaps we can give them an edge."

Morton rode over to Estard and saluted her. "Lord Paladin wishes your council."

"Me?" she said, pointing at herself.

"Yes, you."

Estard followed Morton back to the rise where Paladin and several commanders were waiting. She pulled up in front of him.

"I have a job for you," Paladin said. "I want you to take two regiments of archers over to the left flank." He pointed to a small stand of trees left of the city. "Those knights guarding the siege machines will line up there to oppose the attack from the west. I want you to lead the archers in an attack from the north of the enemy line."

"I am not an officer," Estard said. "What man is going to follow my orders?"

"You sell yourself short," Paladin said. "The archers admire you and they will follow you anywhere."

She stared at him with doubtful eyes. "I will do as you wish, but I do not guarantee results."

"Do your best," Paladin said. "We must not allow the enemy to destroy our siege machines. We cannot achieve final victory without them."

"I understand," Estard said before she turned around and rode off.

"You are taking a chance, aren't you?" Morton said.

"No other choice," Paladin said as he watched Estard ride over to the archers.

When she arrived near the archers, she dismounted and grabbed her bow and quiver of arrows. She walked over in front of the men and raised her visor.
"Lord Paladin wants us to attack the enemy line from the north. He has charged us with the protection of the siege weapons." She pointed at the rebel knights lining up opposite the approaching enemy knights. "They are going to meet the attack about where that crop of thistles lies. We have to stop their archers by attacking at close range."

The men stared at her with blank expressions for the longest time before one of them, a giant of a man with spindly legs, said, "She's right. I would rather see the face of my enemy."

Others grunted their approval, obviously anxious for revenge. Mara swallowed hard. She hadn't expected such easy compliance.

The enemy knights attacked on both flanks at the same time. Paladin's main force met their attack on the left with a counter charge. The knights on Estard's side were out manned, but they attacked anyhow.

The enemy archers were so busy firing at the rebel knights they failed to notice that Estard and her archers were approaching from their side. Before they could move into formation to oppose, Estard's archers had them under close fire. Seeing many of their comrades taking arrows, they fled to the south.

Instead of pursuing them, Estard turned to attack the enemy knights before they made contact with the rebels. Enough enemy knights were felled to even the score.

But, they faced a new problem. Enemy commanders had rallied their archers and they began showering arrows on Estard and her archers. Instead of standing and answering their fire, she moved toward them, firing while walking briskly. The other men imitated her style of attack. The aggressive move caused the enemy archers to rout again.

Now she had a new problem. When she reached back in her quiver for a new arrow, she found that she was out. To make matters worse, many of her men were also out. The drop off in fire encouraged the enemy archers to attack.

Estard saw the impending doom moving her way, but she didn't run. Instead, she looked around and saw that the melee between the enemy and rebel knights had moved over a click, leaving a field full of spent arrows. She immediately motioned for her archers to run to the arrows. They needed little persuasion. Enemy arrows urged them to hurry.

The race to the arrows quickly became harrowing. Enemy arrows found backs with an alarming frequency. She had no choice but to leave the screaming, bleeding men lay where they had fallen and race on to salvation, not knowing if she would make it herself.

She and her archers had to yank the enemy arrows out of the ground, mount them, and fire as fast as they could. What was really bad about this situation was that they couldn't attack their attackers. They were bound to the arrow supply.

Estard had never killed so many people in one day. They came at her with anger boiling from their faces like mad dogs, hell bent on killing her. She had to fire her arrows into their faces at point blank range, often feeling their hot blood spit on her own face.

One grappled with her, knocking her down, but one of her archers killed the attacker before he did anything. With no time to recover from the shock, she jumped up and continued to fire on the enemy. But, they were firing back, and to make matters worse, a bunch of enemy knights joined into the battle, killing archers with single sword blows. Estard rallied her archers to concentrate their fire on these interlopers.

Sometimes this was difficult, especially when two or more knights rushed her at the same time. All she could do was shoot and then fall back, allowing one of her archers with a drawn bow to step forward to impede the second attackers' progress. This gave her time to mount an arrow and then step forward to protect her protector. This close combat went on for a maddening twenty minutes before the enemy retreated in the face of an infusion of rebel knights. The men cheered the enemy departure, but it was a hollow victory. Many a rebel archer had paid the ultimate price for her bold attacks this day. She had little time to lament this gruesome fact. The battlefield is no place for self-pity.

Estard and her remaining archers trudged back to the protection of the trees. Many were wounded from sword blows or had taken arrows and had to be assisted or carried. When she arrived at the edge of the forest, Estard collapsed to the ground. Paladin rode up to her and dismounted. She got up and moved to him. Expecting new orders, she stood at attention, but to her amazement, he hugged her.
"Thank you," he said before mounting his horse and riding away.

Estard turned to her men and shrugged. "You probably don't see that very often, do you?"

They laughed.

"You are rapidly becoming the hero of this battle," Qunila greeted her as she dragged her weary body back to the tent.

"I am more a survivor than a hero," she said, frowning.

"Seizing propitious opportunities is the mark of a good commander."

She gave him a courteous smile. "It's amazing what you can do when in a desperate situation." Her frown returned. "I find it unthinkable how difficult this battle has become. I had no idea how hard it is to fight."

"Every knight soon discovers that combat is the hardest work of all. Every inherent skill, every bit of knowledge, and every ounce of strength is needed to be successful. You are learning these lessons on the job."

"You speak the truth," she said, sighing. "Right now, though, I am tired down to the very bones of my body."

"A good meal and a rub will restore you, my lady."

She raised her right eyebrow. "A rub?"

"A massage with oil," he said with a subtle smile. "I have potions that are guaranteed to relax your every muscle."

"Sounds fascinating," she said with a wink. "After a few goblets of wine, I will be open to just about any suggestion."

"I will not disappoint you, my lady."

She gave him an amused look. "I don't doubt that one bit."

He beamed a smile of acknowledgement.