Harudan sat in the thin tent atop the snowy hill as the army readied themselves for the coming battle. One of the generals had given him a cup of tea some time ago, but he hadn't touched it. The steam had stopped rising from it and it would stay untouched until someone came by to clean it.

General Juna was not there. They had gone south to lead the sneak attack into Minisia, leaving the other generals under their command to lead the first real battle of Harudan's war. He would be there for the beginning and the end, but during the majority of the battle, he would be huddled in the little tent with Jonin.

His captain stood next to the entrance of the tent, watching everyone with his perpetual scowl and his arms crossed over his chest. Harudan wanted him at his side, but could not open his mouth to get the words out. His mind and body were flooded with nerves and it took all of his effort to stop himself from shaking.

No one else seemed as worried as him, but they hadn't been in a real battle in more than a decade, so how could they not be? But he knew the plans and the envoys had returned with good news. There would be a victory for them, there had to be. If there wasn't, what did that mean for the rest of the war, the rest of his plans?

On the table before him were the war plans, which had been discussed at length for hours the night before and remained unchanged from General Juna's original idea. There were plans for every scenario, most resulting in his victory, but none of that was able to please the bundle of nerves that he had become.

There had been barely any time between returning from Reed and rushing to the front lines. The second they had arrived back in Ishmar, Juna had them in another carriage with instructions to speak to the generals the second he arrived. He never should have gone to Reed. If he hadn't, he would have been all caught up before he left for the border.

The soldiers from Reed had arrived during the night. Somewhere down below, they mingled with the rest of the army and Lady Cira talked with the other nobles. She would fight with her people and hopefully, she wouldn't die. Harudan didn't want to have to go back and convince the rest of her family to do what was necessary.

There were so many of them at the bottom of the hill. Tens of thousands of people ready and willing to fight for Brenmar, all trained to the best of their abilities. They were lined up and ready, spearmen at the front, cavalry on the side and infantry spread between them. The archers and trebuchets covered the entirety of the hill, spreading as far back as Harudan's tent. It was nowhere near as many as what the Askari had, but it would be enough.

King Ouron had been stupid to agree to fight at a place that was of such a disadvantage to him. But Harudan and General Juna had counted on him not to check properly before he'd agreed, and it worked. Now even having double the numbers wouldn't matter. Harudan's forces had the high ground.

Even so, worry made a tight knot in his stomach. There wasn't just his own safety to worry about, nor was there the battle that was about to begin, there was also General Juna and the surprise invasion of Minisia. He needed the war to be quick, for both his benefit and Brenmar's. Juna needed to succeed as much as he did.

"Harudan," a deep voice said. Jonin was at his side, staring down at him with eyes filled with concern. "What's wrong?"

Harudan gave him a dismissive wave. "Just nervous," he said. It may not be the complete truth, but it would do. He wasn't the only one; the other generals fluttered about the tent, some silent, others muttering to themselves. It had been so long since they'd gone into a real battle, of course, they were nervous.

"I will keep you safe," Jonin whispered as he crouched down to face him. "You needn't worry about your safety."

"You're worrying about my safety, though," he said and shifted to tilt Jonin's chin up with his fingers.

Jonin shrugged. "It is my job," he replied. Their previous conversations about assassins drifted to the forefront of his mind. If there were any issues, Jonin and the rest of his guard would deal with them before he had any idea that they were there.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of horns interrupted him. The Askari were on their way. He stood from the table as the other generals grabbed their swords and helmets, and left the tent in a rush. There was no sign of their enemy through the thick forest of the far side of the field, but it wouldn't be long.

"Harudan, are you ready?" Jonin asked as he grabbed his helmet. He wore his usual silver coloured armour, his sword at his side. Harudan wore a matching set, however, his helmet was a little more ornate. Swirls were engraved into the front of it and two points poked up on either side, exaggerated versions of Ishini ears.

He gently placed the helmet on his head and took a deep breath. "As ready as I'll ever be," he said and stood from the uncomfortable chair. The horses that had been left for him and Jonin stood patiently outside the tent. They nickered when the pair came near and one brushed his snout against Harudan's outstretched palm.

With a soft pet and soothing words, Harudan climbed on the back of the dark horse. Before him, people stood by the catapults and trebuchets, waiting for the enemy and the signal to fire. The longbowmen were the same, standing in straight lines and staring ahead like statues.

He and Jonin rode down the hill and between the ranks. The hill was too small to contain the full army and so they had only kept the ranged fighters on the high ground. At the foot of the hill was everyone else, stood in little blocks with their swords and shields ready. Each of them watched him as he passed, their King, until he reached the front of the army.

His bannermen and generals waited for his arrival, some talking to their soldiers and others waiting patiently. He nodded to them politely and took another deep breath. He was supposed to say something to them all, but looking out over the vastness of his army, he didn't know what to say. It wasn't as though they would all hear him anyway.

What was there to say? He wanted them to kill his enemies, bring him victory and bring him the throne of Minisia. They already knew that and yet, an army needed their King. Without him, there would be no loyalty, not battles, and he would lose. So he had to think of something to tell them.

Horns sounded again, different from the earlier ones and much further away. "The Askari!" The first of them wandered out through the trees as Harudan turned. Red and green and blue banners waved in the wind, held tightly by tiny, armour-clad people. Somewhere among them was their King, if he had bothered to show up.

It was obvious that they were hiding the majority of their army in the trees, but not even that would save them from the trebuchets. Harudan still had the advantage and it wouldn't be long before the Askari realised. They would either retreat or die. Either way, it would be a victory for him.

Finally, he knew what he needed to say. He turned and gave Jonin a smile he wouldn't be able to see through the helmet. The other man nodded at him and pulled his sword from its sheath, ready for anything that might come at them.

His army watched him, people with spears held high and determination in their eyes. Horses neighed loudly from the sides of the formation, but all of his people were silent. "Look at them!" he yelled and pointed at the frozen army of the far side of the field. "They hide in trees instead of facing us like a real army! The Askari are cowards and we will show them was comes from cowardice!

"Break them! Destroy their hiding places and bring me victory! This is just the beginning, we will take Minisia from the hands of their destroyers and make it a place fit to live in! But first, we break their armies and make them surrender to me!"

It wasn't the greatest speech, but it was the best he could do. His soldiers and generals didn't care, they cheered loudly, the noise spreading further and further down the ranks, to those who hadn't heard a word he'd said. To them, it didn't care, their King was there to lead them into battle. That was what mattered the most.

One of the generals rode in front of him and nodded. "Spearmen, ahead!" he ordered. Thousands of people rushed forward, spears still held high and footsteps pounding loudly against the snow and dirt. Harudan watched in solemn silence as they marched ahead of him and blocked out his view of their opposition.

He had hoped to get a look at King Ouron. He'd only ever seen the man in books and scrolls, after all, but at such a distance it was never going to happen. The only time Harudan would see him would be when he killed him. He would take pleasure in that sight, it would mean he had won.

"Come, Harudan," Jonin said, pulling him from his thoughts. With one final look at the oncoming battle, Harudan rode back the way he came, Jonin close by his side. He would hide away in the tent on the hill until victory was assured, then he would lead the final charge, as a King should do.

The archers were readying themselves when he made it back up to the tent and ammo was already situated in the trebuchets and catapults. It wasn't until he'd climbed down from the horse and stood by the tent's entrance that the yelling started. The Askari cavalry charged, horns blowing and people crying out, rushing towards the lines of spearmen.

"Fire!" someone ordered nearby and there was a moment of silence where every single person on the hill readied their bows. Then, with sharp twangs, the arrows flew through the air towards the people and horses charging below. They hadn't even reached the line of spearmen and calvary when they hit, and the sound of their screams filled the air.

Jonin's hand came down on his shoulder. "Harudan," he said and he stopped him with a finger.

"I want to watch," he said and the hand fell from his shoulder. He wouldn't look away from what he had caused. What kind of King would he be if he couldn't even face the consequences of his decisions?

Bodies the size of ants fell to the ground as the first few reached the spearmen. The wall they formed with their spears and shields, curving around the rest of the army, was almost impenetrable. It would be broken eventually, it was inevitable, but they would keep it solid for as long as they could. It was what they were trained to do.

The first of the trebuchets fired and the rocks kicked up mounds of snow and dirt when they landed. With screams of terror, people flew backwards. Bodies and blood stained the snow, but still, soldiers poured from between the trees, as if there were no end to them. There would be, eventually.

Horses collapsed with loud neighs and people died with blood-curdling screams, but Harudan stood as still as a statue atop the hill, watching, waiting. His own people did die; men were pulled from horses and skewered with spears, others let a gap open in the shield wall and caught the consequences, but every time someone died, there was another to fill their place.

Those behind the line of spearmen and cavalry hadn't moved, but they were still ready to fight if need be. "We may not even need the rest," Jonin said next to him.

"We will use them anyway, show them the might of Brenmar," Harudan replied, not looking at him. It was already the perfect distraction for what General Juna was doing, but there was still a chance that it wouldn't work. He wouldn't find out until after the battles were done.

He hissed in a breath when swarms of people on horseback burst from the trees, far more than he had been expecting. Again and again, the bowmen and trebuchets fired, but it wasn't enough to take out all of them. His cavalry rushed forward to meet them and there was a loud crash of metal and flesh.

For a long while after that, it was impossible to clearly see what was going on. At one point, the spear wall broke and the Askari dived through the gap. That was when the first of the knights and normal soldiers started their attack. Some were mowed down instantly, overwhelmed by the sheer amount.

Somewhere among their attackers were the Warriors of Ziya, but Harudan couldn't pick any out from the distance. Their style of fighting may be superior, but there were so few of them compared to Harudan's well-trained men. There was no hope for them, not with what was planned.

Harudan smirked as the number of people coming from between the trees finally began to taper off. It wouldn't be much longer before his final charge. He watched another volley of arrows make an impact with the crowd attacking the spear line. Some of his own may have been killed in the process, but it wouldn't matter much in the long run.

Part of the reason why the field had been chosen was the hill he stood on and the other in the distance to the left. It had been his idea, hiding a portion of the army of the other side of the distant hill; something he had learned from his lessons as a teenager. If victory was to be assured, there needed to be a good flank.

"Finally," he muttered to himself when the calvary raced over the top of the distant hill. There were thousands of them, all racing towards the trees to come around behind Ouron's army. Somewhere in the leaf-stripped forest, the King of Minisia would be retreating, while Harudan headed back for his horse.

Jonin smiled at him, something most people would see as menacing, but Harudan had the same smile on his own face. He leaned forward briefly to press a kiss to his lips and hoisted himself up onto his horse. Somehow, on the back of his dark steed, everything seemed smaller and yet bigger all at the same time. He'd been able to tune out the screams, but there was no avoiding the blood and death below him.

His archers didn't stop firing even as he rode down the hill. They would once he charged, but before that, they would take out as many Askari as possible. The second part of his army came around behind them and those closest to the trees froze. "They're going to run," he whispered to himself, a burst of laughter escaping his lips. The cowards were going to run. That was what happened when an army wasn't completely trained.

Those that did try to run back through the trees were impaled by spears before they got more than a few metres. One final volley of arrows landed on those still attacking as Harudan and Jonin reached the foot of the hill, surrounded by the other generals and nobles. Lady Cira was among them, blood staining her face.

Each of them shared a nod and Harudan led his horse forward. He pulled his sword from its sheath and lifted it high. He was supposed to say something articulate and intense, but when he opened his mouth, all that came out was a rage-filled yell. On level ground with them, the Askari soldiers were so much bigger, but he could also see the terror under their grey helmets.

His scream carried him forward, the hoofbeats loud against the snow. Others followed behind him and as he passed the foot soldiers, they joined him. The further he went, the more he brought with him, closer and closer to the waiting and terrified enemy army. One final charge, one last attack, and victory would be his.

He lowered his sword and revelled in the feeling of it tearing through flesh, blood splattering and staining his polished armour. The faces of those he killed became a blur as he charged through the terrified masses, but he never stopped. Victory was his and would always be his.