The Battle Begins

No one got much rest that night. I only got a few hours myself. When the sun came up the army was only a few leagues away. They had sent out scouts but Willows troop made sure none never reported back. Our scouts reported that the dark elf army was made up of six thousand infantry, three thousand archers, and a thousand cavalry. We had four hundred. I thought they might try to send part of their forces along the south road leading to thieves landing but they knew that road would put them in reach a the castles war machines and archers. I had the flanks hide behind cover until the fighting started as well as the men along the fortifications. I nocked three arrows between my knuckles

"The Portcullis is open. Move forward double time." One of their Commanders said. I had to hold back from laughing as their infantry began to step on a wooden stakes that we had littered the road with and covered the road with pine straw. It was impossible to see them when moving in a tightly packed group and would leave wounded scattered about their formation. A large troop ran into the central court yard.

"Now." I yelled and when a large number of their troop made it inside to find the second Portcullis was down. The first portcullis slammed shut behind them and the archers on the walls around them rained down arrows upon them. I popped up and fired my three arrows into a pack of them aiming at the legs hitting two out of three of my shot. The others did the same aiming low to wound them while many covered their face or body with their shields.

"Shield wall." One on a horse said. A commander no doubt but I made sure it was the last order he ever gave as I put an arrow into his eyeball. They quickly formed a shield wall to cover them as they moved. While archers formed up behind them.

"North Flank. Rain down hell." I yelled to one of them men on the back wall and he signaled the centaurs. They fired as arrows flew over our heads and rained down on the archers and any man not behind cover. One of them fired a bolt of lightening which struck the outer gate setting it on fire and putting a hole in it. He got behind the shield wall before I could hit him. The shield wall reached the bridge.

"Light them up." I said and we grabbed bottles and lit the rags on torches we had set up. I would owe Katherine and Emerald for the ****. The bottles shattered against the shields covering them in fire and igniting them ablaze as well as the stone bridge. Many of the men jumped into the water to put out the fire. We slung the bottles into wide arcs into the ones behind them.

"South Flank." I said and the flag barrier gave the signal and the captain and his men opened fire with crossbows on the enemies back side. I saw there cavalry come out of the woods and make a run for the north side while heavy infantry made up of dark elves and orcs in heavy armor crossed the river heading for the west side. A group of archers attacked from the woods at a distance taking down some of the archers around me while taking cover behind the trees. They had rallied pretty damn fast. They had sent in the first group as fodder to test our defenses. The North flank was holding as the centaurs switched to pikes to hold back their cavalry but the Captain and his men were being overrun.

"Captain. Burn them to hell and fall back." I said as I looked over the wall.

"Got it." He said and grabbed a torch. His men fell back and the captain threw the torch. The Pitch cover barricade ignited in flash of of fire and would burn for some time with any luck. The heavy infantry fell back but not before we could put a few arrows into some of them. "Men join the north flank."

Suddenly two figures appeared on the wall. One of them was the man in black armor and the other was the witch who had brought him here. He quickly took down several men as he cut through them then headed toward me. I fired a few shots which hit his large shield and the drew my sword and went at him. He tried bashing with his shield but I was prepared for it this time and rolled out of the way. The tight spaces on the wall left neither of us much room as we fought. The witch tore through my men as she vanished and reappeared. I heard a noise and saw a ladder hit the wall.

"Archers fall back off the wall. Open " I yelled and drew my knife. The Witch appeared in front of the stairs cutting them off and I threw my knife into her back. The black knights blade hit me in my stomach. I grabbed his arm as he pushed it deeper. I looked over to see his men coming over the wall.

"Ianuae magicae brevis." I said grabbing his shield. It vanished and reappeared near the men coming over the wall. It didn't explode like I had hoped but it became part of two of them as they fell over. I drove my sword into his eye now that his shield was gone. He caught my wrist before I could drive it all the way in and head butted me with his helm. I fell over the wall into the courtyard. I struggled to get onto my feet but somehow managed.

"Open the portcullis." I yelled and looked back as he came down the stairs taking down one of our men. I saw more crashing through the one at the bridge as an orc barged through. I ran through as I ducked underneath and the black knight followed me under a second later before it began to close. The orc grabbed the bottom of the gate as did others as they began to lift it.

"It's over." The black knight said as he lifted his sword and came at me but froze as he hit my barrier. He looked around at the ground to see the four stones I had placed around the entrance.

"Your right. It is over." I grabbed a bottle from the side of the wall and lit it on the torch. I threw the bottle through the door the orcs were forcing open. We had taken down every tent and covered it with what pitch we had left and as much straw as we could get from the nearby farms. It went up in a blaze and every soldier in the court yard went with it. Several soldiers joined me as they surrounded him.

"At least it was fun fighting you." The knight dropped his sword and took off his helmet. He was human. Blood running down his cheek from where his eyeball was. "More dark elves will come and my father will defeat Lionharts army."

"No. The dark elves will not. That fruit you gave them is worthless without the seed." I grinned.

"That bitch." He laughed. I could almost laugh with him. He knew he was beaten but he found it amusing.

"Well at least I killed you. The Naga poison should take effect soon." He grinned. Suddenly the witch appeared and kicked out one of the stones and then vanished with him and tow before we could make a move. I should have killed him when I had the chance. I reached in my pouch and pulled out a vial and drank it quickly. I fell to one knee feeling tired from blood lose. I heard the sound of a tree falling and dire wolves howls across the river as I smiled. The enemy had went through the kingswood and now had to deal with the fury of the dryads thanks to Willow who had told them the Dark Elves might.

"Sir."

"Not today. I didn't fly all day playing messenger for one of my friends to die on the battle field." I heard a familiar voice and turned to see Ava who touched my side. "Critica vulnus sanandum." It hurt like hell but I could feel the wound closing.

"Thanks." I smiled and a man held me to my feet

"That is just a patch. You need more healing now but you won't bleed to **** at least." She smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

"Like I said. Playing Messenger. Willow and her group captured the dark elf general and others near Pineshill." She said as a small smile crossed her face.

"The enemy is retreating. Should we go after them my lord?"One of the men asked.

"No. We lost enough today. I want them to spread the word of the ass kicking they received here against only four hundred who held back an army. Tend to our wounded then take any wounded they left behind and see they are treated for their wounds until the queen decides their fate after they are questioned for information."

"Yes my lord." He nodded.