Long March.

Helena's column headed north towards the border but they would stop about a mile in their own territory as this was where the exit to the valley was for an invading army. She knew if they could not delay the enemy then once they got onto the open plain the rest of the realm would be lost. Helena was a strong warrior and could hold her own with the best. She had a good mentor in Arerto but unlike her mentor, she was more of a lover and could not understand the futility of war. As the column rounded a bend in the road Helana halted them and told them to rest as she dismounted her steed and with her second in command headed up onto a slight hillock and looked out over the plain to the distant destination they were headed for. In Helena's detachment were thirty archers, sixty sword and spear warriors and ten scouts. Five of these scouts had gone ahead all with different areas to scout and report back on and it was one of these scouts that Helena spied returning.

The scout approached Helena who was by her steed and reported that she had found the pass and after a quick measurement found it to be one hundred meters wide with sixty-foot hills on either side. After a while, the other scouts returned and they reported that the enemy had not yet crossed the border and numbered around three thousand mixed troops. They also reported that there was no sign that the enemy was in a hurry to cross the border either as they had erected a lot of tents. Helena surmised that they were probably waiting for the rest of their army to arrive hence the need for tents. Helena dismissed the scouts and told them to get food and drink. She called Cressida her second in command and ordered her to send the thirty arches to the pass and take up ambush positions on the hills. They were also ordered not to engage the enemy and to stay out of sight until the rest of the detachment arrived and could reinforce them.

One hour later the scouts rested and fed the column continued on its journey towards the pass and as the column moved forward the archers arrived at the pass. They split into two detachments and each took a hill and then got into position behind the rocky terrain each archer taking water and making mud. The mud was to burnish their metal armour and shields so that they would not reflect in the sun which was overhead. Each section leader ordered half of their warriors to take a rest while the others kept watching. Two hours later the rest of the troops arrived and Helena surveyed the pass-happy that she could not see her archers. She noted that the hills on either side funnelled the channel which would bunch up the enemy and she issued orders that the archers were not to engage unless ordered to. The wagon with the long shield was brought up and the warriors started to build a metal wall across the entrance to the pass.

Behind the wall, the wagons were upended on their sides and at this point fires would have been arranged for the archers but as they were hidden in the hills they would not be needed. The warriors then bedded down for the night while the scout dispersed and kept watch on the enemy camp sending back reports throughout the night. Helena had found a small cave and was using it as her headquarters and at this moment was reliving the event of the night before with her mentor. Helena still could not believe that Princess Arerto had taken a liking to her, maybe it was that were polar opposites that had attracted them to one another. Soon a report came in and reluctantly Cressida woke Helena reporting that the enemy had crossed the border and would be at the pass within the hour. Helena donned her armour and sword then took her round shield and headed out to her troops. As the sun rose another report came in that the enemy strength was around three thousand.

As the enemy got closer one of the warriors asked "Why us?" to which Cressida who was standing nearby replied, "Because we here lass no one else". Soon two figures approached under a white flag asking for terms of surrender. Cressida replied to them that they did not have room to take them all prisoner to which Helena smirked. The two figures returned to their own troops and reported to their leader who immediately called his commanders and ordered his army to attack the defenders. Trumpets sounded and the enemy advanced against the amazons who took up their positions facing the back of the wall the sweat beading on brows. Each warrior had drawn several spears and they hoisted them into position ready for the order to fire them into the advancing enemy. The enemy was getting closer but their ranks were beginning to get pushed together as the hills **** them into narrow funnel of the pass and the rear ranks were running into the back for the preceding rank.