Stolen by Adam Collins

Author:Adam Collins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, quest fantasy, war adventure, dragon fantasy, magic and fantasy

A ripple of noise ran the length of the rearguard. Preem turned but saw nothing through the haze of dust. Suddenly one of the senior sergeants came galloping towards him from the back of the line. Preem pulled his horse to one side and turned to face him.

‘Sir, beg to report!’ The sergeant wheezed, trying to catch his breath. ‘Dust clouds to the rear, sir.’

‘Cavalry?’

‘Hard to know sir, but most likely.’

‘Damn!’ Preem cursed under his breath and paused while thinking.

The road was bordered on both sides by wooded hills that caused a natural funnel. Spurring his horse he ordered his men to follow. They quickly rode to the head of the line of heavy pike. The officer in charge was a young lieutenant.

‘Lieutenant!’ called Preem.

The young dark-haired officer ran to the captain’s side and saluted, ‘Sir?’

‘We’ve got a problem. My scouts have spotted dust to the rear, most likely cavalry.’

‘Sir, my men are at your disposal.’

Preem looked along the line of bedraggled pike-men. ‘How many can you muster? Mind you no heroics, Lieutenant, I only want those who are fit enough to fight.’

‘Yes, sir. Somewhere in the region of seventy I would guess. The rest are just too far gone to be of use.’

‘Good, it will have to do. Form a loose line behind my men across the neck of this road,’ Preem pointed to the narrowest point of the funnel.

‘Yes, sir!’ The lieutenant saluted and half turned away. But then turned back to face Preem with a confused look on his face. ‘Excuse me, sir. But did you say, behind, your men?’

‘Yes, Lieutenant. What’s the problem?’

‘It’s just that…well…the normal position for heavy pike is in front of the cavalry, sir.’

‘That’s correct. Position your men as ordered, Lieutenant. But space them wide enough apart so that there's enough room between each man for a horse to pass.’ Preem wheeled away from the young officer, and called two of his sergeants to his side.

‘Sergeant Brasko, you take fifty men and to the woods on the left flank. Sergeant Fruro, you take fifty to the woods on the right. Keep out of sight until you hear the call for a charge. Then come out and hit the enemy from behind. Is that clear?’

‘Perfectly clear sir,’ nodded Brasko

‘Okay then go!’

The two men sped off while shouting orders for fifty to follow each, and quickly disappeared into the undergrowth. Preem took the remaining one hundred and stretched them across the road. Behind them the seventy heavy-pike crouched out of sight in the long-grass. All was ready. Ahead the dust cloud was getting closer.

‘Lieutenant, when I give you the order you may stand and form your pike, but not before I give the order. Is that clear?’

The young lieutenant lay on the ground just behind Preem. ‘Yes, sir. At your order, sir,’ he nodded.

Preem stared ahead and adjusted his helmet to fit more snugly as five hundred light cavalry of AL-Imri’s eastern army came into view one thousand yards in front. They immediately saw Preem’s one hundred horsemen blocking their way.

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