XXX - Bezon Returns

'He was easy to catch, he didn’t even see them coming, crouched on the ground rolling a stone around and laughing like the madman he was’ - on the capturing of Wiznia, (poor Wiznia)’

 

'I am old now and my bones are cold, but the warmth from the fire gives me enough strength and in it there is a light, there is a memory and a tale to tell. Looking into the flames, my eyes are taken away and I am in the world of the past. Although it was many years ago, it is a clear and unerring place and it is as though it was yesterday. First of all, I will always remember the place of my birth.'

The eastern warriors of the Iceni tribe, the northern clan of Casabad, the people of the middle lands and many more from Hibernia, Siluria and a few from Cornubia were with Bezon’s army. But the biggest turn of events was that the Ordivices had come and with them they brought the Crazy Bloodthirsty Night-hacker. They had joined noticeably and peaceably one day while the horses were resting under some trees, under a white flag of truce and had formally presented themselves to Bezon there. Unlike the others who had joined in bands, casually tagging on the sides of the long flowing mounted army as it wound around the countryside, swelling the ranks until the end of it could not be seen.

Looking behind him he saw the masses blindly following him, they didn't know where they were, where they were going, they were in a foreign country and so when the land dropped to lowlands and wetlands he knew with some relief they were close to the great western river and so he tacked right to get better bearings. He gasped as he caught a glimpse of the snaking river and instinctively held up his hand, he brought his horse on a few lengths from the others and stopped. 'Halt here,'

But ignoring him Xo and Enda trotted up alongside and caught sight of the river too. 'Know where you're going?' the cabin boy asked.

'I know now, yes. It's not far, we are close. We need to follow this track from here,' Bezon said pointing and starting his horse into a gentle trot.

'We need to filter the horses rather than ride in a block, it makes too much noise, they will hear us coming from miles away,' Enda said and as they rolled forward a huge dust cloud kicked up behind them. Branches overhung the track and on one branch was a long line of twenty crows. There were carrion crows, rooks and a couple of ravens and as the riders thundered by they scattered left and right. Realising they had split the two groups of left and right both changed direction, meeting in the middle in a confused ball of feathers and beaks. As the riders reached the northern border of Arun they slowed up and filtered into lines and as they approached the brow of the hills around the castle. The hills they rode around were low and sloping and gave an undulating feeling as the track dropped down and rose up.

'There's not much time. Come on,' Bezon shouted. He spurred his horse, Arionne on as they funnelled through a narrow cleft. The other side of the cleft was a road and as they got on to it, a man stood there. He watched them, not believing his eyes. He was dressed in plain clothes and was carrying a bundle of belongings in a wrap of sack cloth. Bezon stopped and everyone stopped behind him. 'Where are you going?' he asked the man.

'All of Italia are here. Arun has fallen,' the man said pitifully. He saw Bezon's finer clothes and lowered his head, looking at the ground until spoken to.

'It can't be over so soon. I know it's not,' He looked at the man. 'Put your things down, there is a horse for you here. A horse, bring up a horse,' he shouted. A horse was brought forward and the man was given the reins. 'Can you ride?'

'A little,' the man uttered.

'Now is the time to find out,' Bezon said dismounting and helping the man into his saddle. 'Fall in behind me,’ he said and as they rode off together the following army trampled over the man’s bundle of possessions. As they approached the battle scene, the noise and stench of it hit them like a wall. Bezon rode at the head of the great army and he did not look back, but if he had he would have seen the tiers of hierarchy that had naturally formed. Each faction rode with its leaders at the front, making the different sections of the masses different colours like the waves of the ocean or the grasses of the fields. Although Bezon was at the head of this broad arrow headed, triangular formation he only had his immediate followers around him: Enda, Xo, Fred (of Galloway) and more recently the Crazy Bloodthirsty Night-hacker. The King of Kerry was with them too and they rode at the front to lead their men who were behind them. These were the men that Bezon would go into battle with, the ones he would fight and die with.

Bezon was first to reach the point where the flat land came to an end and dropped away. He stopped at it and looked down at the battle below, the others came to join him, but he held up his hand so they wouldn’t give their position away any further. Above the din of clattering swords he saw a ragged few defending the inner castle walls, and beyond them, to the north were retreating injured soldiers and civilians, the old and the weak. His eyes scoured for Alfos, his father or anyone he knew, but there was no one. Italia were pushing back the last of the resistance and over in the distance their reserves waited in silent order. He looked back at their own number, they were thousands and it was everyone. This had never been before and would never be again and everyone hadn't come for nothing. It seemed as though all of time had stood still as he looked at the gruesome panorama below. The wind blew through him, freshening his thoughts and brightening his mind. He saw some of the defenders looking up at him.

He knew he was not himself, he felt weak from riding and exhausted from the journey he had been on from Kerry. The injuries he had sustained from the ship wreck had caught up, there was a searing pain in his left leg from hip to toes, his broken ribs that had now healed still ached when he breathed heavily and the scars on his face burned into him.

He thought of Yulla and she was there in his mind as clear as day. He wondered where she was, who she was with and hoped she was safe. For all the people in the world she was the only one he cared about. He hoped she had made a good escape and had not hung around waiting for him on the edge of the battle, then at least one of them would survive, would live and have a proper long life. Someone behind him shouted at him and it drew his attention back to the mass of the enemy as they surged and swelled and in absent minded curiosity some of their heads turned to him. There was no time for hesitation, he had to strike now and decisively. His fingers clutched the amulet and she flashed brightly in his mind, her golden hair flowing. It meant she lived of course, he knew that.

Looking over his shoulder at his inner circle, he swept his arms up to the brow, indicating for as many of them as possible to come to the edge. And in a few moments there was a line of a thousand of them or more. The remaining mass of the army rumbled up behind making the ground shake. When they were all in position, Bezon held his sword up high letting it shine under the cloudy sky. By his side Enda held a makeshift version of the flag of Arun with its four quarters representing the four points of the compass and the countries of Briton. It fluttered, rippling as it caught the air. All was right, the moment had come and he pointed his sword down, directly at the surging enemy below. He began the descent and the others followed making the ground thunder. They cascaded, fell, tumbled, ran and raced down the hill with Bezon at the fore of a giant v-shape. Half way down the enemy were close and so was death, he sounded his battle cry, and they all sounded theirs, making their approach ever louder.

‘This is it,’ the King of Kerry shouted at him, he laughed and jangled with jewellery as he rode with his close escort around him. He had more to lose than most and didn’t have to come at all, but ultimately his life was as much as he could give.

‘Yes, my lord,’ Bezon said, smiling a hollow smile as he checked his weapons. He kept low around Arionne’s neck as arrows whizzed in. They fell upon the side of the infantry who were well-organised and not easy to cut into, but could be pushed back, compressed and squeezed. The growing weight of Bezon’s army trampled many of the infantry down and those on the edge of the impactful crush were held in position so they couldn’t move, let alone fight or raise a sword. Bezon’s army kept sweeping down the hills and there were so many that Italia was forced back and split in two. The bulk of it was pressed towards the reserves and the minority stranded between the castle walls and the masses of horseman. And still Bezon's army swept down the hills with nowhere to go and so they pressed into the organised ranks of the Italia reserves, among the archers, the cavalry, the infantry and the trebuchet. They were so many they poured up to the HQ where Severus was.

‘Sound the retreat, a rolling retreat,’ Severus shouted, his hand twitching on his sword’s hilt as a group of enemy horseman tried to break through his guards to him. He had seen many battles, but never anything quite like this, never so chaotic or such a rush. There were so many warriors, there was no time to strategise.

Arionne held out until the day first started to fade with angled light and long shadows before she fell and when she did Bezon stood by her using her fallen body as a shield. He hacked away at the enemy, his downward sword swing being met by the crack of a shield and an upward jab of a short sword or spear.

‘Aaagh,’ he cried out, his muscles aching from having hammered down so much. Eventually gaps formed and his sword found sword and one by one the men in front of him fell. Italia put up multiple shield walls which were virtually impregnable as part of their now strategic retreat. They had a systematic and almost mechanical way of fighting that made them ruthlessly effective, but in some way predictable. The men in their front row broke off and ran to the back and it was then they had to attack, then when they were at their weakest. They could only pick off ones here and there. So great was Bezon’s army many could afford to stand and watch as the beleaguered army of Italia reversed out of Arun in a southerly direction.

But there were so many of Bezon’s army pressing forward into the ranks of Italia that Bezon became crushed and under and looking up from his low position he saw a spear jab in to him, he bled from his chest profusely and hit the ground with a thud. Pain ripped through his body as he lay there. Then all was darkness and quiet, apart from the occasional heavy thud or a sharp clash of metal on metal. The air was impure and there was a high stench of blood, sweat and bodies. A steering pain grew in him as he rose to a dim light and some form of consciousness. Something was resting on him and he knew he couldn’t get up. He heard familiar cries and voices.

‘Where is he?’ Enda yelled repeatedly and he heard his name being called.

‘He’s here somewhere,’ another said, it could’ve been Xo, but he wasn’t sure. ‘Under one of these heaps. Aaaahhhh,’

Ring - ring the clash of swords sounded followed by a blood-curdling scream. Bezon tried to wake to defend, but he was only half conscious and felt his leg and chest were trapped. He tried to slither out, his sword arm still holding his sword.

Reviews

[shadrach hah]

Hi BL. I always love to read of ancient battles, when you had the barbarian fighting against a well-trained, hard-fighting army. This is almost what we have here. The numbers are against Severus but his is the well-trained soldiers who have fought in many campaigns. Sometimes the numbers will out, sometimes the army with the greater skill. It always depends on the day and sometimes the fates. I love the way you have painted this battle. Bezon must know that to have victory, he must destroy the enemy. I love the way you have painted this chapter. Bezon has to watch, for Italia is not yet finished. Another wonderful chapter. Have a wonderful Sunday....Mike.

[wuliheron]

Its along the lines of, "For Want of a Nail", which has a distinctive meter, which is really good for the subject, but the yin-yang push-pull dynamics are a bit simple. By playing with the punctuation you can give it a more complex meter, and find ways to elaborate on the prose, and knock their socks off! :)