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For every new thing which Rorick and Conel introduced in the training of their warhost, there are those who will point to a place in history when that same method was used before. The differences usually are that Rorick and Conel applied these techniques on a large scale, or that they caused them to succeed.
But because of the necessity of developing a cavalry force, it was soon impossible to keep the Hygerians unaware of the host gathering in the Hills. It was therefore necessary to make a careful judgement between attacking before they were well—enough trained and hesitating until the Hygerians were prepared.
The Hygerian War
Randell of Avantir.
One day, Rorick and Conel led eighty men out against the garrison of Virdan, with private misgivings carefully hidden. It was two weeks since the first reports of the building activity at Virdan, and while they might have wished to have their Horsemen somewhat more practiced, they could not allow the Hygerians to establish fortified camp below the Hills. Partly because it made possible patrolling which would prevent access to the Hills from much of the Lowlands, partly because of the lowering of morale which it would bring. They must attack.
When they arrived at the hill overlooking the fortress, they found they were a trifle late. Except for one small gap, which was blocked by wagons, the palisade was up. They paused only for a short time to make some final adjustments to their plan of attack. It was rather a dark night, but their plans had been predicated on close—range fighting.
As they looked down on their objective, Conel turned to Rorick,
“Who will ride with me this night?
Who is with me in this fight?
Bitter and deep lie Asbaln’s woes,
Who will ride against her foes?”
Rorick replied:
“Bitter indeed are Asbaln’s woes,
Fierce and numerous are her foes;
Behold, My Lord, with thee we ride;
Close as shield upon thy side.”
The two smiled at each other, then the Prince gave his signal. A small group rode down opposite to the gap in the palisade, carrying small, closed jars suspended by long cords. When they were fairly close, they reined in their horses. Taking the cords, they swung the jars around their heads and let them fly into the fort, directed generally at the buildings and piles of stores within.
It was only then that the guards, perhaps believing them to have been a late-arriving group of Hygerian reinforcements, sounded the alarm. The jars struck and broke against buildings and other hard surfaces, releasing hot coals closely packed with dry grass, which immediately burst into flames. At the same time, other Horsemen were kindling balls of pitch on the heads of certain arrows, and loosing them into the fort as well.
As the alarm vent up, still others of the Horsemen shot with care and precision at any who showed themselves. The Hygerians, not a folk particularly used to cities, fortresses, or such enclosures, had had almost no preparations for fire, and soon confusion was rampant. Some sought to defend the fort against the attackers, some sought to put out the fires, and some tried to do both.
A group of Horsemen rode in with ropes and cast loops onto the wagons, blocking the gap. With others of their number using bows to keep the Hygerian heads down, they pulled several of the vehicles out of place. The Hygerians were rushing to prevent their coming in the gaps, but the dread Icarian arrows struck any who dared appear in the open.
Now, with confusion still reigning, the Horsemen entered the fort end began a rampage. The Hygerians were totally unable to organize to meet this new threat, and soon had ceased to attempt to hold the fort. In little groups, by twos or threes singly, they made their attempts to escape to the brush outside. Not a great number succeeded.
The Horsemen packed as much of the arms and equipment as they could salvage before the fires became too hot and dangerous, and left the rest to burn. Rorick, grabbing a place on his cheek where a hot ember had landed, looked at Conel. “Well, we have done it.”
“We have indeed. If they had had more archers, it would have been much more difficult. We lost six men, five of them to javelins. By the time we got to close quarters, the battle was ended. But how often will we be able to fight our enemies at night, silhouetted against fires?”
“Probably never again. But we will find other methods.”
“We must. Well, let us be off; the town of Virdan will supply proper bandages and medicines for our wounded, and think a little food would be in order.”
In the Market Square of Virdan, on the Proclamation Board, they placed a large notice to inform the people that the King was in the Hills with his host, and that the Wielder of the Sword had come. It also bid every willing man come to join them in the struggle, and was signed not only with Conel’s name, but with the Red Dragon of Asbaln.
The local innkeeper was unwilling to open his door at the first, but when the choice was put to him of opening it or having it smashed down, he was more agreeable. They ate much of his stored food, and his supply of ale suffered as well, but they paid for it in Hygerian golden jewellery.
They sent him out first of all, to find appropriate material for bandaging wounds, leaving his somewhat flustered wife to see to the other sorts of provisions. Though some of the younger members of the company jested gently at the innkeeper and his wife, and the small crowd of villagers who gathered in curiosity, the general tone was one of friendliness. Indeed, many of the Horsemen were known personally to the people of Virdan, for Virdan was one of the towns in which Icarian hunters traded for Lowland goods.
And the fact that they paid for what they took convinced the people that this was no mere band of bandits, while a couple of old veterans who had made their way from the red ruin of Dryx Fight swore that they recognized the Prince. Finally, drawing the attention of the people to where smoke still rose from the ruins of the Hygerian fortress in the paleness of the new dawn, Rorick drew the Sword from its scabbard.
There was no doubt in anyone’s mind as to what they saw, for the blade glowed with a light of its own, and their respect for the Sword told them that only such a weapon could have this property. They gave a cheer for the King, a cheer for the Guardian, and another for his Icarian allies. The Horsemen mounted and rode away in a long double column. As their hoofbeats died away in the distance and as they began to disappear over the rise, the people turned to each other, as though for assurance that they had actually seen what they had seen.
A week later, Rorick and a band of twenty Horsemen were out on a long patrol intending to pick up what horses they could, and fighting any Hygerian patrols they came across. Suddenly, they found themselves facing a force of about a hundred Hygerian infantry. They were about half spearmen and half archers, and they marched along the trail below the hill from which he looked down on them.
Clearly, to charge on them would be to give them time to take up a formation with spearmen in front and archers shooting over their heads. Such a formation would allow them to dispose of Rorick’s much smaller force practically at leisure. Yet, he hated to have to allow them to pass unmolested, to have to ride to the Hills for help. A plan came to him; he gave some quick instructions to his men and waited as about half of them set off to take a position behind the barbarians.
Then he led the remainder of them over the crest of the hill, coming at the double column of infantry on a dead run. The enemy reacted with speed, spearmen moving to form a double line of bristling spearpoints while the archers took up a similar formation behind them, waiting for the proper range.
At extreme range, Rorick and his group halted. They launched a few arrows, but shooting downhill at that range was difficult, and none hit home. Then, as the Hygerians hesitated about what to do next, the rest of the Horsemen came galloping around the hill. They swept down the line, shooting into the Hygerians from ranges of six to ten feet.
The enemy tried to turn and answer them, but some were concerned with Rorick’s group, which was moving again. Confusion was in command; some turned, some did not, and after firing more arrows into them, both groups charged home. The Hygerians broke up and fled. About fifteen spearmen and a similar number of archers formed into a circle and made their way toward a small grove of trees, moving steadily and determinedly, the archers loosing arrows at any Horsemen who approached, while the spearmen prevented any consideration of charging home. The Horsemen concentrated on those of less steady temperament.
About escaped, near ten more into the grove of trees, making it nearly impossible for the Horsemen to attack them successfully. Rorick and his group contented themselves with gathering as much of the Hygerian equipment as they could carry, particularly the armour. They had lost four men in the battle, but the gain in equipment and morale made it a good trade.
Within the next three weeks, they were out raiding against outposts and garrisons, attacking any patrols they came across. A few garrisons were wiped out, some others were so weakened as to find it necessary to withdraw.
As they extended their activities, it became more difficult to keep their entire force mounted. They had taken all the horses they could from the nearest lowland areas, while the Hygerians had been even more forceful in replacing their losses from the local farms. The situation was such that any party of Horsemen would attack almost any party of Hygerian cavalry hoping to acquire one or two horses.
In the meantime, men from the lowlands were making their way into the Hills, to seek out Prince Conel and offer their services.
At Carill Don, the Army of Asbaln came into being and grew.