Against the cavalry

They came in numbers, and we made a shield wall with spears pointed towards the enemies. "Archers? Shoot them down!" Nel, with her batch of men on our right shouted. With the Nonguls charging, many of them fell as they didn't have shields. They neared and clashed with our shields. "Hold!" I shouted. "Is this the best you got? Didn't eat today or what?" my men were hype men. My men laughed taunting the enemies. Boyle was on the other side looking at us. "Why aren't we attacking?"

"Wait!" I shouted. The enemy pushed till their momentum stopped, "NOW!" my front men pushed them and bashed them with our shields. Spears shot out for blood. I thrusted my spear going through three men in their chests. I pulled back and repeated that action. My men went killing on layer by layer. Boyle had his jaw open but recovered quickly. 'What!? They make it look easy.' He thought as he saw blood splatter everywhere. It was effective and efficient that even Nel was impressed. "Look, they are getting scarred… and hesitating." Gon said as the Nonguls were thinking of retreating. Good thing was the cate tunnel wasn't very wide. I looked at Nel and saw her nodding her head. "Charge men. There's no taking anyone alive."

My men immediately opened the shield wall and charged into the enemy orderly with me in front. I unsheathed my bastard sword and split an enemy in two not giving him a chance to defend himself. Other captain's men charged following our lead. My sword sliced through steel and flesh meeting no resistance. We cut so many Nonguls that by the time we were done with their 4000 second wave, I was all red from their blood.

"Retreat!" Nel shouted across the battlefield.

At night at the war table with the captains, I was drinking wine gotten from the civilians from this small castle. The other captain came together with Nel to discuss our next strategy for the next battle. Boyle as usual came up to me, "If you had that martial power from the beginning why didn't yo-"

"I didn't what? Help you?" I glared at him. "You want me to put my men under some noble who can't command his men well." He seemed triggered and grabbed the collar on my tunic, "What did you say!?" the other captain didn't even try to stop him. Nel brandished her long sword at Boyle's neck lightly cutting through his skin. He immediately stopped and let me go. "All of you are dismissed, Dustin, you stay."

 "What? You cannot-" Nel cut of Boyle, "You are to wait for your orders for tomorrow's battle. Do I make myself clear?" Boyle hesitated and then left with the other captains.

I sighed but then Nel had her sword against my neck, "You too. You should not be picking a fight with him every chance you get, not when you are strong enough to veto anything a noble like him might say against you." I surrendered. "See, this is looking out for friends." I was grinning at her, and she just rolled her eyes, "I appreciate you stepping in, Nel. I feel like they don't like me." I joked and wanted to see her smile, but she returned to that officer look. I gave up. "The enemy knows our strength now. They could attack anytime they want. Even now when we are asleep and resting." She told me and looked over the wall. "There's no going back now Nel. You decided that."

She looked back then faced me. "Do you think we'll hold out… until they come." I turned serious, "No. if they do not come by tomorrow, we'll perish."

"And it will be by my hands… my decision to stay." She looked away from me, "I rushed the decision and wanted accomplishments, but I couldn't see that."

"Hey… don't do that. I don't know how to console you in this situation… and what's done is done. But let's see this through." She relaxed a bit. "And if you die, I'll pass along your stories across all taverns." She smiled then frowned, "Won't you also die?"

"Me? No, I'm strong, I'll cut down everyone. I'm strong, very strong." I gave myself praises that Nel had a good genuine laugh. "Alright, same strategy tomorrow too." She dismissed me and I turned to take my leave.

"Dustin?" I looked back. She hesitated, "…Nothing. Rest well."

Next morning, before sunrise a horn was blown alerting everyone the enemy was ambushing us. My men quickly equipped themselves and ran to the gate. My men had trained for situations like this. We went and barricaded the gate with our shield wall. This time the enemy wasn't the light infantry but heavy ones with shields, about 5000 of them. They also had 1000 cavalry. It looks like they are done testing us. They want to tear us apart. Half of Banstone's soldiers were dead or injured. Nel immediately came to me and asked for the situation. I gave it to her, and her expression was serious. Boyle's was panicking, "What do we do? I cannot die here."

"Commander, I have a plan, but I don't know if you'll approve it."

"Say it."

I then proposed the plan of having some of our men disguised as the enemy cavalry and when returning to their headquarter tent, we kill their commander or general. I could see that idea being thoroughly analysed in Nel's head. Boyle being the coward he is glared at me, "Are you crazy?" but Nel cut him off, "I approve. I'll ride out with you and your men assuming they are up for this."

"They'll love this plan." I said then looked at Nel, "But you cannot go with us into battle. If you die who's to command us." She immediately shot me a look, "I'm coming and that's final." I shrank back.

We then wore the enemies' armour from yesterday and took our horses. Their cavalry rode into the castle, but we shot down most of them and took their horses. We acquired about 300 more horses. We timed their next cavalry wave and retreated together with them.

(Alamasz POV)

I looked at the castle that refused to give up even after all we had sent them. 'That second wave of my cavalry should have done the job. That will teach those Banestone dogs the fierceness of Nongul.' I was interrupted by a messenger. "Commander, report. An army of 5000 is headed this was for the valley. It bears the royal flags for Banestone."

"No worries. Our priority is to take that castle then we'll defend from there."

The cavalry came back to exchange horses and ride again when they immediately armed themselves and start attacking us friendlies. "What are you doing? You-" the word refused to come out of my mouth when I immediately connected the dots. 'They deceived us. They dressed like us to get closer to the command.'

"Stop these deceiving Banestone dogs. Kill them all. They are few." But then one with female proportions closed the gap between us fast and her long sword was coming for my neck.