NOVPUBThe main force’s battle with the allied tribal armies took place forty kilometers away and ended there as well.
The staff officers were still unclear about the specifics, and the information Winters got was even more fragmented.
Some said that General Alpad had charged in and out of the barbarian lines seven times, slaughtering them so thoroughly that they were scattered and in complete disarray.
Others claimed that General Sekler killed three tribal leaders with just three spears, making the barbarians flee in utter panic, their morale completely broken.
Each account was vivid as if it had been witnessed firsthand.
Lieutenant Colonel Jeska pulled out a map and after a long search, slapped his hand down, "It should be right here."
Winters and Andre leaned in to look.
The lieutenant colonel pointed twice on the map.
"A valley?"
"Running east to west, with forests on the north and south sides to provide cover," Lieutenant Colonel Jeska stroked his chin. "The messenger said the old man ambushed the enemy in the valley. In my opinion, he was just picking a place where he wouldn’t be encircled."
"And then?"
"Then he arrayed his troops and fought."
"Is it that simple?" Andre couldn’t believe it.
"How complicated do you think it should be?" Lieutenant Colonel Jeska’s attitude was indifferent. "Aren’t battles just about attack and defense? The difficulty isn’t in the fighting, but in how to make the enemy engage on the battlefield you’ve chosen."
Winters pressed, "How did General Sekler manage that?"
"Want to know? Ask him," Lieutenant Colonel Jeska sighed. "We’ll be seeing him soon enough."
...
Forty kilometers southwest of the vanguard column lay an unnamed valley.
To call it a valley was a bit of a stretch; in reality, it was just a low ground between two hills.
Yet on this piece of ground no more than two kilometers wide, now lay a sprawl of the dead, the wounded, and carcasses of warhorses.
Paratu soldiers, bloodied and injured, walked through the valley, ruthlessly stabbing any Herders they found still alive.
Sekler, coughing up blood, sat on his chariot listening to Colonel Laszlo report the state of the battle.
The fight was incredibly fierce; the most aggressive Herder cavalry had come within five meters of Sekler himself.
The square formation around Sekler was attacked from all directions, and Sekler himself was hit by three arrows: two struck his breastplate and one hit his helmet dead center.
Colonel Laszlo recited mechanically, "Fifty-six auxiliary centurion squads… all collapsed, with eighteen centurions killed—some were from the wild routes, others from The Federated Provinces and Vineta. Another twelve centurions await court-martial. Four cohorts from the left wing of the Sixth Legion were also smashed to the point of losing their structure."
[Note: "Wild routes" refer to non-academically trained officers, including what’s called "Paratu temporary officers." These officers are few in number, not favored, and never promoted to staff positions.]
...
Day before yesterday at dusk.
"Move out," Sekler inspected his entire army for the last time and walked out of the camp without looking back.
The Paratu army advanced eastward in the cover of night, and the rear guard burnt everything they could not take with them.
...
Yesterday morning.
"The barbarians are retreating!" The Paratu soldiers shouted to each other in encouragement as they watched the enemy’s fading figures: "The barbarians are retreating."
The Herder vanguard caught up with the Paratu army, and after a minor skirmish, the Herder vanguard was routed.
The Paratu army continued eastward, discarding damaged supply wagons one after another.
...
Deep into last night.
The Paratu army finally arrived at the battlefield Sekler had chosen.
Sekler arrayed his troops in the valley, positioning them into three lines.
A small number of light cavalry was placed in the first line, auxiliaries in the second, and the standing army composed the third line.
The chief cohorts of two legions were stationed atop the hills to the north and south.
The White Lion was eager for battle; to prove his capabilities and establish his authority, he needed a decisive victory.
He dispatched troops to stop the infighting among the tribes over loot and urged the tribal cavalry to give chase throughout the night.
Both sides were willing to engage in a decisive battle, which ignited in this nameless valley.
...
Early this morning, the vanguard cavalry from both sides engaged first in combat.
The Paratu light cavalry were outnumbered and suffered a rout.
Two centurions retreated without orders and were executed on the spot according to military law.
As daylight broke and the mist cleared, the Herder light cavalry returned to their main formation, and the allied tribal armies arrived at the battlefield.
The narrow width of the ground prevented the Herders from deploying fully, but the White Lion still sent his troops to flank and encircle from a distance.
Around eight in the morning, the Herder tribal allied forces pressed forward from the front.
The Herder cavalry charged into the auxiliary lines; in the narrow valley, soldiers and horses from both sides were crowded together.
Blood spattered into the eyes of soldiers from both sides, and those killed couldn’t even fall to the ground.
In this ghastly combat, the auxiliary units also quickly crumbled, retreating behind the third line.
The standing army’s grand square formation began to face the enemy.
The indestructible grand square held firm against the assault of the Herder cavalry.
Following the advice of the White Lion, the tribal cavalry dismounted and joined the foot battle.
The chief cohorts on the hillsides were meant to provide fire support, but they were tied down by the flanks of the Herder allied forces.
Amid the terrible melee, the overall formation of the Paratu army began to crush towards the right flank, leaving an ever-increasing gap on the left.
The White Lion was waiting for this moment; he led the cream of the Suz Tribe straight into the breach in the Paratu army’s left flank.
The Suz Tribe’s warriors, unflinching in battle, charged headlong into the forest of pikes.
Riders and warhorses fell dead on the spot, but a gap was smashed open in the forest of pikes.
The remainder burst into formation, wreaking havoc; the already faltering left flank square of the Paratu army was instantly overrun.
The Suz Tribe cavalry began to circle around to the rear of the Paratu central army, while Sekler sent reorganized auxiliaries to resist, but they were no match for the well-rested Suz Tribe cavalry.
