As always, Valentinian’s strike was economical. No great heroic hewing, just enough to do the job. Pharas’ head didn’t sail through the air. It just rolled off his neck and bounced on the ground next to his horse. A moment later, his headless body fell off on the other side. His horse, suddenly covered with blood, shied away.
The commanders gaped with shock. One of them began to draw his sword. Anastasius smashed his spine. No economy here—the giant’s mace drove the commander right over his horse’s head. His mount, well-trained, never budged.
Belisarius whipped out his own spatha. The four surviving commanders in the group were now completely hemmed in by Belisarius and his two cataphracts. They were still gaping, and their faces were pale.
“I’ll tolerate no treason or insubordination,” stated Belisarius. His voice was not loud. Simply as cold as a glacier. Icy death.
“Do you understand?”
Gapes. Pale faces.
“Do you understand?” Valentinian twitched the spatha in his grip, very slightly. Anastasius hefted his mace, not so slightly.
“Do you understand?”
Mouths snapped shut. Faces remained pale, but heads began to nod. After two seconds, vigorously.
Belisarius eased back in his saddle and slid his spatha back into its waist-scabbard. (Valentinian, of course, did no such thing. Nor did Anastasius seem in any hurry to relinquish his mace.)
Belisarius turned and looked at Eutychian. The chiliarch was not more than thirty yards away. He and his own subordinates had witnessed the entire scene. So, Belisarius estimated, had dozens of the Army of Lebanon’s cavalrymen. The faces of Eutychian and his commanders were also pale. But, Belisarius noted, they did not seem particularly outraged. Rather the contrary, in fact.
He studied the cavalrymen. No pale faces there. A few frowns, perhaps, but there were at least as many smiles to offset them. Even a few outright grins. Pharas, he suspected, had not been a popular commander.
Belisarius returned his hard stare to Eutychian. The chiliarch suddenly smiled—just slightly—and nodded his own head.
Belisarius turned back to the four commanders at his side.
“You will obey me instantly and without question. Do you understand?”
Vigorous nods. Anastasius replaced his mace in its holder. Valentinian did no such thing with his spatha.
A sudden blaring of cornicens. Belisarius turned back again. He could no longer see the Persian army, for his vision was obscured by the mass of cavalrymen at the front line. But it was obvious the Medes had begun their charge. Eutychian and his commanders were riding down the line, shouting orders.
Now in a hurry, Belisarius issued quick, simple instructions to the four commanders at his side:
“Eutychian will hold the right, using half of the Army of Lebanon’s heavy cavalry and all of the mounted archers. You four will assemble the other half of the Army of Lebanon’s lancers and keep them in reserve. I want them ready to charge”—his voice turned to pure steel—”when I say, where I say, and how I say. Is that understood?”
Very vigorous nods.
Belisarius gestured to Anastasius and Valentinian.
“Until the battle is over, these men will act as my immediate executive officers. You will obey their orders as if they came from me. Is that understood?”
Very vigorous nods.
Belisarius began to introduce his two cataphracts by name, but decided otherwise. For his immediate purposes, they had already been properly introduced.
Death and Destruction, he thought, would do just fine.
After the four commanders left to begin sorting out and assembling their forces, Belisarius rode back to the front line. As he approached, the Hun light cavalry began pouring back from the battlefield. They were no match in a head-to-head battle with the oncoming Persian lancers, and they knew it.
That’s one of the few good things about mercenaries, thought Belisarius. At least they aren’t given to idiotic suicide charges.
For all their mercenary character, the Huns were good soldiers. Experienced veterans, too. Their retreat was not a rout, and as soon as they reached the relative safety of the Roman lines they began to regroup. They knew the Roman heavy cavalry would be sallying soon, and it would be their job to provide flanking cover against the Persian horse archers.