Sara Douglass – The Axis Trilogy 2 – Enchanter

Axis’ eyes flickered back to Azhure, trying to catch her eye. They had not found the time to resolve their problems last night. Axis had stayed late talking with senior and unit commanders, and Azhure had been busy with her archers. When he’d returned to their bedrolls, he’d found her asleep.

Caelum was with Rivkah, safe with the supply wagons far to the rear and with several reserve units to guard them. If the battle went badly, their orders were to take the wagons and flee to the Silent Woman Woods – the Woods would protect the remnants of Axis’ family and force against anything Borneheld could throw at them.

Azhure, I love you.

And for how long?

Axis flinched a little. Stay safe today.

And you, Axis. And you.

“Borneheld has his forces grouped about Bedwyr Fort,” Axis said to the group. “He will not come to us, but will wait for us to attack him.”

“Will Borneheld conduct the battle from the fort?” Ho’Demi asked.

“No,” Axis answered. “No, I do not think so. Bedwyr Fort is old and full of holes. It was once vital for the protection of Achar, guarding the approaches to Carlon and Grail Lake, but over the past several generations it has been left to decay. Its main defences and fortifications face the river, not the plains, and it will be vulnerable to Icarii attack. No, I think Borneheld will fight with his men. My friends …” Axis paused, and the group about the fire looked at him.

“I have a request. No. An order.” He looked up and all could see that his eyes burned strangely. “Borneheld must not die on the battlefield today.”

” What?” Ysgryff exclaimed. Axis had told him about Borne-held’s promise to the Coroleans and he was appalled. Borneheld meant to give the Corolean Emperor the province of Nor?

“I cannot say much, but I have certain obligations, both towards the Prophecy and towards other…allies…who have given me aid. Borneheld can only die with Faraday present.”

Azhure stiffened. Kill Borneheld before Faraday? What could Axis be thinking of?

” cannot say why,” Axis said, aware of Azhure’s shock. “But believe me when I say it is important. Faraday must still be in Carlon – even Borneheld would not haul her out to the battlefield, so I have no doubt that eventually I must chase Borneheld back to the royal palace in Carlon itself. Understand?”

Axis was clearly ordering, not requesting, and all nodded stiffly.

Belial broke the awkward silence that had descended. “Borneheld has chosen badly to fight about Bedwyr Fort. He will have himself and his army trapped in the triangle of land between the Lake, the river and our army.”

“Perhaps, perhaps not,” Axis replied. “If extra Corolean transports sail up the river – and I believe that late last night there were some eight approaching Nordmuth – then they can easily disgorge their load behind our lines once we move in to attack Borneheld. We will have to be careful. Watchful. Far-Sight, are your farflight scouts keeping an eye on the river?”

FarSight nodded. “They are already in the air, Strike-Leader.”

“Then today we reforge Tencendor. After today, I hope, Gorgrael will be my only enemy.”

And WolfStar? he thought. Where are you? What do you plan this day? What surprises will you spring?

FarSight nodded. “Today we fight to restore Tencendor. It will be a great day, Axis. A great day.”

Axis stared at the Senior Crest-Leader. “Then perhaps it is time to launch your strike, FarSight. Time to loose the Icarii Strike Force on Borneheld of Achar.”

Axis intended to use the Strike Force on Borneheld’s army as he had used it in the passes of the Bracken Ranges against Burdel. But Borneheld’s army had a large number of soldiers who had seen battle at Jervois Landing – and who had seen the Icarii Strike Force in action against the Skraelings. Watch had been kept for the Icarii Strike Force, and even though they were not spotted until they were virtually upon the army, as soon as the cry went up, “Ware! Above!”, men reached for shields in a well-practised manoeuvre and raised them above their heads, creating a ceiling of steel over the tightly grouped ranks of Borneheld’s army.

Some were not fast enough and some did not keep their shields close enough together, but overall the Icarii strike did not have the same devastating effect on Borneheld’s army as it had had on Burdel’s force.

Borneheld had arranged his army in much the same manner as he had his defences at Jervois Landing. Most units were well dug into trenches that would, Borneheld hoped, direct the flow of Axis’ army into traps and trenches that would break the legs of their horses and, eventually, the hearts of their riders. Numerically his army was some five to eight thousand less than Axis’ army, but Borneheld knew he had the advantage of being the defender.

Borneheld, relatively safe in a hastily erected command tent (well protected from above with several layers of thick canvas) surveyed the maps of his defences one more time.

“The transports?” he asked Gautier. Both men, as all within the command tent, were heavily armoured and weaponed.

“They sailed through Nordmuth late last night, Sire,” Gautier replied instantly. “And they are currently anchored on the Nordra midway between Bedwyr Fort and Nordmuth awaiting your orders.”

“And the smaller boats?” Borneheld said”Ready to sail, Sire,” Gautier replied. “Axis will die today, along with his malformed crew.”

“I surely hope so,” Borneheld began, then stopped and listened, his entire body tense. “What is that?”

A sound like heavy rain permeated the command tent.

Gautier listened. “It is the sound of the Forbidden’s arrows raining uselessly down on the shield ceiling covering your troops.”

Borneheld clenched his fists and pumped them into the air. “It has begun!” he shouted, his eyes bright.

All he felt was relief. At last, the end to his rivalry with his brother.

The Battle of Bedwyr Fort began with the Icarii Strike Force attack on Borneheld’s army and dragged its bloody way through the day. For hours men — and women – fought and died until the western Plains of Tare were stained bright with the blood of the dead and the dying.

Axis had been disappointed but not overly surprised by the relative failure of the Icarii Strike Force to cripple Borneheld’s army. Borneheld was a far superior commander to Burdel and he also had the benefit of having watched the Icarii Strike Force in action above Jervois Landing. As the Strike Force flew back over Axis’ lines – there were no casualties apart from one birdman who had suffered a crippling wing cramp and had fallen to his death among the Corolean soldiers – Axis began to move his mounted units forward. He already knew about Borneheld’s trenches and traps, and was wary of moving his mounted units too deep into the lines of trenches; YsgryfF’s mounted knights he kept to the rear to use only if he could tempt Borneheld’s soldiers out of their trenches.

It would have to be a combination attack on the front trenches by mounted men, foot soldiers — both spearmen and pikemen – and the Icarii Strike Force. The entrenched soldiers would not be able to maintain their shield defences against the Icarii and repel a ground attack as well.

In the end Axis did as he had against the Skraelings in the WildDog Plains. Rather than move against the entire line of trenches, Axis made small, concentrated attacks from both ground and air forces. He chose his sites carefully, surveying the system of trenches from above through the eagle’s eyes, and attacking those areas he thought would later provide vulnerable holes in Borneheld’s front lines.

At those sites Axis selected, initially some nine, he sent the mounted archers in first, protected by the Strike Force. Both the mounted archers, whether those under Azhure’s command or Ravensbund archers, and the Icarii archers let loose their arrows – and up would go the shield defences. As soon as the troops were committed to maintaining their shields above their heads – and the shields were so large and heavy it took two arms to do it — Axis would send in the spearmen and pikemen…and the Alaunt.

The Alaunt had been instructed by Azhure to go for the commanders. At each point of attack three or four Alaunt would spring into the trenches, unerringly leaping for the throats of the two or three senior commanders within the immediate area. They created confusion and sometimes hysteria; not only did they kill the commanders within moments of entering the trenches, but their snarling and snapping confused and terrified the soldiers. Shields dropped as men reached for swords to deal with the hounds, and as shields dropped arrows rained down from above, and spearmen and pikemen closed the gap between their ranks and the trenches and thrust their weapons into the muddle of leaderless soldiers.