and General huddled with Desidio, Tiger Ty, and a handful of
high-ranking commanders from the main army, it was decided
that there was no point in waiting on a Federation attack, that
waiting only gave the Federation time to dispatch further rein-
forcements, and that the best defense was an unexpected offense.
It was Desidio’s suggestion, and Wren was surprised to hear him
offer it and even more surprised to hear Bar accept. But the old
390
The Talismans of Shannara 391
general, though conservative by nature and set in his ways, was
no fool. He recognized the precariousness of their situation and
was sharp enough to understand what was needed to offset the
Federation’s superior numbers. Handled in the right manner, an
attack might succeed. He organized its execution, scouted it out
personally, and at dawn of the day following set it in motion.
The Federation was still waking up, having crossed the better
part of the flats south to reach the head of the valley, intent on
covering the last few miles after sunrise and entering the valley
at noon. They could not camp safely within the Rhenn, knowing
that the Elves had settled their defenses there, and they were
reasonably sure that the Elves would await them there. Once
again they guessed wrong. The Elves crept out of the forest
west while it was still dark, setting their bowmen in triple lines
along the Federation flank and backing them with a dozen ranks
of foot soldiers equipped with spears and short swords. A sec-
ond set of archers and foot soldiers and all of the cavalry were
sent down out of the valley east to organize a second line of at-
tack at me northeast front of the Federation camp. It was all car-
ried out in absolute silence, the Elves employing the stealth
tactics they had perfected while still on Morrowindl—every-
thing done in small increments, the army broken down into
squads and patrols that were dispatched separately and reassem-
bled at the point of attack. The Elves had fought together for
ten years against odds as great as these. They were not deterred
and they were not frightened. They were fighting for their lives,
but they had been doing so for a long time.
The archers on the west flank struck first, raining arrows
down into the waking camp. As the Federation soldiers sprang
up, snatching for armor and weapons, the call to battle ringing
out, the Elven Hunters started forward, spears lowered, passing
between the archers and down into the midst of the enemy. As
they carved their way through the melee, the archers above the
Federation army launched a second front. By now the South-
landers were convinced they were surrounded and were at-
tempting to defend on all sides. The Elven cavalry, a relatively
small body, swept down out of the haze to rake the still-
disorganized Federation defense and send it reeling back. The
whole of the flats where the Federation was encamped was a
sea of struggling, surging bodies.
392 The Talismans of Shannara
The Elves pressed the attack for as long as they were able
to do so without risking entrapment, then fell back into the
mist and gloom. Barsimmon Oridio commanded personally on
the west flank, Desidio on the northeast. Wren Elessedil, Triss,
.and a body of Home Guard watched through the shifting haze
from a promontory at the mouth of the valley. Faun sat on
Wren’s shoulder, wide-eyed, and shivering. Stresa was scouting
the forests west of the valley on his own. Tiger Ty was with
the Wing Riders, who were being held in reserve.
The attack broke off as planned, and the Elves shifted their
positions, taking advantage of the gloom and the confusion,
moving swiftly to re-form. They had been settled down in the
valley for almost two weeks now, and their scouts had studied
the terrain thoroughly. Callahom might belong to the Federation,
but the Elves knew this particular part of it better than the sol-
diers of the Southland army. The west flank moved to the front
and the northeast moved directly east. Then they struck again,
this time bringing archers forward to point-blank range, then