—New orders for Giuseppe, Omar. —said the Count—. He must head toward the kingdom's capital to bring the case before the Council of Nobles. First, he must request that his case be heard, but before the defense hearing, let him go before the house of the Duke of Baranoa to explain the situation and request that he help us in our legal cause before the Council. The Duke himself and his main associates owe me at least one favor that warrants their support in the court, which is full of the Duke of Sosa's friends.
—As you command, Master. —replied Omar, the chief scribe of House Cortés, bowing respectfully before withdrawing to prepare the official document that would go with the emissary.
…
The morning air brought with it the damp, fresh scent of spring, mixed with the dust kicked up by the wheels of the heavy wagons. Miguel, leaning against the side of his command wagon, watched with satisfaction as the rows of the caravan set off in an orderly fashion.
—Ready for the march, Lieutenant? —asked Miguel.
—All ready, young master. —replied Fernández—. The inhabitants of the village have been properly housed. Last night they finished helping the last ones to enter. We also requested volunteers from the infantry to continue helping us on the way to the last village, and surprisingly, several came forward after the offer was communicated.
—Are we already reaping the successes of charisma? —thought Miguel, with great irony—. Lieutenant, write down those names to keep them in mind later. I need motivated soldiers for the plans I have for the future.—he said.
—As you order, young master. —said Fernández—. Iván, sound the horn, we're leaving, as we must make the most of the day.
—At your command, Commander. —said Iván, and proceeded to sound the horn.
With that sound roaring through the morning, the caravan began moving eastward with a slightly faster march, as it was now adapted to advance at a much more constant speed with at least 20% more efficiency compared to the previous day.
…
—Raúl. —said Miguel from the command and control wagon. —Thank you for the report. I know it's tedious to have to scour the battlefield every hour to deliver the report.
—Not at all, young strategist. —said Raúl—. It is novel to have to keep every piece of scouting data in mind; it forces us to be more attentive and also improves communication among all the troops, since the hunters' findings are always transmitted with prior context. Furthermore, this hourglass your grace gave us is very useful for keeping time well-measured.
—I'm glad to hear that. —said Miguel—. Raúl, I need the patrols to be expanded to the forests bordering the road ahead of us. I don't trust that they aren't trying to set up ambushes. Reinforce the patrols so they are at least 4 men, and I want to be clear on this point: they MUST enter the forest.
—I know it can be hard for them, but we cannot risk passing by with an ambush present. We will suffer many casualties. I know i ensured back then that there were no places suitable for ambushes, but those maps do not tell the hole stroy.
—Without any objection, my lord. —said Raúl—. It shall be done.
…
—New orders. —said Raúl, addressing the riders—. You four: Andrés, Ronald, Sam, and Julio, are assigned to the inner flank of the road, moving along the convoy's route and then entering the forest. Express orders from the strategist: you must enter the forest and, if necessary, even go on foot to the densest and most dangerous areas for the horses.
—At your command, sir. —responded the four in unison, nodding their heads as they prepared their bows and swords.
The group separated from the main body of the convoy and headed into the side trail. The sunlight barely managed to filter through the dense foliage, creating a play of shadows that tested the scouts' nerves.
—Hey, what do you guys think? Will we run into anything? —asked Andrés, who was at the front of the column.
—The great strategist has everything covered, gentlemen. Sometimes he even seems too worried, conservative. We should be riding straight against the enemy's heart. —replied Julio, the youngest of the group.
—And us into the enemy's heart, and an enemy arrow into our heart. —said Sam, touching his quiver.
—I personally don't think we'll run into anything. —said Ronald—. The Goddess of Fortune is smiling on us, gentlemen: Audentes fortuna iuvat! Let us have faith not only in our God, but in our strategist.
As the four hunter-riders entered the forest, the conversation between them gradually dwindled, until only the monotonous sound of horseshoes on dry leaves remained.
…
Thirty minutes later, returning from the patrol from inside the forest, the four were already close to coming out onto the road.
—Hey, wait, I have to go pee. —said Julio.
—No, for God's sake, Julio, we're on patrol, we have to get back to report to the sergeant. We can't stay here waiting for the little boy's urge to take a leak to pass. —said Ronald.
—It's just a moment, I won't be long.
Walking just a few meters into the forest, next to a centuries-old oak, Julio stopped to urinate.
—Uf... Ah. —Julio groaned from the relief of going to the bathroom, and playing while emptying his bladder, he aimed from right to left. But just as he finished on the right, the sound of the liquid hitting the earth suddenly changed to the sound of metal brushing against branches.
Immediately stopping the ritual he was in, Julio prepared to move into a combat stance, drawing his short sword and stepping back to gain stability. But the enemy was fast. With a brutal lunge, an enemy soldier pounced from the foliage and tackled Julio backward before he could use his sword to skewer him. With a single push, he threw Julio to the ground with such a crash that it alerted the other riders.
Seeing what was happening, Sam did not hesitate for a second.
Sound of a horn
Sound of a horn
—Now, off the horses! Positions to protect Julio. No man of the guard is left behind! Hold on just until the reinforcements arrive! —shouted Andrés.
Only seconds after they got off their horses to have better cover and mobility inside the forest, several arrows passed near their position, and some even wounded the riders' horses, sending them into a full flight. All the steeds galloped away.
—One arrow and one cover. Remember the golden rule: always under cover when we are under projectiles! —said Andrés.
Peering out slightly and returning to cover before an arrow could reach him, Sam detected the silhouette of an enemy soldier hidden behind some bushes. He pre-aimed where he remembered he was, leaned out quickly, and released his arrow immediately, managing to hear the sound of pain coming from the enemy.
—Take that, you sons of bitches! It's what you idiots deserve! —shouted Sam.
—Julio, come back, we're covering you! Enemy reinforcements are coming! —shouted Andres, seeing that Julio had somehow miraculously managed to use his sword to kill the enemy soldier.
—I'm coming, damn it, I'm coming... —Julio said, panting, with a lack of air that threatened to leave him lying on the ground.
With all the members of the squad now taking cover behind trees and rocks, they prepared to return the enemy's arrows. But it was becoming increasingly difficult, as the enemies were surrounding them and threatening to flank their position. Only the rate of fire of the guardsmen had marked the difference between life and death in those first few minutes.
…
Sound of a horn
Sound of a horn
—Lieutenant! —shouted Miguel from the command position, seeing the movement in the distance.
—Guardsmen, to me! —said the Lieutenant, running toward his horse and toward his troops in the middle of the caravan, where they were gathering to respond to the developments of the advance.
—Sergeant José, contact the vanguard and the rearguard. Convoy defensive position, now! —said Miguel.
—At your command, my lord. —said José, in charge of the militia infantry troops, who was giving his report when the attack occurred.
—Hey, Lieutenant. —said Miguel—. Tell Raúl to leave scouts between the convoy and you. I don't want to be out of touch as the battle unfolds. And one more thing: Fernández Córdoba is forbidden from leading from the front. Understood?
—Of course, strategist. —said Fernández with confidence, as he mounted his horse toward the fray that could be heard in the distance, while the wagons hurried to form a circle and place all civilians safely in the center.