fight but also to maintain the line without any breaks. They had trained long and hard with their steeds until their movements became nearly instinctive.
King Olegaurd’s cavalry reacted to the signal horn as well. He and his brother, Lord Dynure, led fifteen hundred Annurian cavalry into the right flank. The orcs and ogres were in utter chaos. They were being attacked on three sides now as the ‘horns of the bull’ drove them back up the hill. Hundreds died as the unstoppable maneuver slowly closed in on the desperate creatures that couldn’t escape.
Dagrinal kept close to his king, his spinning sword defending his liege with lighting speed. The swordsman glanced to his left, making sure that King Gavinsteal was still close.
The king swung his massive sword with one hand, his powerful arm easily cleaving his sword into whatever unfortunate creature got close. But his movements were slowing already, his age taking its toll on the battle hardened warrior.
Dagrinal urged his horse on, expertly moving it closer to the tiring king. He roared defiantly as he lanced an orc through the eye and looked up for his next victim.
A huge ogre lumbered near on their right. The beast was twenty paces away and he carried a large stone in his hand.
“Lord, look out!” shouted Dagrinal as he frantically drove his horse forward. The ogre heaved the stone overhand with a loud grunt just as the king swung his horse toward the beast with his sword raised high.
The stone took the king’s horse in the neck, snapping its spine instantly and sending the king flying backwards into the air.
“To the king!” yelled Dagrinal as he leaped from his horse and ran to King Gavinsteal. One burly orc raced forward with a wicked looking axe lifted over his head. The beast growled and started to swing its axe downward towards the unconscious king’s head when a flying dagger took the orc in its open mouth.
Dagrinal followed his knife, jumping over the king, straddling his inert form and swinging his long sword in a deadly dance, keeping the attacking orcs away. Enemy blood covered his plate mail and Dagrinal clenched his jaw firmly, gazing through the eye slits of his helm at the enemies surrounding him. “Come on! This kill will not be that easy!” yelled Dagrinal as more orcs attacked him viciously, hoping to kill the downed king and the man now guarding him.
One lunged forward trying to skewer the swordsman but Dagrinal was too fast. He swatted the sword away with a lighting quick parry and sent his sword swinging left and right so fast that the orc didn’t even register the fact that its stomach was just sliced open. The orc’s eyes bulged while he frantically tried to hold his intestines inside his stomach cavity. Dagrinal kicked him in the face and lanced another orc in the throat. “Come on you dung eaters, my blade thirsts for more blood!” Dagrinal yelled in defiance as he parried another attack and sliced open an orc’s leg.
Third lance, Lathrin, hearing Dagrinal’s call, spurred his horse forward and rammed the remaining orcs away from the downed king. He swung his sword downward, slicing open the skull of one orc while Dagrinal leaped on top of another fallen beast, stabbing him through the heart.
Just then a ring of knights moved in to form a protective shield around their king.
“Get the king out of here!” yelled Dagrinal.
“I have him!” cried Lathrin over the screaming and yelling of the battle around them. Dagrinal lifted the king up as Lathrin reached down and grabbed a hold of the king’s sword belt. As Lathrin lifted up hard, Dagrinal heaved the king’s body over the back of Lathrin’s horse. Dagrinal swatted the horse on its hindquarters as Lathrin spurred it to the back of their line, towards the safety of the royal tent.
Suddenly Prince Baylin’s horn blew, signaling the appearance of the enemy cavalry. Seconds after that another loud horn blew, one that Dagrinal did not recognize. It was an enemy horn and he quickly found his horse, leaping back up into the saddle. Dagrinal’s heart sank as he saw a wave of enemy cavalry rise up over the crest and gallop towards them like a thunderous earthquake. In front of the horses ran several hundred boargs. But that wasn’t all. As enemy cavalry moved in from both sides, thousands of tribesmen sprinted over the hill towards them, yelling their war cries.
Dagrinal quickly grabbed his horn and blew the signal to