scramble of movement on the earthworks in response as archers moved out to face the Menin troops. The Third Legion went up to the Second’s right flank, five regiments in the lead with the rearguard division mirroring them at a short distance.
Hain’s regiment was in the vanguard, nearest to the Second Legion. They were all expecting the next order and as soon as it was given they began to move forward, heavy shields raised against the expected volley of arrows. As the first began to fall a prayer to Karkarn whispered through the ranks, causing Hain to grimace. The pace was swift and steady, with Hain chancing quick looks through the spear-rest of his shield to check when he would have to give the order.
An arrow smashed into his shield and exploded into splinters, causing him to miss his step for a moment, but the soldier behind him half-caught him on the shaft of his spear and shoved him forward, back into place.
‘Bastard,’ Deebek growled beside him. Hain looked over and saw blood on the exposed side of the sergeant’s scarred nose. A splinter of the arrow’s shaft protruded from the small cut.
‘There go yer looks,’ Hain laughed with the men around him.
‘Aye, sir.’ Deebek glanced back at the man who’d steadied the captain. ‘Soldier, you trample ’im next time, ’ear me?’
Still smiling, Hain chanced another look. Arrows were still dropping, but far fewer than he’d expected. Either the garrison was under-strength, or they were keeping the bulk of their men back. As the front rank neared the ditch Hain could see it wasn’t going to be easy to negotiate. The slope was almost sheer on each side and the dozen ladders they carried weren’t going to be long enough, unless the water was only a foot deep.
‘Regiments to halt, defensive position,’ came the shouted order, and Deebek instantly relayed it at the top of his voice. The troops slowed to a stop and the front rank kneeled behind their shields, allowing the second rank to rest their own shields on those in front.
‘Come on, General,’ Hain muttered as he peered left and right, ‘don’t let us be the decoys.’ He saw movement to the right and called forward to the front rank for information.
‘A company’s left the line, sir,’ called a trooper. ‘Handful o’ men - what in the name of the Dark Place are they doing? They’re just standing with shields raised - and some’re just sittin’ down on the grass behind. Ah no, someone’s lying on the ground too, reaching forward with summat.’
‘Mages,’ Hain and Deebek said together.
‘Aye, sir, can’t see what he’s doin’ but there’s summat up down there. Some sort o’ white mist fillin’ the ditch.’
‘Any mages on the rampart?’
‘No, sir, but the archers are after ’em now.’
‘In that case: ready to advance,’ Hain said, raising his voice. He didn’t know what was about to happen, but you didn’t need an entire division to shield a few mages.
‘Piss and daemons,’ exclaimed one of the men in the front rank, ‘that wind just got fuckin’ cold.’
‘Ice then,’ Hain muttered to Deebek. ‘They’re freezing the ditch; Lord Styrax did just that in the Numarik campaign once.’
‘It work?’
Hain shook his head and Deebek chuckled nastily.
‘It didn’t then, but it was Verliq himself who broke the ice. A mage has got to be fucking strong to shatter half a yard of ice; I reckon King Emin won’t have any of those spare, not for a pissy border town.’
Hain lifted his shield a fraction, realising the archers were directing all their efforts at the mages. The mages were taking their time completing the spell, but Hain wasn’t surprised. They would be weaker than the Chosen, and it was a long stretch of water. Fortunately for them, the ballista-stations couldn’t reduce their elevation enough to hit them, and the shields were proving more than a match for the archers, given the groan of ice Hain could hear. The Menin archers were peppering the rampart to give them as much cover as possible and before long the trooper reported the mages were retreating again.
‘Looks like we’ll get that fight after all,’ Hain muttered as the order to advance was yelled and repeated by every squad sergeant. He saw the first rank drop gingerly down on the ice. One soldier lowered his shield as he tested the ice underfoot - only for a second, but a sharp-eyed archer noticed it all the same and put an arrow through his neck.