height to jut between the shoulders of those in the second rank. The Skulls, lacking the years of drill enjoyed by the veteran regiments, were slower in forming this hedge of spear-points, the third rank only just managing to scramble into place by the time the first Stahlhast warrior charged through the gate.
He rode a tall grey stallion that forced its way through the corpses in its path with barely a pause. Upon clearing the bodies, the Stahlhast charged straight for the Skulls, whirling a wickedly spiked mace on a chain above his head. Nortah stood squarely in his path, bow aimed and drawn for what seemed to Vaelin to be an excessive delay. Nortah loosed when the Stahlhast had closed to less than twenty feet, the arrow finding the left eyehole in the man’s helm. A thick crimson torrent gushed through the visor as he tumbled from the saddle. His horse, however, continued on, obliging Nortah to dive clear. The beast reared up before the stabbing barrier of the Skulls, lashing out with its hooves until Alum darted forward to open its neck with a flick of his spear.
“Straighten up!” Vaelin barked, sending the disrupted ranks back into formation just as a dozen more Stahlhast erupted through the gate. Nortah and Juhkar moved in opposite directions, loosing arrows with lethal swiftness, the poisoned-tipped shafts claiming four riders in quick succession. The others fanned out to assault the regiments on either side of the gate. Most were quickly speared down but one managed to hack his way into the ranks of the regiment on the right, disordering their lines so that they were ill prepared to meet the charge of the Stahlhast following behind. Within seconds the regiment had been shattered, its three ranks broken and its men struggling amidst the chaos of stamping horses and slashing warriors.
Vaelin’s gaze snapped to the left, seeing the other regiment in marginally better straits, their ranks holding despite a ferocious assault, although it was clear they would soon falter. In the centre a score of Stahlhast riders were struggling clear of the unfolding melee and forming up for a charge. Knowing the Skulls would have little chance of containing such a weight of armour and horseflesh, Vaelin saw only one option.
“Attack formation!” he shouted, moving to stand before the first rank with his sword raised. He waited just long enough to see the three ranks become two, the soldiers all standing with spears levelled, then turned and charged for the gate. For a second he suspected the Skulls had failed to follow, wondering if they had all turned and fled as their criminal instincts re-emerged at the crucial moment. But then he heard Corporal Cho-ka’s shouted order to charge followed by the drum and rattle of armoured men at the run.
The Stahlhast were quick to take note of their charge, spurring forward to meet it but only managing to cover a dozen yards before the Skulls drove their spears home. Vaelin ducked under a slashing sabre and hacked at the rider’s leg, the blade cutting into both the horse’s flank and the warrior’s ankle. The Stahlhast screamed in pain and fury, reversing his grip on his sabre and attempting to stab it dagger-like at Vaelin’s face. He jerked to the side and reached up to grab the steel guard on the man’s forearm, hauling hard to pull him from the saddle. Before he could rise, Vaelin planted his knee on the warrior’s breastplate, pinning him down as he drove his sword point through the slit in his helm.
Feeling the hot rush of a horse’s breath on his neck, Vaelin rolled to the side, dragging his sword clear of the slain warrior’s helm. Hooves pounded the corpses and the cobbled ground as they chased him. Vaelin came to his feet, lashing out with his sword, the blade scoring a deep cut on the pursuing horse’s mouth. It reared, blood and foam frothing from its lips, the warrior on its back raising an axe high, ready to bring it down when his mount plunged. Before he could deliver the blow, the axe wielder stiffened, a spear-point appearing under his chin. As he tumbled from the saddle, Vaelin saw Alum withdrawing his spear before whirling away to slash at the face of a dismounted warrior.
Looking around, Vaelin quickly surmised the charge had succeeded in stalling the Stahlhast just in front of the gate, but the struggle was far from over. Riders continued to wheel amidst the