Chronicles of the Brittany Kings Chapter 43

 43

 

“Slay the barbarians!” Aurelius called out to the cavalry when they rode to harass the enemies. It was a series of hit-and-runs, with the experienced riders in small groups driving the enemies to pursue them and then getting them trapped in the pincer moves. The small Amorica’s riders were fast on their mounts and exacted losses to the Anglo-Saxons. 

“Pursue them to the ground!” Hengist was angry at the attacks and send more of his warriors ahead. He knew that his warriors were not evenly matched but their numbers were many,

“Stick together as a group and attack.” It was an effective move as seen by Roman’s formation of the testudo but the Amorica armed with bows had their arrows breaching the gaps in the formation, The siege mode of using flaming arrows was deployed to great effectiveness.

“The enemy is at the pass ahead” Hengist was told and in his infuriated mood, he send the main column there.

“Hengist, we cannot do much at the pass. Let us send a smaller detachment to rout them there.” Hengist was told.

“I will not let their King escape my wrath.” Hengist knew that Aurelius was there. “He had my Rowena sacrificed in the fire.”

Hengist ignored the call and marched the army there. Aurelius had retreated to the pass and called on the army to be prepared for battle.

“They are coming now!” Aurelius called out. He then released his calvary to the fields.

“Continue the harassment. I want the Anglo-Saxons to be enraged and they will attack the pass.” It was a risky strategy but Aurelius had planned well. He deployed foot soldiers with spears leveled at the enemies while archers rained the Anglo-Saxons with arrows.

“They are here.” The Britons at the pass called out when the Anglo-Saxons attached. Due to the narrow pass passage, the Anglo-Saxons were hampered in their progress facing the Britons. The Britons learned well from Roman’s pilum; the seven-foot-long spearsTeh long narrow shields deployed by the Britons gave them leverage in the battle. 

Aurelius was at the forefront with the foot soldiers, and his presence rallied the courage of the Britons to defend harder.

“Yield not any!” Aurelius fought with the sword in one hand and the other held the shield. “We fight for Briton.”

The archers to the rear and on the side of the pass rained their arrows with deadly accuracy. The Anglo-Saxons pressed on but were repealed many times.

“Hengist, we are at a loss here. We need to regroup and find another passage through.” Hengist was advised but the latter was adamant about killing the other King.

“I will be shamed today. We fight on.” Hengist called on the chiefs. “Climb the mountain and rout them there.”

It was a workable strategy but God was with the Britons. The weather turned to heavy rain to make the slopes slippery to climb. The Britons perched on the ridges and took their arrows to remove the climbing Anglo-Saxons.

“Am I cursed today by the Gods?” Hengist roared at the skies.

That was not his only setback.

Lord Eidol had force marched and soon was at the left flank of the Anglo-Saxons. His army met with the Amorica’s riders. They then marched to attack the supply wagons of the Anglo-Saxons.

“The enemy is here.” Eosa guarding the wagons alerted the warriors there. “We must defend the wagons.”

It was a short battle when the Britons routed the Anglo-Saxons there.

“Flee now!” Eosa called on the surviving warriors. He was inexperienced then and the only route was to reach Hengist.

The news of the loss of their supplies demotivated the Anglo-Saxons. Hengist was approached by the chiefs to regroup at the flanks.

“We are still strong here.” Hengist insisted on fighting.

‘” We can but only when we have regrouped.” The chiefs overrode the call. Hengist was forced to retreat, and victory was to the Britons. The Anglo-Saxons retreated to a nearby town named Conisbrough.

Aurelius was relieved that the attack at the pass was lifted. He was unsure how long he could have defended. His number of ten thousand was down to one-third, but the piles of the dead barbarians were many folds. He praised the defenders and then took them to regroup with Lord Eidol’s columns.

“I am relieved that you are well, my King.” Lord Eidol bowed to the King. “Your strategy worked in our favor.”

We had God in our favor.” Aurelius approached the one who stood by his side at the pass.

“Your prediction was timely, Merlin.”

“It was written in the stars.’ Merlin told the King. “Now you must press on the attack. The Anglo-Saxons are demotivated. Fight on and victory will be yours.”

“I am still short in the numbers.” Aurelius gave a thought to his army. “We need more to reinforce us.”

“If you delay, the Anglo-Saxons will be reinforced, and your victory will be over.” It was Lord Eidol who urges him to fight.