I swung my horse to the side and pointed with my sword to the Halifaz border, "We ride over the border and head north and make an all-out run for it! There are more of our patrols to the north. We reach one of those patrols, then we can turn and fight, but not before then! Now ride hard if you ever want to see your girls again!"
The column broke rank and took off at a hard gallop toward the Halifaz border. I stayed to the rear and watched as three enemy forces became visible. The game was up and all three enemy units charged for us.
The enemy force was easily three times our size in number. They weren't raw recruits either.
I charged after the column as a grim undertone overwhelmed the day. A mile over the border we headed north and by now every one of the soldiers I commanded fully comprehended the gravity of the situation. We either outran the enemy or we all died. It was as simple as that.
We were in grave danger of being overtaken by the northern flanking force as they, of the three enemy units, had the least amount of ground to cover in order to reach us. Arrows zinged out through the air and riders all over the column ahead of me fell off their horses.
The column was in disarray as boys, suddenly forced to be men, watched their childhood friends pitch over the sides of their horses to be trampled under by more friends, even as for many it was the first sight of blood they had ever seen in life.
"Onward! Don't stop!!!" I yelled, but it wasn't needed. They'd seen enough of war and all they wanted now was to be back in the safety of their homes.
More riders fell under a fresh wave of arrows. One boy landed on his feet after his horse pitched over head first and I reached down and grabbed him up. The chances of making it riding double weren't good, but for me it wasn't right not to try.
A hill was fast approaching and the horses ahead of me scrambled up it quickly. I was confident that the bulk of the force would make it back to safety and in a way that was a victory.
My horse hit the slope and lurched off to the side. Glancing back I saw at least three arrows lodged deep in the horses rump. I pulled the reins hard and swerved into another of the rearmost riders and shoved the trembling rider I had picked up across the saddle horn of the other soldier's mount.