Rylla watched with growing anxiety as the scaled horsemen overran three more field guns. Now their heavy infantry was approaching the Hostigi lines. She was more than tempted to run the reserve down the hill to plug the line, but would Kalvan approve? What was it he had told her this morning:
"If one side or the other doesn't blow it during the first few candles, then whoever can hold their reserve the longest will probably take the field."
"Look at that!" Sarrask of Sask cried out.
Rylla looked down to see that Phrames-at long last!-had sent the Royal horse out front to deal with the heavy barbarian cavalry. She watched as the Third Regiment of Horse smashed into several squadrons of very heavy Ros-Zarthani cavalry. At close range the Hostigi horsepistols decimated the barbarian heavy cavalry. For a while it looked as if the Ros-Zarthani cavalry were about to break, then the Hostigi troopers expended their guns.
On foot the long horsepistols could be primed and loaded in a fortieth of a candle. But in the midst of a melee on horseback that time could be multiplied by ten or twenty, which was why most troopers carried all the pistols they could beg, buy, or steal and stuck them into saddle holsters, sashes, and boots. In the rear ranks some would have time to re-load and shoot again, but in the front ranks, pressed horse to horse with friend and foe, a saber or pistol butt were the only weapons they could use.
With the ranks closed, the barbarian heavy armor became an important factor, where a man sometimes couldn't find room to lift his sword arm. Suddenly it was the Hostigi cavalry that appeared to be giving way.
Rylla was about to send down a regiment of dragoons to reinforce them when she heard the sound of gunfire from behind Hostigi lines. She turned from her vantage point at the top of the hill to see fighting around the baggage train. Camp followers, men, women and children, were scurrying every which way.
"It's Harmakros' Sastragathi!" Sarrask shouted, pointing at the attacking horsemen. "The Styphon-spawned buggers are attacking our baggage train!"
"Dralm damn them!" she said, when she saw they were wearing Hostigi colors. Without Duke Harmakros here to lead them, his Sastragathi light cavalry had been restive, some had deserted and more than a few had been hung for horse stealing or disobeying orders. To turn allegiance in the midst of battle was the kind of tactic these barbarians cut their teeth on.
She should have anticipated something like this! Kalvan hadn't lived here long enough to really understand barbarian ways.
Rylla soundly cursed herself and Sastragathi nomads in general until she realized she was wasting precious time. Form ranks? "Sound, the trumpets. Charge!"
Rylla followed the charge from the rear surrounded by her bodyguard as she had promised Kalvan. Prince Sarrask led from the front, with a score of his Princely Bodyguard, followed by the Hostigos Horse. The dragoons were in the rear and dismounted as soon as they reached the baggage train and began to shoot their arquebuses and rifles.
The traitorous Sastragathi scattered like seeds in the wind before the heavier Hostigi cavalry, but those burdened down by food, blankets, and coins were quickly run to the ground. The dragoons took a fearful toll of the Sastragathi until the raiders were out of gun range.
Rylla was busy trying to reform the dragoons and to assess the damage to the camp when Prince Sarrask rode up like a madman with his horse blown and all lathered up. "Queen Rylla! It was a ruse! These are not our Sastragathi."
"What do you mean, ruse?"
"Petty-captain Zarnos, a former Blethan mercenary, was examining some of the Sastragathi prisoners when he heard them talk in the Sastragathi tongue of the Blethan border! He checked their saddlebags and found other items of Blethan origin."
"Blethan? You mean we were tricked!"
"Yes, these Sastragathi are Blethan auxiliaries draped in our colors. By Styphon's Brass Balls, I fell for it too!"
"Don't blame yourself, we all share the guilt. How long will it take you to reform the Hostigi horse?"
"About half of them are well on their way to Hostigos Town, the rest I can call in about a candle. Curse and blast it!"
"Recall everyone you can and meet me on the other side of the hill. I'll take the dragoons and the Queen's Lifeguard. I have to know what's been going on in our absence."
Sarrask ground his teeth, then dismounted, jumped on a fresh horse, and took off with the nearest trumpeter, his Bodyguard galloping behind.