It was getting late in the afternoon, the sun would set in a few hours, and yet the crowd was not thinning. The pile of corpses in the alley had doubled in size, and the crowd glanced fearfully at it.
Rand had taken a break from his duties and left the questioning to Ruan. He was sitting on a bench next to a fountain, turning an unopened envelope in his hands. The seal of the Wolf on a Crossed shield seemed to glare at him, Rand glared right back at it, and he knew he had to open it at some point, but he could not be bothered in the here and now.
Rand stood and stretched, sighing he started back towards to Tavern, odd, Rand noticed one of his men guarding the peasants drop face first onto the ground. He then noticed the arrow sticking from his back; he was not the only one to notice though.
As the guard dropped the peasants made a break for it, overwhelming another guard with their sheer mass they ploughed over him, he got one of the peasants in the leg as arrows struck at him.
“AMBUSH†shouts rang out over the courtyard. Rand knew better this was no ambush, looking in the direction from where the arrows came, he noticed a division of archers approaching. A full unit, this was not possible, all the defenders were routed…
It dawned on him, the enemy had been re-enforced, and from the shouts and noise of the battle. It was a sizable force.
“FORM LINES†Rand shouted, “SLOW RETREATâ€
Good thing about fighting archers in tight city streets is that if you don’t give them a shot they aren’t worth !@#$e. During the retreat a few men took wounds, but nothing serious. The Phalanx retreated out of Viseu Town and it was a slaughter. The fields where covered in corpses, it seems the enemy had completely taken their forces by surprise, friendly and allied troops were being routed and harassed while they retreated.
Rand took in the sight and made a choice to head straight for the Akesh, Viseu border.
“QUICK MARCH, WE HEAD FOR AKESHâ€
As his men started the quick withdrawal, Rand heard a howling voice pierce the fighting on the battlefield. Rand turned his horse and scanned for the origin.
After a few minutes he found it, A Lord Knight …drunk and facing off against numerous enemy soldiers. “Ruan who is that man?â€
Ruan drew his Horse up and squinted at the Knight. “Difficult to make out my Lord, but it could Dagr Araneae?â€
The Knight shouted out again.
​...
"I'm lightly wounded, Fight me!" Dagr shouts in the battlefield as he throws his empty wineskin to a random soldier.
"I'd bet my shister no one can besht me in a duel ye sards!"
...
“Yes, I would stake my reputation on it, that is Dagr Araneae†exclaimed Ruan
Rand fixed him in his mind and turned his horse and rode after the Phalanx who was making quick pace for Akesh.
