The Hidden City

‘We didn’t exactly cover ourselves with glory the last time we encountered those brutes, so I’d be very interested in seeing something that’s a little more effective than our tactics were.’
    Daiya conferred briefly with his clan-chiefs, and then he led Bergsten, Heldin and several other knights up to the top of the hill to watch.
    Bergsten immediately saw the advantages of light cavalry as opposed to armored knights mounted on heavy war-horses. The huge soldiers in their tight-fitting armor seemed baffled by the attacks of the Peloi armed with javelins. They floundered, desperately trying to close with their tormentors, but the horses of the Peloi were simply too quick. The o take their toll, and more and more of the hulk fell in that deadly rain.
    ‘We need to force them to run, your Reverence,’ Daiya “They’re very dangerous in close quarters, but they don’t have much endurance, so they aren’t nearly as good in a running fight.’
    ‘Vanion told me about that,’ Bergsten said. ‘Did Domi Tikume givee you any idea of how long it takes them to run out of breath?’
    ‘Nothing very specific, your Reverence.’
    Bergsten shrugged. ‘That’s all right, friend Daiya. We’ve got plenty of open ground, and it’s still morning. We can run them all day if we have to.’
    Stung by the repeated attacks, the huge soldiers began to lumber forward in a kind of shuffling trot, brandishing their horrid weapons and bellowing hoarse war-cries. The Peloi, however, refused those challenges and continued their slash-and-run tactics. Then, driven and stung beyond endurance, the creatures broke into a shambling run.
    ‘It’s feasible,’ Sir Heldin mused in his deep, rumbling basso. ‘We’d need different equipment, though.’
    ‘What are you talking about, Heldin?’ Bergsten demanded.
    ‘Looking to the future, your Grace,’ Heldin replied. ‘If those wars become a standard fixture, we’ll have to modify a few things. It might not be a bad idea to train and equip a few squadrons of Church Knights to serve as light cavalry.’
    ‘Heldin,’ Bergsten said acidly, ‘If those things become a standard fixture, do you think there’ll be any Church Knights at that point?’
    ‘1rd fixture, it’ll be because we’ve lost this war. What makes—’
    ‘They’re breaking off, your Reverence!’ Daiya cried excitedly. They’re running away!’
    ‘But where are they running to, Daiya?’ Bergsten demanded. It’s the air that’s killing them, and the air’s everywhere. Where can they go, Daiya? Where can they go?’
    ‘Where can they go?’ Kring asked in bafflement as Klael’s soldiers broke off from their clumsy pursuit of the Peloi horsemen and into the desert.
    ‘Who cares?’ Tikume laughed. ‘Let them run. We’ve still got those Cyrgai penned up in that gully. We’d better get them to moving before some clever subaltern in the rear ranks has time to take his bearings.’
    The Cyrgai were following a strategy from the dawn of time. They advanced steadily, marching in step, with their large round shields protecting their bodies and with their long spears leveled to the front. As the Peloi slashed in on them, they would stop and close ranks. The front rank would kneel with overlapping shields and leveled spears. The ranks behind would close up, their shields also overlapping and spears also to the front. It was absolutely beautiful—but it didn’t accomplish anything at all against cavalry.
    ‘We have to get them to run, Domi Tikume!’ Kring shouted to his friend as they galloped clear of the massed Cyrgai regiments again. ‘Pull your children back a little further after the next attack! This won’t work if those antiques just keep plodding! Make them run!’
    Tikume shouted some orders, and his horsemen altered their tactics, pulling back several hundred yards and forcing the Cyrgai to come to them. A brazen trumpet sounded from the center of one of the advancing regimental squares, and the Cyrgai broke into a jingling trot, their ranks still perfectly straight.
    ‘They look good, don’t they?’ Tikume laughed.
    ‘They would if this was a parade-ground,’ Kring replied. ‘Let’s sting them again and then pull back even further.’
    ‘How far is it to the border?’ Tikume asked.
    ‘Who knows? Nobody I’ve talked with is really sure. We’re close, though. Make them run, Tikume, make them run!’
    Tikume rose in his stirrups. ‘Pass the word!’ he bellowed. ‘Full