Chapter 13 sneak peak! (Patreon)

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Balgruuf

The screams of horses and the shouts of men echoed in the valley road, but my eyes did not leave the man that was my father. Spurring my horse forward, a chestnut colored stallion, I broke into a full gallop towards his position. Around me, men screamed and yelled as arrows both bone-tipped and steel-tipped brought men and horse down, rocks from heavy stones to boulders fell crushing horse and rider, and flaming stacks of hay were tossed down, spreading fire and panic through the lines.

Nearing him, my heart sank when I saw his legs and his horse crushed underneath a rock. His face was pink in exertion as he tried and failed to push the rock of him. Around him, his honor guard and housecarl had formed up a shield wall around him and was also trying to get the rock of him.

"Father!" I cried out, my concern for my father drowning out my discipline as an officer.

"Do not concern yourself with me!" Heorot groaned. "This army cannot fall to chaos. Deal with the Reachmen and get us victory!" 

A part of me protested, and wanted to bring him out of the battle. But I had to ignore that, and listen to the officer inside of me to rally the men and make the ambushers suffer. I turned and found the men of his guard looking at me, their eyes all but asking me for orders.

"Raise high the Horse standard, the House that rules Whiterun still lives!" I bellowed at the top of my lungs. "STAND YOUR GROUND, AND FIGHT!"

A rider next to me took out his horn, and the crescent shaped instrument sang. Soon, a few more joined, then a hundred. And straightway all the horns in the host were lifted up in music, and the blowing of the horns of Whiterun in that hour was like a storm upon the valley and a thunder in the mountains. 

Steel formed in the eyes of the riders as they unsheathed their swords, tightened their grips on their lances and spears, unslung their bows from their backs. I turned to another rider and bid him come close. 

"Go the back of the lines and tell our infantry to advance. We will not be slaughtered today!" I yelled out. The rider nodded and sped off to the back. 

"Your orders for us, my lord?" asked another rider. I glanced at him, and noted that he wore the armor of the guard. 

"We follow the trail of the burning hay and slaughter the Reachmen at the top!" I roared as I got my horse into a gallop, and up into the slope where I could see Reachmen rushing to form battle lines. 

"CHARGE!"

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