And it was working.
Human pursuit forces became more cautious, moving in larger groups, checking cover before advancing.
Which slowed them down.
Which gave regular defenders more time to reach Third Line.
[Somewhere else in the battlefield]
Sithis didn't run when the retreat order came.
He dropped prone in tall grass sixty yards from Second Line and activated his natural camouflage.
His serpentine scales shifted colors, matching the yellowed grass perfectly. He controlled his breathing, slowed his heart rate, became perfectly still.
Two hundred cavalry thundered past, literally within arm's reach. None saw him.
A patrol of light infantry jogged past, searching for hidden enemies. They came within three feet of his position.
Sithis stopped breathing entirely, relying on serpentfolk ability to hold breath for extended periods.
The patrol passed.
He lay motionless for ninety minutes as human forces swept the area, searching for stragglers.
