Snow fell like scattered ash upon the battlefield.
The ground was messy, smeared with blood, hoof prints and boots and the dying gasps of men.
Arrows hissed through the air, spears clashed, swords sparked against each other.
All around, the storm of war raged, but none paused to feel the sting of cold, nor admire the snowflakes as they fell.
A voice roared, clear and commanding:
"Push forward!"
The soldiers surged with renewed fervor. The banner of victory danced just ahead and that was enough. They just needed to endure and push forward.
Through the chaos thundered a commander cloaked in armor and fur, his horse galloping, pushing forward.
His eyes locked onto a distant figure: the enemy captain, mid-duel, unaware that death had already marked him.
The plan that they had spent days and nights detailing and constructing was just for this moment.
All they had to do was let it slip to the enemy forces that they were low on supplies and they needed to send soldiers to escort the supplies safely to the camp from neighboring provinces.
The three groups were headed by two other generals in addition with the commander.
The first group was to be the bait, containing a thousand foot soldiers.
The second group would take a back route, the aim being to take the enemy by surprise and also attack the enemy's base. Three Hundred men.
The last group and remaining soldiers, would remain at the forefront, spearheaded by the commander.
It was a risky plan that could backfire quickly but there was no other choice.
What the enemy saw as an opportunity to reduce their forces was actually a trap to lure them out and enclosed in a pocket.
However, as the battle progressed, there was still no sign of the second group.
Could they have been defeated? It was too late for regrets or second guesses.
The commander carved his way through the crowd, his sword flashing under the moonlight .
To his left, a soldier fell. To his right, another enemy crumpled.
He was close. Close enough.
With a sharp cry, he throw his sword through the air, a direct strike aimed at his target.
But fate never acts alone.
From behind, an enemy bow snapped. The arrow sliced the wind, heading straight for the commander's back.
He would not have seen it. He would not have known.
But someone else had.
This someone picked a bow from the ground and an arrow from the body of a fallen enemy.
His answering arrow collided with the first mid-flight, deflecting it with a sharp twang.
The commander turned sharply. His eyes met those of his savior.
A lone archer standing firm amidst the chaos, bow still taut, eyes calm beneath the falling snow. They exchanged a brief, silent nod.
If the archer was here, that meant that the plan was a success. The enemy's camp was successfully destroyed. His general succeeded and even saved his life.
His thrown sword had struck the enemy captain's horse, pinning it with a howl of pain. The captain had leapt clear, blade drawn, landing light on his feet.
The two locked eyes, then ran.
The commander slipped, rolled, and reclaimed his sword from the cold ground just in time.
The duel that followed was ferocious, every strike aimed to kill, every step calculated.
Around them, the battlefield faded. Only the fight remained.
Behind him, the archer moved closer, knocking away arrows with eerie precision, shielding his comrade with the two swords he had drawn from his back.
At last, the commander drove his blade through the enemy's chest. His opponent gasped once, then fell.
All went still.
Seeing that the enemy commander was dead, the soldiers finished off their enemies swiftly.
The commander stood heaving, bloodied, but whole. Across the field, his savior lowered his twin swords, blood trickling down it.
Their eyes met again, this time with exhaustion and satisfaction.
The commander laughed, deep, raw and victorious.
His savior reached out his hand as snow continued to fall around them like cherry blossom petals.
*************************************************
"Under the silent snow, war drums freeze
Blades clash, ground bleeds.
A decade of bitterness withered,
Standing at the foot of life"
----Yutu
btw, I'm yutu.