Northern Border — Third Day, Dawn
Seven hundred Kalthor soldiers emerged from the mountains like an avalanche.
No, Kaito corrected mentally as he watched from an elevated position.
Twelve hundred.
The intelligence had been wrong. Or Kalthor had received reinforcements.
Which one it was didn't matter.
The result was the same.
Six hundred Neudämmerung soldiers — exhausted from the battle three days ago — against twelve hundred fresh and rested troops.
Two to one.
Worse than at Meridia.
Adelheid stood beside him, studying the enemy formation with an increasingly grim expression.
"Heavy infantry. Pikemen on the front line. Archers behind. Cavalry on the flanks."
"A configuration designed to break defensive lines through pure pressure."
She lowered the spyglass.
"We can't use the same trap. They saw the reports from Meridia. They expect that."
"So?"
Adelheid traced lines in the dirt with a stick.
