The horses couldn’t gallop all the way till Papworth, but they could trot. Three thousand cavalry left their infantry behind and proceeded into the dense woods as quickly as they could. They started off at a higher pace just to put some extra ground in between them and the army, before slowing down to a more manageable pace.

  This route wasn’t as well explored as the one they originally traveled on, but the scouts did the best they could. They avoided the biggest obstacles, such as ponds and bogs and searched for clearings and animal paths wherever possible.

  The light cavalry was better suited to dodging in between trees and bushes and led the way. They travelled in a stretched out line formation, hundreds of men wide, with the heavier knights following closely behind.

  Varre himself made use of his trekking experience. The terrain here was similar to the one around Ashbourne, where he had spent weeks hunting before. He felt like an inspirational leader, encouraging the men around him and confidently riding forward through unknown wilderness.

  Most of the others were familiar with such conditions too. The light riders had been used to scouting and traveling alone, while the knights enjoyed hunting in their spare time. Even the wizards were all wealthy, powerful people, who often participated in such events during their youth.

  The one exception were Elvira’s students. Since they were commoners, many had never ridden horses before setting out on this campaign. Trotting through a dense forest was quite different from following roads, or riding in the middle of a dense army formation, so each needed help from an experienced rider. That slowed down the pace somewhat, but the army still proceeded as quickly as they could.

  The most agile horsemen were dispatched to scout ahead. Since Varre’s forces were now split in half, they were more vulnerable to ambushes than ever before. Good intelligence and accurate reconnaissance was vital.

  There were some downsides. The goblins would be able to easily detect the increased presence of observers. It wouldn’t take a genius to deduce that reinforcements were on the way.

  However, if Duke Jan’s theories were correct, they were already aware of this possibility anyway. But that raised even more questions. If everything was planned in advance, then was bringing Varre to Papworth the main goal, or merely another step in the process? No one could tell for sure. Either way, the goblins would know that their ploy worked in advance.

  Two hours later, the army stopped for a short break. The horses got to drink some water from a nearby pond and received a portion of oats to lift their spirits. Even the humans got the chance to eat a small meal.

  The sun was getting low on the horizon and the village was still half an hour away, but the animals needed to rest. Exhausted mounts would be a major liability in battle and the army had to be flexible.

  The king suspected that this was a trap, but he wasn’t sure how it would work, or what would spring it. He needed to be sure that his men could quickly reposition, or retreat, as soon as the situation changed.

  The good news was that the surrounding area was safe. No hidden forces were discovered hiding in the nearby woods, waiting to slip in between the two groups of soldiers and separate the infantry from the cavalry. If such an attack was coming, the scouts should be able to warn the commanders well ahead of time.

  The short break also gave Varre’s people a chance to explore the surrounding area in more detail.

  They didn’t have enough time to fully map the enemy’s positions, but it seemed like the goblins split up in several large groups. They surrounded the village from different directions, blocking all key paths, such as the ones leading to other nearby outposts.

  So far only five hundred enemies were discovered, though the real number was probably much higher. Only the forest on the Eastern side of the village was surveyed, as the scouts didn’t dare to go to the other one. The enemy’s patrols were too dense.

  If the Western side hid the same, then the goblins prepared a thousand. That would be enough to properly surround and overwhelm the village in an assault. But as long as the fog of war covered it, it could have been double that size, or empty. Or, it could have contained the real goblin army, consisting of tens of thousands of soldiers waiting to destroy the human force.

  Fortunately, the situation was relatively secure. With their backs secure, if the attack turned out to be a trap, there was nothing stopping Varre from retreating back to the safety of his infantry. He held the initiative for now. If he didn’t want it, he didn’t have to accept the battle.

  The goblins were acting strangely, as always. They were certainly aware of the humans’ arrival by now, yet it seemed like they were entirely ignoring this threat. The king was reminded of the forest stream, where the enemies simply stood in place, letting themselves get slaughtered. Was this all a part of the plan? Or were they simply so used to following orders they didn’t dare to step away? He couldn’t be sure, but he didn’t want to underestimate them.

  Regardless, with the sun getting lower by the minute, he decided to advance. The cavalry got back in their saddles and continued towards the village.

  So far, the enemies had split into five known groups. They surrounded the village, like electrons orbiting a nucleus. With the army approaching from one side, Varre decided to split into three separate prongs in turn. Each would be less than a mile apart, so the troops could easily communicate and react to each other, but he needed to be sure that each one was led by a trusted commander.

  The king would personally lead the center. His job was to smash against the first group and continue on into the village. Count Gregory would take the right flank, dealing with the second group of enemies and then either proceed to the next, or cover the central force. Depending on the conditions.

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  Baron Khoman meanwhile received the left. His title was lower than the other commanders, but this attack was an appropriate scale for his command. Varre preferred to keep the experienced Duke Jan within his own reach. The man’s counsel was too useful.

  With the plan decided on, the heralds gave the signal and the soldiers moved out. Everyone was on edge, but they traveled together for the next twenty minutes. It was only in the last stretch of the journey, with the enemy almost within sight, that they split up into their separate directions.

  “We’re getting close men!” Varre called out, fixing the grip on his lance, “get ready!”

  He led from the front. He never had any intentions of actually getting involved in the combat, but the forest was so dense that this was the only way for him to see anything.

  When he first announced his decision, Captain Hakon was about to start fuming, but he had no choice but to eventually agree. The king needed to make decisions on the spot. It was a little dangerous, but as long as he remembered to stop before the actual clash, the armor and the guards would keep him safe from a distance.

  Varre noticed a few of the scouts posted ahead, waving towards the incoming cavalry. They were pointing out the final direction of the enemy. These men were sent ahead to confirm that the goblins were staying in their position. So far they were. They had yet to begin their assault.

  The king led his troops in the designated direction and froze as soon as he got through the next bush blocking the way.

  The goblins were clearly aware of the humans’ presence. Of course, the beating of thousands of hooves was so loud that even the villagers knew something was up by now. Just in case though, a single one of the enemies blew into a large horn as soon as he made eye contact with Varre.

  The king had seen these creatures before, but never from this close. There were less than three hundred feet separating them, as the cavalry slowly pulled to a stop around their leader.

  There was only a small pack of goblins here, perhaps around a hundred. Rather than standing together in a tight formation, they’ve spread out over the entire area. They huddled up behind tree trunks, carefully peeking out at the humans. The only things sticking out were the oversized heads, bits of shields, and pointy spear tips.

  As soon as the horn blower finished sounding the alarm, he pointed at the multitude of knights pouring out of the woods. He screamed, and his soldiers began to move.

  Rather than wait for the cavalry to come to them, a few of the goblins quickly ran out from their cover. They pulled out long strips of leather and started swinging them around their heads. Within a couple seconds, a barrage of rocks pelted down onto the knights.

  Fortunately their formation had changed, and now the most armored people stood at the front. Even Varre heard a small thunk as a pebble hit one of his pauldrons.

  It didn’t hurt. The metal was of the finest quality and the projectile bounced off harmlessly. The soft clothes and gambeson below it were thick enough to absorb any of the remaining force, so the only real effect was the noise. Still, seeing the enemies get the first hit on him was a cold reminder that both sides were out for blood. If he was a peasant, it could have been a debilitating injury.

  “Attack men! But stay alert!” the king yelled out, pointing forwards with his sword.

  The knights didn’t need to be told twice. Hundreds of heavy cavalry pushed ahead, ready to slaughter their enemies. At this battlefield, there was no point in blindly charging head on, so the men slowed down. They wanted to remain maneuverable.

  It was a good idea. When the first ranks got to within a few dozen feet from the goblins, they fell into the enemies traps. While there wasn’t enough time to dig pitfalls, the creatures laid out a few spikes that pierced the horses’ hooves.

  The formation wavered for a bit as the second rank crashed into the stalled first, but this was just a minor obstacle. The sheer mass of people and animals pushed them onwards, heading straight for their enemies.

  The slingers managed to get a few more hits in, but most did no damage. A few men winced and a couple of the lighter cavalrymen clutched bruised limbs, but no one had died. Two of the horses fell, but there were no serious casualties.

  The humans were about to make them pay heavily for this trick. They passed by the trees, trying to stab at anything that moved, before turning around for a second attempt, this time at the goblins’ undefended backs.

  But the enemy wasn’t helpless. Once the knights got close, they moved on to the second phase of their defense.

  They worked in pairs, with one of them quickly planting a shield into the soil, while a second braced behind it and stabbed upwards with his spear. If they timed it right, they could pierce the horse’s stomach or sides as it tried to dodge the obstacle.

  With the limited space, as the men crowded around each other, it was hard to maneuver. Many pummeled straight through the obstacles. Both goblins would die in that case, crushed under hoof, but they’d likely slay the horse and often injure the rider in return.

  While it was tricky, this was just a temporary setback. A thousand riders would always win against a hundred goblins, no matter how well they twisted the battlefield in their favor. The skirmish was over within three minutes. Likely much less, though with the sheer number of horses crowding the area, it was hard to be sure when exactly the last remaining enemy was slain.

  The price for this victory was thirty mounts, alongside five dead soldiers. A decent enough exchange, though in a fair duel each knight was worth a dozen goblins. If there even was such a thing as fairness in war.

  Varre knew he couldn’t tarry. The flanks were likely already mopping up their own battles and moving onto the next objective. He had to continue towards Papworth too.

  Since the goblins had sounded the alarm, the rest of their forces was on the move too. They were either about to assault the village, or spring whatever trap they cooked up. Even the villagers must have noticed the sounds of battle by now. They were panicking, hiding in their homes or fleeing wherever they could.

  The royal herald sounded his own trumpet and the men quickly reorganized into a renewed formation. A small team of healers, together with a few dozen light horsemen as protection, stayed behind to take care of the wounded. The rest continued onwards.

  The goblins were hiding close to the village, so within a few minutes the army pushed through the foliage and ended up on the open fields surrounding Papworth.

  The nearby trees had been cut down and the peasants used the cleared land for farming. The hamlet was set up in a small valley, with higher elevation on both the Eastern and Western sides. As Varre stopped on the hillside, he could finally get a good look at the area.

  From this vantage spot, the entire village was perfectly visible. The goblins were able to plan their assault down to the tiniest detail, observing the locals from a safe distance. The only way to spot them in return was to walk all the way up here, but with the harvest done, the serfs had few reasons to do so.

  Just as the king expected, the locals were panicking. Most were gathering outside their huts, staring at the forest, terrified of whatever battles were happening there. A few of the women and children were already fleeing. In the opposite direction from their rescuers. In their fear, they completely misunderstood the cause for the noise. They managed to get a few hundred feet away from the safety of their homes, before everyone froze.

  Out ahead, on the Western hill, a new force of goblins was just starting to pour out of the forest. Ready to assault the village from the other direction.

  What plans did they cook up for this battle?