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SUMMARY: If anyone has any helpful suggestions, like pointing out what I succeeded with or failed please private message me. I need constructive critiquing. This is a portion of an unfinished novel

Chapter One

A chilling rain fell through acrid smoke carried on strong winds from the northeast. Sunlight flickered through the haze and occasionally glinted off the blades of two thousand axes and one thousand squared swords. Tiny rivers of mud ran from east to west scattered by four thousand hooves and another four thousand iron shod boots. Two thousand baritones chanted through two thousand soaking soot filled beards as one thousand men on horseback bleated chants to lead the song for those who marched behind. One measure ahead of this bearded infantry and clean shaven cavalry marched one man holding a green flag, one holding a grey flag and one holding a black flag with silver stitching in the likeness of a bull's head. Leading these three men was a man who stood a head taller than the others holding a crude iron hammer above his head. A measure behind the axe wielding infantry and sword wielding cavalry were five hundred men each dragging a wooden crate behind and pushing large crossbows mounted on a wheeled tripod.

Each crossbow could mount nine large bolts: three rows of three across. Those with crossbows were clean shaven save for large bushy sideburns. They each sported a rapier in a scabbard, strapped to their side. They wore blackened leather armour studded with iron. The infantry and cavalry ahead of them wore the same blackened studded leather armour, the cavalry enhanced their armour with steel plates on their forearms and chests. The flag bearers wore simple leather armour over animals skins. The priest, bearing his hammer wore a black, leather tunic studded with steel. The flag bearers were bearded as was the priest, but unlike all those with beards, his was short and well trimmed.

This unit is under the overall command of General of Charging Cavalry Orik Gurn. His cavalry sergeants are Nim Sathrin and Kerl Bassler both of these men were wed to two of his six daughters, Nim to the oldest and Kerl to the youngest. His infantry sergeants are Gorn Ulrig, Telin Ulrig, Carl Ulrig, and Vern Ulrig as these men have not earned clan names Orik has no connections with them as is proper. His missile sergeant is Kern Luger Gurn his great uncle. Each sergeant is responsible for nineteen captains who are in turn responsible for a regiment of twenty five men, and each sergeant commands his own twenty five man unit. Each captain and regular have their own names but are too numerous to mention.

General Gurn's orders are in three parts: the unit will break camp at dawn and march along the western foot of the eastern hills. Another unit of five hundred cavalry and three thousand foot under the command of his Oath Brother General of Charging Cavalry Tip Silnod will precede him; when the sun has reached it's mid-day zenith General Silnod will engage the enemy's North-eastern camp; when other enemy camps move to reinforce, General Silnod will begin a retreat before his force can be circled. At this point General Gurn will have completed the second part of his orders: his missile unit will hide on the eastern side of the hills until they spot lit torches thrown to the southwest; the infantry will hide behind the north-eastern side of the hills and wait in the forests there until the missile unit fires flaming bolts to the west; the cavalry will hide itself in the forest south of the hills until the enemy cavalry has passed and their infantry takes a defensive posture.