Read Online Iny Lorentz - The Marie Series 02 by The Lady of the Castle - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: The Lady of the Castle
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The line of armored knights had long been broken, and the cannons were scattering the groups still trying to attack. Some of those in front began turning around their exhausted horses and heading back downhill to escape the withering cannon fire. But this only made the confusion worse, and dancing on their wagons, the Hussites waved their weapons in the air.
Some of the knights withstood the fire and reached the wagon fort, but the lightly armored Bohemians easily dodged their lances and pointed their cannons at the attackers as well as the fleeing men. Seeing the thinning ranks of knights, large numbers of Hussites jumped off their wagons and stormed toward the imperial men, bellowing loudly. Morning stars flew through the air, smashing armor and horses, and knights were yanked off their horses by hooked pikes, then immediately surrounded by three or four Hussites and swiftly dispatched. Panic broke out as everyone realized that this mindless onslaught would end in a bloodbath, and the imperial men fled without concern for anyone else. All of a sudden, the kaiser, with only a few bodyguards left, was faced with a group of Bohemians running toward him shouting, “Zygmunt! Zygmunt!” as they called more Hussites to come.
Michel yelled, “Attack!” and started to run without turning to see whether his men were still following. As he encountered the first enemies, trying to breach the wall of triumphantly howling Bohemians with angry thrusts of his sword, he heard the hoarse shouts of his men behind him and the sharp sound of metal meeting metal. This unexpectedly disciplined attack surprised the Hussites, who had already believed their enemy beaten, and made them draw back. The men who had just dragged the kaiser off his horse and were about to beat him let go of their victim and scrambled back to their comrades. Michel fended off a spear in midair, pulled Sigismund to his feet, and dragged him along despite his bulky armor.
One Bohemian, not wanting to miss the opportunity to kill their ousted king, jumped out from behind a bush and attacked them from behind. Michel didn’t see the raised morning star until the very last second. Pushing the kaiser over a ledge into his men’s arms, he turned around and struck with all his might. The morning star scraped across his back, ripping open his leather doublet and piercing a few links of his hauberk without more than a scratch, while the Hussite rolled down the slope without a head.
Michel didn’t have any time to inspect his injury, as he could see the Bohemians gathering to combine forces against this unexpected contingent of foot soldiers, and so he ordered his men to form a cordon around the kaiser. He also shouted to the remaining knights on the hillside to close ranks and join his foot soldiers.
“If you try to flee on your own, the Hussites will easily catch you! This way we can let them run into a wall of lances and pikes.” Much to his surprise, the men listened. Urs Sprüngli led over his Appenzellers and other foot soldiers and helped to build a wall of bodies around the kaiser, receding into the valley step by step and keeping the Hussites at bay with lances and pikes. The knights and soldiers who had fallen back from the hill had reassembled in a huddle near the burning village and were now attacking the Hussites from the side, thereby relieving the men around the kaiser.
Down in the valley, the Hussite attack lost momentum, and Michel succeeded in uniting foot soldiers and knights into an armored column, retreating like a porcupine with hundreds of quills and thousands of feet. Just when the men thought it was over, they heard a piercing cry from a woman by the wagon train; then loud screams and the clanking of weapons filled the air. A group of Hussites had attacked the wagons, trying to set them on fire, and already the first clouds of smoke were rising. Michel ordered the men to march faster. As the looters noticed the approaching soldiers, they quickly
Some of the knights withstood the fire and reached the wagon fort, but the lightly armored Bohemians easily dodged their lances and pointed their cannons at the attackers as well as the fleeing men. Seeing the thinning ranks of knights, large numbers of Hussites jumped off their wagons and stormed toward the imperial men, bellowing loudly. Morning stars flew through the air, smashing armor and horses, and knights were yanked off their horses by hooked pikes, then immediately surrounded by three or four Hussites and swiftly dispatched. Panic broke out as everyone realized that this mindless onslaught would end in a bloodbath, and the imperial men fled without concern for anyone else. All of a sudden, the kaiser, with only a few bodyguards left, was faced with a group of Bohemians running toward him shouting, “Zygmunt! Zygmunt!” as they called more Hussites to come.
Michel yelled, “Attack!” and started to run without turning to see whether his men were still following. As he encountered the first enemies, trying to breach the wall of triumphantly howling Bohemians with angry thrusts of his sword, he heard the hoarse shouts of his men behind him and the sharp sound of metal meeting metal. This unexpectedly disciplined attack surprised the Hussites, who had already believed their enemy beaten, and made them draw back. The men who had just dragged the kaiser off his horse and were about to beat him let go of their victim and scrambled back to their comrades. Michel fended off a spear in midair, pulled Sigismund to his feet, and dragged him along despite his bulky armor.
One Bohemian, not wanting to miss the opportunity to kill their ousted king, jumped out from behind a bush and attacked them from behind. Michel didn’t see the raised morning star until the very last second. Pushing the kaiser over a ledge into his men’s arms, he turned around and struck with all his might. The morning star scraped across his back, ripping open his leather doublet and piercing a few links of his hauberk without more than a scratch, while the Hussite rolled down the slope without a head.
Michel didn’t have any time to inspect his injury, as he could see the Bohemians gathering to combine forces against this unexpected contingent of foot soldiers, and so he ordered his men to form a cordon around the kaiser. He also shouted to the remaining knights on the hillside to close ranks and join his foot soldiers.
“If you try to flee on your own, the Hussites will easily catch you! This way we can let them run into a wall of lances and pikes.” Much to his surprise, the men listened. Urs Sprüngli led over his Appenzellers and other foot soldiers and helped to build a wall of bodies around the kaiser, receding into the valley step by step and keeping the Hussites at bay with lances and pikes. The knights and soldiers who had fallen back from the hill had reassembled in a huddle near the burning village and were now attacking the Hussites from the side, thereby relieving the men around the kaiser.
Down in the valley, the Hussite attack lost momentum, and Michel succeeded in uniting foot soldiers and knights into an armored column, retreating like a porcupine with hundreds of quills and thousands of feet. Just when the men thought it was over, they heard a piercing cry from a woman by the wagon train; then loud screams and the clanking of weapons filled the air. A group of Hussites had attacked the wagons, trying to set them on fire, and already the first clouds of smoke were rising. Michel ordered the men to march faster. As the looters noticed the approaching soldiers, they quickly
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