Summer, 1430

A bright early afternoon sun found Oevcn’s Long Range Task Force slowly ascending a mountainous wooded slope that was dominated by Burnt Hickory Ridge. It had been two days since the cynos had lost contact with the retreating human forces, and the Oevcn was getting worried about the lack of further news about the enemy. Perhaps, the cyno commander hoped, the humans had simply evaded his pursuit with a headlong retreat to the Back Valley. But Oevcn needed to be sure, and hence he drove his forces on, an action that was causing his small army to become increasingly disordered. Soon the dark cyno found himself trying to manage his disorganized command from the middle of his forces, forcing him to assign Beimcu and Rewrkerw to handle the vanguard while Myrewecs was ordered to try to corral the increasingly growing rear. The gray and brown cyno was not thrilled about his unenviable task; Myrewecs was clearly frustrated as he met up with the Oevcn after a morning of searching and driving up tired and footsore stragglers.

&Perhaps we should regroup. Our forces are losing cohesion and soon we won’t be able to face anyone even if we do come across them.&

&I know, I know.& Oevcn sighed but shook his head. &But we are still climbing, and any position we stop at will be at a disadvantage until we reach the Spine of the Southern Ranges. The Revenants still seem to be fleeing, so if we can reach the Spine as quickly as possible we can more effectively block them from coming back.&

Myrewecs wiped his brow. &Will they let us reach there without a fight?&

&I’m hoping.&

At that moment the vanguard was picking its way up a rockfall with the veteran scout Jungtew in the lead walking point, carefully tracking the enemy by scent. The talus pile was an exposed position, and the cynos warily scanned around, using sight, smell and hearing to search for the enemy as they slowly ascended the slope.

Abruptly the lead scout stopped. The entire vanguard quickly halted as Beimcu went over with Turbecn.

&What is it, Jungtew?&

The dusky brown cyno pulled over a laurel branch to his commanders. Strangely,it gave off a pungent, sour smell that drowned out all other scents. Jungtew, Beimcu and Turbecn leaned over curiously at the discovery.

&Vinegar?& The lead scout uttered in confusion.

Suddenly the woods came alive as a volley of projectiles erupted from the ridgetop, an arrow embedding itself in Jungtew’s neck, who fell with a gurgle. Turbecn and a dozen warriors in the vanguard were also cut down by the fire, while Beimcu, lucky to be clad in her Arcadian armor, had a bolt knock her helm off her head while another slammed into her breastplate, failing to punch through but throwing her to the ground and momentarily stunning her. A roar erupted from the top of the slope as hundreds of humans appeared above the cynos and immediately charged down, weapons glistening in the sun. A few veterans from Oevcn’s Raiders released their projectile weapons in response, but most cynos took one look at the human giants- with their machine-like plate armor or their clothing made from hunting skins, wielding blades that could take off appendages with one swing or clubs that could cave in skulls- and almost immediately turned and beat a hasty retreat. In a minute, the vanguard broke and shattered before the onslaught.

In a haze, Beimcu got up to see a flood of enemy troops approaching, looked down to see Jungtew dead and Turbecn mortally wounded, and had the presence of mind to turn and run as well. Seeing her friend in danger, Rewrkerw quickly came back and -after taking a potshot to down an approaching man-at-arms- helped rush the tan, brown and gray agouti cyno to the rear.

Soon the Overmountain Men and Imperials were upon the former cyno positions, with those defenders too slow in fleeing or lying wounded quickly being caught by the pursuers and brutally dispatched with sword and axe blows or impaled by polearms.

A quarter mile to the West, Oevcn, Myrewecs and the bulk of the task force had just ascended a small hilly rise known as Pigeon Ridge when they saw the results of the opening engagement rush up to them.
It was all chaos: cynos, some covered in blood and nursing wounds or arrows, were fleeing back down the ridge, pursued by a howling mob of Overmountain Men and silent, professional Imperial veterans.

&Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Oevcn! It’s an ambush! They’re back and they’re angry!& Rewrkerw called out from the crowd as she half dragged Beimcu over.

The dark cyno commander immediately raised his hand cannon and fired in the air.

&Everyone fall back to the gonners!& He waved the forces on. &We’ll form a defensive line at Willow Ridge and-&

&That last position is three miles away!& Beimcu suddenly interrupted, shaking off her earlier blow and thanking Rewrkerw away with a gesture. &Our entire army could be rolled up and destroyed while retreating under attack!&

The dark cyno stopped, weapon hanging in the air. &That’s the last defeasible position. What can we do instead?&

The tan, brown and gray agouti cyno planted her feet firmly along the gently sloping ridge they were all standing on.

&We can hold on to this position.&

The Overmountain and Imperial forces soon appeared in the distance, rapidly approaching the confused army 500 feet away. Bolts began zipping by, and a few of the cynos fired back in response. Out of breath, some of the scattered vanguard had stopped and with the troops of the main line looked upon their commanders for direction. This was the moment of decision.

&Our troops are out of position. This rise is barely defensible. We’ll be hard pressed.& Oevcn gave a final warning.

Beimcu leaned down to grab a fallen comrade’s bow to fire back at the human onslaught.

&I think we can hold on.& She pointed to the narrow field before them, hemmed by a wooded hill on the South end and a rocky knoll on the North end. &The terrain suits us. We just need to be willing to stand.&

&Really?& The dark cyno had already reloaded his gonne, and now fired at an uncomfortably close pikeman yelling like a manic at them a few hundred feet away. He lowered his weapon again to quickly reload.

His companion nodded.

&You’re a master at innovation, Oevcn. But I know the old ways best. Do you trust my judgment?&

Oevcn paused but for a second, looking at Beimcu eye to eye. &Yes.& He said.

Beimcu nodded. &Good. We’ll fight this battle the traditional way.&

Immediately the tan, brown and gray agouti ran off to the left side of the ridge, calling out to the troops as she waved her bow and occasionally stopped to fire at any approaching humans. &We hold here! Find any shelter you can and stop the humans! Let us show these ghouls that we can face them toe to toe!&

&We stand and fight!& Oevcn echoed the call as he took up a position at the base of a large oak and with a squad of gonners began shooting down any humans who came within his sights. &We are cynocephali, and we are warriors! You are all volunteers here to defend Tar Hollow! You are here to defend your homes and your families, old ones and children! If we do not fight here, then we’ll be fighting there! So now we hold and we show them that we are not sheep to be harried like prey! &

All around the ridge, the cyno forces stopped and cheered, yipping and barking in response, the call echoing through the mountains. On the other side, the Revenant forces slowed their charge in confusion over the noise.

&Fan out!& The dark cyno continued barking out his orders, Myrewecs firing off a shot besides him. &Rewrkerw, take the right with a squad and keep them in the woods on top of the promontory! Myrewecs, go to the rear, scrounge up all the stragglers you can and move the rest of our troops up here as quickly as possible!& Oevcn was already firing again, shooting down a grizzly bearded overmountain hunter only two hundred steps away. & If we run, it is only in the face of overwhelming strength. Retreat if the enemy comes too close, only to strike back again when the opportunity arises, but fight! This ridge is our kairos!&

Rapidly the task force deployed, Rewrkerw forming up in a dense grove of holly with Cmompec and two scores of archers, while on the opposite side of the line Beimcu gradually extended the cyno forces to the base of a rocky knoll.

Jubilant at their successes, the human revenants initially failed to notice that the cynos had rallied at a new position, until dozens of individuals began to be clearly picked off by organized returning fire. When they finally noticed, the enemy troops screamed in anger, and without reorganizing, charged straight into the cyno position.

While the two opposing forces did not physically collide, they hit each other hard, the battle quickly breaking into a series of fluid, confusing, ranged duels split by localized, violent hand-to-hand combat. Clinging to the rocks, hiding behind trees and tall grass, the cynos fought back against the humans, a few warriors firing gonnes, but most shooting arrows or lobbing spears against the enemy, who reciprocated with bow and crossbow volleys or charged in wielding axes, clubs and pikes. Speed, nimbleness and ranged fire was of the essence for the dog-people defenders, for the humans would usually win any one-to-one physical combat, even as everyone on the field saw in the midst of battle a pair of opposing troops rolling across the field locked in brutal single combat, the cyno clawing and biting at a Overmountain Men attempting to snap her neck. As a result,the cynos mostly kept their distance from the enemy, and only rarely would a few charge in trying to dispatch isolated targets with spears, clubs and sabers. More likely than not, Oevcn’s would flee before large onslaughts of the Revenants, relying upon crossfire from neighbors to throw back attacks. It was all a bloody, confusing exchange in a rough, harsh alpine landscape, with neither force able to keep command and control or even certainty about which side was winning amidst the chaos.

All that could be done by Oevcn and his human counterpart was to feed more troops into the maelstrom.

Combat ebbed and flowed as the attacking humans spread out like a flood of water, trying to find a way around the defenders or break through a weak point. Eventually however it became clear that the human attack had been stopped, with the Revenant troops unable to continue their drive down the mountain with Rewrkerw anchoring the South and Beimcu holding the North, jamming the attackers into a narrow front and blocking off further reinforcements from entering the fight. Though many for Oevcn’s forces had still lost heart and continued fleeing down the mountain, to everyone’s surprise more stood and fought, even to the death. The cyno line bent and strained heavily, but it did not break.

Firing another round, covered in smoke, Oevcn laughed slightly in disbelief at the performance of his forces, while a few thousand yards away, tan, brown and gray agouti smiled before taking another shot to down an approaching Imperial pikeman.

A second later both sides realized the next tactical move.

The dark cyno immediately waved his smoking gonne at the undefended rocky hillock overlooking the pass.

&Get some folks up there!&

Hearing the call, Beimcu turned to the few dozen cynos around her- &Follow me with all haste!&-and immediately took up running up the promontory, quickly trailed by the others. The humans had the same thought, as dozens of brawny Overmountain Men also charged towards the top. As the troops on both sides raced to scramble up the steep slope the bulk of the armies at the main line turned to snipe at the opposing parties trying to ascend, hoping to slow the enemy down. With projectiles sailing in every direction around her, some striking unfortunate individuals climbing beside her, the tan, brown and gray agouti cyno could only hope for the best as she scrambled over boulders and dug her heels into the grassy terrain to clamber her way to the top.

Finally Beimcu reached the highest point, only to immediately face an Overmountain warrior swinging wildly at her with an ax. The cyno nimbly evaded the blow before leaning back, pulling her bow and firing the notched arrow at point blank range. Her opponent was hit in the belly, and with a grunt the Overmountain man toppled off the promontory into the masses below. Without pause another enemy jabbed at her with a pike but was shot down by a gonne blast from the valley. A third human soldier fired a crossbow at Beimcu, but missed and was then struck down himself as the other cynos also ascended and took up position around their leader.

Catching her breath, Beimcu could finally get a good look over the position. The knoll was not particularly high, perhaps only 100 feet above the pass, and it was exposed, bare rock. But it also dominated the field, and she could clearly see the Revenant forces below, caught in a logjam trying to smash their way through the stubborn cyno forces. Here was the key to the battlefield, and the tan, brown and gray agouti cyno would exploit it. Immediately she drew her bow and fired down into the enemy ranks, and her comrades followed suit.

Soon the Overmountain Men and the Imperials engaged against Oevcn’s position were being raked by a devastating crossfire, unable to properly respond. A few human archers and crossbowmen returned fire, and the top of the knoll itself became covered in blood: left and right, cynos were cut down by projectiles, but still the survivors atop the hillock, continually replenished by reinforcements from Myrewecs, continued to pour a rain of enfilading fire down on the enemy positions. Beimcu stubbornly remained standing, prominently displaying herself on the field as she continued picking off any Revenant troops that dared to expose themselves in her sights. Below on the main line, Oevcn maintained position, pinning the enemy under a galling crossfire with Rewrkerw.

Three times the Revenants assaulted up the boulders trying to eject Beimcu’s forces and three times the troops along Pigeon Ridge and the newly named Sharpshooter Hill drove them back down before they could reach the top.

Finally, the human forces stopped their charge, and while still dueling the cynos with projectiles, seemed to pull back their footmen. In short order, the Revenant army pulled back, and retreated unmolested back up Burnt Hickory Ridge.

&They’re breaking off!& Rewrkerw called out.

&I guess the humans decided that they wouldn’t be able to break through and cut their losses.& Oevcn observed stopping his fire to wipe the sweat from his brow. &That was lucky.&

&Haha good!& Beimcu laughed in response from atop the knoll. &I told you we can beat them!&

The dark cyno turned and saluted his friend. &That you did, Beimcu. I’m glad I listened.&

&Well, a good leader knows when to listen.& Came the call back.

&Do we pursue?& Myrewecs asked as he reappeared, seemingly disappointed at missing out the fight.

&Carefully screen the human retreat, but don’t start anything.& Oevcn ordered. &Stop when you reach the top of the rockfall. We have dead to recover and wounded to treat, as well as those of the enemy.&

&Understood.&

***

So ended the messy Battle of Pigeon Ridge, perhaps little more than a glorified duel. It was lucky that Beimcu persuaded Oevcn to stand their ground: casualties were minimal on both sides, with perhaps 180 cyno losses, including 41 dead, while the humans were slightly lower, around 160 losses, no doubt helped by the disorganized, ranged nature of the fighting. Were the Overmountain Men and Imperial troops able to properly deploy and use the full extent of their army, things could have become much bloodier, and the attempted counterattack if successful could have triggered a collapse of the army. As it was, seeing the opportunity lost, the Revenant Commander elected to break off further combat, satisfied at having bloodied Oevcn’s nose.

Perhaps more importantly however, was the fact that the cynos had now successfully stood in the field against some of the best human forces in the field. Long Range Task Force had for the most part done well.

As the sun began to fall Oevcn, Beimcu, Rewrkerw and Myrewecs reached the top of Burnt Hickory Ridge, the reformed vanguard under the gray and brown cyno already pushing towards the higher Craven Shelf looming in the distance. As cynos began pulling over the bodies to stack in rows, Beimcu looked sadly upon the remains of Jungtew and Turbecn. Rewrkerw however was looking ahead. &So we continue?&

Everyone turned to Oevcn.

After a pause, he nodded. &We will rest here for the night and let everyone lick their wounds. We’ll regroup and be more careful next time, but yes we’ll continue. I mean to see these Revenants gone before they could threaten us again.&

---

Linked Horizon - Guren no Yumiya

From  solokhoniir!

Original: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/56620016/