Just In Time

After a long march through the rugged pass, the Midlish Earl was surprised when his scouts reported that the enemy was alert and in battle line with dust clouds in the distance suggesting that reinforcements were on their way.

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After a short survey of the enemy position, the Duke gave orders for his column to deploy for battle.

The sight of the Duke with his companions roused a chorus of cheers
from the warriors from this village, the woods folk and sheep herders,
who had gathered when the Raven came cawing the danger to come.

At last the armies were deployed and the arrows began to fly.

The defenders on the hills fought bravely and repelled the first attack,
but the enemy cavalry and bowmen were working their way around both flanks.
They had to start falling back to less open terrain.

After the break while the armies redeployed the skirmishers continued
to trade arrows. At last,the battle line began to advance again.
 The Midlish knights advanced on their flank, ready to break a tired enemy. 

The fighting was determined on both sides but neither cavalry charges nor infantry were able to break the defenders defending their village.

As the sun began to sink, the Midlish General sent his Herald to offer a parley. After a short exchange, the Valdurian Duke agreed to halt the fighting while the Midlish army retreated back through the pass.

Once More Unto The Pass

The harvests had been collected and the Midlish nobles were eager to wipe out the shame of their repulse at the New Year's raid. It had been years that they had tried to pass through the mountain passes rather than going around.

Scouts reported that the Valdurians had no longer manned a fort at the top of the pass, and the word went out to the border Nobles to muster their allotment of horse and foot and be ready to march as soon as summer turned to autumn..

"Look! We've scared an old crow, it must be an omen!" 

With laughs and boasts, the column advanced while the Valdurian Pass Watcher put his paper away and crouched down to count the force of the column as it marched up the pass with songs and shouts. When all were passed, he faded even farther into the woods and moved swiftly but quietly through the woods to report what he had seen.