His phalanx was too small, too thin; only a single row of spearmen surrounded it—a charge would scatter them.
It all came down to whether the Herders feared death, whether they dared to break through and create a breach.
Would the Herders lose their nerve first, or would the Paratu People collapse?
"Grip your spears tight! Hold your positions!" Winters desperately called forth the militia's courage, "Running will get you killed just the same! Protect your brothers-in-arms!"
The charge of the Herder Cavalry felt like an unstoppable torrent of floodwater, about to kill at any moment.
"Lord forgive me," a spearman facing the onslaught trembled and shut his eyes.
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
A series of urgent gong sounds came from the hillside.
The Herder Cavalry who were charging at Montaigne's centurion unit immediately turned away—not just them, but other Herders in the valley disengaged from the melee and retreated toward the slope.
"We've won!" Xial shouted excitedly.