Excerpt
Retreat? Jullian’s head snapped around at the loud trumpet calls of retreat from Henry’s line. What in Bloody blazes could that be he thinks. Rising in his stirrups, he scans the line, kneeing his horse back from the heaviest fighting.

He finds Henry and he was dragging someone with him away from two men that he recognizes are two D’Bries! Jullian searches for Aldric and finds him bracketed by Calmorian mercenaries. The retreat sounded again and the Calmorian line begans to break and move at a run back.

Aldric yelled triumphantly and signaled his men to attack.

“No!” Jullian covers the distance in two strides and he grabbed Aldric. “No! Do not follow something is wrong Dirk. Look!” he pointed in the direction where Will and Stephen D'Bries had dismounted and stood over a body.

The men closed ranks again blocking them from full view, but beyond was Henry with someone struggling in his grasp. It was Samuel, Jullian saw as he drags off Samuel's helm with one hand flinging it away.

Then then Samuel yells in their direction.
“Another death! All down one at a time!” Samuel yells.

Nothing should have reached them. They were too far away and the battle raged around them, and yet the scream somehow did echo to them. Retreat he also yelled and signaled.

“Another? Jullian? This is all death,” Aldric shakes free of his hold, “Something is not right, Jullian?

Henry’s forces were pelting off in full retreat now franticly expecting to be cut down.

“Hold.” Aldric yelled and signaled to his lead Guard, “Hold them where they are and watch to see if all of the Calmorian leave the field. If they stop, be ready and wait for our next signal.”

“You are right to have them not follow and not attack,” Jullian added his yell to Aldric’s. The yells echoed through the lines.

Aldric’s men milled about baffled as they drew up in response to the shouted orders.

However, they did draw up in lines not far from the edge of Henry’s camp.

“D’Cygnet now tell me why am I holding my men here and not chasing down the scum?”

“Because, something has gone wrong. Very wrong.”

Dismounting Jullian pointed in one direction and left a still baffled Aldric as he ran to where the D’Bries stood over the fallen body.

“Oh Lord Bless,” he croaked out recognizing the man at their feet when Stephen bent down and pulled off the blood covered helm.