Lords of the Danube: Story Thread

[Mithridate]

It was a cold day, fresh snow light snowfall making the landscape shine around Baia as the army drew up at the front gates. The cumans clearly not fearing our men knowing we only had two pesky catapults, shouting insults from the walls. In eerie silence the men formed ranks, grimly awaiting to enter fierce battle.


A flag-bearer waves a flag being quickly mirrored by another and as one, the army begins to bash their shields while changing formations unit after unit. A rhythmic thunder silencing even the defenders behind their walls, more men move out from the keep to observe the commotion. Only a few Cumans remains to guard the Eastern gatehouse, as the army chouts and the slavs begin a feigned attack the hidden catapults are unveiled from their hiding. Having been positioned in the dark they where just outside the iron gates, destroying the gate with a rapid barrage allowing the Bokony lead Vata with his hidden reinforcements in a charge through. Only thew warlord Ernak managed to get in position to meet the charge. Outmatched and outnumbered where quickly overwhelmed, Ernak being one of the first to fall.


His bravery proved to have bern in vain as the unit of Croat axemen having rushed to his aid, leaderless quickly fell victim to a reformed charge to their flank. Decimated and seeing Hungarian militia pour through the gate they soon ran for their lives. When the Eastern gate fell the archers manning the Main gate tried to withdraw, Vata would have none of it cut them down to the last as they ran for the keep while Bokony opened the gates for the main force.


Leaderless, the cumans in the keep and could only watch with most of their bowmen dead or captured as Bokony lead the orderly march into the keep. His men quickly lined up as the catapults brought up by Vatas men started the barrage on the inner gates. Men cheered as Bokony raced across the walls shouting challenges and demanding the defenders surrender, seeing as the only response was arrows and the occasional rock he eventually returned to his now leering troops.


When the gates fell, Boskony was the very first through, closely followed by the pavise spearmen whom had yet to prove themselves. Showing remarkable cohesion and skill the well drilled spearmen physically pushed the cumans back forming a line allowing for the militia in followed by the crusaders, slavs, magayyar and eventually light infantry.


Well inside crossbowmen moved up on the walls and stared to rain death down on the desperate defenders while militia pushed and flanked the right, despite fighting fiercely the yard was soon covered in Cuman dead and once only a tenth remained they threw down their arms in surrender resulting in a clear victory for Hungary.


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Bokony was clearly not pleased and looked up from the parchment.
"Enough, i tire of this. It is sufficient to notify the King and realm that Baia is taken, that our forces are still in good shape and ready if needed. You can recite the battle in your own time and not in royal dispatches."

"But my lord, the people will want to..." Bokony slams his fist on the table making the scribe to drop the quill causing a blob of ink on the parchment.
"Then make a second letter for display, You where told to prepare a message and not a recietment! The King needs to know about the situation and our status, now write what i tell you or i shall have your hand!"

The scribe pales and quickly draws up a new parchment, writing down the precise words of the lord:
"Baia taken, the enemy crushed and we have sustained minor losses.

"We deployed 2555 men, precisely 300 lost and 1000 are ready to march.
The enemy was accounted to 1737 out of whom roughly 1600 will never rise again.
The survivors have been pardoned and set free, they will not oppose us again and some have joined my service."

"Vata will depart immediately and we request permission to move on the Byzantines, I will join any endeavor the coming year when i have bolstered my forces. I am greatly concerned as the main cuman forces, the Druzhina and other cavalry units had left before our assault leaving mostly peasants and Bosnians behind. Demeter must be warned for they may be upon him in the coming season. Should he be caught in the open i fear he will be overwhelmed as they may be up to a thousand crack troops."

observing the scribe hastily finish Bokony continues:
"Now, copy that message properly and send it to Pozsony, then make another for the court."