Aodh's attack caught the Khanzada completely by surprise, likely because it drove Aodh's men directly into a full encirclement.
Despite this Aodh rode out with his small contingent of cavalry and challenged Chagatai personally. The Khanzada could do nothing but accept.
The Mongol general was then encircled himself, albeit on a smaller scale, and after losing almost all of his guardsmen he turned tail and fled like a coward.
Aodh's men gave chase, eventually trapping Chagatai in a formation of fanatics and bring his life to an end. Khanzada Chagatai was the last heir of the royal line of Mongols that had come west. With their Khan besieged at Antioch the Mongols were now effectively leaderless, and the last great threat to Scottish dominance of the Levant was at an end.
At his main line, however, Mongol cavalry had penetrated the screen of fanatics and engaged half of his army in close combat. Aodh was forced to ride back and attempt to salvage some order. Eventually the Mongol cavalry was repulsed, and Aodh was able to ride out and run down some isolated Mongol archers.
This angered the western Mongol army's captain, who launched an attack against the gently rising hill Aodh's men had occupied. Catapult shot rocketed overhead, giving the infantry a shock.
Again, however, Aodh was able to pin down and challenge the enemy Captain, who was quickly slain in battle.
The battle surged back and forth across the desert with neither side giving any quarter. Aodh led charge after charge into the broken ranks of the Mongol infantry, who routed and attempted to flee, but not before unhorsing every one of Aodh's loyal retainers. In a fury Aodh gave chase by himself, the last remaining mounted Scot, and was pinned by overwhelming numbers of Mongol spearmen when they found the courage to rally. Though he piled the dead infidels high around his horse, crying 'God and Scotland!' for every Muslim he slew, in the end he was dragged down and dismembered brutally by his enemies.
The valor displayed by Aodh in his quest for redemption remains very much an inspiration to the people of Scotland to this very day. Exactly
why he pressed home this hopeless attack against Edessa is something of a mystery, though the Order of Aodh offers many explanations and some other, less reputable sources, have the temerity to raise again the spector of Broccin's unwed lifestyle. Ultimately, however, the
reason for his actions is merely a sideline to the
result of his actions; Scotland's rise to dominance spiralled ever upward after this day. The Mongols were the last people to inflict such losses on a Scottish army, the last to sack a Scottish city, and the last to effectively challenge, and push back, Scottish dominance of any region.
The last, until Aodh stood forth and said, 'No more!' And so ended the petty empire of the infidel Mongols, though it cost him his life.
At the moment of his fall a second Mongol army, fresh and emboldened by the death of Aodh, arrived on the right, rear flank of Aodh's remaining forces. The nobles fought to the death defending the hill, but many of the fanatics and lesser levies fled the crushing defeat. Following the battle over a hundred prisoners were released by the Mongols, perhaps to carry stories of their ferocity in defense of Edessa.
Scottish PBM Write-up thread.
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