A few of his trusted men behind him also drew their weapons, glaring menacingly at the two squads.
He was about to use his own men as cannon fodder for a forced probe.
Left with no choice, the men in the two squads could only bite the bullet. They raised their somewhat crude wooden shields and, under the cover of a volley from the crossbowmen behind, howled as they charged toward the other side of the stone bridge.
On the other side of the bridge.
Upon seeing them, a look of panic seemed to flash across Catherine's face.
She hastily raised her shield, rather clumsily deflecting a few weak, stray arrows. Then… she wheeled her horse around and fled in a panic toward the birch forest behind her.
"She's running! That wench is running away!" Their spirits lifted at the sight, the charging cannon fodder broke into an even faster sprint.
They quickly stormed across the stone bridge and plunged into the birch forest on the opposite bank.
