The first of the B’ors to draw the Sicclunan riders crests the hill and leaps over the waiting bodies of his fellow warriors. Before his feet have touched down, the rest of the B’ors are already springing from where they lie in wait with the speed and ferocity of mountain cats breaking cover to take down prey. The first rider to reach the top of the hill has an ax blade buried in their shoulder before they can even know what’s happening. The B’ors warriors are on the backs of the mounted riders that follow before they can draw their weapons.

To Evie’s left, Bam swings his mallet into the chest of an encroaching rider and knocks them clear of the saddle, their mount floundering and tripping over its own legs. The horse falls past her, raising six-foot clouds of dust as it tumbles down the hill.

Evie practically skips to catch up with the beast. She grabs the reins of the toppled mount and wrangles the horse back atop its hooves. Peering over its back as she attempts to quiet and calm the animal, Evie is shocked to see dozens of dirty, spindly hands dragging Sicclunan riders from their saddles with a shocking fury and precision; the Savages are not only rising to the occasion, they’re acting almost as one violent organism, overwhelming the more experienced soldiers with sheer force of will. Even as Evie sees hands and arms lopped off by Sicclunan blades, more hands reach over to replace them, clawing and climbing and engulfing the riders.

Frantically, she searches their numbers for Brio, finding him cradling his leg down the hill. He looks as though he attempted to join the rush, but the injured, infected limb finally gave out on him.

Evie’s mind only registers that he’s safe for the moment.

“Bam!” she calls to the mallet-wielding giant. “With me!”

He strides toward her, the mallet’s haft held in both of his hands. It’s the only weapon carried by their band with enough reach to be effective from a mounted position, and wielded by Bam it recommends him to lead their forthcoming impromptu charge more than strongly enough to Evie’s thinking.

She turns over the reins to him, and Bam swings up onto the saddle with little more than a single step. Evie leaps up and settles behind him, hanging on to his cloak with one hand. She looks around, shocked again. All the B’ors warriors have claimed mounts, Yacatek riding double with a club-wielding tribesman. The rest of the Elder Company is mounted beside Evie and Bam, two of the more battle-hardened Savages behind them.

Evie slaps Bam on the shoulder. “To the hillcrest!” she urges him.