It was not a complete surprise. A thousand horses galloping down the side of the mountain made noise.

But when they arrived, the enemy had not had nearly the time they would need to prepare to face what they were about to face.

Not to mention, a thousand horses galloping down the side of a mountain, the sight that was, the noise it made, when you knew the men and women on those horses were riding in with the intent to do you harm, it was intimidating.

As Cassius planned.

The second advantage was a different kind of surprise, one for Cassius.

They had not fortified their position. They’d dug no trenches nor erected any barricades.

The way was clear, when he and Elena’s troops arrived, for them to ride right into, and through, their encampment.

This was a boon he had not expected.

And they needed every boon they could get.

The third advantage was the Nadirii archers.

Nadirii archers did not let fly an arrow unless they’d taken aim. Their target might move in the interim, and thus be missed. But they did not waste ammunition on a barrage intent to daunt, not do damage.

Thus, when the front line, including Cassius, Elena, Macrinus, Jasmine, Serena, Hera, Rosehana, and their following line, including Antonius, Nero, and Cass and Elena’s best cavalrymen got close, they bent low over the necks of their mounts.

And the Nadirii archers behind them took aim and let fly.

Thus, as the first line of the allied militia that had scrambled to meet them were on foot, and they had not had time to fully don any armor, they therefore collapsed as a whole before Cassius and Elena were within fifty feet of them.

It was the forward cavalry’s job, as they rode over and through the fallen, to deliver damage with their swords and their horses’ hooves that would make certain they did not get up.

This, they did.

The next advantage circled back to the first three. It was one Cassius had hoped to gain with this strategy and was pleased he did.

For it was impossible to miss the fact that a great number of the militia decided on the spot—with a surprise, full-frontal attack and legendary Nadirii archers in play—maybe they’d made the wrong decision on whose side they wished to take.

Deserters were racing into the forest beyond in droves.

In the thick of it, Cassius could not begin to deduce how many had fled.

He just knew it wasn’t enough.

But at least it was something.

A further advantage was that they were all on horseback.

Cassius could cut through three men before they got close enough to do damage to him or Caelus.

Thus, this was how Cassius proceeded, with Elena doing the same at his side, cutting a swath of wounded or dead militia alongside their comrades who were doing the same.