What happened at Hanun, can be described as both a Miracle, and true grit put forth by those not willing to give up their City. Hanun was the sight of one of the largest battles to date to take place between the Red and Green factions. The attacking Hospitaller factions brought over 2,200 troops to attack Hanun's 1,475 troops. Hanun's army was not well-equipped and I was given my gear as I arrived. A measly thin tunic over mail, a pike, and a small ration of pork and beans. As the battle loomed near, men about the encampment were doubtful of their success in the coming battle. Hearing of the legions of men the Holy Army had brought, they were sure to be defeated. A game plan more-so in effect was of which route do we take to return home, away from Hanun when it is blighted.
Lumping down tasteless meals and strapping on armor, my hands found hold of my Pike and we were horned to our formations. As our commanders took roll-call, it was apparent that we had quite a few deserters that had left overnight. Most of us considered them lucky bastards, men whom would return home to see their families grow and their fortunes perhaps as well. As roll was called, our legion did a prayer, in hopes that we would overcome this monstrous difference between the two factions. As we braced in the chilly-crisp air for what would surely be our demise, we saw those banners waving high above the peaks of the mountain tops begin to approach. Thankfully, after our experience at Uslum, we had somewhat of a surrounding given that the angles for archers to shoot us from were not as severe as they were North in Uslum. As expected, the first arrows rang out and our ranks of archers (not nearly as vast as theirs) returned fire. This went on for several minutes, but it felt like days as one wave of arrows would blind the sunlight from making it to the ground, and the return would do the same.
It was then, we heard their melee infantry units begin to descend the hill. Their boots, laiden with armor and their shields heavy upon them made the snow beneath them sound like explosive booms as it gave way to their path. League after league of men came forward and formed themselves at the mouth of our village. Separated by two sides, most of our men behind cover, others finding themselves unfortunate enough to receive an arrow from the skies, we marched forth and met them. What we had heard was the Mighty Hospitallers and their shield-walls, began to retreat. Our men, half of us without boots or gloves or helms, was able to go forth and drive their initial wave back.
This went on many times, their infantry would flank to either side of the village and attempt to penetrate our defenses. While at times they would get deep, it would be one or two men and they would quickly be added to the piles of dead bodies now forming walls around us to protect from the archers. I saw men, of only thirteen years old, bring down Reds, but I then as well saw those boys cut down. As the war waged on, men whom had been shoulder to shoulder with you at the start, were still there. This shocked us, we had surely thought this would be a stampede of victory for the Hospitallers and their allies. Time raged on, and the sun drew higher in the sky as we realized, they were not cutting us down as expected. This gave our men courage, it built morale. The fact that we might not die here today at Hanun put a fresh fighting spirit in every man's heart as their combat (when it came) demonstrated.
Finding the sun peaking over the tops of the hills, we knew that this would either carry into the night, or the attacking generals would retreat, leaving their men behind to be cleaned up while Hanun was safe for a night longer. Wave after wave of men came forth, met their demise, and another wave to replace them until finally, as a looming shadow crossed the battlefield from the sun ducking behind the mountains, we heard their shouts for retreat and their warhorns sounded in a fashion that their ranks would understand. I saw the faces of men I was fighting, their eyes wide as they heard the call. Surely they did not expect their commanders to retreat, but it was so. As men threw their weapons to the ground and fled to catch up with the already parting army, many were cut down in stride and were not given the chance to make it as lucky as the rest were.
As the shock set in that we had just defended Hanun with 700 less men than our opposition to start, the bloody bearded faces of wartorn men began to shine and glimmer as they laughed. Men drank wine and looted the corpses of the dead. Servants took weapons to stockpile, and our cache of weaponry grew. We knew they'd be back in a day's time, but for tonight, we were the Victors. We were Warriors apart of the Miracle at Hanun.
Sir Tankon (The non armless one) of KUTT