The Halvarian legion marched onto the battlefield shortly after dawn, the provincials moving up the road in a rough line, archers behind the footmen, with companies of horse to the south.
It would be some time until they posed a threat to Charlaine’s well-ordered defence, and the enemy would likely array its entire army before taking up the mantle of attack. Her interest lay not in the provincials but in the Imperial footmen following behind.
"By the Saints, there"s a lot of them," said the grand master.
Charlaine estimated their numbers, then smiled.
"You find something amusing, Commander?"
"It seems our strategy has worked."
"They still outnumber us."
"True, but it could’ve been far worse."
"Worse?"
"What you see arrayed before us is, by my estimate, roughly three-quarters of a
