Battle for Peruna by Josiah Boss (book club suggestions TXT) 📕

predicted, within ten minutes of the left flank attacking, they turned around and joined, or tried to join, the main battle.
When Garnock gave the signal, they all whipped out their sword, Tace and Garnock their two short swords, and after Garnock reared up and yelled “For Peruna; charge!” they charged headlong into battle, cutting and slashing and turning every which way.
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What the world!? Thought Atherton having just finished off another soldier. Suddenly confusion seemed to take over the humans. Some of them were turning around as if trying to run but they weren't going anywhere. Others were still fighting but glancing over their shoulders. And still others just stood there, as much as they could, as if not sure what to do. Suddenly through all the fighting, he thought he caught a glimpse of a centaur on the back side of the army, then the fighting resumed harder and fiercer than before.
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The humans seemed to be winning and the centaurs were falling back part way through the battle. Garnock, not knowing that this was Atherton's plan, thought they were retreating because the humans were too much for them. He glanced at Tace and together they yelled “Charge!!” With that he, Tace, Skandar, Skylar, Nikkelon, Tace, and Chance, with his bow and arrows, charged forward, Chance shooting as hard and fast as he could.
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Atherton thought he heard a faint yell for a charge called, but he figured it was just his imagination till he saw all the centaurs sweeping in for a second charge. Obviously they had heard it too and probably thought that he had ordered it. That's when it hit him, it was probably Garnock back from wherever he was. And...he was in the rear. That was what had caused all the confusion just a little bit ago. With that thought, he threw himself into the battle with a lusty yell.
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Suddenly, over the roar of battle, the shout was heard. “Long swords, generals!” that was also the coded way of saying, 'fight with all you got. We got 'em whipped.' Sure enough, within twenty minutes, there was only a small band of fifty or so left. That's when Garnock discovered that Mardoc and his two cowardly generals weren't in the bunch. After disarming them, they sent them back to their commander.
Finally, Garnock and Atherton met in the middle of the battlefield, and hugged each other.
“I don't know what we would've done if you guys hadn't shown up.” Atherton told Garnock. “Our plan was to retreat just enough to give the band time to get farther away, but if they would've kept fighting like that, I don't know if we could've held them off much longer. Your showing up, surprised them enough to turn the tide.”
“Well, I'm glad we showed up in time to be of some help at least.” said Garnock. “By the way, meet Chance and Leigha, two centaurs that were in the uh...that is to say, on the other side of the mountains. Their two children are Fletcher, or Fletch, and Skye.”
“Did you by any chance meet Garth?” asked Atherton of Chance.
“Meet?” asked Chance with a grin. “It was more like he met us. Just walked up to our cabin one night with Fletch who had gone out to pick berries and hadn't come back for awhile. Seems like him and his friend from Mardoc's army had rescued him from some...uh, beasts.”
“Where is he now?” asked Atherton. Just then there was a tap on his shoulder and he turned around to look up into the face of an older and more mature Garth.
“Well, well, look who's here.” said Garth pretending to be surprised at seeing Atherton there. “Long time no see.”
“Same here. And, boy, have you grown. The last time I saw you, you only came up to just a little past my shoulder. Now I have to look up to you.” Atherton grinned. Then he added, “Who's your friend here? The one who they say is from Mardoc's army.”
“Ah, yes. This is my good friend and loyal companion, Skylar. Soldier turned jail guard in Mardoc's army. He was dissatisfied with his position so he joined me in my escape so as to get to fight and not just guard prisoners.”
Atherton shook hands with Skylar who looked somewhat sheepish at what Garth had said. “Glad to have you join us.” said Atherton accepting him already into the band of centaurs. Then after the introductions went one more round with the other soldiers, they started off to meet up with the band.
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Gardenia and Natelin were talking and laughing, lagging behind the rest of the band as they gabbed about girl stuff. They had begged as hard as they knew and their moms had finally let them off the hook of helping to pack stuff and have the day off. Aubin had teased them about wanting to be the first ones to welcome the “handsome heroes” back into camp. They had just slapped him playfully and strode off in a huff. He had just laughed at them.
Now as they were walking along, not paying any attention to what was happening around them they didn't notice Nikkelon and Garth sneaking in the bushes beside them. The next thing they knew, they had been grabbed from behind. They screamed on instinct and flailed wildly about trying to hit something. That's when Nikkelon and Garth couldn't keep from laughing anymore. They dropped the girls and doubled over with laughter.
“Boy!” exclaimed Garth, “Nikkelon, I haven't had that much fun since...I don't know when.”
“It makes it even more fun since your here again.” said Nikkelon laughing almost to hard to get a breath.
The girls whirled around ready to leap upon Nikkelon and whoever it was with him. But they stopped dead when they saw Garth standing there. Gardenia shrieked and flew at him. He raised his arms and said, “Hey! Hey! Whoa!” but that didn't help as she hit him almost knocking the air out of him and wrapping him in a big hug. He just stood there and glanced at Nikkelon with a sheepish grin not sure what to do. Natelin just stared as if she could hardly believe that he was really there after two years of not being there.
Finally Gardenia let him go and took a step back. “You little creep.” she said jokingly, teasing him. “You didn't have to scare me like that.” She looked him up and down and shook her head then turned to Natelin. “We're gonna have to really watch it now if we tick him.” she said grinning. “He's liable to do whatever he feels like with us now.”
Natelin only then seemed to realize that Gardenia was talking to her and quickly tried to force a laugh. Nikkelon glanced at Garth who had to turn around to keep from laughing.
Finally he turned around and cleared his throat, then suggested that they catch up with the band so he could actually see someone else other then the “terrible two.” That brought an immediate slap from both girls. He and Nikkelon just laughed.
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Shiloh and Garnet were talking about what the men were doing and how they thought the battle had gone, when suddenly Garnet felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to be facing a breastplate. She looked up into Garth's face. Before he could help himself, he found himself being attacked by a hug for the second time that day. Nikkelon just laughed at his awkwardness, while Natelin and Gardenia grinned, pleased to see him uncomfortable and not in control of the situation for once.
His mom hugged him fiercely for awhile before letting him go. Then tried to scold him before she choked up and couldn't because she was also trying to keep from crying for joy and just hugged him again. Finally he was relieved by Garnock who came up just then, and headed off with Nikkelon and Skandar and Skylar.
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“What is the meaning of this?” bellowed Mardoc pacing in front of fifty unarmed, battle weary men.
One brave soul stepped forward. “It was the centaurs.” then when Mardoc glared at him, hastily added a “sir.”
“What about them? And where's my those no good generals of mine?” They unsteadily rose in the far back corner of the room. He waved his sword at them, which they took to mean they were supposed to go up onto the stage with him. He turned to the fifty again. “Has all my training fled your thin skulls?” he screamed at them, face red. He was furious, having just lost two hundred of his best men. No answer.
He screamed again, more to vent his frustration than anything else. These numbskulls could be such a pain sometime. Sometimes he wandered why he had ever picked them, especially Felgor and Forester. They were the numero uno dit heads in his army. In frustration he hurled his sword at the wall, where it sank halfway in. He strode over, yanked it out, and stabbed it into the floor of the stage.
Finally he turned at them and yelled, “It's extremely hard labor for you guys for the rest of the week. As further punishment, you will only get bread and water at breakfast and supper only.” He glared at them. “You are dismissed.” he said cutting each word crisply. Without a word they all rose and filed out of the room in perfectly straight lines. “At least they know how to do one thing right.” muttered Mardoc under his breath.
Then he turned to Felgor and Forester. “And where were you nit wits when this was going on? Huh?” They glanced at each other. He continued. “Haven't you ever heard that the general or leader should be the first one into battle?” He put emphasis on that sentence. They just looked at him. He was getting unnerved. What was it with everybody today? They just stared at him and he hated it. It so unnerved him. He glared at them so fiercely that they looked away. Still no answer.
Finally he strode over to Felgor, and, in a rage, picked him up off his seat by the collar and yelled in his face. “Answer me at once.”
Now Felgor was mad. I could kill him about now. He thought inwardly, but outwardly he said, sounding humble. “Yes sir.”
“Good.” Mardoc stalked from one end of the stage to the other, obviously racking his brain for something to say. Upon finding nothing else to say, he simply left by walking through the curtain at the back of the stage. Felgor, who was seething, got up and stalked off the stage and out the front entrance. He saw two soldiers standing there looking innocent, but who were, no doubt, listening in through the front door.
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That night there was a big feast over the return of Garth. Plus the welcome celebration for Chance, Leigha and family. They also were welcoming Skandar. The feast lasted late into the night. Garth was welcomed back by everybody in the band. At the same time, he was awarded a long sword like the generals had.
Skandar was given two short swords and set of bow and arrows. Chance and Fletch were also given swords. Since the already had bows and arrows they didn't have to get any. Chance and Fletch were assigned as archers under Aubin's command and Garth and Skandar joined the main body of warriors under Tace's command.
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Early the next morning, in the morning mists, seven riders on horseback were seen merging into the forest. They were seven of Mardoc's elite troops, the best of the best. These had endured extensive training only to get paid more and to have a higher position