Outside the forest, the Iron Bone Tribe's warriors were stunned to find an enemy at their backs!
Before they could react, a force of white-cloaked Cavalry came charging toward them like a whirlwind.
The riders brandished sharp lances and gleaming blades, striking with the ferocity of tigers descending a mountain. The Barbarian warriors broke after a single charge!
After a bloody clash, James's troops swiftly finished the fight. The small force the Barbarians had left outside the forest could not withstand their full assault.
But James did not relax. He knew the Ranger Cavalry were still deep in the forest, locked in a bitter struggle. Even if he eventually defeated the Barbarian Cavalry before him, any further delay might cost the Ranger Cavalry squad in his border force dearly.
The Ranger Cavalry had been tasked with luring the enemy in, but they could not be allowed to become sacrifices.
James immediately gave his orders: each of two detachments was to leave a small squad outside the forest to guard the horses against mishap and hunt down any Barbarian stragglers who tried to flee.
With that settled, he led the rest of his main force after the traces left by the fighting...
What James found along the way eased his mind. Most of the bodies belonged to Barbarian warriors; only a handful of Ranger Cavalry had fallen. It seemed they were holding up well.
James could also tell that the Ranger Cavalry had used the terrain to draw the Barbarians deeper into the forest, concealing themselves and diminishing the enemy's advantage in numbers.
It was an effective tactic, but it made reaching them harder. Under these conditions, James and his troops struggled to find the Barbarian force, let alone catch up with it.
James reached another fork in the forest and