Charlotte's Reluctant Rearguard
The massive caravan moved slowly across the wasteland, with over a hundred cavalrymen driving hundreds of cattle and sheep at a snail's pace.
Charlotte rode in the middle of the procession, watching the suffocatingly slow progress with growing impatience.
She suppressed the growing unease in her heart and tried her best to calm herself down.
She took a deep breath, the icy air penetrating her lungs and clearing her chaotic thoughts slightly.
If Karl were here, what would he do?
The thought popped into my head involuntarily.
She could almost picture Karl's perpetually calm, as if he had everything under control.
He won't waste his energy on useless anger; he will calculate and seek the optimal solution, even in the worst-case scenario.
This idea was like a cold current, instantly extinguishing the restlessness in her heart.
Yes, anger won't change the situation; action is necessary.
She immediately reined in her horse and turned it around to stand beside Lyon, who was in the middle of the column supervising the soldiers as they herded the cattle and sheep.
"Your Lord Lyon," Charlotte's voice remained calm, but her pace quickened, "With these animals, we are moving too slowly. I request permission to lead my squad to cover the rear and guard the rear of the main army."
"If any enemy activity is detected, I will fire a warning shot immediately. When you hear the gunshot, do not hesitate. Abandon all cattle and sheep immediately and make a decision: either fight or flee."
Lyon was taken aback. He hadn't expected that Charlotte, despite her strong opposition to his decision, would volunteer to take on the most dangerous and vulnerable rearguard mission after the order was given.
A mixture of surprise and guilt welled up inside him. He opened his mouth, his tone softening considerably. "Charlotte Knight... just now I..."
Charlotte raised her hand to interrupt him, shaking her head. "No need to say more, Lord Lyon. Disagreements are disagreements, but I understand that there can only be one voice on the battlefield. Now that you have made a decision, as your subordinate, I will carry it out to the end."
"I'll take over the rearguard duty. Please remember, when you hear gunfire, make your choice immediately. This is the only way to minimize losses."
Looking into Charlotte's calm yet resolute eyes, Lyon nodded emphatically. "I understand! The moment I hear gunfire, I will immediately order the cattle and sheep to be abandoned and a full-speed retreat! You... must be careful!"
Charlotte said no more, abruptly turning her horse back to her squad and decisively ordering, "Everyone, slow down and disengage from the main force! We'll cover the rear!"
The team swiftly carried out orders, gradually falling behind the main force and eventually becoming the rear of the massive and cumbersome column, like a weak barrier.
Roland rode closer to her, his brow furrowed, and lowered his voice. "Charlotte Knight, this is too risky."
"Staying with the slow-moving main force and waiting to die is even more risky." Charlotte's gaze remained fixed on the empty, silent wasteland behind her, which seemed to harbor endless killing intent. Her voice was low and menacing.
"Cover the rear. At least we still have time and space to react. Remember, our mission is not to block, but to be our eyes and ears. Detect danger, issue warnings, and then figure out a way to retreat."
"As for those people ahead, since their commander made such a foolish decision, there's nothing we can do about it."
Charlotte led her small group, maintaining a precisely calculated distance from the main force moving slowly ahead and the huge herd of cattle and sheep.
This distance ensured that her warning shot reached Lyon's ears clearly while maximizing their reconnaissance range.
Throughout the journey, Charlotte's expression remained unusually calm, even more so than usual, showing no sign of emotional fluctuation.
There was no anxiety, no tension, and no complaints, only a focused, almost indifferent vigilance.
This extreme calmness, ironically, gave the surrounding soldiers a strange sense of security.
Roland rode alongside her from the side, his gaze frequently falling on her cold, handsome profile.
A thought suddenly entered Roland's mind: Commander Charlotte at this moment looked remarkably like Lord Karl.
Especially in such a critical moment, their performance was almost identical.
When faced with an imminent or already imminent major crisis, Karl rarely showed panic or a somber expression.
On the contrary, he often enters a state of extreme calm, just like Charlotte is now.
It was as if he already knew everything that was about to happen, so there was no need for any panic or heavy fantasies.
Like the calm surface of the sea before a storm, beneath the surface lies immense energy and decisiveness.
Charlotte controlled her horse's speed, silently moving at the very back of the group.
Her gaze swept across every undulation of the horizon, and she also kept an eye on the sun's trajectory in the sky.
The sun gradually rises from the east, passes its highest point in the sky, and then irreversibly sinks towards the west.
The passage of time was precisely measured in her mind.
Finally, the afterglow of the setting sun dyed the clouds on the horizon into a brilliant yet poignant blood-red and orange-yellow hue, and half of the sun had already sunk beneath the distant, continuous black mountain ridges.
The shadows of dusk began to lengthen rapidly, swallowing up the light and warmth of the wasteland.
Evening arrived as scheduled.
Just before the stillness of dusk was about to be completely enveloped by night, a very subtle yet rhythmic tremor was faintly transmitted through the earth.
Others were unaware, but Charlotte noticed it almost immediately.
This wasn't because she had exceptional hearing, but because she had mentally rehearsed this moment countless times.
This was the voice she had been waiting for and had always been wary of.
The rapid clatter of hooves, like the muffled beating of drums in the distance, was rapidly approaching, skimming the ground.
Without the slightest hesitation, or even a change in expression, Charlotte abruptly raised the Flintlock Rifle that had been lying flat on the saddle.
The gun barrel was already loaded with gunpowder, but no bullets were deliberately left unloaded, prepared specifically for this moment.
Without hesitation, she snapped the hammer open, aimed at the darkening sky, and pulled the trigger.
"Bang--!"
A crisp, deafening gunshot shattered the silence of the desolate twilight, its sound carrying far and wide, startling a flock of birds perched in the distance.
The slowly advancing column ahead was suddenly thrown into turmoil, with soldiers and livestock startled by the unexpected noise.
Many people turned around in astonishment, not understanding why the rear guard commander had suddenly fired a shot.
Charlotte expressionlessly lowered the still-smoking gun barrel, her gaze remaining fixed on the distant horizon where dust was faintly rising.
Her voice was calm, yet clearly reached the ears of every soldier under her command:
"The Sauron are coming."