At a bend in the Green Fork, cargo ships of every size crowded the shore. With waterways crisscrossing the Riverlands and shipping readily available, Wylis's men had gathered the vessels with little trouble.
Now, northern soldiers were boarding in batches.
The cargo ships sat deep in the water, each capable of carrying dozens of men.
The ships sailed to the opposite bank, unloaded their soldiers, then returned empty. The cycle continued, and the figures on the riverbank visibly dwindled. Nearly half had already crossed.
Only the Merman Banner and several other noble banners still fluttered in the wind on the north bank.
This was the scene Luke found when he arrived with the Ashen Company.
He reined in on a rise, scanning the seemingly chaotic crossing before looking toward the sparse northern formations on the opposite bank.
There was no time to wait.
"Three thousand in the vanguard, smash their rear ranks!" Luke pointed his longsword toward the riverbank. "Make it quick! Drive the rest into the river!"
The order went out.
Three thousand Ashen Company infantry surged forward, charging straight at the northern rear guard, whose formation appeared to have loosened during the crossing, with the river at their backs.
It went unexpectedly well.
The northerners' resistance was weak and disorganized.
Like a hot knife through butter, the Ashen Company's vanguard tore through their defenses and swept all the way to the edge of the riverbank. They even set fire to several empty ships that had just docked, sending black smoke billowing upward.
Watching from the rise, Luke felt some of his tension ease.
It seemed the northerners were so eager to cross that they really had left their rear exposed.
He raised his hand, ready to order the entire army forward and destroy what remained of this force.