Eric waited for the Shepherd Boy to finish translating, then gripped his shoulder and turned to face the grim shield wall. The men showed their approval of Eric's words by drumming their Shields.
"What's going on? What did he say? What did you say?" Belem demanded, gnawing angrily on the rim of his Shield.
Eric just smiled and shook his head without answering. He gave the order to pull back quickly and abandon the Warhorses. He knew the dozen or so Arab Cavalry he had seen were not the entire force.
His suspicion was correct. As the Normans retreated into a grove of neatly planted shrubs, more horsemen crested the hill. The number of Arab Cavalry just kept growing.
The opposing force was entirely cavalry—over two hundred Arab riders, with slightly more Cavalry Archers than heavy cavalry.
Eric's force consisted of roughly eighty Knights, fifty Crossbowmen, and twenty Shield Soldiers.
