The Forth Brigade

[Morhin]

(OOC: At the segestion of Eomer, I've started another battle seen.)

The Easternlings had marched long and hard for many a day over the Misty Mountains. They had taken the fastest way to Angmar, through the pass of Langwell at the foot of mount Gandabad. From there the headed down along the mountains of Ettenmoors and finaly to the boarder of Angmar. There they ran into an army of horsemen. (This would be the forth group counting left to right, Eomer is in group two.) Rawhide thought them to be riders of Rohan, by their dress, and called aloud to them. "Riders of Rohan! You seem dressed for war! Who you battle is none of my buisness, but I do have buisness in Angmar! Stand aside and let me pass!" When the horsemen did not move, Rawhide shouted, "I am Grand Warmaster Rawhide of Rhun! Who is you Captain? I would speak with him! Take me to him!" With that Rawhide and ten select men rode forward towards the Rohirrim.

[Lord Eomer]

The leader of the fourth brigade was Gramling. Gramling had had his scouts, and he was aware of the soldiers that were coming up on his right flank. He soldiers had been turned and were prepared for battle in the best way possible. However, they were still coming down from the Mountains so an uphill charge would make things difficult. Gramling had 2,500 men in his command and all of them were more than willing to fight to the death for him and their king. Gramling, at the order of their leader, decided that it would be best to discuss before he launched an assault and he spurred his horse forward and rode to meet the leader of their army in the middle of a small field. " You requested a presence? " He asked calmly.

[Morhin]

Rawhide stoped and eyed the man. "I do if your the captain of these horsemen. You are blocking the way. I have buisness in Angmar." Looking around at the horsemen, Rawhide guessed that they had two, maybe three-thousand men. Which suited him fine, sence he had brought with him three of his best Chapters (1000men per Chapter) and 500 horsemen of his own. Rawhide repeated his preveous statement. "I am Rawhide, Grand Warmaster of Rhun. Move aside and let us pass, or we will march right through you. I do not have time for idel talk."

[Lord Eomer]

Gramling was not intimidated by the man who stood before him. He had his errand of soldiers and he knew that they would be more than enough to defend and defeat these foes that stood before him. His horses head rose up and Gramling shook his head. " Well, Grand Master of Rhun..Prepare your soldiers for battle, for i can not allow you passage to Angmar. " He said as he drew his sword and put it to his chest respectfully and bowed his head before he turned and rode with his errand back to the main body of soldiers where the news was given to prepare for battle. Instantly the soldiers seemed to understand and comply. Then, 600 archers that had dismounted stepped forward from behind the horses loaded arrows to their bows, took aim, and loosed the arrows into the air.

[Morhin]

Rawhide nodded to Gramling in respect. He respected any man who followed his kings orders, even if they ment death. Rawhide had just began to give orders to his captains and sargents when a rain of arrows began to fall around them. "Sheilds up!" yelled a Master Sargent. The order was unnessisary for the solders of Rhun had already seen the arrows has they rose in the air and had their sheilds up before the first one struck. However, there were a few causalties. But the armor of the Easterlings was strong, and the arrows were just falling out of the sky and easy to block.

Rawhide commanded his men. "Chapter Red Dragon! Form a shield wall! Pikes in frount! Chapter Black Snake! Form up along the Dragon's right flank! Chapter Wild Boar! Form up one Dragon's left flank! Prepare to repell a Calvery charge!"

His men sprang into action, as only the Easterlings could do. They were well trained and loved war. Fight and kill your foes, or die in battle, That was the Easterling way. Rawhide turned to his second in command. "Take our horsemen and stay behind the lines. Wait for my signal to attack." With that, Rawhide rode just behind the first line of lowered pikes and yelled, "Easterlings! Forward! Stay together and prepare for their attack!" "HA-HU!" three thousand men answered and began to move as one.

[Lord Eomer]

Gramling had seen this attack strategy many times before and was more than capable of defending against it. The horsemen that were in his errand new very well that this was an extremely effective defense for calvery charge. However, without the proper moment, and the proper terrain a charge would only hurt them. Gramling ordered the horses be sent to the flank as the spears and swords were brought out for foot combat. This, obviously was an unusual style to be seen by the enemies of the Rohirim, however, they only needed to be time for the reinforcements from the Third Brigade to arrive. Scouts had been sent out as soon as the Easterling army had been spotted and it was only a matter of time. Gramling ordered the spears to the front and to allow the easterlings to move in their formation, but to move as to where the Rohirrim soldiers spread out with them and out around them forming a battle eclipse around the Easterling triangle. As the easterlings would come in, the Rohirrim would send arrows into their lines from closer range and pick them off and expose holes before the charge. Two thousand of the soldiers were ordered to do this as another 500, were ordered to stay in the back on horseback to counter the charge of the Rhun calvery. The calvery of Rhun was very effective, however, they were not as good as those of the Rohirrim so only 500 would be needed to subdue that of the Rhun army.

[Morhin]

(OOC: Very nice. I think this will be a very good fight.)

IC: As the Easterlings moved forward, the Rohirrim began to change formation. To Rawhide's surprise, they dismounted and formed a wall of their own. It appeared that they were going to let the Easterlings march right up to them and fight instead of charging aganst them. "Well played." Rawhide said to himself. "They probably have archers behind their ranks that will shoot when we get closer. Very effective."

Rawhide dismonted his horse and had it led to the rear. No sence in making himself a easyer target. He called to his Sargents and gave new orders. "Keep the long 9ft halberts pointed towards the enemey, in case they do charge. But as soon as they begin fireing arrows, detach the halberts shaft to 5ft. These will be more effective in close combat. And keep your sheilds up. We'll take some deaths before we reach their lines but it cannot be helped. Easterlings! Forward!"

[Lord Eomer]

The soldiers from Rhun did not really have a choice when it came to marching straight into the Rohirrim semi circle. However, the Rohirrim had no problem with continuing to back up and keep going until they ran smack into the Third Brigade, which, by now was obviously on its way at top speed. As the Easterlings moved their way into position the Rohirrim archers began to take shots at any hole they could find. Grant this took time but slowly chinks in the Rhun wall of shields slowly began to form. The Halberts were keeping the Rohirrim footmen away from the charge, but that was not the initial option for Gramling and his men. As Gramling saw how well his play was working he ordered another 500 horsemen to mount up away from the battle. An advantage of forcing the Rhun army away from the mountain was that now there would be room for a calvary charge if it was needed. The Rohirrim shields continued to protect the archers that took refuge behind them as they continued to fire. Gramling waited for retaliation from the Rhun army. If they continued this there would not be many men left to fight with. Gramling, obviously had presented a situation that now forced the Rhun soldiers to charge the spears, just like the Rhun soldiers had wanted the Rohirrim to do.

[Morhin]

Rawhide suddenly saw his mistake. The Rohirrim were loring the Easterlings away from the mountains. Rawhide also began to sespect that they had reinforcements near by and were stalling untill they arived. Rawhide guest that he had lost about 100 men to the Rohirrim's archers and probalby 150 more wounded. He had to act now.

Rawhide ordered that the 9ft halbets be replaced with the 5ft ones, which were ideal for close combat. But he left some with the 9ft halberts incase the Rohirrim brought their calvery back. The Easterlings kept their shields held high to block arrows as they prebared to charge. The Riders of Rohan may be the best horsemen in Middle-Earth, but the Easterlings were probable the best Infentry in Middle-Earth. They fought as one. Rawhide took a halbert himself and cryed to his men. "Easterlings! Charge!" Silencly, deadly, The Easterlings began joging forward, rapidly decreasing the distance between themselfs and the Rohirrim. Every time one of them fell to arrows, another was ready to fill the gap. When they were ten feet away, the Easterlings droped their shields to block the Rohirrim spears and smashed into their lines. The fight had truly begun.

[Lord Eomer]

Once again, the Rhun soldiers made a very predictable move and the Rohirrim were very quick to counter it. They welcomed the attack of the soldiers as they knew that close combat would even the field a little. However, as the Rhun soldiers broke line the soldiers of the Rohirrim gave way in one straight area. In mere moments of the charge 500 mounted soldiers rode straight through the gap and into the middle of the Rhun infantry. The Rhun soldiers had removed the longer Halabards and thus exposed themselves to a full Calvary attack. The other 500 calvary had wheeled around to the back and charged forth into the Rhun Calvary so that there would be no counter charge. This was allowed because of the disorganization of the charge. The Rohirrim calvary was now running through the exposed Rhun infantry lines slaying at will as the Rohirrim foot soldiers fought their now flustered enemy with a new found furry and moral.

[Morhin]

Rawhide cursed himself and relized that it had been too long since the Easterlings had fought another well organized army. He had viewed these Rohirrim as an unorganized rabble. Now as their calvary broke through his lines, Rawhide disided that he had to do something fast, or his men would be slaughtered.

Luckly, Rawhide had not ordered all of his men to change to the 5ft Halabards. Some still had out their longer 9ft halabards so were not over run by the Riders of Rohan in certain areas. The Easterling Calvary had broke and fled when the Rohirrim attacted them. But that was part of the plan layed out by their Commander. His horsemen were no match for the Riders of Rohan in single combat. But by acting like his men were thrown into compleat disorder, he lured part of the Rohirrim calvary away. When they were far enough away, the Easterling horsemen weild about and charged the Rohirrim, shooting arrows at them. When they came within 30 yards of the Rohirrim, they turned and again retreated, shooting as they rode away. This attack and retreat while raining down arrows pervented the Rohirrim from attacking as one. It also made a clear way for the infentry to escape.

Meanwhile, the infantry had taken a lot of casualties, almost 700 men had been lost. But the Easterlings had for a moment deflected the Rohirrim charge. Rawhide decided that this fight was over. He was outnumbered and being over run. Were this a fight that mattered, he and his men would have fought to the death. But this was not their fight.

"Order a retreat! Have the men fall back!" Rawhide yelled above the sounds of battle. Slowly, the Easterling regrouped, pikes out streached, and began to fall back. Many more Easterlings fell as the tryed to get behind the wall of halbarts. Some, not wanting to run, choise instead to keep fighting and die. But they did not last long against the Rohirrim. Over 1200 Easterlings lay dead about the field, and almost half of thier horsemen were slain. Rawhide hoped that the Rohirrim would see that they had had enough and would allow them to retreat back to their homeland.

[Lord Eomer]

Gramling saw that the retreat of the enemy army was underway. He rose his hand and ordered that the soldiers not pursue but hold their ground. Two company commanders pulled up next to him to ask what his orders were. " Create a defensive layout but do not engage. I do not believe they will return, they have lost enough men this day. " He said as he looked over the field of the dead Rhun soldiers. " Also, send a messenger under a white flag and allow them to come and collect their fallen soldiers, we shall retire two hundred yards away from this field as they allow them privacy. " He said calmly as he whipped his sword clean. " Our losses? " He asked as he looked over at the commander. " Slim sir, they did not hit us that hard, around 400 sir. " Gramling nodded and turned and his commands were impliemented.

[Morhin]

Rawhide saw that the Rohirrim had halted their advance and had riden a respectful distance away. A messenger under a white flag rode towards them. An archer raised his bow to shoot but Rawhide raised his hand. "No, we will here what they have to say." The messenger told the Easterling army that they would be alowed to retreave their dead.

Probably the worst dishearting thing for the Easterling army was to collect their dead. They had lost a battle, which Easterlings have little experence in. But Rawhide took it as a lesson in tactics, although a hard lessen it was. Two of his Chapters had lost almost half their number. The third had reseaved less deaths, but almost all were wounded. After cleaning the battle field, the Easterling army march a ways away from the battle and made camp. Though Rawhide wished to return home as quickly as posible, he had too many wounded men. They needed rest before they could begen the long journey home.