Chapter 21: Ambush at the Ravine
The stars gleamed faintly in the night sky, their light barely touching the jagged walls of the ravine. The campfires had long since burned to embers, casting fleeting shadows that danced across the rocks. Despite the stillness, an unsettling air hung over the soldiers. Dikun Silver lay awake, his back against a cold boulder, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Sleep did not come easily — not in rebel territory.
Joran stirred nearby, rubbing the weariness from his eyes. "Still awake?" he whispered.
"Someone has to be," Dikun replied, his voice low. His sharp gaze traced the narrow passage ahead — the perfect choke point for an ambush. He'd chosen the site for its defensibility, but that same advantage could become a deathtrap if the enemy struck first.
"I don't like it," Joran said, scanning the darkness. "Too quiet. Like they're waiting for something."
Eron, seated with his back to the fireless pit, nodded in agreement. "They are. But it's not just us they're watching. They're testing our nerves."
Dikun's jaw tightened. "Then we'll show them none."
But even as the words left his mouth, the distant howl of a lone wolf echoed through the canyon. The men stirred uneasily, their hands instinctively reaching for weapons. Dikun's eyes narrowed. A wolf's call could mean many things, but here — in hostile land — it was a signal.
"They're coming," he murmured.
---
The Ambush
It began without warning.
From the shadows of the cliffs above, arrows rained down like blackened death. The first cry of pain shattered the night as a soldier collapsed, clutching his side. The camp exploded into chaos. Men scrambled for shields and weapons, the glow of torches igniting in frantic bursts.
"Shields up!" Dikun roared, his voice cutting through the panic. "Form ranks!"
Joran and Eron echoed the order, their commands rallying the scattered soldiers. The remaining men surged together, raising their shields in a tight wall. Arrows clattered harmlessly against the reinforced formation.
"They're not done," Joran growled. "Look!"
Figures emerged from the ravine walls — cloaked in dark, tattered garments, their faces painted with soot. The rebels moved swiftly, wielding crude but deadly blades. They descended upon the camp with savage cries, eager to overwhelm the defenders.
"Hold the line!" Dikun bellowed.
The clash was brutal. The rebels struck with desperation, their movements fueled by hatred and vengeance. Swords clashed, shields splintered, and the ravine echoed with the sound of war. Dikun moved through the fray like a phantom, his sword a flash of steel in the night.
One rebel lunged at him, a rusted dagger gleaming. Dikun sidestepped, his blade arcing through the air in a clean, practiced motion. The rebel crumpled, his body hitting the dirt with a heavy thud. Without pause, Dikun turned to meet the next attacker.
Joran fought beside him, his shield smashing into a rebel's chest before delivering a swift, brutal strike with his sword. Eron, always calculating, directed the soldiers to target weak points in the enemy's disjointed advance.
"They're trying to break our formation!" Eron shouted.
"Not today," Dikun growled.
---
A Tactical Mind
Dikun's gaze flicked upward, scanning the terrain. The rebels had the high ground, their archers still raining death from above. He could see the flicker of movement along the cliffs — a weakness.
"Eron! Take a squad and flank those archers!" Dikun commanded. "Joran, hold the line. Don't give an inch!"
"On it!" Eron barked, already gathering a group of soldiers to scale the rocky slope.
Dikun turned back to the thick of the battle. His men fought valiantly, their shields locked together in unwavering resolve. For every fallen rebel, another seemed to appear. The sheer desperation of their assault was relentless.
But Dikun was no ordinary soldier. He was a commander who saw the battlefield as a chessboard. Every move, every counter — calculated.
"Drive them back!" he roared. "Break their momentum!"
His men surged forward, shields crashing into the rebels with brute force. The clash of steel and the roars of defiance reverberated through the ravine. Bit by bit, the rebel line faltered.
Above, Eron's squad reached the archers. Flashes of steel illuminated the darkened cliffs as the rebels were cut down, their vantage lost. Without their support, the tide of the battle shifted.
---
Victory and Cost
The rebels' cries of anger gave way to panic. Those who remained turned to flee, vanishing into the shadows from which they had come. Dikun did not pursue. His men were weary, bloodied, and the cost had already been high.
The battlefield was littered with the fallen. Some groaned in pain, clutching wounds that stained the dirt red. Others lay still — their eyes reflecting the stars above. Dikun's chest heaved as he surveyed the carnage. Victory had come, but at a price.
Joran limped toward him, blood staining his tunic. "We held."
Dikun nodded. "We did."
Eron descended from the cliffside, his face smeared with dirt and sweat. "The archers are no more. They won't strike from above again."
"Good," Dikun said, though his voice lacked triumph. "Tend to the wounded. Bury the dead. And make sure the men know this was only the beginning."
The soldiers moved slowly, some offering silent prayers as they carried the fallen. Dikun remained standing, his hands trembling slightly. Not from fear — but from the weight of command.
He had made the decisions. He had led them to victory. And yet, the faces of those who had fallen haunted him.
"You did what you had to," Joran said quietly, sensing Dikun's turmoil.
"I know," Dikun replied. "But knowing doesn't make it easier."
The ravine was silent once more, save for the crackling of dying embers. But in the shadows, the enemy remained. And Dikun Silver knew that the war was far from over.
To be continued in Chapter 22: Echoes of the Fallen
Author's Note:
Hello everyone, I'm sorry to say that I won't be able to update all my novels once a day anymore. With my final exams approaching, I need to focus on studying. On top of that, I have to complete my thesis and other case studies. However, I will continue updating one novel that I have already written. Thank you for your understanding and support!