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.As the commander stood up and prepared to dive off the edge of the bridge, the thief screamed "Red hair!"Fzoul locked eyes with Cyric for a moment, then tried to jump.At the same instant, Cyric loosed the single shaft with unerring accuracy.The arrow pierced Fzoul's side as he fell into the river.The slaughter of Bane's men continued, but the battle at the western front was over.Cyric gathered most of the men together and headed for the eastern front.As they approached the center of town, though, they heard the sounds of a battle in progress — steel clashed against steel, and commanders screamed out orders.Cyric and his men charged into the nearest group of Zhentish soldiers.When they had driven them off, Cyric quickly asked a commander what had happened."The Zhents came from the north, too.Just as we'd expected.We slowed them down a bit with the traps and ramparts we'd set up in the farms they had to pass, but they got here anyway."Then another group of Zhentilar charged Cyric and he was once more lost in the battle.In the furious fighting that covered the crossroads of Shadowdale, few noticed the squad of Zhentilar cavalry break off and head down the road to the east.Kelemvor knew they would face impossible odds.Still, he gave the order to advance without hesitation.As commander of the entire movement, Kelemvor's place was in the third line of defense.Those who charged out in the first line would account for the heaviest percentage of casualties in the attack on Bane's armies, but there wasn't a soldier that had not volunteered for their position.Kelemvor had been spared the duty of selecting those who would rush off to die.Bane's soldiers emerged, six at a time, from the path Sememmon had blazed.Most of the horses had been killed in the trap, so most of the troops were infantry."Why not use our cavalry?" Drizhal said to Kelemvor."We might be able to force them back that way.""We'll need the mounts later," Kelemvor said."Their speed will allow our survivors to fall back and regroup long before Bane's army can reach them." The fighter turned away from the younger man and deployed the foot soldiers to cut down Bane's forces as they left the narrow opening through the fallen trees in the road.The dalesmen had some success in slowing down the Zhentish charge.Soon, however, they were forced back by the sheer number of Zhentilar still advancing.Kelemvor used the archers to provide covering fire as the survivors of the first group fell back and joined with Kelemvor and his men.At the same time, another band of dalesmen moved forward."Whoever their commander is, he's good," Kelemvor said."My own tactics don't seem to be fazing him at all.""It's almost as if he knows you," Drizhal said.Kelemvor shook his head."Or he knows what to expect."Bishop, the commander of the first group of dalesmen to attack, approached Kelemvor.He was slightly older than Kelemvor, with dirty blond hair and a fair complexion."They're fighting like desperate men.If this was a holy crusade, like you said, they wouldn't be.It's more like fighting for survival, now," Bishop said."They're not so anxious to die anymore.""But they keep coming," Kelemvor said."Do you think we can force a retreat?"Bishop shook his head."The Zhentilar in front have some madman driving them on, but they're scared and they want to turn back.Those in the rear are hungry for revenge, and they're pushing forward.That's what it seems like from all the shouting.I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of them are deserting into the forest."Suddenly there were shouts from the rear of Kelemvor's troops.The fighter turned and saw a squadron of men approaching from the west.They wore the colors of Bane's army."Where did they come from?" Bishop said."The north road," Kelemvor said with growing alarm."A battalion must have come through the north road.That means Hawksguard and Mourngrym have already been attacked, and these men were forced to retreat from them.""Or the dalelord is already dead," Bishop said quietly."Don't even think it," Kelemvor shouted as he sent a group to stop the Zhentish cavalry in the rear before they caused too much havoc in the ranks.It was already too late for that, though, as the horsemen charged into the dalesmen's lines."Kelemvor!" Drizhal shouted."More of Bane's soldiers are breaking through from the east!""We'll have to fight them, hold them here, and cut down their numbers as best we can until help arrives." Kelemvor said."What about the bog? Can't we still draw them into the bog and fight them there?" Drizhal said."You might as well forget that idea," Kelemvor said, smiling weakly at the boy."I've spent enough time with dalesmen to know they would never retreat from anyone.especially the Zhentish."Drizhal watched as Bane's soldiers poured through the opening."Prepare cavalry!" Kelemvor shouted as he drew his sword."We fight to the last man!"Soon all of Kelemvor's finely drawn battle plans turned to dust as the dalesmen faced the enemy in a chaotic melee.Kelemvor knew that they would be hopelessly overwhelmed when the full weight of Bane's army was brought against them.He knew that the only real hope was an organized retreat through the remaining, small stone barricades on the way to Shadowdale.But as the situation rapidly deteriorated strategically, Kelemvor saw that the defenders of Shadowdale were more than happy to go to their deaths fighting the Zhentish man-to-man.The fighter watched half-a-dozen men whom he had stood beside rush into battle, then fall before the dark army of the evil god
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