Initial charge of Hussars ended with yet another line of Swedish musketeers pinned together yet this iron bastards forgot the meaning of life as they kept shooting their matchlocks to the bitter end. Hetman absolutely hated that. Did those men lost their blasted minds?! Or did Gustav Adolf took their families hostage. Flare after flare, whistle after whistle, mace after mace, warlord did his best to somehow hold his own and his soldiers morale up. They already were stretched thin, they received no funds from treasury for at least three months already. No wonder why did the Commonwealth got invaded if it's royal spine was so weak and now... Now was not a time to think about rage to corruption if blue-coats hailed their cannonballs as if tomorrow was never supposed to come.

And it was bad, to save 7th pike-shot, feline screamed on top of his lungs to engage with Swedish owns... or rather German mercenaries as he easily recognised banners of Munich and Schwabia. Mayhaps now Swedes will stop ringing their bombards at least for a second in fear of hitting their own...

Felix dashed like a wind, blinding enemy behind with clouds of dust and soil. His eyes as if they saw a ghost... or thousands of them. Where was Hetman, where the hell was he?! Why did this old stubborn bastard refused to stay behind frontlines?! He was the head of this whole operation and now... he was pushing the same dull head between hammer and the anvil.

He has already missed a charge yet the messenger was blasted to bits just few minutes ago... few minutes on battlefield felt like years at least and each dodged bullet removed a year from lifetime. Another cannonball split the earth in front of his horse... Old mare did not even flinch, one could wonder could she even see it anymore. Finally he saw another flare shooting grey smoke into the sky... And there he was, the Warlord in his natural habitat.

"Hetman! Hetman!" Felix shouted yet in commotion, Jerzy could not hear anything until they got close enough to smell what each of them reeked of. When feline felt hand touching his shoulder, he instantly made a swing with decorated mace right at Felix' helmet... and stopped right before it! Gritting his teeth, he moved his horse slightly away. "What the fuck is wrong with you Colonel?! Did you lost the whistle?!"
Felix did not, however he had not time to think about it. "Russians Hetman! Russian army joined the battle!"
Jerzy's jaw dropped, what the fuck was wrong with them?! Did they drank the vodka supply for whole campaign in one sitting?! Who the fuck lead them?! Why did they not at least wait for battle to be over to reduce their losses?! Feline grabbed his forehead and dropped his eyes until Felix shook him again, pulling the old cat from upcoming panic.

This was unwinnable, they could not even draw it at this point. With bitter, acidic taste in mouth, Jerzy clenched his fist around mace yet again. "Quarter the riders Colonel! We need to help 7th Pike-shot retreat!" Did Hetman lost his mind too? 7th was a goner, surrounded by the Northeners from three sides. "Hetman, think, they are already gone, they will take us too if we won't retreat now!"
"I WILL GRIND THE REAPER INTO FLOUR BEFORE I LET HIM TAKE ANYMORE OF MY MEN!" And charged himself...

Felix fought with a fear, how could small division make a whole army recoil? That... is until he remembered way of thinking of his hetman. They do not need to chase the whole army away, just for a corridor! Pulling his still loaded matchlock out... He rode towards closest approaching banner of Ironclads... and quickly reinforced the Hetman. Shot after shot, more hats flew up into the air. Sabres kissed each other when riders met... For the bravery the Swedish forces had... they lacked death wish and recklessness of the Poles. 7th while looking like shipwrecks... Managed to escape far enough... To make Swedes focus on Russians now.

This day will be remembered as defeat, when Hetman Rysiecki ran like little girl from his trade. Yet it mattered not for him. Reputation of 'The Great' was for young, naïve and fools. What mattered to him and Felix alike? That they will be able to drink with 7th again... and live to fight another day.

After all... War rages on for twenty years already...

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Jerzy Rysiecki belongs to me.

Felix Radziwil belong to my loyal Colonel,  KinroValdis

Please spend a minute and take a look at his take for the story https://www.furaffinity.net/view/51684054/

Art by  MisterFyrryMan Which did the art as rapidly as Muscovites and Novgorodians attacked in the story above!