Hecht ducked involuntarily as the cannon roared, the screams of dying horses suddenly tremendously loud over those of humans. Smoke filled the air and drifted slowly through the village. He could make out Ulmer standing in the doorway staring out into the street even as Blum, blood leaking from a cut on her forehead, was frantically reloading a carbine. Another green coated body, he couldn't see the face, lay crumpled inside the door curled around a gut wound that had hopefully killed them quickly.

Hecht half stumbled on the dead villager as he hurried over to Ulmer, pushing his sword home in the scabbard as he unslung his carbine. Training kicked in as rammed the powder and ball swiftly down the barrel while his gaze swept the street outside. A tangled mass of horseflesh and humanity was spread across the bridge. The closeness of the Tallian cannon had actually served to clear the bridge, the sheer force and mass of the grapeshot had simply swept aside the charging cavalry like a scythe through fresh wheat. Hecht could see the gunners frantically spiking the gun back into position, beyond them in the trees he could yellow uniforms, but none on horseback.

"Ulmer, Blum, with me!" He shouted, his voice seemed strangely loud in the silence following the cannon blast. He ran from the house toward the bridge. More dragoons were streaming toward the ancient stone bridge from the village, most of them dismounted, and carbines cracked as bullets spun through the air. He saw the branches above the cannon shiver and leaves began to flutter as down as more dragoons added their fire. Instead of going for the bridge he ran for the edge of the river, it was no more than twenty yards across, and knelt. He aimed slightly high, at this range a direct hit was almost impossible, and pulled the trigger. Smoke blotted his vision but he imagined he hard a "clang" as the ball struck the cannon barrel. The Tallians were to close and they were starting to realize it.

More dragoons hurried to the bank and the snap of carbines sent the gunners diving for cover as more and more bullets slapped off the cannon barrel and the high wheels. Several of the yellow jackets could be seen crawling back, trying to hook the long gun traces to mules who were barely visible in the trees. A trumpet screamed at the sky and he turned to see Captain Kraus, his helmet gone, leading an ad-hoc charge across the bridge. Hooves sounded loud on the stone decking and one horse, slipping on the gore that sheeted much of the stone, gave a piteous neigh and went down with a crash. But a dozen others made it and the riders gave a yells of triumph as they bore down on the gunners who, having abandoned their gun, tried to run. It was far too late and the dragoons slaughtered them beneath the trees. 

More trumpets sounded and suddenly the village was filled with horsemen as the rest of the regiment arrived. They rode through the village, eyes agape, for many of them this was their first sight of battlefield dead. Some vomited from their mounts, others made religious gestures, but the majority rode grimly onward as they clattered across the bridge to exploit the crossing. 

For Hecht, and those around him, the battle was over. They could hear the trumpet calls and sounds of gunfire in the distance but orders came from an exhausted Kraus for them to rest their mounts and check their own injuries. Stretcher parties were dispatched to comb the riverbank and village for any injured, Rhaetian and Tallian like. 

Hecht was standing shirtless, just having managed to find a moment to pour a bucket of water over his head, when Corporal Heine found him. The burly man cleared his throat and waited for Hecht to look at him.

"Two dead and three injured, one of whom likely won't make it." He had a slip of paper in his hand but Hecht made no effort to take it. 

"That seems light."

"That's just A Troop." Heine responded quietly and Hecht swore. 

"Who did we loose?"

"Troopers Jager and Muller. Jager some time during the fight in the village, Muller on the bridge," He glanced down at his blood spattered boots and then back up again. "Trooper Welser is in a bad way. Tolman and Wilhelm got off with minor scratches."

"Alright, I'll go see Welser. Make sure the rest of the squadron gets some food and rest, as best we can. We'll have to ride in a day or two, tops."

The Corporal nodded and hurried off to see to the squadron while Hecht went to find Welser.