Volume 5: The Hegemon of Southern Italy, Chapter 81: Ambush and Counter-Ambush

Since Asiastes had taken up local administrative duties, Davos had been without a suitable herald. And as the war expanded and the number of participants grew, the situation became increasingly complex, and he found it more and more taxing to handle alone. He urgently needed assistance, and Tolmides was undoubtedly a fitting choice. Davos first appointed him as acting herald, intending to let him slowly develop a staff team under the commander to help manage military affairs during the campaign.

...

The Tarentine scout did not immediately return to the Anlearn Hills. Instead, he rode into the Tarentine column and gave an even more exaggerated report of the situation to Diomilas.

Before Diomilas could respond, the soldiers around him began to clamor: "Lord, the Messapians are slaughtering our kin and burning our fields—we cannot ignore this! Those foreigners pretend not to see it because it's not their city suffering!"

"Well said! We won't take orders from foreigners! We must fight the Messapians and avenge our families!"

"To the Anlearn Hills! Catch the Messapians and kill them!"

The soldiers' shouting gradually informed more Tarentine troops of the situation. This collective fervor infected every Tarentine soldier, in turn stirring up greater unrest in the ranks, threatening to spiral out of control.

Diomilas himself was caught up in the emotion, but he thought further: after being elected magistrate, he had pushed for war against the Messapians. Now the war had dealt a heavy blow to Tarentum, and because of the dire situation, the people had not yet had time to assign blame. In the face of this boiling public sentiment, if he pretended not to hear, even if they recaptured Brundisium, the enraged populace would drive him from the city and brand him with lifelong shame!

Diomilas forcibly suppressed the trace of fear that Davos's anger had left in his heart. Facing the army's high morale, he made his decision: "Order the whole force to turn left and advance on the Anlearn Hills at full speed!"

The soldiers erupted in cheers and immediately began to move.

When the Tarentines broke away from the main column, the first to notice the anomaly were the Metapontines ahead of them. Tudeples, alarmed, immediately sent a rider to urgently inform Davos, who was further ahead.

"Bastard! Damn bastard!" Davos lost his temper when he heard the news and cursed loudly. This was exactly what he had feared most.

But once his emotions settled, he turned to the other Tarentine magistrate, who had remained silent, and said, "Lord Eumachus, this is urgent. I need you to go at once and persuade Diomilas to bring his troops back immediately!"

Eumachus shook his head. "I know Diomilas. He's as stubborn as a rock. Since he's already decided to disobey your orders, there's no talking him out of it."

Davos stared at him, holding back his anger. "Are you saying you won't go?"

Eumachus's eyes wavered. "I'm saying I can't talk him around. Going would be useless."

"Tolmides!" Davos roared, startling the uneasy Eumachus.

"Here, Commander!" Tolmides replied sharply.

"Go find that bastard yourself. Tell him: 'If he doesn't come back, I will immediately lead the army back to Daonia.' Go quickly and return swiftly!" Davos gave the order indignantly.

"Understood!" Tolmides nodded solemnly, then mounted his horse.

"D-Davos... Lord Davos, you really mean to—" Eumachus began cautiously, but Davos cut him off impatiently: "Silence!"

Davos's anger lingered. Since he had begun commanding troops, this was the first time a subordinate had refused to obey orders. Those two Tarentine magistrates were clearly in cahoots, birds of a feather. He resolved never to join such an alliance again. From its formation to now, nothing had gone smoothly. Most of his energy had been spent balancing relations with the Tarentine army, and now he was being dragged down by them, facing the risk of defeat. Should he really just turn back?

"Lord, if the Daonians really leave, with our numbers alone we can't stand against the larger Messapian-Peucetii allied forces!" the adjutant of the Tarentine army said, eyeing the departing Daonian herald with concern.

"Don't worry, the Daonians will follow! Haven't the Daonians always boasted of keeping their promises? Now they want to become the hegemon of the Greek city-states in southern Italy. If they abandon their allies and flee the battlefield before the fight even begins, and word of this cowardice gets out, who would trust Daonia then?" Diomilas replied with feigned confidence, though inwardly he was uneasy.

So he gave another order: "Have the soldiers slow their advance slightly."

When Tolmides returned and reported Diomilas's refusal to Davos, the latter had already regained his composure.

"I see," Davos said blandly.

"Lord Davos, what do we do now?" Tudeples asked quickly.

Davos looked around at everyone, taking in Eumachus's concern, Tudeples's unease, and Triphyas's casual indifference. Then he said resolutely: "Turn the whole army around and support that fool!"

Eumachus showed gratitude, and Tudeples relaxed. Only Triphyas asked anxiously: "What if there really is an ambush in the Anlearn Hills?"

"Then all the more reason to go—not to save Diomilas, but to save the thousands of Tarentine citizens!" Since he had already decided to support them, Davos naturally made his words sound nobler. In truth, his reasons for going were more than what Diomilas had claimed. Heraclea had already leaned toward Daonia, and Metapontum was wavering. But if the Tarentines suffered a disastrous defeat in this battle, they would no longer be able to stop the Messapians and Peucetii. Those fierce natives could march north along the coast at any time, invade Metapontum, and threaten Heraclea. Then Daonia would have to send troops to rescue them again. Better to be on the battlefield now, rescue the Tarentine army, drive back the Messapian-Peucetii alliance, and maintain the balance of power in this region. As the founder of Daonia, what did it matter if he temporarily swallowed his disgust for the Tarentine magistrate for the sake of the alliance's strength?

The Anlearn Hills were actually the juncture of two mountain ridges, dotted with hills of varying sizes. Most of these hills were dozens of meters high, with rounded tops. Seen from above, they looked like giant green mushrooms, presenting a peculiar natural beauty.

But for those trying to pass through, it was a disaster. Though the hills were not tall, they were wide and steep, difficult to climb. One hill followed another in an unbroken chain. To save energy, travelers had to go through the gentle slopes between the hills, which made the route—already short as the crow flies—twist and turn. Moreover, few had passed here in decades, and the thick grass had long since buried any former paths.

Fortunately, the scouts who had previously tracked the Messapian-Peucetii army led the way ahead, and the distant columns of smoke served as markers. This saved the Tarentine army much trouble in finding the route. Along the way, aside from complaining about the difficult mountain paths, everything went smoothly. They did not even catch a glimpse of the Messapians or Peucetii.

And when the scouts caught up with news that the Daonian army had also entered the Anlearn Hills, Diomilas smiled. Naive youngster. Trying to contend with me? You're still far off!

He let out a breath of relief and gazed into the distance. The towering smoke was not far now; he estimated they would reach it after rounding a few more hills.

By now, the bodies of Tarentine citizens were visible on the grass, each one a wretched sight. This stoked the soldiers' anger. They seemed to hear the helpless cries and screams of their loved ones nearby. Their weary bodies felt reinvigorated, and they unconsciously quickened their pace. The long column, stretched thin by the narrow mountain paths, became even more scattered and vulnerable.

"WOO! WOO!..." The Messapian war horns suddenly sounded among the hills, striking like a hammer in the hearts of every Tarentine soldier. Diomilas, who had been smug about fooling Davos, turned pale in an instant...

"Quick! Don't let them escape!" Solikos shouted urgently to his men.

Though the Daonian cavalry pursued at full speed despite the danger, and riders occasionally fell from their horses on the rugged mountain paths, the distance between them and the fleeing Messapian horsemen only grew wider.

Those Messapians handled their mounts with incredible agility, as if the horse were part of their bodies. They galloped at full speed on the narrow mountain paths without any hindrance, leaving Solikos and his men in awe. In the end, they could only watch helplessly as the Messapian cavalry disappeared into the distance.

Just then, a voice called out from behind Solikos: "Battalion Commander!" He turned and saw Laedes riding toward him.

So, gripping the reins with one hand, he saluted Laedes with the other. The Daonian cavalry was an independent branch, fewer than a thousand in total, not belonging to any legion. Though Laedes was only a battalion commander, his status was equal to that of an infantry legion commander.

Laedes gazed at the distant figures of the vanishing Messapian cavalry, his expression grave. Turning to Solikos, he said: "There may soon be many Messapian and Peucetii cavalry attacking us. We must do everything we can to stop them and prevent them from detecting the main army's direction of advance for as long as possible!"

"Yes!" Solikos responded immediately, though he felt the weight of the task: he had heard that the Messapian cavalry numbered over a thousand and were highly skilled horsemen. Far more than the two hundred or so Daonian riders who had come could hold back. Fortunately, the terrain here was full of hills, making it difficult to deploy forces and unsuitable for cavalry maneuvers. The enemy's numerical advantage in cavalry could not be fully exploited.

Laedes saw his tension and added: "Supreme Commander Davos has sent over two hundred peltasts to assist us. They will arrive shortly."