Like all cavalry soldiers Phaedra had a deeply ingrained sense of superiority to foot sloggers. Who could imagine that lumbering along carrying all that heavy armor could ever compete with the speed and power of a horse at full gallop. As she reigned in her horse on the small rise north of the main action she had to grudgingly admit that they seemed to be doing alright. The Khareed's main advantage had always been the weight of their charge, thousands of pounds of horses and armor smashing through the enemy in a decisive attack. With that advantage robbed they were flailing wildly at the wall of shields. Spears and swords stabbed out with the regular pace as regular as a stroke oar. The Atvari horsemen were beginning to foul each other, the crush of horses against the shield wall making it impossible for them to press home. Phaedra saw a horse go down, smashing a momentary hole in the wall. The Khareeds tried to push in but the barricade of dead horses and men made it impossible. Soldiers stepped forward to close the gap, presenting a solid wall. With their advance stopped the horsemen attempted to flank the Imperials, but the Miravette stung them with spears before dodging back. Despite Phaedra's orders a flight of arrows cut into a particularly determined knot of the enemy, emptying saddles and sending horses screaming to the ground. It was better to allow a degree of flexibility rather than see her troops overrun due to over literal obedience, but her worries about the shortage of arrows deepened.

Frustrated, bloodied and exhausted, the Khareeds finally managed to wheel around and spur away from the wall of spears. Horns blasted as the Miravette trumpeters played the stand fast, forbidding a pursuit which might lead to a bloody running battle on the plain, or worse, a series of meeting engagements with elements of the enemy as they rushed back towards the city. Even though she had given the order, she felt a surge of frustration at not pressing home the attack. Cheers erupted from the infantry as they raised their spears and shook them in the air.

"Victory," Phaedra agreed, pulling a waterskin from her saddle and sluicing the dust free. 

"Give them five minutes head start then get a skirmish screen out, two out of every tet get out there and recover as many arrows as we can, theirs and ours," she instructed. Eudoxia scowled.

"Stopping the girls from looting wont be popular," Eudoxia suggested. Phaedra made a vague gesture back towards the captured baggage train.

"We have more loot than we can carry already, arrows and food are more important to us now."