Baptism of Fire

Springing to his feet, Nat swiftly strung his bow. Men raced to and fro falling into a ragged line when suddenly, with a crash a line of Siltinian infantry emerged from the woods. Sergeant Bullion shouted "Nock yer arrers!" The 101st quickly nocked arrows. This was habit, something they were familiar and comfortable with. "Tayk sight!" Nat aimed down his shaft, only to find the chest of another human at the end. He trembled. He was going to kill another human...he had known this all along, had been prepared for it, but now...now he realized the full implications. He was going to end a man's life. "Release!" Nat squeezed his eyes shut as he released. It wasn't so bad. He was just doing his duty. I am just trying to survive and protect my country, he thought. "Draw swords!" He drew his sword. Dyl glanced uneasily at him.
"You ok, Nat?" he said. "This is the real thing."
Nat nodded sickly. Sergeant Bullion came marching past bellowing, he never seemed to just talk normally, "We must hold the enemy until reinforcements arrive! The rest of our Battle Company is reforming to counter-charge. We must buy time with our lives!" Nat shuddered. His thoughts flew to his little old mom back home. She was probably spinning fleece for the villagers now. "Charge!" came the bellowed command. Nat stumbled forward, picked up momentum and then bam! All around men clashed together. Dyl faced off against a tall, buff soldier to Nat's right but he had his own problems. No chance to help Dyl. Nat was smashed to the ground by the first impact. His foe, a heavily muscled man wielding an axe, swung down with a decapitating blow. Nat instinctively rolled out of the way. Kicking the man's leg out from under him, Nat wrenched his knife out and dove onto him before he could rise. They both wrestled there for control of the knife. It was life and death only one could win. Survival of the fittest. Suddenly the man twisted Nat's arm, forcing the knife free and drove it into Nat's neck. Nat twisted his head so it only gashed him deeply, and threw himself backwards. The man leaped to his feet, lunged and fell short. Jacen smiled grimly jerking his sword from the man's back. "Next time hold on to your sword." Nat nodded in thanks and dove back into the fray. This time with his sword. He moved on instinct. Nothing else existed except him and his foe. Suddenly bugles sounded and a line of cavalry appeared behind them. Nat was startled to see the Lieutenant, covered in blood, by his side.
"No, no, no!" Stuntson groaned, "They have out-flanked us and will now annahilate us like pests!"
Dyl looked up from killing another enemy, "Sir! We can hold if fall back deeper into the woods. Their horses will be useless there. Too many trees and branches."
The Lieutenant nodded, then a ghastly smile appeared on his face, "We shall out-flank them in the woods! Fall back! To the woods! Take cover! Suddenly there was a whirr and arrows appeared sticking out from dozens of men near the outskirts of the fray. Nat stared stunned. An arrow protruded from his left side just above the hip. He touched it numbly. So that was what it was like...Dyl raced to his side. Pain shot through him. He shouted with pain.
"C'mon Nat," Dyl grunted swinging Nat onto his shoulders. They pulled back into the forest as Nat dazedly watched the world begin going dark.