Harry Potter: Journey to Godhood

Realizing the truth of the situation, Saurfang no longer dared to pursue. He feared his unit of wolf riders would be worn down bit by bit by the enemy's arrows.

If his entire force of wolf riders were wiped out without even managing to take down the Alliance's mounted archers, it would be a total loss, losing both men and dignity.

"Retreat, everyone, fall back immediately! Don't let the enemy keep grinding us down!"

Without hesitation, Saurfang gave the order.

The other wolf riders quickly came to their senses.

However, even for cavalry, retreating was not a simple matter.

Everyone knows cavalry charge fast, but sharp turns and quick direction changes are not their strong suits.

Especially now, with so many wolf riders crowded together, turning around was nearly impossible.

They had no choice but to follow the lead riders at the front, drawing a wide arc to change direction and escape.

Alaric noticed this immediately and led his mounted archers to wheel around, launching a pursuit against the retreating wolf riders.

His forces were fewer in number, but far more disciplined, making it much easier for them to turn and reposition.

Soon, they caught up to the fleeing wolf riders, attacking from behind in relentless pursuit.

Compared to firing behind them while retreating, shooting forward during a chase was far easier for these rangers-turned-mounted-archers.

As a result, the tail end of the wolf rider formation was constantly echoing with orc and wolf screams, each one followed by casualties.

Despite having already ordered a retreat, the enemy still dared to pursue, Saurfang first felt shock, then fury. Since when had the proud Horde wolf riders ever been humiliated like this?

If I can't catch you and get worn down, fine. But at least let me go, yet here you are, too weak to fight me head-on, but you still dare to chase me? Shameless!

The truth was, even though they were retreating, the wolf riders led by Saurfang still held onto their pride.

Now being chased by what they considered a weaker army, how could they swallow that humiliation?

Immediately, Saurfang ordered his riders to turn again and prepare to engage the Alliance mounted archers in a final showdown.

But just as the wolf riders completed a wide turn and charged toward their enemies, the "shameless" opponents also turned, this time seemingly to run again.

Except it wasn't exactly a retreat. The mounted archers didn't fall far behind; instead, they kept just enough distance to appear within reach, tempting pursuit.

Of course, Saurfang gave chase again. But once more, all he gained was more casualties from the enemy's sudden rearward volleys, dozens of wolf riders down, and nothing to show for it.

By this point, even a fool could see through the enemy's real strategy, let alone Saurfang, an experienced commander by any standard.

This unit of mounted archers was using superior mobility to maintain distance, baiting the enemy into chasing them, then turning to fire volleys while retreating, wearing down the enemy's strength.

Once the wolf riders grew exhausted and fled, the archers would switch to full pursuit.

Against such an enemy, the wolf riders were caught in a dilemma. Advancing didn't work; retreating was worse. Try to chase, and they couldn't catch up; try to flee, and they were hunted down.

In the end, Saurfang chose to retreat as quickly as possible.

The only way to counter these mounted archers was to hide behind walls or inside heavily fortified camps.

Saurfang no longer cared about some grand victory to restore Orgrim's reputation. His sole goal now was to get what remained of his riders back to base alive, that would be triumph enough.

But with such a golden opportunity, how could Alaric possibly let them go?

The mounted archers naturally gave chase.

Eventually, as the relentless chase dragged on, the wolf riders' weakness in endurance began to show.

Their speed gradually dropped, while the horses beneath the archers remained swift and steady.

Despair crept into the ranks of the orcs. At the rear, every scream of those struck down by arrows was like a death knell, foretelling their fate. Each rider wished their wolf mount would grow wings and fly them to safety.

But that was impossible.

Being chased by mounted archers was far more dangerous than charging at them.

Neither the wolf riders nor their mounts could defend their backs.

Against arrows fired from behind, orcs had almost no chance to block or dodge. The death toll soared.

Even those who weren't killed outright often tumbled from their mounts like rag dolls, crashing hard to the ground and unable to get up quickly.

During a retreat, these situations were even worse.

The mounted archers would quickly close in and, with glinting elven swords or long blades, easily end the lives of the fallen wolf riders.

In the end, Saurfang did manage to escape with his life, along with over two thousand surviving wolf riders.

But their survival was largely due to sheer numbers.

More than five thousand wolf riders had charged, no small force.

Considering the orcs' natural toughness and resilience, it wasn't surprising the archers didn't achieve total annihilation.

Still, despite not being a complete victory, the battle's impact was profound.

For Alaric's mounted archers, it was the first time they employed this powerful kiting strategy in an actual battlefield setting.

During the fight, they tested and refined the tactic, correcting mistakes made by inexperienced troops. In future battles, they'd unleash even greater devastation.

As for the Horde, this defeat sent shockwaves through their ranks.

The loss of most of their wolf riders and the destruction of the key settlement at Boulder'gor severely damaged Orgrim's reputation. Ambitious underlings began to stir.

Yet, Alaric's army had such an overwhelming impact that any potential chaos was momentarily suppressed. All attention turned to this never-before-seen, unstoppable force of mounted archers.

With them galloping freely across the Arathi Highlands, the Horde was finally forced to admit: occupying this land long-term, and establishing productive control, would not be easy.

Orgrim, recognizing his vulnerable and indefensible position, began considering deploying large garrisons across the Arathi Highlands in anticipation of another Alliance raid.

However, following this victory, Alaric knew when to stop. He led his forces back to the Wall of Thoradin for rest, leaving the Horde grasping at shadows.

He had seen through the Horde's situation. His retreat wasn't cowardice, it was strategy.

On one hand, he anticipated the Horde's likely countermeasures and wanted to avoid walking into a trap.

On the other, he aimed to slow the overall pace of the war, easing the external pressure just enough to ignite internal chaos within the Horde.

This underlying instability had always existed in the Horde's might-makes-right society.

They revered strength in leadership, but when a leader repeatedly failed, their authority crumbled, and a power struggle was inevitable.