But the leader of Morlock’s vanguard was not long dissuaded. The following night he sent many archers crawling through the grass to lie in wait for Baldric’s horsemen. They laid traps of tripwire, and in the course of the evening shot many horses and riders.
For three more bloody nights the losses on both sides mounted. On the fourth night, Baldric decided to end the night attacks. He had lost another three-hundred eighty nine riders, and two-hundred sixty four horse, while the enemy had lost some four thousands. One reason for breaking off these attacks was that the enemy was spreading themselves out thinner, making them difficult to hit. This meant wasting arrows, and while they were far from being in short supply, Baldric begrudged waste when he could ill afford it.
Instead, he had Hamron, Jonden, and Piter assemble the best marksmen, and had them ride at the leisurely pace of Morlock’s vanguard, just out of the enemies’ bow range, and pick off any gnome or goblin who let his guard down. This was a tactic Baldric had wished to avoid, as it meant killing off the inferior enemy soldiers, leaving the best unscathed and unhindered.
Over the next six days, they killed and wounded many. Baldric noted with some trepidation that the enemy did not care for its wounded.