~Soamil Tea-Zhaeaua~ - The Battle at the Three Brothers Hills

The Battle at the Three Brothers was a skirmish in Byreath's War, instigated by Clan Zhihuafa against the combined houses of Lady Vosaeth of Clan Miniada and Lady-Flagwife Vaeol Yaranevae of Son. This attack became the first overt, witnessed belligerent act committed by Lady Byreath Zhihuafe when the Miniada-Yaranevaea company repelled the ambush and escaped.
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The Conflict

Prelude

Byreath became clanwife of the Zhihuafa in Zielae, 24,543 at the Blighttide Clanmoot. After Clanmoot's end, she led Clan Zhihuafa southwestward with allied Retaea and Shemez allied Clans, who first attacked and slew a trade caravan from Son. She then headed eastward to Lea, using the caravan's spoils to ingratiate herself with the city's matrons. When news of the raided caravan reached Lea, Byreath used her influence to turn suspicious toward other clans.
Byreath had an old history of personal feud with Lady Vosaeth Miniade, which had previously caused strain between Clans Zhihuafa and Miniada, and had gotten both ladies banned from Lea until 24,543. After Byreath's accession as clanwife, she had taken further insult when Lady Taiase of Son (under escort by Flag Yaranevaea) had declined her invitation to dwell with the Zhihuafa. Then Lady Vaeol in Lea had declined Byreath's overtures for friendship, until it bloomed into open insult at a Motorae masktide thrown by Lady Nimizi the High Matron of Lea, when Byreath tried to kiss Vaeol without leave, and Lady Vaeol levitated her amid the assembled ladyhood. Furthermore, Byreath suspected Vaeol and Istae of having spoken against her petition to join Lea's outriderhood. Retaea clan honor demanded vengeance.
With the rise in tensions among the Clans and within Lea, Vosaeth and Vaeol resolved to leave the city after the 24,544 Newyear and lead their houses southward to join Clan Miniada at their Heaventide camp.
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Deployment

The Miniada-Yaranevaea company left Lea on 2. Koelae, 24,544, the day after Newyear and head southwestward, hoping to meet Clan Miniada on route to the Heaventide Campstead. Byreath, however, correctly predicted her target's route and dispatched a fast-traveling troop of of twenty light Shotalashu cavalry (mixed Damaya and Korasha) under Zaeofoth, a senior Zhihuafe headwife, who then laid an ambush in the neighborhood of the moorland hills called ~Tea-Zhaeau~ - the Three Brothers. Under the conventions of Retaea Clan warfare, the pregnant and nursing mothers among their target would become high-value hostages, both in prestige and negotiation.
Although Vosaeth and Vaeol led the Miniada-Yaranevaea company with reaosonable haste, their travel was slowed by not only having Shieldhead packbeasts and a wagon, but also walking Korasha infantry and children. Vosaeth was nursing her newborn son, and Vaeol was over a year pregnant. 
When they reached the Three Brothers area, they realized the terrain provided ideal ambush opportunity, according to the Retaea style of moorland warfare. Thus they doubled their advance and flanking scouts, extending nine of their thirteen effective Shotalashu-riding warriors, while the balance of their cavalry led their main body travelling atop a ridge south-southwestard: archers (infantry and Shieldhead-drovers, all veteran Korasha warriors), defending the children and non-combatants.
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Battlefield

The terrain near the Three Brothers consists of series of long low ridges, breaking up sight and hiding movement, even for a company traveling atop a ridge. The Zhihuafa, having foreseen the Miniada-Yaranevaea route, had set watch for advance notice and hid beyond a ridge east of the company's course, paralleling their until they decided to attack.
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Conditions

Given Heaventide on the Retaea, the weather was dry by Castrovellian standards, with the lack of rain possibly giving additional warning to encroaching threats.
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The Engagement

Zaeofoth and the Zhihuafa chose to attack by charging over the eastern ridge at a place where they miscalculated the distance sufficiently short to the Miniada-Yaranevaea main body to effect surprise. Yet the Miniada-Yaranevaea left-flank scouts succeeded in escaping the rush. Additionally, the rearward and forward scouts engaged the Zhihuafa line and peeled off their flank-riders before the attack reached the main body. The main body's Shotalasu-warriors countercharged to forestall the attack while the non-combatant Shota-riders withdrew to the right of the Shieldheads, which provided limited cover against arrows. Thus over half of the Zhihuafa troop's strength became dispersed in an extended moorland cavalry skirmish.
Despite dillution of the Zhihuafa charge, their greater numbers overcame, and their line's center reached the slowly lumbering Shieldheads and infantry. Yet then they took casualties from point-blank arrow shots and the Shieldheads charging the smaller Shotalashu, although this caused the wagon to overturn carrying Yaranevaea children. Six Zhihuafa riders circled the Shieldheads' rear and so rounded to confront the Miniada-Yaranevaea noncombatants directly, ideally to take them prisoner. However, Lady Taiase and Vaeol, who had previously not been counted among the combatants, psychically stunned five of the six Zhihuafa while elements of their rear guard charged the Zhihafa flank.
By then, the Miniada-Yaranevaea right-flank scouts had found time to join the battle. Their counterattack drove off the surviving Zhihuafa striking the main body. The surviving Zhihuafa engaged with the forward, left, and rear guards realized their losses and chose to flee the battle, although one Zhihuafa, in a last spiteful stroke, rode down Draue's son Vesh, leaving the boy with a broken arm. The whole battle likely lasted less than three minutes from first sight to disengagement.
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Outcome

The Miniada-Yaranevaea took four prisoners among the Zhihuafa, including Zaeofoth the headwife. Despite their success in defeating the ambush, they had taken several casualties and thus sought to withdraw to safety. While Vosaeth and Istae led a troop of about half their rider-strength after the retreating Zhihuafa for a day's length, Vaeol led the main body, wounded, and prisoners to the Sand Gullies about four sem southward, where they camped until the riders' return. Vaeol and Taiase, however, used this time to send psychic messages to both Son's embassy in Lea and to Lady Vei, Vosaeth's mother and clanwife of the Miniada, alerting them of the Zhihuafa attack. They then headed southward until they linked with Clan Miniada, thus escaping Byreath's pursuit.
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Aftermath

At the psychic warning from Vaeol and Taiase, Clan Miniada went to full wartime footing and alerted its allied clans. This warning deprived the Zhihuafa of the easy targets it had previously enjoyed, and its warriors must contront wary opponents traveling in strength.
In Lea, Son's ambassador Lady Zhaene also used the warning to report the depradations and denounce Byreath and the Zhihuafa before the city's matronhood. This cause a political crisis within Lea, which saw the High Matron Lady Nimizi, who was perceived as too sympathetic to the Zhihuafa, deposed. Lady Vifaul became high matron, who steadily led the city's poicy against the Zhihuafa until the war's end.
At the 24,544 Blighttide Clanmoot, Byreath tried to deny involvement in the raid, claiming the Zhihuafa warriors had acted leavelessly as rogues. Their contrary testimony, however, helped tarnish Byreath's reputation and weakened her position among the allied clans.
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Historical Significance

Legacy

The raid so solidified the enmity between Byreath and Vosaeth that they would personally challenge each other to weapon-trials twice more: the next time at the 24,544 Blighttide Clanmooth, when Vosaeth's champion Vohyd was slain by Byreath's champion Haush, and again in 24,545 when Byreath sued Lea for safe-conduct to Than and the two ladies agreed to fight personally. When Vosaeth's Shotalashu fell and broke her leg, however, Lady Vaeol stepped in as her second and slew Byreath.
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In Literature

Lady Vaeol provided her account of the raid in her daylog, as recorded in A Castrovel Adventure: Part 4.

Included under Conflict

~Rei Byreathi~ - Byreath's War

Conflict Type

Skirmish

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

8. Koelae, 24,544

Conflict Result

Miniada-Yaranevaea victory

Location

Retaea: the Lashunta Moorland Cradle

Belligerents

Miniada-Yaranevaea

Clan Zhihuafa

Strength

Shotalashu Cavalry: 13 Korasha Infantry: 4 Adult Non-Combatants: 8 (including 2 psychics) Children: 7

Shotalashu Cavalry: 20

Casualties

4 Wounded

9 Dead 3 Wounded 4 Captured

Objectives

Attain Clan Miniada

Capture of Mothers & Children