The Silent Corsairs of Kalim ibn Dogbreath*

There are never enough good horses, especially in the backward wasteland of post-Roman Europe. Gold-helmed Kalim, needless to say, has taken the best one for himself.

A few cavalry at his disposal make it that much easier to handle peasants when there is a farm or village to be looted. Ill-armed militia can be flanked, the occasional mounted defender dealt with on even terms. And should the forces of a local Lord turn up in force, four legs provide a faster getaway than two.

Spears, on the other hand, are cheap and easy to replace. If you run out of points, you can just sharpen the wooden tip. A fallen man's spear can be left on the battlefield should it come time for prudent raiders to take their leave. Which saves much risk and effort in recovering wounded recruits ...

Some of the few injured men Kalim has ever bothered to drag from a fight were members of his corps of bowmen. The considerable time it takes to make a decent bow is nothing compared to the years of practice needed before the bowman can hit even a stationary target at any distance.

The crossbow in the point-man's hands is a weapon of pure terror. Acquired at great cost despite extensive weapons controls, the mere sight of it has convinced more than one farmer to hand over his pigs and daughter without argument. A weapon outlawed by the Pope as too deadly for Christian warfare: were it not folly to stand against it?