If the news of this new arrival had shocked you, you did not show it. As if your mind had lost all wayward thoughts, all that remained was the focus on your role as commander. You would not be swayed by fear or emotion.

You turn to Joan. "Do you see anything else? Does the Famiglia ride alone, or are they accompanied by footmen?"

"I do not see any infantry, sir." she asnwers.

You had thought as such somewhat, but it is good to see you are right. There are a few hours of distance from here to the ford in the south, if that is where they have crossed. At least, they should have arrived earlier if it had been anywhere else that they crossed. You do not know what became of your skirmishers, but...assuming they were lost, that they had somehow crossed, it would not be at the same time that their foot would arrive. You believe that the Fortelli have sent their cavalry as a matter of vanguard to shatter your flanks and secure a victory.

Nevertheless, even this case does not avail you of much issue. These are hundreds of knights of the highest caliber, sat upon horses of unrivalled strength. You have read that their mounts are as armored as the heaviest knight, yet as fast as the swiftest courser. Your own skirmishers and lancers would find themselves easily outmaneuvered by these imposing beasts. The Cavalieri who sat upon them knew this well, and would without a doubt use it to a great extent.

So then, what could you do to survive such an encounter? You would need a plan to deal with them, but most of all, you would have to remember that your men shan't be as brave as they were against the giants. That a mercenary would throw themselves into a suicidal defense as the Banda Grisa had could not be expected in any other scenario. It was natural, human, to know that retreat and surrender held little meaning to a Gigante. To flee would do little. Now, however? They faced men, men who would be all too happy to accept a surrendering foe, if only so as to ransom them back to their enemies while saving their own skin. Whatever your plan is, it must be mindful of such matters, too.

So what shall you do...? Well, the first matter that comes to your mind, is that of your pikemen.

Your first thought is to simply post them at the open spaces in your southern flank - between the florest and the wagons, between the wagons and the camp, between the camp and the florest. It would certainly help with a good deal of your problems - but of course, your camp is no wall. Though it might certainly stop them from a full charge, there would be little to stop them from moving through the camp - and that's without to say of the damage. Your warchest, your supplies, your camp followers, your sutlers, everything you and your men have carried through this campaign would be at the utter mercy of the enemy.