Siege of Pailtar (29 page)

The soldiers standing near the thickest strips had no choice. The initial explosion of fuel enveloped them in flames. Those who did not die of the fire were trampled by their panic-filled comrades. The screams of hundreds of men burning alive filled the air. Men jostled and stabbed forcing their way towards the walls of Pailtar in a desperate attempt to flee the flames. The ten archers who fired the first arrows were joined by the rest of the city guard archers who fired at all the warriors who got too close to the wall. The soldiers outside of the fiery box of death could only watch as their men were killed.

The captain watched in horror as his men burned to death. How had his men not noticed the oil-soaked ground? Another bit of Thieves’ Guild magic at work? Frustrated by the efficiency of the city's defenses the captain barked at his men. He ordered men to shovel sand onto the burning ground. It didn’t take long to bury the flames in sand and the army inched closer to the gates at they spread sand on the flames.

“Damn, I hoped the flames would buy us a few hours. Someone over there has a brain after all,” complained Colby.

“Tell the men to conserve arrows. No shooting at shields, aim for anyone without a shield who gets within range but make every arrow count,” said Everet, ignoring Colby’s complaint. So far they had inflicted a large degree of damage on the enemy without suffering any losses. That would likely change soon.

As the sand-covered fires smoldered, the Meron army moved closer again. Now a shield wall of soldiers moved gingerly over the hot sand while Meron archers followed behind firing arrows at the Pailtar archers on the wall. The air filled with arrows slicing through the air, striking targets on both sides. Through the smoke, Everet watched a battering ram being moved forward. The cumbersome unit was a massive log mounted to a wagon frame on a swing so that a group of soldiers could swing the log against the gate until it collapsed under the attack. It would not be long before the gates were tested. Everet didn’t know how long the gate could withstand such a barrage.

…

Kiana watched the battle from her position on the wall. So far, the majority of the fighting had occurred at the front gates, where the enemy soldiers had encountered the traps, the pits and the fires, but now that they were getting closer to the gates, enemy fighters were making their way to the walls as well. The enemy soldiers had finally decided to attack all around the city, spreading its attack out so the archers on the wall had to follow instead of letting them stay together at the front gates. Groups of fighters carrying big ladders hustled their way to the walls while archers gave them cover.

Kiana looked to her mother for guidance.

“Wait, let our archers do their jobs. When fighters start coming over the walls, that’s when we fight,” said Lilliana. “Remember, be quick and accurate.”

Quick and accurate! I can do this,
Kiana thought to herself as she waited for enemies to appear over the top of the wall.

Ladders slapped against the brick walls. The tops of the ladders just passed the edge of the roof.

Kiana watched as her mother sent the first Meron soldier flying with a magical push. The soldier flew back twenty feet before falling to the ground with a sickening thud. Kiana had no time to think about the sound of bones breaking as a soldier climbed up the ladder closest to her and started wielding an axe at one of the Pailtar archers.

Kiana made a sideways whipping motion with her hand and the magical dagger flew into his chest. Another soldier came up the wall behind him, and other ladders began hitting the wall. Without thinking, Kiana kept firing her magic blades striking soldier after soldier as they attempted to climb the wall, Beside her, her mother was sending energy waves into the ladders, pushing them and the soldiers climbing them crashing to the ground.

While Kiana and the other Thieves’ Guild members defended the archers against the wall climbers the archers targeted the enemy archers. Without having to worry about the warriors on the ladders, they were able to use their superior position, firing from above on the wall, to take out any of the enemy archers who stayed within range. Once the archers were forced back, the wall climbers were left without support and easily taken out. They had taken loses, but entry into Pailtar would not come from the ladder attacks.

However, the ladder attacks had served their purpose, forcing the Pailtar archers to spread out along the city walls. Without the heavy concentration of archers at the gates, the Meron army was successful in getting its battering ram into position. Despite dropping burning oil on the battering ram and killing hundreds of Meron soldiers, the battering ram kept slamming away at the heavy doors. The cross beams of the doors were starting to crack.

“It’s not going to last much longer,” yelled Colby to Everet as he fired another arrow into a soldier helping to push the battering ram.

Everet grinned widely. Despite the overwhelming odds against them, Everet was enjoying the battle. The adrenaline was coursing through him and watching the results of their meticulous planning coming to fruition was satisfying. He might die on the dusty city walls of Pailtar, but he was going down fighting and he was going to enjoy killing every Meron bastard he could put an arrow in. “Did I tell you I always wanted to watch a troll fight?”

The gates broke open as the battering ram snapped the timber holding once sturdy doors in place. With a cheer the Meron soldiers rushed through the open gates, shoulder to shoulder, the enemy shoulders pushed their way in, thinking they had finally broken through Pailtar’s defense.

“Looks like you’re getting your wish,” said Colby in reply to Everet’s troll comment.

Everet ducked down below the edge of the wall so that he could look into the area behind the gates. Little did the enemy soldiers know, but the men of Pailtar had built a second wall thirty feet behind the gates. The stone wall, not quite as tall as the city walls, could not be seen from outside the city, but they were built out of thick stone and would be much harder to break down than the gate had been. Even worse for the soldiers that rushed into the open yard was the trap waiting for them; the deadly trolls used to guard treasures had been placed within the walls. Everet watched in fascination as the first enemy soldiers rushed through the gates and into the path of the trolls. The trolls, vicious beasts at the best of times, had been extremely agitated by being in the large stone prison behind the city gates. Once the gates opened the trolls had a way out. The only thing standing in their way were the Meron soldiers. The trolls let out loud roars and attacked the soldiers.

The fearsome, large beasts swatted soldiers like bugs. Terrified soldiers tried to turn and run, but the soldiers behind them were still pushing their way past the gates. The trolls were even more effective than Everet had imagined they would be. The terror they instilled into the soldiers that got close enough to view them was an incredibly effective weapon in itself. Fear surged through the once fierce Meron soldiers. Men they understood, but no one from Meron had seen a troll before, certainly not six angry and armored trolls.

“Target the soldiers at the sides,” yelled Everet to the other archers at the front gates. “Keep their soldiers pinned to the middle as long as possible, the tighter they are bunched, the more frightened and frantic they will become as the trolls go out.”

As the trolls terrorized and killed their way towards the gates, the archers on the wall followed Everet’s command firing at the soldiers on the outskirts, bunching them together. When the trolls broke through the gates, pandemonium broke out among the enemy soldiers. A captain seeing the trolls and the effect they were having on his troops called for a retreat. “Back, behind the pits,” yelled the captain.

The panicking troops wanted to follow his command but were so closely bunched together that as the first soldiers turned and ran back they collided into the ones who were still moving forward. Soldiers crashed together, some fell into the deadly pits as others pushed them aside in an attempt to flee the deadly trolls. Eventually the soldiers that weren’t in the path of the trolls were able to pull back and regroup well back of the city walls as the trolls fought their way towards the desert. Meron soldiers killed two of the trolls, but the other four were relatively unscathed despite having killed hundreds of Meron soldiers.

The sun started to set and the first day of the siege on Pailtar was over.

“Trolls are rather impressive,” said Everet.

Colby looked over at Everet, “You like them? You can go catch them when this is over.”

“I’ll pass. Watching them once was enough for me. It looks like they’re going to wait until morning before attacking again. Gather your Guild leaders and the city commanders, it’s time we had a talk.”

As Colby left him to go gather the commanders, Everet stared out over the wall, watching the sun fade over the horizon. The deep red and gold sky matched the sand and blood of the battle ground, a gruesome yet beautiful reminder of the day's events.

…

Kiana sat beside her mother in the Barnyard pub. They were there with senior members of the Guild and the city council and the leaders of the city guard. Colby was speaking to the group.

“Today was a very successful day, we stopped the attack, killed hundreds if not thousands of Meron soldiers and only suffered a few dozen deaths,” said Colby.

Roars of approval filled the pub. But not everyone cheered, Lilliana and several other Guild members sat stoically waiting for the rest of Colby’s report.

Colby lifted his hands to silence the cheers. “We were lucky to have a week of time to prepare for the enemy and to have a few experienced soldiers add their expertise to the organizing of our defenses.”

Kiana watched as Colby pointed out Everet the dark-haired stranger who sat with his beautiful woman. They were from Meron and Everet had been the one planning the pits and oil traps that had worked so well.

“Now for the bad news,” continued Colby. “Tomorrow will not go so well.”

A few voices yelled out in disagreement.

“Silence,” yelled Colby. Once the over enthusiastic voices shut up, Colby asked Everet to speak.

“Colby is wrong,” said Everet.

The voices the had jeered Colby gave Everet a cheer.

“Colby is wrong to tell you it won’t go as well. That’s too rosy of an assessment. Tomorrow we’ll be slaughtered like sheep,” said Everet.

This time no one said a word.

“Today we had traps set, and the enemy underestimated us. It cost them greatly, but they still outnumber us by a large number and we no longer have tricks and traps up our sleeves. Nor do we have trolls lined up to break up their attack. Tomorrow they will do what they should have done today. Attack the walls until they can create a wedge. Once they have a number of troops inside our walls it will only be a matter of time before we are all dead.”

“So what do you suggest?” asked one of the city council.

“Load all your elderly, woman, and children onto ships tonight, sail to Venecia or Balta. The remaining men can try escape across the desert to Balta.”

“You want to abandon Pailtar?”

“I want to survive,” replied Everet. “We haven’t even discussed the fleet of Morthon ships that’s coming. If they had arrived today we would already be dead.”

“How many ships are still in the harbor?” asked Colby.

“A couple merchant ships and a fishing vessel are still in port. They could carry a few hundred,” said one of the city guard captains.

“Load oldest and youngest and anyone who can’t stand a long walk, have the ships leave as soon as possible. Load without light, we don’t want them knowing the ships are leaving.”

“What about the rest of us?” asked the city councilor.

“A small group will stay behind and keep up the fight as long as possible. The rest will head along the coast towards Balta. We can’t use the watering holes so take as much water as you can carry. With luck, you can get to Balta. Once they have the city, they may not pursue.”

“It’s risky,” said the city councilor.

“Does anyone have a better idea?” asked Colby.

The room went silent.

“Okay,” said Colby. “Let’s get started. City councilors and city guard captains start organizing the ships. Find the ship captains and explain the plan. Have them sail to Balta, but don’t follow the coast line. If Morthon ships try following our ships we don’t want them spotting the refugees walking.” To the city guard leaders Colby said, “I want a half dozen scouts, the ones the most familiar with the desert, and a dozen of your best archers. The rest go with the main group to Balta. No wagons, but every horse in the city can carry a pack. Everyone walks, horse are for supplies only. If someone can’t do a week’s worth of walking they need to be on one of those ships.”

As the city councilors and guards left the pub to start organizing the exodus of Pailtar, Colby went around the room, talking individually to several of the Guild members, after each conversation that member got up and left the room until only a handful were left.

“Those of you remaining have been chosen to stay and hold the city while our people escape. If you don’t feel up to the task speak now.”

One of the Guild members that Kiana didn’t know spoke up, “Are we using children to defend the city?” The man was looking at Kiana as he spoke.

“Randolf, let me assure you that Kiana Clairmont is not your average child,” said Colby.

“I was on the wall beside Kiana, she didn’t flinch under pressure and more than held her own. I would gladly stand beside her in battle,” said another Guild member that Kiana didn’t know, but she did recognize him from the wall. He used illusions and a spear to protect his area.

“I’m not suggesting she isn’t brave enough. She just seems young.”

“She is old enough to join the Guild, which means she is old enough to be here,” said Colby.

Kiana turned to her mother, “Can I say something?”

Lilliana nodded.