Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2015 15:56:34 +1300
From: arthur carkeek <artcart65@gmail.com>
Subject: Eventide Chapter 9

EVENTIDE

CHAPTER 9

BY

ARTHUR


artcart65@gmail.com




Eventide and Mahmud spent the early hours of each morning high up on the
parapets watching the massive army down below on the open plains.

It was noticeable to both boys that the encampment was now huge and spread
over the whole width of the plains. Each morning they would look out on the
number of camp fires and marvel at the sheer numbers of soldiers lined up
against them and the city

The smoke from the morning fires created a light misty covering over the
encampment which was soon blown away by the light breeze that swept across
the plains in the morning. There was little they could do until they saw
the form of attack that would be used by the assembled army.

Eventide had shown Mahmud and the various officers of the defending forces;
the knowledge he had gained from his father's library. Their plan of
defence relied heavily on previous campaigns he had read about; there was,
of course; a certain amount of freedom to make the final plan effective if
the attackers changed their well known ways.

The two Kahlif had heard little from Marchant over the last five days. He
had secluded himself away with a number of special tradesmen and was
working to design an effective long range bow to be hopefully used from the
protected tops of the Wadhi rim.

The walls were now guarded by one tenth of the troops available to the
city; there was a mixture of both Militia, city guards and those sent by
the Emir; even the guards of the two Kahlif took their turn high up on the
walls. The call to arms for the whole city would be a single long blast
from the trumpets when the first attack started.

The two boys did not waste the time they had; now that the sand camp was
static, they used the time differently. The cartographers still worked each
night but this time it was to fill in the details of the encampment outside
the walls.

As soon as it got dark at night; three or four of the Hashin would leave
the city through a secret passageway under the walls. The Hashin would then
go out as close to the encampment as they could safely go and then take
note in detail of everything they saw.

Had the enemy known how detailed the maps that were held and developed in
the city; they may have thought twice about attacking the high walls. As it
was, the two boys saw the major weakness of the enemy; their need for water
and a lot of it.

Their plan for the water carriers was given to the Hashin brothers but not
until the attack was started and the enemy felt it too late to retreat. The
two boys needed to hold the army here as long as they could and yet still
defend the city and not let it fall.

Day by day the sand map became more detailed; the towering cliffs of the
Wadhi were made by collecting clay from all the pottery works in the city
and, with the help of those same potters; the towering cliffs became a
reality. Small figures were carved by woodworkers and painted to represent
the different types of soldiery; it was as though a man was flying like a
bird above the enemy encampment in its detail and accuracy.

Patterns of movement were taken for everything the enemy did in its day to
day preparations; nothing was overlooked that might be used to save the
city. The two Kahlif watched and planned; making changes as something new
was recorded.

The two boys were often seen by the people of the city as they walked
around and spoke to everyone to keep up the moral of the city. It was good
for the two boys to see most people still going about their daily
activities even though a sword of destruction hung over the heads.

The day finally arrived when the enemy made its first moves. The boys had
watched carefully as the two siege engines were assembled. They were a
strange looking machine; a long thick beam was suspended between two
uprights of wooden bracing; it was fixed to a large flat bed wagon with
wooden wheels. At one end was a heavy weight that looked to be made from
both wood and metal; at the other end was a type of round cup on one and on
the other was what appeared to be a large sling.

This was the first time either had seen a Trebuchet or a catapult; it would
not be long before they also saw its use. As well as the two machines,
there was also something that looked like a large long hut on wheels with a
heavy log slung below a thick canopy of interlaced shields. Both boys knew
this to be a battering ram and was meant for the gates once the Trebuchet
and catapult had done their work. Mahmud called for more reinforcing on the
main gate.

The walls were no mean feat. At their base they were ten metres thick and
narrowed to five metres at the top of the wall; where the gate stood on the
outer wall; there was a narrow tunnel that led into the city; this also was
protected by a steel portcullis that could be dropped if unwanted visitors
tried to enter deeper. Along the side of the tunnel were small narrow slots
for bowmen to fire down into the passageway and yet remain out of sight of
invaders.

Even if, or when the enemy broke through; they would still be slowed by the
narrow passageway and limited to the number of men that could be sent
though at any one time and the hidden archers could take a huge toll before
the enemy could break through the portcullis; if it was even possible.

The two Kahlif watched as the finished Trebuchet and catapult were wheeled
to within 500 paces of the wall. The land around the entrance to the city
wall was also now filled with earthworks that protected the soldiers from
any archers that might be able to shoot at those distances.

Heavy wooden siege shields were set up in front of the earthworks as added
protection along with row upon row of heavy sharp stakes; the enemy was
setting in for a long siege.

Mahmud received a message by pigeon on the morning before the first shots
were fired from the siege engines; it had been sent by the Emir who of
course was being kept up to date with the building of the siege. Mahmud
called for Eventide as he read the message.

When Eventide joined Mahmud in the great hall where the sand map now spread
over half the hall; Mahmud told him of the message.

"Brother, it would seem we have some unexpected allies. The Emir has just
let us know that one thousand Taureg have crossed the Devils Cauldron and
are coming to help us. They have set aside their old enmities with us to
help in defeating the Infidels; of course what they will do after the
battle is anyone's guess; but for now at least they are ready to fight on
our side against this army of Christians."

"That's good news; how long before they arrive?"

"Within the next few days; they have been told to come through the Eastern
gate; how we can use them is another matter; they are desert people and do
not like to be tied down in a city; we will have to find them battles
outside in the open spaces where they are the most effective."

"Then we have many targets for them; the Christians will have to keep a
supply line for the food and animal fodder; our brothers can take care of
the water supplies and the Taureg can attack the supply trains behind the
enemy lines."

"That sounds just the type of fight the Taureg would like; if we tell them
they can keep all and any plunder they find, it will serve their purpose
even further."

"Then that's our plan for them."

The two boys smiled; the unexpected help from one of the most dangerous
desert tribes could only bode well for their own defence of the city.

The next morning was to be the first day of the attack by the siege
engines; the large rocks hurled by the machines bounced and rolled along
the ground well outside the walls of the city. The two boys watched with
interest as the machines spent most of the day finding the right distance
and then having to work to narrow down their angles to aim for the heavy
wooden gates.

Against the thick walls; the single Trebuchet would have little success;
had there been far more of them to survive the fire arrow attacks, then the
walls would also be in danger.

As it was the gate was the only place for the machines to be used in such
small numbers; the city settled down for the long bombardment of
rocks. They were to find out at night, that the catapult also had a fire
ball that was flung by the one with the cup shape; these were flung high in
the night sky in an attempt to fly over the walls and set fire to the city
on the inside.

On the first night of the fire balls it was totally unexpected; none of the
spies had even seen anything to do with fire or any preparation for them;
the boys began to organise the people into fire fighting groups. Water
carts were set around the city for easy access in case of homes or shops
being hit with the fire balls.

Most of the buildings in the old city were made of stone or fired brick;
they would not burn but the contents could easily set large fires if not
controlled; the boys worked hard to make sure that did not happen.

It was almost dark before the first large rock hit the gates; it had
bounced first on the soft sand outside the walls and had lost a lot of its
power. The gates barely moved and the sound was nothing more than a dull
thud as it hit; there were to be many more to come but the great gates held
against them all.

When the Taureg arrived at the Eastern gates; the two young Kahlif met them
dressed as Kahlif; Mahmud had told Eventide it would be more politic than
dressing as Bedou. The four chiefs of the Taureg had surprised looks on
their faces when they saw the small figure of an Infidel dressed as a
Kahlif.

Nothing was said directly but the looks of suspicion did not go unnoticed
by either boys. The Taureg were let into the city for food and water; the
four chiefs were escorted to the great hall for their meeting with the two
boys and to find out what they would be doing.

At the first sight of the huge sand map; the four chiefs looked at the two
youngsters with a new respect; they had to acknowledge that the two young
Kahlif had put a lot of work and thought into their preparations for the
defence of the great city of Wadhi Sufaria.

After looking over the sand map and talking about what they could do to
repel the invaders; the four chiefs were treated to a feast along with
drink and the inevitable hookah; the discussions continued late into the
night.

Outside the palace they could hear the thuds of the fire balls; most landed
in the wide streets but a few hit a house or shop but were quickly doused
as the people were ready and the fires did not get a chance to take full
hold.

When the discussions were finished and the four chiefs had been told that
all plunder would belong to them; they were shown to rooms put aside for
them; in the morning they would leave with their men and begin their raids
far behind the lines of the Infidels.

The Taureg would again leave by the Eastern gate and ride nonstop back
through the desert and around the Wadhi until they came out far behind the
enemy army; it was hoped the rear attacks would draw more soldiers from the
army to protect the supply trains.

It was the second day of the main siege when Marchant arrived in the great
hall; with him he carried a small model; after placing it on the table to
the side of the sand map; he smiled at the two Kahlif.

"I think this might do it."

The two boys looked at the small model; it was an unusual looking
bow. Mounted on a flat deck with four wheels; the bow was fixed to a square
looking block. Down the centre of the block or body of the bow was a deep
furrow; the bow was mounted on the top and the string was lying on the
block. At the rear was a windlass with a rope and hook to pull back the
bow.  It looked like a cross with the bow at the top and the body was the
upright of the cross. Eventide was the first to speak.

"Where did you come up with the idea and does it work?"

"I took the idea from the Christians cross that they have mounted on a cart
outside the Knights tents; the big one they travelled with. The cart
underneath will make it easier to take from one place to the other. We have
made ten of them so far and the shafts are being produced by many of the
smiths in the city. The bow is reinforced with a metal lathe at the centre;
it will give the bow flexibility and power."

"What are you going to call it?" Mahmud asked with interest.

"I don't know; perhaps we should call it after the Christian cross that
they are so fond of."

Eventide got a glint in his eye as he saw the inference to the Christian
cross.

"That's a good idea; we'll call it a cross bow."

The boys all laughed at the ridiculous name but it seemed to fit the
occasion.

"How good is it; and will it have enough range to make a difference and how
will you get a full sized one up on the escarpment?"

"We don't know yet what the range is but we did fire one shaft at a target
inside the city and it went right through the solid wood without barely
losing power; it left a very big hole in the stone wall behind the
target. We are going to use as many of the small donkeys that are ridden
around the city. The people tell me they are very sure footed and can carry
far more than you would think from such a small animal."

"When will you be ready to begin using them?"

"We want to take the first ten up tomorrow morning; the rest will follow if
we are successful with those."

"Sounds good; you go ahead and do what you think is right; if nothing else
it should scare the enemy."

The next morning, there was a lot of interest from the cities people as
they saw Marchant along with a column of loaded donkeys and attendant
archers; leave by the Eastern gate. No one apart from those involved knew
about the new bows and what they were to be used for.

The bows and other equipment had been broken down to a size the small
donkey's could carry; once on top of the Wadhi they would be re-assembled
and set for use along the front rim.  It had been discussed the night
before by the three boys that the shafts may be better off being made from
both wood and steel.

The main shaft would now be made from wood and only the tip was to be
metal; it would save resources in the city and produce far more useable
arrows; or, as Marchant liked to call them; bolts.

Each day the two boys took turns patrolling the parapets; they spent time
talking to the guards on duty and asking their opinion on some of the
activities of the enemy; it all went to help form a defensive plan.

After the first day of bombardment by the two machines; it was noticed that
only the single Trebuchet was used during the day and only the catapult was
used at night; it could only mean they were limited with what they could
use as projectiles.

On the fourth day of the small bombardment; the two boys received a message
from the Eastern gate. A very young Taureg boy was asking to see the two
Kahlif; he was quickly admitted and taken to see the two boys who were
waiting for him near the sand map.

Eventide was surprised to see that the boy could not be more than ten years
old and yet he carried himself like all the Taureg; he was a warrior and he
let everyone know it by his demeanour.

The boy bowed and salaamed to the two young Kahlif; after being returned
the young boy began to relay his message.

"My Father has sent me to warn you and also ask your advice. The Infidel
have a new supply train coming; in it they have twenty carts loaded with
thick timbers. My Father does not know what they are and would ask what
must be done. There is also a very heavy guard of armoured soldiers and
Knights with the carts. Do you wish him to attack them or continue on with
attacking the softer supplies in other carts?"

The two boys thanked the boy and started to put their heads together; that
the twenty carts held replacement siege engines there was little doubt, but
what could they do about it.  If they asked the Taureg to attack they could
lose many men to the armoured guards and this would defeat the purpose of
limiting the food and fodder supplies.

Mahmud called for food and water for the boy and had him shown to a room to
rest while they worked on the new problem. The only thing they could do was
to send one of the Hashin to look over the carts and try to find out what
type of machine they carried.

The Taureg were not set up for fire attacks but the extra machines could
also be the undoing of the cities defensive wall; it would be a fine
balance between success and failure.  The final decision was made with
regret; they would have to let the carts through and save as many of the
Taureg as they could to stay and attack the supply carts. They could not
send their allies into certain death with only a small hope of destroying
the machines.

That night the young boy left on his camel accompanied by Ishmael on one of
Mahmud's finest war camels. The two would travel non-stop to catch up with
the main Taureg force and Ishmael would look over the twenty carts; as yet
the carts would not reach the city siege for another ten or more days. As
they could only move slowly; there was still time to find a solution.

The morning after the two messengers had left; a young man led the file of
donkeys back into the city from above; they would be used again to carry
supplies and any new bows back up to Marchant and his archers; it was also
the signal that Marchant was ready to fully test the new contraptions.

A system of signals had been arranged with Marchant; both for the tests and
for when they were used in combat. A white flag was for a test with the
metal bolts; a red flag was for the new wooden bolts with the steel tips. A
green flag was to signal that Marchant was going to try for the siege
engines with fire bolts and a black flag was for troops.

Both boys were up on the parapets when they saw the white flag being waved;
they answered with one of their own. Marchant was going to fire only one
bow at a time to see the range and accuracy of the new bows; if they were
successful then they would look at how best to use them.

Far out on the plain, the boys could see the enemy hard at work making new
barricades and trenches; they were being dug fifty paces closer to the
walls; it appeared as though the enemy had not changed its plans from old.

It was a tactic used when laying siege to a fortified position; the
trenches and barricades would creep closer and closer until they were
within striking distance. The siege barricades would then protect the enemy
archers while they fired at the guards high up on the walls. The boys hoped
the new cross bows would be an effective counter stroke; that the enemy
could manufacture long ladders to mount the walls there was little doubt.

Slowly the enemy plan of attack became more set; it was as though they also
were following the old tried and true ways that Eventide had read about; he
now knew he had a definite advantage by being prepared from Freeman's
library.

After they answered the white flag; the boys watched high up on top of the
Wadhi wall; it did not take long before they saw the black bolt fly from
the high cliffs; the power surprised those watching as the metal bolt flew
straight and true towards the enemy lines.

When it hit the ground with a fine spurt of sand flying high in the morning
stillness; those watching almost cheered; the heavy steel bolt was no more
than twenty or so paces short of the rear most barricade; with practice and
using the lighter wooden bolts; there was a good chance of reaching the two
machines in the rear; it was a good sign.

Down on the plains there was little notice taken by the enemy; only the few
close to where the bolt landed seemed surprised at the sudden appearance of
such a large weapon in their midst. The single metal bolt was soon ignored
as no others appeared and the enemy workers went back to their task of
creating a new trench and barricade.

It took a little while for Marchant to signal he was ready to fire one of
the new wooden bolts; he had needed the time to reset the angle of the
heavy cross bow and find the right elevation for distance; his years as a
Reaches bowman now came into play.

Some little time later; the two boys watched as the red flag was waved up
on the cliff top; as soon as they answered; they watched the new wooden
bolt fly towards the enemy lines.  It took everything they had not to cheer
as they saw the single bolt fly just past the Catapult; had they been
amongst the enemy lines they would have heard the dismay from the troops
manning the catapult as the large wooden bolt flew past them and buried
itself into the soft sand behind their machine.

Mahmud had one of the guards wave the black flag to let Marchant know not
to fire anymore until the time was right; they had all the answers they
needed for now and did not want to warn the enemy too soon of what they had
in mind.

Since the start of the bombardment by the Trebuchet; the guards had been
timing how long it took to reload the machine; they also took note of every
shot and where it landed. It soon became obvious the Trebuchet was not very
accurate as each rock would weigh differently from the other and the shape
also made it twist or turn different from the one previous.

There was little doubt that a large number would be dangerous but; if there
were only a few then it was a case of hit and miss; the new cross bow was
another matter; once Marchant had his settings from one cross bow; he could
set all the others to the same; it gave them greater accuracy and could now
hopefully inflict far more damage than the siege machines.

One part of the plan was for the approaching barricades to be left
untouched until they were well within striking distance of the long bows;
it was decided to let the enemy approach to three hundred paces before they
would take action; the longer they delayed, the more work the enemy had to
do and it would all make them have to use supplies and water to keep the
workers healthy and it would run their supplies low.

At three hundred paces; the enemy bowmen would still be short of an
effective range for the Persian bows but the long bow could almost pick
them off at will without reply. From now on it was a waiting game but the
time would not be wasted; they still had the new carts to worry about and
find a plan to disable or destroy them.

Seven days later; when Ishmael reappeared at the Eastern gate with his
report; there had been another thirty cross bows made and transported up to
Marchant's post on the high cliffs; the supply of the newer and lighter
wooden bolts was now a lot larger and each day the stock pile grew.

Ishmael reported that the carts were carrying what looked like fifteen new
Trebuchet and five more catapults; they would now be only three or four
days away; add a few days for them to be assembled and they could look at
being under bombardment in less than ten days. It was time to get Marchant
ready to use his new weapon.

They all knew the walls could still withstand a long pounding, even with
the new Trebuchets being employed; but it could not last forever; they
would need to damage or destroy as many as they could whenever the
opportunity arose; it would be up to Marchant and his archers to cause that
destruction if possible.

Later on that night; the report from their three brothers that went out
each night to watch the camp gave them a little hope. It seemed the
continual attacks by the Taureg were starting to have an effect on the
moral of the enemy. Food was being rationed and the animals were being fed
only in the evenings as fodder was not getting through.

The three brothers also reported that a number of troops had left the camp
in what appeared to be a guarding action for the supply trains. The next
good news was that the brothers had now seen enough of the water train to
the small defile to have a good pattern of their actions. This was the sort
of fighting the brothers fully understood; it would be their job to harass
the water column each day; the more damage they could do to the water carts
the better off they would all be and the worse off the enemy would be.

It was Marchant that saw the first of the new siege machine carts arrive in
the enemy camp; from his high vantage point he had been able to see them
before those below in the city; the two boys decided it was time to take
action and begin a few small attacks of their own; they had had enough of
waiting and watching; it was time to take offensive action.

The water carts left the encampment each morning just as the sun was
rising; the trip to the defile took less than half an hour and the filling
of the many carts took the best part of four hours; it was usually midday
before they began the trip back to camp.

The biggest danger was the closeness of the main camp; any attack on the
carts would have to be a quick hit and run then retreat. It was decided to
hit the carts as they stopped at the defile to fill the wooden casks that
they used as water tanks.

The casks were large and unwieldy but, if they could be damaged or better
yet; destroyed, then it would make for a better result and cause more
problems for the enemy; it would also cause them to use more men to guard
the carts on any future foray to the defile; there was one thing left that
they could do when it became too dangerous to attack the carts.

In one of the warehouses in the city was a large supply of salt blocks; it
had been decided that, when it was no longer feasible to attack the carts
they would load the pool with salt; with such a high concentration of salt
it would make it undrinkable until the new water could dissolve enough of
the salt to make it safe once again.

The use of the salt was to be the final solution to the water needs of the
enemy; until then they would repeat their attacks until forced to use that
solution. One of the court mathematicians had worked out that it would take
at least ten days for the water to become drinkable.

Ten days in the desert without water was almost a death sentence and only a
very strict rationing would save the enemy army; their weakness would be
exploited in any way the two Kahlif's could think of.

The timing of the first attack on the water carts was set for the same
morning that the new siege engines started to be used; it would be the
signal for an all out attack on the carts; the hope was that all the enemy
would be more interested in watching the results of the extra machines and
not watching the carts.

The enemy seemed to be unaware that the carts could be a target; they were
safely behind the lines and none of the defenders could break out of the
city without being seen by the army camped around it. The enemy strategists
could not have been aware of the true potential of the city and its long
history as the gateway to the Emir's lands.

The city had been built many, many, years ago with one purpose; to hold the
gateway to the eastern lands of the caravans and all the trade they
produced for the wealth of the desert lands.

The first barrage from the sixteen Trebuchet was something entirely
different from just one single one. The Trebuchet fired one after another
but the large rocks seemed to all be in the air at the same time. While the
number was threatening, their inaccuracy took away some of the fear that
those watching on top of the walls as the rocks flew towards them.

All the rocks hit the walls but did little damage; the range of five
hundred paces took a lot off their ability to do damage at that range. The
six catapults were now dragged forward to the first line of the trenches;
they were not used but saved for the night attacks; unknown to the catapult
soldiers; they were now well within the range of Marchant's new cross bows.

It was planned to not use the bows until the enemy thought they were safe
enough to also move the Trebuchet closer giving the defenders a better
chance of hitting them with the heavy bolts. Marchant's bows would be kept
secret until the last moment.

The third line of trenches was also now underway; the heavy wooden siege
shields were already in place and only the earthworks needed to be
completed. The soldiers would be well within the range of the far more
powerful long bows of the defenders, but they were allowed to work and
think they were safe at three hundred paces.

The distance was extreme for the Persian bows but well within the range of
the long bow; the enemy would not know what had hit them when they came
under such a heavy attack from eight hundred long bowmen.

As they watched the third barrage of rocks fly their way; Mahmud nudged
Eventide and pointed towards the rear of the enemy camp; it did not take
much to notice the thick plume of black smoke rising high into the still
air; the brothers had had some success; how much, they would not know until
their brothers returned to the city; that would not be until the darkness
of night let them sneak through the enemy lines and use the hidden entrance
into the city; until then they would disappear into the desert and wait out
the day.

The continual bombardment by the Trebuchet was still doing little damage to
the thick strong walls of the city; even the enemy did not think it would
make any difference for quite some time to come; all they could do was
continue day after day and hope the final reward would come and the gates
would either fall or open due to starvation. It was a normal type of siege
and could last as long as food and water held out.

There was little doubt by the defenders that, at some stage; the enemy
would try to force the walls with ladders or some other form of assault
that the enemy hoped would succeed.

The losses to the attackers were always high when a frontal assault was
done in this way but it had been a form of attack used over years and no
one had thought of any other way.

Most of the tactics of the defenders; relied on Eventides long hours of
reading the books and scrolls in Freeman's library; so far that information
had been correct and he had little doubt that it would remain that way. His
own strategies were unheard of and that; he hoped; would give them the
advantage over the huge numbers of the enemy out on the plains.

After five days of bombardment; the enemy decided to get more power into
their Trebuchets and catapults. It was early in the morning on the tenth
day that the two Kahlif watched as the siege machines were pushed by hand
and rolled to the trench line that marked the four hundred paces
limit. Unknown to the enemy; they were now well within the range of
Marchant's new bows.

Marchant had not fired a single bolt at the enemy after the first test shot
of the metal bolt and the second ranging shot of the modified wooden bolt;
it was hoped that the enemy would have forgotten all about them; the
movement of the machines was a signal that they had not even thought about
the strange arrows; it was time for the next surprise.

During the long days of the bombardment; the small donkeys had worked
tirelessly going back and forth to the top of the Wadhi. Each load was
carefully packed and Marchant now had fifty of the new devices lined up
along the rim.

Next to each strange bow as a large pile of wooden bolts each with a metal
tip and, around the shaft just behind the metal tip was a thick band of
course cloth. Every cloth wrap was covered in the thick black tar from the
oozing sands.

It was the catapults that caused the most damage; at night it was a
veritable fire storm as the huge round balls of fire flew over the walls
and crashed in a spectacular shower of sparks and fire into the town. It
was fortunate that the catapults did not have the range to reach the main
palaces and it was here that the two Kahlif sent those of the city that
were most vulnerable.

The men, boys and militia of the city stayed to fight any fires that broke
out as a result of the fire balls. Now that the machines had been moved to
well within the range of the new bows; it was time to hit back; Eventide
sent the message to Marchant.

`Begin the counter attack'

The first target of the bows would be the catapults; every one of the new
cross bows was to be aimed at destroying the catapults and then turn on the
Trebuchets.

The two boys and most of the soldiery of the city were up on top of the
walls to watch the first attack of the new bows. Marchant had decided to
leave it until late in the day before firing his first bolts; by then the
sun would be low in the sky and right in the eyes of the enemy if they
tried to look up at the cliff top.

Everyone on the top of the wall watched as slight movement was spied on top
of the cliff; until this time the bows had been kept well back from the rim
so the enemy could not see what was going on.

Marchant rolled his bows to the very edge and, those below watched as an
archer on each bow carried a fire brand to the front and lit the tar soaked
cloth; when all bolts were alight and the thick black smoke was spiralling
up into the late afternoon sky; Marchant gave one last look at the array of
huge siege machines far out and below him on the wide plain.

The watchers on the walls barely heard the loud call from the cliff top as
Marchant gave the order to fire. It was like some celebration spectacle
when the watchers saw the fifty bolts take to the air with a trail of black
smoke behind them and a flicker of red flame under the smoke.

The bolts flew far faster than the watchers thought they would; it took
everyone by surprise how quickly the bolts suddenly began to slam into the
ground around the six catapults but, not all of them missed. There were
enough bolts in the air and Marchant's talents with a bow and how to sight
them was enough to have more than twenty of the fire bolts slam into and
stay fast on the six wooden catapults.

The enemy had no chance to save their six catapults as they had not even
thought it was possible for the defenders to attack them; that and the lack
of water to put out the fires meant they could only watch in dismay as the
six wooden engines caught and then began to burn unhindered.

The loud roar from the mass of defenders at the top of the wall echoed over
the plains as the six engines burnt stronger and stronger until they were a
furious tower of flames.

While this was going on; Eventide watched as the enemy began to understand
that the catapults were not the only thing in range of this new
weapon. Loud yells and orders echoed over the suddenly silent plains as the
enemy began to organise the withdrawal of their remaining machines;
Marchant had no intention of letting them get away or at least stopping and
destroying as many as he could hit.

After the first feeling or euphoria at seeing the six catapults burst into
flames and begin to burn like funeral pyres; Marchant called for
reloads. The enemy had not even got their Trebuchets rolling when the next
fifty fire bolts began to land amongst them.

Enemy soldiers were trying to douse the flames as best they could with
hands full of sand and flapping cloths or coats; little did they know that
the black tar made it almost impossible to kill the fire once it had taken
hold; their efforts were useless against the foul smelling tar.

Four Trebuchet were hit and in flames after the second barrage. The panic
out on the plains was easy to see as more fire bolts flew through the air
towards the machines as the enemy soldiers tried desperately to get them
moving away from the deadly attack from the evening sky.

There was chaos and disorder in the enemy ranks as they tried desperately
to bring up horse to pull the remaining Trebuchet out of the line of fire
from the new weapons; even as they struggled with horses that did not want
to be close to the towering fires of the catapults; three Trebuchet were
hit by the next volley of bolts.

While it was possible to put out one or two of the fire bolts; the sheer
number of accurately fired bolts that hit each Trebuchet made it impossible
to stop the fires. Marchant had his archers all firing at only two or three
targets at the same time; this way he could score many hits on one target
with a higher likely-hood of their destruction. His plan worked well and;
when the last of the Trebuchet were underway; there were only nine of them
moving and not in flames.

The cheers from the high walls rang out over the darkening plains as they
watched the retreating machines; some still showed the marks of a hit on
their singed frames; Marchant's idea had been a total success; the
Trebuchet were now pulled well back out of what they hoped was the range of
the new weapon.

The Trebuchet could still fire their heavy rocks at the walls but the extra
distance now made it harder for them to do heavy damage; what few knew was
that the new cross bows had more in them and the expertise of Marchant as a
bowman would make the difference in the days to come.

As had been agreed by the parties involved with the new weapon; Marchant
would now once again dismantle thirty of the new bows and have them
transported back to the city; the others would stay up on the cliffs to
continue with other targets.

Those dismantled would be then set up on the walls of the city to counter
any attacks from the enemy; they all knew that the enemy would eventually
have to try to attack the walls with ladders and battering rams; it was
then the new bows would come into their own.

Above the main gate on the wall; the large metal pots of oil stood waiting;
the fires under them were kept burning at just enough temperature to make
it easy to increase the heat once an attack started. It was expected that
the destruction of the catapults and the ineffectiveness of the Trebuchet
would spur the Christians to attack the walls soon rather than later.

When the members of the brotherhood returned to the city via the hidden
passageway; the news they carried told of a complete success. The carts had
not been guarded; the enemy had no reason to even think that they would be
attacked so far behind their lines. The destruction of the water carts had
been total, not a single cart escaped and only a handful of the drivers had
got away to report back to the enemy camp.

The plan was for the enemy to be left alone for a while until they thought
it was only a one off attack; once the two Kahlif thought the enemy were
again a little lax; they would send out another attack on the water carts.

Reports till came in from the Taureg about their successes on the supply
train; they also noted for the Kahlif that the number of guards had
increased dramatically on the supply trains. It took only a change in
tactics for the Taureg to still have a dramatic effect on supplies.

It had now been a month since the beginning of the siege; without the
catapults to fire their dangerous fire balls into the city; things had
improved; the Trebuchet now had an even harder task to damage the great
walls; the increased distance made for less effective damage and accuracy.

It had come to a stalemate; those inside the walls still had the use of the
Eastern gate to have supplies brought into the city and water would never
be a problem as they had long developed deep wells within the walls; it was
the enemy that was under the most pressure to keep their supplies coming.

It was only two days after the last of the cross bows had been set up on
the walls when the guards sent a report to the two Kahlif.

"My Lords." The soldier said as he knelt in the great hall. "The enemy is
massing behind the siege shields; what are your orders?"

Mahmud answered the soldier with short sharp orders.

"Have the trumpets sounded; call all archers to the wall and have the oil
pots heated to their fullest. Send a message to Captain Marchant; he will
be needed on the walls and have all other forces formed up ready to repel
the attackers. The reserves are to form up below the walls and close to the
gate."

The soldier bowed and left at a run; the time had arrived for the first
attempt at breaching their walls and the two boys were not about to let
that happen; their plans for close combat in the defence of the city were
now ready to be set in motion.

At one end of the wall, Marchant had had a tall pole set up; at the top was
a round block and a rope ran from top to bottom. On a table set up below
the pole sat two long banners; a soldier stood beside the table waiting for
Marchant's orders. The two Kahlif now found out why he had asked for it to
be stood there.

"So Marchant; why the pole?"

"It is so I can tell the archers up on the cliff what I want, My Liege."

"How so?"

"The green banner is for fire bolts; the red is for no fire; we will use
them against the siege shields and to disrupt the movements of the foot
soldiers."

The two boys looked out on the plain; the numbers of the gathering enemy
almost made them gasp. Row upon row of armed men were gathering behind the
heavy siege shields. Mounted Knights were riding back and forth as they
formed their men into large phalanx; the dust in the air was slightly
obscuring the mass of men at arms as they formed up.

The reflection of the bright sun on the thousands of shields could be seen
from afar. Behind the first phalanx was the large machine with the shields
covering the top; it was the heavy battering ram that would attack the main
gates once the soldiers began to mount the long ladders to the top of the
walls.

For a little while it seemed that the whole plain was holding its breath;
there was little noise from the massed ranks of the enemy and the defenders
on the wall stood silently; it was as though they had all agreed to have a
moments silence before the killing began.

It was as though an agreed signal had been given as to when the fighting
would start and Marchant was the means of that signal. In the silent
stillness of that midmorning day; the soft sound of the thin rope running
through the roller at the top of the pole appeared to be that signal.

As the red banner ran up the pole to signal those bows up on the cliff to
use plain bolts; the soft squeaking of the wooden block seemed to echo over
the silent plain as if it was a trumpet; the squeak of the block seemed to
be the signal for the enemy to start yelling and calling their battle
cries.

Before the massed ranks could move; the sound of powerful bows filled the
morning air and the sight of the heavy bolts were seen speeding towards the
line of heavy siege shields.  The bolts were the signal for all hell to
break loose. From the top of the wall came Marchant's order for the long
bowmen to fire.

It was as though an anger had been released as the fresh morning air filled
with the hum of nearly eight hundred bows all firing in unison; it was the
first of many as the sky became filled with the flying death.

The long arrows fell in a torrent into the massed ranks of the waiting foot
soldiers; their lighter armour seemed to make no difference or afford any
security as the ranks below the wall began to thin as holes appeared in the
ranks. The arrows became like a cloud in the sky as the archers fired as
fast as they were able to pull another shaft from the large baskets by
their sides.

Screams of pain and suffering echoed over the sands as the first scent of
fresh blood wafted towards the defenders high up on the walls. The enemy
had little to reply with; their catapults were now ashes and not there to
be brought into play but would have been ineffectual against the massed
fire of nearly eight hundred well drilled archers.

High above the plains, the new cross bows took toll on the siege shields,
many were split and almost useless for hiding the waiting foot soldiers;
the heavy bolts were like a lightning bolt as they began to pass right
through the thick shields and skewer those soldiers hiding behind them.

The defenders on top of the wall watched as there came a lull in the bows
from the Wadhi rim; minutes later they began again; Marchant had run up the
black flag; the fire bolts were now on their way towards the battering ram
while others were raised even further and fired at the far off Trebuchets.

On the parapet the heavy cross bows began to also fire at the remaining
siege shields with fire bolts. With the massed bolts aimed at the shields;
it was not long before they were all ablaze. The Trebuchet were a little
luckier because of their distance but even the threat of the bows was
enough for them to be hitched to waiting horses and dragged far away and
out of range; it also meant the Trebuchet could no long range the walls.

Marchant used his archers to perfection as the heavy cross bows returned to
normal bolts and targeted the soldiers; the siege shields were turning out
to be almost ineffective against this new weapon as more men fell mortally
wounded.

The enemy ordered their own bowmen to fire but the distance for the shorter
Persian bows was just too much to be effective; their next decision became
almost a slaughter as the enemy urged their bowmen forward to get within
range; even with soldiers carrying heavy shields to protect the enemy
archers, it was still a slaughter. The moment they stepped out from the
shields to fire; the massed archers on the wall took them down.

No one on the wall could tell if the next orders of the enemy were from
frustration, desperation, foolhardiness or plain ignorance but the result
was not good for the enemy.

To those on the wall watching; it appeared as though ten thousand foot
soldiers erupted from the plains. On one arm they carried their shields
high to protect them from the rain of death falling from the sky; in the
other hand they carried long ladders in the hope of laying them on the wall
to mount to the parapets and engage the defenders hand to hand.

Amongst the racing mass of soldiery, the defenders saw the strange
battering ram being pushed by more than a hundred men that were protected
by the mass of metal shields fitted on top of the machine.

The heavy cross bows on the wall changed angle and tried to stop the ram
from reaching the gates but the metal shields made it difficult to
penetrate. The enemy did suffer losses but not enough to slow the progress
of the ram; Eventide ordered the fires of the oil pots above the gate to be
increased; it was not long before they were starting to bubble.

Marchant's long bowmen lowered their aim to fire at the advancing horde;
even with their shields high; the enemy suffered great losses and yet they
came on; it seemed in sheer desperation knowing that once close to the
walls the bowmen would find it harder to fire at them and their own archers
would be well within range to fire upward.

The enemy officers urged their men forward; many were killed or wounded but
they kept coming; their only hope was to reach the walls and try to fight
their way upward; Eventide
 called for all the pots to be brought to full heat and long poles were
made ready to push the ladders off the wall.

Below them the air became thick with dust and the smell of death; that
strange, strong smell of blood now permeated every breath a man took and
the screams of the wounded filled the defenders ears with a sound like
screeching birds of prey.

The dust rose around the attackers as they tried to get close to the walls
to use their ladders; the sheer numbers made it possible for many to reach
their objective; even the slow moving battering ram was now close enough
that it would soon start its attempt to destroy the great gates.

The defenders took a deep breath; the time was at hand to see if all their
preparations had been worth it. Marchant's bowmen were now having to lean
over the parapet to fire down into the enemy below; it was the most
dangerous time as the enemy bowmen could now return fire; Marchant called
his men back to continue firing at those reinforcements following behind
the main thrust.

The long ladders took thirty men to carry; many fell but their places were
soon taken by others as they pushed forward. Mahmud called to his light
cavalry to prepare; when the chance arose; they would be let through the
gates to attack the foot soldiers near the gate and then retreat back
inside; it would be a desperate chance and only used as a last resort if
those on the wall were being pushed too hard.

The ladders began to fall against the wall and the foot soldiers took to
the climb. The walls were high and the climb was difficult while under
continuous fire from the archers above. Before the first soldiers could
reach the top of the ladder; Eventide gave the order for the oil pots to be
tipped. The rain of boiling oil fell in a torrent on those below; even
those waiting for their turn to climb did not escape as the hot liquid
rained down on them.

Burned men fell from the ladders and yet it was not yet over; with a loud
shout, Eventide ordered fire brands to be thrown down into the hot oil. All
along the wall became a raging fire filled with the screams of the dying
and the thick smell of burning flesh; ;those ladders that were not fired,
were pushed off the wall with the long poles and the men on them fell to
their deaths on top of those waiting below.

The battering ram had reached the gates and, as soon as the first blow was
struck on the gates; Eventide ordered the oil pots above the gates to be
tipped and then set fire to once the ram was doused in the hot oil; those
underneath the protection of the heavy shields did not escape the oil or
the fire; a few ran but were cut down by archers as the ram sat alone like
a grave marker and burnt like a beacon.

The enemy began to run in retreat leaving behind so many dead and wounded
that below the high walls looked like a charnel house. The defenders had
not got off without their own losses; Marchant was to find he had lost
nearly a hundred archers but the losses to those waiting to repel the foot
soldiers had fared better as they had not got to the hand to hand fighting
and were able to stay out of sight of most of the enemy archers. None of
the enemy breached the wall; their first defence had been a huge success.

Out on the plain the retreat continued and Eventide ordered his men to let
them go; there had been enough death on this morning. The retreating enemy
were helping stragglers and wounded as they pulled back to their lines. The
Knights on their great war horses could only watch as their first attack on
the walls became a rout; it was obvious that their way forward was going to
be far more difficult than they first thought. It was hard for them to
think that only two young teens could have put up such a defence in the
face of staggering odds.

Eventide called for water and food for those who would stay on guard when
most of the others began to descend to take sustenance in a cooler place
and away from the heavy smell of death that rose from below the wall.

Eventide was just about to leave the wall and join Mahmud for his own
refreshment when one of the guards called for him and pointed out onto the
plain.

Eventide turned to look in the direction of the pointing guard; far out on
the plain was a single rider holding a white flag as he rode towards the
smudged walls surrounded by the dead. Eventide called for the guards to
hold their fire and let the rider come closer.

Once he was below the walls; Eventide saw he was an officer of the
Templars; after checking that no enemy archers were waiting to ambush him;
Eventide leaned out and asked the rider what he wanted; the rider; although
he had a look of anger on his face; asked if the defenders would agree to a
meeting to discuss a temporary truce so that the enemy could recover their
dead and wounded.

Eventide thought for a few seconds and then called back that the one of the
Kahlif would meet with officers of the enemy to make a short truce in one
hour; the rider acknowledge the reply and agreed that in one hour, Knights
would come forward to talk; he then turned his horse and rode back to the
enemy lines while Eventide left the wall to talk with Mahmud while he ate
and drank.

It was decided that Eventide would meet the men below the walls and Mahmud
would watch closely from above; they would form up their men on the walls
in case it was some kind of trap; neither boy trusted the Templars and the
rest were also not to be trusted.

When the time was up; Mahmud went to the top of the wall and looked out at
a small canvas covering set on four posts about fifty paces from the main
gate. Behind the small semi tent sat ten Knights on horseback and a man in
black robes; behind them were twenty mounted men who looked like officers.

Below Mahmud and inside the gate; Eventide sat on Shaitan with another
fifty cavalry in two ranks behind him as his escort. Eventide was now
dressed in his best Kahlif's clothes; the gold thread on the white cloth
shimmered in the sunshine as he moved. At his signal, the gates were opened
and Eventide led his men through and towards the waiting Knights.

When he got close enough; Eventide saw that the Knights had set their
swords upright in the sand outside the semi tent and were standing waiting
for him to arrive; there seemed no intent to cause a problem with the truce
talks; after all, it was their men that lay around the walls.

Eventide rode through the carnage and towards the waiting men; once he was
close enough he stopped and dismounted while his own guard took up station
close enough to cause a rescue if things turned bad.

Eventide walked towards the tent and; as he stepped into the shade the
Knights stepped forward behind the man in black. A small table and two
stools had been placed under the covering and the man in black sat on the
stool on his side of the table while Eventide took the other; the Knights
stayed standing behind the man in black.

It was plain to see that the man in black did not quite believe what he saw
in front of him; the look of suspicion on the man's face at seeing such a
young boy sitting opposite him was hard to reconcile with the slaughter of
the morning; it was almost as though he thought this was a joke by the
Kahlif's to belittle him. The man was the first to speak.

"I am Bishop Ferranti of the holy order of Jesuits and the representative
of the Holy Roman Church; who am I addressing?"

"I am Eventide; Kahlif of Wadhi Sufaria. What is it you wish?"

"You are the Kahlif? How could this be so; you are only a boy; is this some
joke to belittle the followers of the true church?"

"No, I am one of the Kahlif; now enough of this; what is it you want from
us?"

Eventide saw some of the Knights place their hands where their swords would
have been had they not placed them outside the tent; Eventide smiled at
some of the Knights and then turned back to the Bishop.

After a little splutter of disbelief, the Bishop looked hard at the young
teen; he still found it difficult to think of this boy as being one of the
master minds of the defence of the city. The Bishops voice was still
sceptical but he had no one else to talk to about the truce; he decided to
continue and hope for the best but he was not pleased and Eventide could
pick that up from his voice.

"We, the army of the Holy Church would ask for a truce so we can collect
our dead and wounded and treat them with the respect that fallen soldiers
deserve without any attempt at attack by the city."

"If we agreed to a truce it would not be us that broke it. I have discussed
this with my brother Kahlif and we have decided to allow you to do as you
wish but; any breach of the truce will bring a heavy price down on your
heads. We will desist from firing upon any man who is working below the
wall until dark falls; after that then any soldier approaching these walls
will be seen as an attack. I suggest you clear the dead below the walls
first."

"Are you trying to dictate terms with me young man?"

"Those are the terms; if you wish I can withdraw them and we can let the
dead rot in the sun or be eaten by the desert animals; it means nothing to
us; they are your dead not ours."

The Bishop was surprised by the determined and somewhat callous sound of
the boy's voice; it was true; they needed this truce more than the
defenders; he would have to agree although he didn't like a bit of it.

"Very good, we will retire and have our men come forward to collect the
dead and wounded; if there is nothing else."

"One thing more; make sure the men you send are unarmed; any sign of a
weapon and we will consider the truce ended; also you may want to think
about a full retreat and return to your own lands; this is the lands of the
Emir Saed Ben Haman; your losses will only grow if you stay."

"Mark my words young man; you cannot stand against the Holy Church; we will
take Sufaria and then Jerusalem; it is God's will."

Eventide stood up and then smiled at the Bishop.

"Then I hope your god and church have a good supply of men for they will
need them; leave these lands now and you will live; stay and there is only
certain death; this I will swear on my honour."

"Honour! What would a young boy who has turned his back on his own people
to live among these Saracens know about honour?"

Eventide looked at the Bishop and then smiled as he took a small roll of
parchment from his robe. He had prepared it earlier just in case this very
situation came up; he was glad that he had thought of it now.

Without a word, Eventide gave the small roll of parchment to the bishop and
then turned and left the tent without another word; once mounted on Shaitan
he led his men back through the gates; everyone watching could see a wide
smile on his lips as the gates were closed and barred.

Down on the plain, the bishop looked in bewilderment at the small roll of
parchment; before he could unroll it to read; his Knights called for him to
retire so their men could reclaim the dead; the Bishop put the parchment in
his own robe and turned to where his horse awaited him. There would be time
later to see what the boy had written.

Mahmud had arranged for the physicians to look over the wounded and also
prepare the dead for burial while he waited for Eventide's return; once
both boys were together again; Eventide related to his brother all that had
transpired at the meeting; he also told him about the scroll; both boys
laughed when Eventide told Mahmud about the Bishops attitude and the
resulting parchment.

In the enemy camp there was a sense of defeat but the Knights would not let
it set in and ordered the men out to reclaim their dead and wounded; it
would be a long day for them under the hot sun and threat from high on the
walls they had tried to take and lost.

In the Bishops tent, a gathering of Knights stood around the Bishops table
as he unrolled the small parchment; after looking over the document he
looked up at the surrounding Knights; his face told them something was not
good as a bead of sweat that was not from the heat of the day, appeared on
the man's forehead.

"What is it My Lord Bishop?" one of the Knights asked.

The Bishop threw the parchment down on the table and let the closest Knight
read it. This was not the sort of trouble they wanted while most of the
army was in the holy land.

The parchment read.

To His Holiness the Pope.

Sir, your army has invaded the lands of the Emir Saed Ben Haman; it is my
duty to defend these lands as a Kahlif of Wadhi Sufaria. Should your army
continue to fight and not retreat to their own lands then there will never
be peace between our people. If this be so then your army will face total
destruction in the desert. From this day forward, our one duty will be to
see the destruction of all your armies.I ask once more for the sake of your
men at arms; call the retreat.

I am.  Shaitan Bin Izurak; Kahlif of Wadhi Sufaria Prince Eventide Carliegh
of the Royal Blood of the Iceni bound by oath to His Highness the King of
England Baronet Eventide Tremaine; Son and heir of Baron Freeman Tremaine
of Lancaster and Flanders.

Eventide had felt guilty about using all those titles but he wanted to let
them know who they were fighting and what may happen. If it caused them to
retreat without further bloodshed; then his efforts and dislike for all the
titles would have paid off. He could only wait and see; the more of his men
he could save the better.

The Knights looked at the titles and felt a shiver run up their backs. If
even half the boy's claims were true then they could soon find themselves
having to face the might of the English armies as well as those of the
Emir.

It was time to decide who they owed allegiance to. If they were to be the
cause of a war with the English at the same time as fighting the Saracens;
there could be a lot to lose.  They would have to contact His Holiness for
further instructions. The city would have to wait for the Popes decision on
the matter.


TBC.