The sun hung high in the sky, casting its rays down upon the bustling scene below.
Despite the morning hour, the work on both sides of the conflict continued unabated, with neither side showing any sign of respite or slowness.
Upon the city walls, guards stood watch with spears in hand, their eyes fixed on the enemy's efforts to fill the moats below. Meanwhile, slingers stood aiming at the workers below, ready to rain down stones upon them with jeers of triumph whenever their aim proved true.
On such a scene, Alpheo ascended the stairs of the main gate, emerging onto the wall for all to see. His gaze swept over the enemy forces below before turning to search for Jarza,spotting him leaning against the wall.
"Mind your step," Alpheo advised with a hint of humor as he approached ''We don't want one of our commanders to fall down.Gods only know how much we are pressed in human resources"
Jarza's eyes widened momentarily at the sight of Alpheo, a flicker of surprise crossing his features before he composed himself. "I'll keep that in mind," he replied casually, though there was a subtle note of respect in his tone. "Decided to grace us with your presence, Captain?" he quipped.
Alpheo chuckled softly. "You could say that. I found the place a bit to sad without my cheering presence. So I rectified that."
Jarza's gaze meanwhile shifted to the boy, who stood nearby.
"What's he doing here?"
"He brought me good news," Alpheo explained, a faint smile touching his lips. "And I was getting bored, so I decided to keep him with me." He glanced at Ratto, who shifted uncomfortably under Jarza's scrutiny.
Alpheo reached for the letter in his pocket and handed it to Jarza. "Take a look at this," he said, gesturing toward the parchment. "It's from a pigeon."
Jarza took the letter, his eyes scanning the contents briefly before he looked back at Alpheo with a quizzical expression. "Wow, these words really do looks nice," he remarked with a joke.
Alpheo snorted a laugh , "It says that the prince is moving toward us with his army," he reported, his voice tinged with a hint of excitement. "And in a few days, he should be arriving here. It seems the siege will be short-lived."
Jarza's eyes widened slightly, a spark of excitement flashing in them as a smile spread across his face. "That's great news!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with optimism.
Alpheo returned the smile, pleased to see Jarza's reaction. "Indeed it is. We should share this news with the troops. It will do wonders for morale."
Jarza nodded in agreement, his enthusiasm evident as he turned to walk along the wall, heading toward the various groups of men stationed there. With purposeful strides, he began to share the news, his voice carrying across from group to group.
The guards atop the walls erupted into cheers soon enough, their voices ringing out in a mighty cry that echoed across the camp and into the surrounding countryside. The unexpected outburst caught the workers below off guard, causing them to pause in their labor and glance up in confusion, perhapse expecting more stones to fall down.
Finding none, they shrugged off the interruption and returned to their tasks, albeit with a lingering sense of curiosity of what had happened.
Sometimes the sound of their shovels hitting the ground was interrupted by lone projectiles, which found their mark, striking workers in the head or smashing through their chests with brutal force. Bones shattered, ribs splintered, and internal organs were punctured, inflicting agonizing pain and ensuring a slow, torturous demise.
Meanwhile, the archers of the enemy army attempted to retaliate, their arrows slicing through the air in volleys aimed at the defenders atop the walls. Yet their efforts were often in vain, as the slingers swiftly sought cover behind the sturdy stone walls before reemerging to launch their own projectiles in return.
So beautiful was to hold the advantage of height....
Alpheo raised the young boy up to look over the walls, where they could see the enemy army filling the moat in preparation for an attack on the city.
"Can you tell me what they are doing?''
Ratto's voice held a sure tone as he answered, ''They are filling the moat ," he stated before turning his gaze towards Alpheo.
"But do you notice something off about their tactics?" He then asked
Ratto's brow furrowed as he looked down at the enemy army and then back at Alpheo. "They may be doing something wrong,or at least so your tone hints" he admitted with a shake of his head, "but I don't know what it is."
"The advantage of being on the defensive is great," Alpheo explained. "You have time to fortify your position, lay traps for the enemy, and prepare the terrain for battle.
The attacker, on the other hand, is at a disadvantage. They must march towards the enemy in a position that has been chosen for them. They can try to avoid battle, but that only wastes more supplies and their time.
Eventually, they will be forced to make their way forward, regardless of their fighting condition. The only advantage they hold is maneuverability, they get to choose how to fight. And as such, they can plan and anticipate the enemy's response to their tactics."
Ratto remained silent, his eyes fixed on the scene below as Alpheo continued to enlighten him. "Right now, the enemy is focusing their efforts on one section of the moat," Alpheo explained, gesturing towards the workers laboring below. "While this approach may speed up the process of filling the moat, it also limits their flexibility and exposes them to our defenses. By concentrating their forces in one area, they're essentially making themselves vulnerable, as they are basically shouting to us , 'we are attacking from here.'
Ratto nodded slowly, processing Alpheo's words. "If that is true why would they take such a risk?''
Alpheo's gaze remained fixed on the enemy lines as he pondered the question. "They're driven by desperation, knowing they have wasted a lot of time already," he responded after a moment. "The prince is determined to capture this city, as its fall would allow him to march to the capital. However, he's racing against time, knowing that if he doesn't succeed before reinforcements arrive, his chances of victory diminish significantly, and he would be forced to bet all on a pitch battle."
He then paused, a furrow forming between his brows as he continued, "They likely didn't anticipate the strength of our defenses, which has disrupted their original plan. Now, they're doubling down on their efforts to breach the city before it's too late.I am sure they prepared so few troops to make a siege as sustenable as possible...given that it is almost winter."
Ratto looked at Alpheo then nodded, it made sense.
''Still, why do you think they thought it would be easy to conquer the city?''
''Well the garrison had low numbers before our arrival.So that's one reason he answered keeping the other one to himself.
Or maybe they had an insider in the city.