The Silver Crown

Chapter 16

Caleb

I stand silently on the city wall, watching the dark mass of the approaching army as it slowly slides closer, weaving between the hills from the northwest. The sun is freshly raised in the east. A dust cloud surrounding the army blurs my vision so the distinction of individual shapes is impossible. I shift my gaze to look over the fortifications one final time.

The amount of work the army has managed in the last few hours is impressive. A deep trench has been dug around the city with the soil piled into a high berm on the outside edge. Sharpened stakes and barbed wires are hidden in the loose soil and more stand in the trench in a clustering pattern known as hedgehog barricades, making it extra difficult for invaders to approach the walls. The round walls themselves are lined with archers, spearmen, and crossbowmen standing ready. Large cauldrons of hot oil and braziers of burning embers stand at regular intervals for the soldiers to use.

The gate has been closed and reinforced with wooden beams and loose rubble. A regiment of foot soldiers stand behind it, ready to charge any opponent who manages to break through. All other entrances to the city have been thoroughly blocked with rocks so as to be completely impassable. All civilians have been moved back towards the center of the city where they can be taken into the palace if needed.

Valus and I are the only available battle mages. The Sages, though very magically capable, have been deemed too valuable to have on the front lines. Valus woke up after approximately twelve hours of sleep and took his place on the eastern wall. We had tried to send him back to bed, but he was determined to do as much as he could before his magic ran out again. I have a bad feeling that he won't last very long.

A small stir behind me draws my attention away from the approaching threat. A small boy, roughly ten or eleven years old, is trying to climb the stairs to the wall wearing a hard leather helmet, a crude wooden shield, and holding a long stick. A sergeant is blocking his way. The timing and pointlessness of the commotion irritates me.

"Send him back to the town center. He shouldn't be anywhere near here right now." I snap, slightly harsher than I intended. The boy looks indignant at the thought of not being recognized as a soldier equal to those present.

"I'm here to fight. I'm good with a sword." He insists. I'm about to yell at him again, but the sergeant holds up a hand to stop me. He crouches and talks to the boy quietly.

"Look here, we have a system set up here. I'm sure that you could help a lot, but you'd get in the way of what we've already got. How 'bout you go back to the castle, find the Wise One, and be his bodyguard. If we can't stop the monsters here, you'll be his last protection."

"But don't the Wise One already have bodyguards?" The boy asks defiantly.

"Yes but none equipped like you," The sergeant smiles. I bite my tongue to stop myself from commenting about the difference between a ten year old with a stick and six armored halberdiers. "That's where you'll be most useful." The sergeant continues. The boy nods reluctantly and runs back up the hill into town. The sergeant nods and smiles at me.

"Thanks." I say.

"No trouble. Once you've had three, you know how to redirect them." He grins. I realize that the sergeant is in his mid-thirties. His family is likely to be here in Andrus and he will be fighting for their safety. I turn and look at the approaching army again.

"Let's just make sure that by the time we're done here, you still have three." I say solemnly. He nods again, the smile gone, and retakes his place on the wall.