Chapter No. 39 Porta salutare

That I may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.

Dusk comes swiftly to the Plains. The scarlet rays of a sinking sun cast dancing crimson shadows to the east of two riders fast approaching the outer line of the rebel encampment. The lookouts did not challenge them. No other knight but Mara could cast such a bizarre shadow.

Paladin was the first to greet them. "I pray you have knowledge of the enemy."

Mara removed her helmet to reveal her steely eyes. "You may not wish to hear it."

"I have heard a good portion of bad news in my time."

Morton and many of the commanders approached. Hilton hung back, trying to stay out of the way. Sir Volta muscled his way to the front of the group when Mara began her report. The men intently watched her use a stick to sketch on the dirt.

"The enemy has two divisions camped along the river about two miles east of the city. That's the good news. The bad news is that they have another division west of the city."

"What's so bad about that, bitch," Volta bellowed. "The royalist bastards have committed a large force here. We can crush them once and for all."

"We only have one division," Mara said. "If we attack the main force at the river, the third will attack our flank. If we split our forces to take on both, their superior numbers will overwhelm us."

"We only have three choices," Morton said. "Split our force, take on the main army, or retire."

"Perhaps retiring would be prudent under these circumstances," Paladin said.

"Run like beaten dogs?" Volta shouted, sputtering. "We will never defeat the Empire by running away."

"I agree," Mara said, surprising Volta. "We came here to prevent the Empire from closing Arkanon. Running would send a message that we are afraid. We would lose credibility as a rightful challenge to the Empire. This battle will be the defining event in your history. The courage and mettle you exhibit here will determine what kind of people you are now and will become in the future. Victory is our only option."

"Hear, hear!" other commanders yelled.

Paladin rubbed his beard. "I don't see how we have any hopes of winning under these conditions."

"There is a fourth choice," Mara said.
Every man looked at Mara with doubt and curiosity showing in his eyes.

"The enemy has lured us into a deployment that gives them the advantage. We must change that tactical situation."

"Just how in the hell are we going to do that, bitch?"

Mara never missed a beat. "We move across the river."

"The river is too deep to ford," Morton said. "We would need to move much further east away from the main enemy encampment to find shallow water."

"True, but there's another way across that is close by."

"Where?" Paladin said.

She pointed the stick at the square that represented a city. "Arkanon was constructed around a substantial bridge over the river."

"Oh, right!" Volta said, huffing. "We just go up to the gate with our army and beg them to let us in."

Mara stared at him for a few silent seconds. "I will take care of opening the gate."

"How?" Paladin said, his eyes wide with confusion. "There's no way to get into the city except through the gate."

"I know a way in that very few know. My family once lived here when my father taught at the university. I spent a lot of time exploring."

"You were only a little girl then. How can you be sure that the passage is still there?"

"It's still there, and if it's not, then we will fight on this side of the river and take our lumps."

"It's the only chance we have," Morton said. "If we could force them to come to us on the south side of the river, we would have a good chance at victory."

"Do you need any help?" Paladin asked her.

"Yes, but I will take only a few willing to undertake a difficult task."

She caught sight of Hilton giving her a hand gesture that said he was in. Two other knights volunteered with salutes.

"We will need to go under cover of night and get the gate open as quickly as possible." She pointed at the city in the distance. "When you see one of the tower lamps blink, you must move the army over to the city as quickly as possible."

Mara motioned to Hilton and the two other knights. "Let's go. We don't have much time left to pull this off."

Paladin and Hilton's eyes locked for a brief time. Words were not necessary; both knew that this was going to be a dangerous mission.

Lecton and Simlia waited for squires to bring their mounts forward. Lecton was not much older than Hilton. His curly brown hair glowed in the dim light of campfires like a fuzzy crown. A scar that ran along his right cheek marred his naturally good looks.

Simlia was older, well into his twenties, but he was no more experienced than Lecton. He had short black hair and a harshly featured face.

Hilton mounted his horse and fell into line with Mara. He didn't know what to expect. He had never been on a mission like this. He just hoped that he wouldn't screw up.

Paladin watched the four ride off toward Arkanon. As soon as the night consumed them, he turned to Morton. "Make sure everyone is ready to move out. Leave the campfires. It may fool the enemy into thinking we're still camped."

Morton gave him a quick smirk. "Yes, my lord."

The ride to the city was swift, but Hilton was surprised when Mara stopped two hundred yards away. The massive twin towers that flanked the northern entrance easily captured his eyes. Fires in both towers provided a familiar landmark on an otherwise bleak landscape.

"We'll go on foot from here," she said. "Chevron will move our mounts back so that no one will see them."

Hilton sighed. Here we go with the running-in-full-armor again. I'm still tired from the last time. Trying to keep up with this super woman is too much for me.

Surprisingly, after sprinting the distance to the city wall, Mara waited for Hilton and the other two knights before she began a trek along the west wall of the city. Hilton had expected her to admonish him and the others, but she simply smiled, not so much from amusement, as pity. Ah, what a price to pay for being merely mortal.
Mara stopped at a position a quarter of the way along the west wall. Hilton and the two knights looked up at where she was looking, but they could see nothing.

"We have a problem," Mara said. "The entrance is up higher than I thought. We'll need a way to climb up the wall."

"I have a rope," Lecton said, pulling a coil from his belt.

"How convenient," Mara said, taking it from him. "Now, all I have to do is hook it around that outcrop of stone up there." She pointed.

"How are you going to do that?" Hilton asked. "It's at least fifty feet up."

"You forget, young Hilton. I am a peasant girl and know the ways of cattle handling."

Hilton had no idea what she meant. She was always coming up with strange statements like that. She must enjoy proving how ignorant I am. What does she expect from me?

She formed the rope into a lasso and began whirling it around over her head. Her first toss missed, but after three more tries, she obtained a solid loop around a stone protuberance. After checking the stability of the rope, she removed her gauntlets, stuck them into her quiver of bolts, and began her climb.

Hilton watched her easily ascend the rope. He had no idea if he had enough strength to climb up a rope wearing armor burdened with battle sword, crossbow and a quiver full of bolts.
Lecton began his climb and had considerable difficulty. Simlia's climb was not much better.

Now, it was his turn. Hilton spat into his hands and rubbed them together before getting a good grip on the rope. He yanked himself up, planting his feet firmly against the wall--one hand over another, slowly up, moving one foot after the other, grunting from the effort.

"Hurry up, Hilton. We don't have all night."

"I'm trying my best," he hissed, trying not to sound like a hopeless idiot.

When he got close to the ledge directly above the outcropping, Mara reached down to offer him a helping hand. He swallowed his pride and allowed her to pull him up.

"That was the easy part," she said.

Oh, wonderful.

A seven-foot high wall at the edge of the ledge hid a small entrance into the wall. Mara removed her helmet and ducked down to enter the square tunnel through the east wall. The trek through the tunnel was harrowing at best. Darkness and the need to keep your head down made for a less-than-fun passage.

Before exiting the tunnel on the inside, Mara stopped and issued an order.
"Make sure that your crossbows are ready. The Empire has a contingent in the city. We need to move quickly to the entrance and open the doors and shutter one of the tower fires."

Hilton could not restrain his tongue. "Oh, is that all."

"I hope your aim is as sharp as your tongue," she shot back at him.

The good news was that they didn't have to climb down from the exit. A small rise provided the cover of trees and bushes and made it easier to descend to the city.

Not many people were out and about at night, but they had a lot of city streets to cover before arriving at the north gate. Traversing this distance would not be easy, especially in full armor. Knights were better suited to ride rather than to run.

Moving through the narrow streets of Arkanon was unnerving. They ran from entrance to entrance, covering one another, advancing one building at a time. Hilton wasn't sure what he would do if confronted by the enemy. Taking a shot at night would be difficult at best, and if the enemy spotted him first, he would be lucky to escape being killed or wounded. After a few blocks, he began seeing enemy soldiers in harmless shadows.

They encountered no enemy soldiers or anyone else for that matter. The last sprint was going to be the worst. A wide empty courtyard separated the last building from the gate. The door opening mechanism stood at the right, and six men guarded it.

"Take careful aim," Mara whispered. "We won't get a chance at good second shots."

Hilton held up his crossbow and steadied it. "Please Aries, don't let me screw up."

"Fire," Mara ordered.

Bolts flashed through the night air on deadly courses. Four of the six guards dropped. The other two became confused. Mara took advantage of their hesitation by getting two more shots off, felling both. She took off running, and Hilton and the two knights ran after her.

When they arrived at the opening mechanism, Mara pointed at a ladder that led to the west tower. "You two get up there and operate the shutters. Hilton and I will open the doors."

Lecton saluted and he and Simlia quickly ascended the ladder. Mara gestured to Hilton. "Take cover and get ready to shoot anyone who approaches. I will open the gate."

Hilton crouched behind a wooden pylon and readied his crossbow. He laid Mara's weapon at his feet. Then, he sighed. He should be the one opening the gate, not her. She was much better with the crossbow than he. Maybe he would get lucky and nobody would show up.

Mara eyes darted madly around the opening mechanism. She had little time to analyze it.

Looks simple enough: a wheel attached to a winch. Just turn the wheel and the door opens. One problem: the winch lifts a large stone counterweight and it looks heavy, probably requiring several men to lift it. Don't have time to assemble a bunch of men.

Mara grabbed one of the handles that stuck out of the wheel and pulled. The wheel barely budged. This is going to be harder than I thought.

Hilton peered into the dim light and hoped that he wouldn't see anything. He hated the idea of fighting at close quarters, especially at night, and especially when he didn't know what he was up against. At least on a battlefield, he could see his enemy. Here, in this stupid place, he had to fight his own fears. He hated it.

He first caught a glint in the corner of his eye. Oh, shit. They're coming. He concentrated on the location he thought he saw something, but the attackers came from the shadows of the wall. He waited until he was certain of his shot before making it.

When the other enemy soldiers saw their comrade go down, they took cover. Soon bolts were whisking back in his direction. Was it a prelude to a full attack? He loaded his crossbow just in case.

Flying bolts quickly annoyed Mara. She was still trying to raise the counterweight and she had to duck and juke them, delaying her effort. The worse part was that she couldn't just stop and fight off the attackers. She had to get the gate open if the rebel army was to have any chance at crossing the river.

The enemy soldiers rushed Hilton. He managed to get two shots off, but had no time to reload. He drew his sword and wondered how he was going to fight four men at one time. He didn't have a shield—too large to carry through a tunnel. He decided to use a two-handed hold.

The first soldier took a swing at Hilton, but he ducked and whacked his attacker at belt level, doubling him over. A second approached with his sword up. Hilton rushed him, swinging his sword up to block the downward blow. He had to counter a thrust from a third enemy.

I'm not going to be able to do this, Mara. I can only fight one at a time. Well, fight one at a time, dummy. Don't let them corner you.

Grapple with him. Grab his sword. He can't do anything with his sword tied up. Give him a pommel to the face. That'll slow him up. Spin around and trip the next with your sword. Watch the other. He's trying to get at your back. Spin into him with a side cut. Shit. There's more rushing this way. Now, what the hell am I going to do? I need help, Mara.

Mara could see that Hilton was having a time of it, but she couldn't stop now. She had to get the gate open, or the whole damn rebel army would be trapped outside the city. Fight well, young Hilton.

Hilton was busy countering blows and trying to stay on his feet. He was not going to last much longer. Help!

Lecton suddenly appeared and engaged the attackers from behind. Hilton took advantage of the temporary confusion by smacking his opponent along side his helmet. I'll bet his ears will ring on that one.

Simlia joined Lecton and Hilton, turning the battle. But, it was a short-lived turn. More enemy soldiers rushed into the fray. Hilton took a bad sword hit to his chest and a crossbow bolt felled Simlia.

Mara completed opening the gate and jumped into the battle, slashing away with her twin swords. Hilton nearly cried when he saw her fighting. He was nearly exhausted and would not have lasted much longer. Despite that, he fought as if he were possessed.

He didn't have to fight for long. The rebel army stormed into the city and swept away any further resistance. Chevron magically appeared with the three horses, and Mara wasted no time in mounting up. Hilton dragged his weary bones onto his horse and joined Mara as he rode up to Paladin and Morton.

"Are you being pursued?" she asked Paladin.

"No. Thanks to you and your team, the enemy is unaware of our movement."

Mara gestured to the gate opening mechanism. "Simlia was stricken with a bolt, and your son has taken a blow to his chest."

Paladin looked at his son, but his face relaxed when he saw that the blow had only creased his breastplate. His son gave him a weak smile.

Morton wasted no time in approaching his commander. "This city is ours for the taking. Perhaps it would be better to stay within its protective walls."

"No, No!" Mara said, her brow wrinkling. "If we stay in here the Empire will lay siege and we will be trapped, unable to get back to our compound. We have only one option: to move out of the south gate and take up position just north of the Ardendes forest."

"Why there?" Paladin asked. "Why not take advantage of having the sanctuary of the tress around the river?"

"If we have our backs against the river, we will be flanked. By lining up to the south of the river we will have the forest at our left flank. If the Royalist forces move into the forest, they will be forced into personal combat, and we will have the advantage, and the forest will provide us with an escape for it slants up to the river at a ford."

Paladin and Morton stared at her for several moments as if formulating a rebuttal, but they had none.

"She is right, my lord," Morton said. "The Royalists will be forced to bunch up along the river. They will not be able to initiate a flanking maneuver."

Paladin nodded and then turned to his sub commanders. "We must move our forces through this city as quickly as possible. There will be ample time to rest once we have claimed a position south of the river."

"Move!" Morton growled. "Get your butts over this bridge."

Mara reared up Chevron and charged across the stone arched bridge. A contingent of knights followed her. Hilton joined with some slower knights to plod across the mighty river. He was in no hurry to fight again. That distasteful business could wait to the morrow.