A Different Virus - Laura's Story

Chapter 142

I sat on top of the cliff with Trish and both of us were watching with a pair of binoculars. We were sitting about quarter way away from the gate on the north side of the cliff. Quite a few other people were up here as well to watch as the bandits made their appearance.

They seemed quite surprised to see that our gates were closed and no one was in sight. Those who had been prepared to charge towards our distant walls frowned as their original plan was blown to bits. More and more bandits mounted on horses rounded the bend and came into sight.

There were very likely eight hundred fighters present and most were mounted. All were armed and had armor of some sort. The back half of the convoy had numerous wagons packed with supplies that they needed to get themselves this far.

Their horses were tired and not rushing, so the progress of the long trail of people was slow. Those in front eyed up the numerous guards on the walls and knew that we had known they were coming. They frowned at the metal plates covering our palisade without any visible break.

We would not be easy to burn out. Our wall and gate were fireproof at this point. The fighters in the forest were somewhat worried about them setting fire to the forest, but we had a lot of rain the last two weeks so it wouldn't be easy for them. Diane also said that they had plans to keep anyone from getting close to the forest if they approached it with a flame or fire starting gear.

The front of the long swarm slowed and stopped just outside our gate. They were just out of range of the archers on the walls. They spread out behind that front line as more and more caught up and gathered together.

Orders must have come from whatever leaders were present since small groups split off. Some approached the gate with bows and fired a few arrows, but the guards on the wall also had crossbows as well as the advantage of height, so our arrows flew further. That group swiftly backed up, dragging two dead bandits behind them. None of their arrows had even reached the top of the wall since they had been so far away.

Other groups went towards the forest to the north and some went along the cliffs to the south as they tried to find another way in. A couple of screams left the forest and I shivered as I knew that those bandits no longer lived. Our fired fighters had no intentions of letting them roam around in the forest.

I turned my binoculars a bit to watch others in Sanctuary along the edge of the south cliff looking down. A few started throwing rocks while two fired arrows. Moments later, they stopped as the bandits obviously went out of reach. The south side was all fields with no trees so it was up to those on top to keep the attackers from climbing that part of the cliff.

The bandits retreated and started setting up a huge camp in the middle of the grassy area in front of the gate. They carefully remained out of distance of even the strongest crossbows. I doubted that they would be easy to chase off.

I looked at Trish who had a grim look on her face as she peered through her binoculars. I asked her, "Do you really think the plan will work?"

Trish lowered her binoculars to look at me, "Our fighters will keep them out of the forest, and they can't climb that cliff with us bombarding them. The cliff is simply too tall. The weakest spot is our gate, but we are carefully guarding that. Any attempt they make will cost them too many fighters."

I looked back at the mass of moving people as they set up their tents and picketed their horses. They wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. Even if they did, they probably wouldn't make it to their settlement in time for the action. The other group should have freed those they had captured and burnt the bandits' settlement to ashes by the time this group returned.