The Powterosian War (Book 5) Read Online Free Page B

going to be. Graushdemheimer had not seen siege since the Wizard Wars. The walls were stout and high, but old and poorly maintained. Only recently, was there a major attempt to restore them. They were sixty feet high and thirty feet thick, allowing defenders to move catapults along the crest of the walls. Their massive facing stones could withstand boulders hurled from siege machinery. There were eight massive towers, two each at the gates leading north to Hador, west to Heggolstockin, and south to Tossledorn and two evenly spaced on the eastern wall. One of each of the northern and southern gate towers was a complete fortress in itself, housing a garrison within it. The city was a clutter of homes and shops along curved streets that would make it difficult for an invading army to traverse with any war machinery.
    In the city center was the royal palace of the Graushdem kings surrounded by nobles’ palaces. The royal palace was massive, with inner and outer baileys and a central fortress of towers as its keep. The city’s congestion was also its weakness. There was ample warehouse storage to house the supplies needed for a long siege, but there was little park ground for keeping livestock over extended periods. Fresh food would run out all too soon.
    “That city has adequate walls unless Vylvex builds many siege towers to storm them,” Bordabrundese said to his senior general. “King Grekenbach should have sufficient men to repel ladders unless more legions get through the mountains and join in the attack.” The dwarf king looked around him at the forest and rocky cliffs along the ridge. I don’t see where our army can camp out of the daylight here unless we can locate some caves in the cliffs. Send the scouts along here. See what you can locate and how many dwarves we can accommodate during the day.”
    The dwarf general bowed and dispatched the scouts. When they returned two hours before dawn, the scouts met with the king and general and concluded they could only bring one dwarf legion to battle.
    “So be it,” Bordabrundese said. “We’ll return tonight with the soldiers and put them up in the caves. We can’t risk a full scale attack by the orcs against us and be trapped out in the sunlight. We’ll wait until General Vylvex attacks Graushdemheimer, and then, while his troops concentrate on the city, we’ll attack from the rear and do what damage we can in the night.”
    * *  *
    King Grekenbach stood on Graushdemheimer’s walls at the western gate tower looking down at the orc army. The orc legions divided up, moving to set up camps blocking Graushdemheimer’s three great gates. The king ordered the catapults moved over to walls by the gate towers. He commanded others to bring stocks of all kinds of missiles, rocks, oil filled pouches, extra arrows and spears, and any other potentially lethal items that might be flung at the enemy. These, they amassed by the catapults.
    “Be careful to secure the oil bags lest enemy arrows set them afire before we can fling them at the invaders.”
    Then he saw trees falling in the forest northeast of the city and the beginnings of three great towers on wheels. They rose, each facing one of the primary gates. The orcs moved in great numbers like an ant swarm discovering a feast in the grass.
    Grekenbach looked high up behind him to the tower of the royal palace keep. There, Queen Nonee stood on the balcony watching the army beyond the ramparts, and her husband directing the defensive maneuvers on the walls. A gentle breeze blew, rippling the delicate royal blue fabric of her gown. Even from the city walls, Grekenbach could see she leaned slightly forward, her hands gripping the rail. A gust of wind flipped her hair into disarray, reflecting the spectacle she looked upon.
    The king looked back down on the formerly peaceful capital. People everywhere were scurrying to stock supplies for the siege. Groups of soldiers moved armaments to and fro through the undulating sea of