Chapter Fourteen

Anasis

When Gabrielle and Gomar, the man who had recruited her, arrived at his village, called Anasis, there was bedlam and rage. The previous night they had been attacked and there were six casualties, including two children. Gabrielle was appalled and angered at such a barbaric attack.

She began to inspect their inadequate defenses and soon started issuing orders.

“There are only a handful of paths through these woods they can use. Tie ropes shin high across the paths. I saw brambles on the way in. Cut them down and put them just past the ropes. That way when they trip, they’ll land face and chest first into them.”

“How will that help?”

“No one can get a face full of briars without crying out. It will give your archers a target. Even if you can’t see them you can shoot at their screams. And farther back, tie pieces of metal, maybe frying pans, onto ropes so they will bang together when they pass. This will warn us when they are coming.”

As the villagers were following Gabrielle’s instructions, more bad news came. One of the young men who had been sent to spy on the enemy had heard something that wasn’t good.

“I couldn’t get too close, but I overheard two of their soldiers talking. They have hired a warlord, I think that’s what they said, to help them. I didn’t catch his name, but from the way they talked, he must be one really brutal animal. He had them digging pits with spikes in them, and setting up spiked logs to swing from the trees. And he was training them in unconventional attack methods.”

“Yes, we know. We were attacked only last night.”

“So, that’s the kind of war they want,” Gabrielle was angry all over again. “Then we’ll give them a taste of their own medicine.  Instead of stringing pots and pans, start digging pits. We’ll let their screams of pain warn us they’re coming.”

That evening Gabrielle conferred with the local magistrate and the elders, trying to find out all she could about the townspeople of Athinius — their strengths, number of men available to fight, and how long it took for them to travel through the forest from Athinius to Anasis.