Blood Isle

Chapter Twenty-Three: Uphill Climb

The alliance army marched through broken swampy land until they confronted a wide river. At one time a long bridge spanned the raging currents but it had been destroyed.

The river without a suitable means of crossing was bad enough. To compound the problem the enemy was waiting on the opposite shore with a massive force. Donovan did not like what he saw, there was not any way to avoid major bloodshed.

Scouts were dispatched to determine other crossing points, upriver and downriver. Two days later they returned in the morning as instructed during which a soft rain had began earlier that night.

Emec approached Donovan. "Both our scouting parties traveled for a full day up and down the river as ordered. All bridges have been destroyed and the river is wide and its current is strong."

"The enemy has chosen the battleground wisely, there is no way to easily gain a tactical advantage. Plus, they hold the high ground, the river is so wide, even arbalists cannot reach the other side," Maska reported as he studied the opposite shore through his far-seeing lenses.

"I agree, we have only one choice, we must build a bridge in the face of a determined enemy," replied Donovan.

"Why, that is madness, the enemy will decimate our men with their archers," commented Sir Alfred.

"If anyone has a better idea, please enlighten me. We will build bulwarks to protect the work crews and defend them with heavy crossbows and arbalests behind other bulworks," said Donoven.

So began what was called the great ordeal, our attack depended on coordinated staggered work crews. Toiling though the night and day, loggers felled trees. The men and teams of horses dragged the logs to where they were cut into rough timbers and planks.

Other work crews began to dig to tame the flow of the river, the enemy had pulled the pilings out. Work crews lowered in place walled sections of what would be a casement. Other work crews operated pumps that would keep the interior dry. The casings were built of squared timber to divert part of the flow of the river. These were sealed with pitch, to make them waterproof while they diverted part of the rivers flow. With a block and tackle they pounded in several pilings with a large log and reinforced them with rock.

Five weeks later, we labored night and day behind a bulwark of squared planks and the eyes of the enemy. Donovan and the men labored as they closed the distance between themselves and the enemy. The nights were illuminated by numerous bon-fires, which glared off the water's surface.

Two months later, the first bolt from a enemy arbalesta struck the rivers surface shy of our bulwark. The battle to gain a foothold upon the opposite shore was about to begin in ernest. As the pilings were placed, piling caps were fastened atop them and timbers and planks were nailed in place.

Now enemy arbalest bolts slammed into our thick bulwarks; it was decided to position two of the giant arbalests on the bridge. When they were fired, the carnage they created would be demoralizing, for they shot accurately over a far greater distance. They were placed at a distance far greater than a conventional arbalest could be fired.

To increase the emotional impact, Donovan ordered that a horn be blown in advance. There is nothing worse on the nerves than the anticipation of the arrival of an eminent attack. When the giant arbalests were loaded, the horn was blown, five minutes later they were fired towards the enemy arbalests.

Two giant feathered shafts slammed into the enemy that were operating arbalests. The carnage they created was impressive to say the least. For armor was rent and ruined bodies were hurled into the air. Judging through Donovan's far-seeing lens the chaos created was massive.