Chapter 19
"Miroku, wasn't there three catapults?" Sango asked.
"Must of been destroyed by the ork salvo when we first headed out," Miroku answered.
It turns out that Miroku was right, the catapult was damaged, the boulder could not of hit it better. It would be quicker to build a new one. For the men inside Pelargir, their luck couldn't get worse. The orks sent another wave of boulders flying at them. And one boulder destroyed another catapult.
The next day was not a day for Pelargir to want to remember. Early in the day the last catapult was destroyed. And there orks did not move with in range of the orks. Never even had the intention.
"It is clear that they will not move in for the kill for a while, we should look at an surprise attack, take the fight to them".
"Out of the range of our archers, without the walls to hold back their numbers? We will be crushed. And those who survive and run will be cut down before they get back here".
"If we catch them off guard, early in the morning, we could do heavy damage likely enough to give us the advantage".
"And if that fails... We have lost the battle for the city".
"Which is why we sent a scout to determine their defences against an a attack from this type of battle. See if it can prove worthwhile".
"I guess a scout can not hurt".
"Who should go, the group that went last night?"
"And wear them out completely?"
"This is war, some risks have to be taken. It is not like they have to fight tonight anyways".
"That is if they are not discovered".
"Losing one is better than many".
"Get Sango, get her to scout the area out tonight".
Sango left the castle on foot, and headed towards the ork camp. Silently moving on target, and muttering about everyone else was useless. Except for Miroku, he had every intentions of following her, but they stopped him from coming along. She quickly made her way to a spot where could see the ork camp completely.
She seen the camps defences. She seen a make shift wall facing Pelargir. It was greatly improved since last nights attack. Definitely making a larger scale attack useless. Not without doing something before it. She also seen more orks on guard duty as before. They definitely had learned from their previous mistake. There was no way to sneak in close enough to destroy any more catapults. Though if they timed it right, they could get a messenger out safely.
Sango seen enough, she left back for Pelargir. Moving silently as possible, out of sight of the orks. Soon she re-entered Pelargir.
"Their defences are to strong for a surprise attack, we have to wait it out".
"Not if we can destroy them before we attack".
"With what, all our siege weapons have been destroyed. We do not have the means to do anything to them. We have to send for more reinforcements, and try to wait them out".
"Though it is a must, Minas Tirith might not send any more troops. They will definitely have a force match up against them soon that may not be able to withstand a attack with all of Gondors and Rohans armies together could stop".
"Sango is there structures that exist behind it?"
"Some," Sango answered, "All a distance apart".
"If we find a way to light it on fire, do you think we could destroy any of the ork camp?"
"Only the front line defences, the rest would likely be rather difficult to light up"
"So we light their defences on fire, and charge in on horse".
"Do you think the horses will got through the fire? I say we light up their front line defences, so that they can't get in close on us, and then take a shot at their catapults, remove more siege weapons from the picture".
"And how do you plan on lighting the catapults on fire?"
"Archers, simple, easy and effective".
The majority of Pelargir's archers, about a quarter of the entire force left Pelargir. Silently moving closer to the ork camp. They carried a small barrel filled with oil, and a barrel for each five archers. And they risked a torches, and made sure that each torch had to light five to ten barrels each.
Soon, they had made it to their location. They placed the barrels accordingly, and the men with the torches quickly made their way, and lighted each barrel. The archers readied, any the order to fire was quickly given. They lit up the sky, and landed in the ork camp. That had been slower than they expected. Their defences were damaged, though a second salvo was needed. And after the second salvo, the front line defences were completely destroyed. The third salvo fired deep into the ork camp, hitting the ork catapults. Lighting them on fire, burning the catapults down permanently. They fired a fourth salvo and the catapults, destroying more catapults.
A fifth was fired into the middle of the camp, merely to cause more confusion in the ork ranks. Hope to hit the commander, and see what would burn. As well to help in their retreat. Not that they needed one. There was already a wall of fire blocking their way. The archers hastily made their way back to Pelargir. Behind the protection of the walls for another night.
In the morning, the attack that expected never came.
"They have not used their catapults since our attack, and they didn't send their army this morning at us. We have destroyed their catapults, and perhaps their commander. This is a tremendous victory".
"If you have destroyed all the catapults, you better have destroyed their battery ram, otherwise you may have shortened our lives. They will not wait it out, they will come in close use their battery ram to destroy their gate, and their numbers will take their toll on us".
"We should send a scout tonight, to check their defences. See what, if anything we should do next".
(A/N):Please review!