Forged in Fire (Destiny's Crucible Book 4)

by Olan Thorensen

  The officer shook his head. “That’s all we have at the moment.”

  “So allow me to summarize, gentlemen,” said Gullar bitterly. “Instead of a relatively open city with a manageable wall partway inside it, we face a fortified position we might expect back on Melosia. We have no siege equipment. They might actually outgun us—given a slight elevation advantage and larger cannon. To approach the walls, our men would have to cross open fields of fire a half-mile deep, cross a possibly muddy or water-filled ditch, and then scale the bastions and/or the lower walls. Have I missed anything significant?”

  He heard no comment from the clustered commanders.

  “Then, given the situation . . . recommendations, gentlemen?”

  Avan spoke up first. “We need to probe whether there is a way to bypass the fortifications. Either see if their anchors to the mountains offer any weak spots or if we can find ways to get behind them. Possibly a route into the mountains to come at them from behind.”

  Gullar was not optimistic. “I agree that we need to check those possibilities, but somehow I doubt we are going to find any way in that doesn’t involve considerably more time than we have. The peaks we see are imposing, and they’ve obviously been preparing, so I doubt they’ve left any passes undefended.”

  “We have to know if those cannon are real or fake,” said a stern general. “Company-sized probes all along the wall should get them firing, so we can get a good estimate of exactly how many cannon and of what caliber we face. We will lose some men, but I believe it necessary.”

  Those being the two main recommendations, it was decided. The army would encamp two miles from the city. While they probed the walls, other units would search for alternate access routes into the city.

  Gullar ended the conference with a dour forecast.

  “Gentlemen. We planned this campaign based on the expectation that the islanders would meet us in field battles to protect their people and provinces. In such battles, our numbers, discipline, coordinated units, and professionalism would prevail. Given the apparent lack of a history of large-scale conflicts and how Akuyun’s first thrust to Moreland City played out, that was probably a reasonable expectation for us. I think we can all agree that all that planning is now worth a pile of crap. I think we must assume that the islanders have no intention of fulfilling our prediction. They’ve gathered the large force we’ve been chasing, but so far, they show no indication of engaging in direct battles. Instead, they’ve withdrawn the Moreland and Orosz populations to prepared defenses, such as we see here. If such fortifications, here and elsewhere, cannot be overcome, our original mission plan to Caedellium has failed. We may be able to burn every structure not within such fortifications and interdict the islanders’ ability to farm or carry out other productive activities, but we aren’t going to subjugate them without more time and effort than anticipated. Let’s see what options we have here and then decide on the next course of action.”

  Chapter 44: Will the Walls Hold?

  Orosz City

  “My, my,” said Carnigan. “There certainly are a lot of them.” From a position on the mountain slope north of the city, Yozef, Denes, Carnigan, and the senior Orosz commander used telescopes to survey the Narthani encampment being constructed.

  Not being a fan of Carnigan’s developing humor tendencies, Denes cast an annoyed eye at the big man.

  “A God-cursed lot of them that want to kill our people,” Denes spit back.

  “That will try to kill our people,” said Carnigan serenely, “but are going to end up dying themselves.”

  “I pray you’re right.”

  “Of course, I’m right. I’m the bodyguard of the great Yozef Kolsko, master of mysteries, ear of God, War Leader of all the Caedellium clans. I wouldn’t have this job if I wasn’t always right.”

  “You have this job because you’re big as two horses, and no one else can stand you,” Yozef chipped in without lowering a telescope surveying the Narthani.

  Denes grunted, a humorous grunt equivalent to most men collapsing in laughter—a sense of humor not being one of his defining characteristics.

  Carnigan did laugh. “Well, maybe a little of all of those.” Then his voice lost its humor. “But I have faith that God will help us, whether at battle or through your coming to Caedellium.”

  Oh, Christ! moaned Yozef to himself. I thought Carnigan was one of the few who didn’t think I’m in direct contact with God!

  During the next two days, the main Narthani army sat in position, while probing all around the city. Battalion-sized units checked both anchoring points to the mountains. Infantry and cavalry searched for passes to approach from within the mountains west of the city and the cleft. When they found nothing, a full division pushed east. The Narthani forced Stent’s mobile clan unit back enough to allow them to search for access to the city and the cleft from the east. They had a similar lack of success. Fierce firefights erupted several times, but the Narthani found no direct approaches to the city walls. Anywhere they probed narrow passes and mountain tracts, they were met by entrenched musket, swivel gun, and 6-pounder fire.

  On the third day, the Narthani probed the wall in two places simultaneously, each at about battalion strength. Neither group got within two hundred yards of the wall before a storm of shot sent them retreating with heavy casualties.

  “Why attack with so few men?” asked Orosz, puzzled. He stood beside the Adris and Hewell hetmen, the Fuomi commander Rintala, and Yozef. They had been in a meeting when the alarm sounded. Word came that Narthani were approaching the wall. Thousands of men, and some women, swarmed to the walls and their preassigned positions. The hetmen had all wanted to go to one of the bastions to see what was happening, but Yozef dissuaded them from going all together, in case a random Narthani cannon shot took out too many leaders at once. Nevertheless, they had taken turns in smaller groups. Yozef himself thought the risks unnecessary but decided against further argument, thinking it wouldn’t hurt for them to see for themselves what they faced.

  After the Narthani withdrew, leaving almost two hundred dead within view of the walls, the five men met on a bastion to view the results.

  “I don’t understand why they attacked with so few men when they have so many,” queried Klyngo Adris, echoing Hetman Orosz. “They couldn’t really have expected to succeed.”

  “They didn’t,” replied Yozef.

  “They attacked and got what must be a couple hundred men killed, plus the wounded, for no reason,” said Orosz in disbelief.

  “They were testing to see what kind of firepower we had on the walls,” asserted Denes, who had joined the meeting. Rintala and Yozef nodded. “Until now, they had no idea how strong an active defense they faced. Now they do.”

  Orosz looked shocked. “You think they deliberately sent men out to be killed just to count our guns?”

  “Muskets? Yes,” said Rintala. “Even more, how many cannon, of what caliber, and what direction they faced when firing. Every musket and cannon within sight of the Narthani feint must have been firing at them. It’s a wonder any of them survived, but you saw how fast they retreated. It would have been better if only your guns stationed directly at the assault points fired and then only enough to turn them back. You’ve given away far too much information to the Narthani commander, more than was necessary.”

  Denes was obviously about to take umbrage at the Fuomi’s criticism, but Yozef cut him off with a hand to a forearm and spoke calmly.

  “Such discipline is too much to expect from people who have never imagined finding themselves in such a situation and without the experience to understand the need for such discipline. The men and women of Caedellium are brave and will stand their ground, but we have to accept the limitations of what they are capable of. At least until, unfortunately, they have more experience.”

  “Apologies,” offered Rintala, looking at Denes. “I only meant it was unfortunate to have given the Narthani more information than was necessary. I had no intention of
slighting your people.”

  Denes grunted and nodded, accepting both the apology and Yozef’s comment.

  Orosz was still confused.

  “You mean the Narthani commander would throw away the lives of that many of his men just to gain information?”

  “He didn’t throw them away. Consider. If they launch an all-out assault on the walls, thousands might be killed, and they’ll still fail. He likely made the cold calculation that ‘throwing away’ a couple of hundred men would let him avoid losing thousands later. I’m afraid it’s an example of the decisions we talked about before that are sometimes necessary in war.” I need to keep reminding them that war is different from any previous experience they have ever had. At these times, it’s lucky we have the Fuomi here to back me up with real Anyar experience.

  On the evening of the third day, the War Council met with all the senior leaders within the city as they did every evening.

  “I think they’ve given up for now, trying to find a way into the city that doesn’t involve coming over or through the walls,” said Denes with satisfaction.

  “Possibly,” cautioned Rintala, “but don’t assume it. If I was them, I would repeatedly have a few men test your mountain defenses and where the city walls merge into the mountain slopes in case you weakened the defenses to reinforce the main walls. That’s assuming they intend to try the walls.”

  “Do you think they will try?” asked Orosz.

  “I think they have to. After coming all this way to Caedellium with that many men, and then you islanders so far refusing to meet them in a pitched battle, I think their commander has got to make at least one good attempt right here. Perhaps a more serious probe or two, but one serious attempt so he could at least report it was tried. Otherwise, how could he or his superiors evaluate the situation completely?”

  “Would you make the attempt?” asked Yozef.

  Rintala looked at Yozef.

  “I would have to. I would hate the decision, but I would do it.”

  Yozef nodded. “It’s the kind of decision the commander has to be willing to make while at the same time hoping never to have to do it.”

  Narthani Army, Marshal Gullar’s Staff

  Gullar summarized the reports and opinions that had been voiced and questioned during the previous hour. “Can I fairly conclude that we see no likely path to successfully get into Orosz City with the forces we have in a reasonable timetable, except by a direct assault on the fortifications in front of us?”

  Not happy about it, the staff members nodded, and Avan voiced the consensus. “There being no other option does not mean any of us like the idea. If our probe on the walls and the islanders’ response are any indication, we would lose a lot of men. One option would be to dig in and wait for siege cannon and mortars to be cast back in Preddi City—which would take months for them to arrive. Then, there would likely be months of the active siege before we could attempt an assault.

  “An alternative is a direct assault to make a serious test of their fortifications. Right now, we only know what we see from outside cannon range. For all we know, the fortifications are not as formidable as they look. Unfortunately, the only way we can find out will cost us more men.”

  “Then the question comes, how many casualties are we willing to take?” asked another general. “It’s one thing if we knew the direct assault would be successful, thereby going a long way toward fulfilling our mission. But we could end up being turned back and the losses accounting for no gain.”

  “Thank you, gentlemen, for your input,” Gullar stated. “As always, the final decision is mine. I think we have to try the direct assault. I don’t like it any more than you do, but there it is. Although I wanted to wait for all your input, I asked General Avan to outline an operational plan, based on the information we have and with the restriction that the assault cost us no more than ten percent of our entire force if we fail.”

  None of the men were pleased at the decision, though all understood its difficult nature and the authority of the marshal to make the ultimate determination.

  “Naturally, those casualties might go higher if we can breach into the city, and hand-to-hand, street-to-street fighting takes place and the islanders don’t surrender, which my instincts tell me is not going to happen. In that case, casualties could go much higher than ten percent but would be justified if it leads to individual clans starting to capitulate.”

  Gullar turned to his second-in-command. “Avan, if you please.”

  The second-in-command rose and nodded to two aides in the back of the room. They came forward and tacked a map on an upright board surface. It was a diagram of the city’s fortifications, with symbols for Narthani units. The senior officers looked closely at the diagram.

  “We can’t do anything to change the fact that they’re going to outgun us. Our probe against their walls shows that most, if not all, of the bastions house one or more 30-pounder cannon and will have a slight elevation advantage to our 12-pounder field guns. I see only two possibly ameliorating factors. One is that they cannot be as experienced with using them in battle as our artillery batteries are. Second is that they won’t be able to move them easily from one bastion to another. I believe if we position our guns before first light and concentrate them to fire on a single section of wall, we can compensate for their caliber and elevation advantages. I recommend we open fire using solid shot against a narrow section of the fortifications and see what result we get after a few volleys. If their fortifications are weak and we immediately see some degradation in the integrity of their walls, we can continue with solid shot. Otherwise, we would shift to grapeshot aimed at the cannon positions to suppress their gun crews and slow their rate of firing. At the same time, ten regiments of infantry, a total of twenty thousand men, will advance across a one-mile front. This is to hide the fact that only two regiments will actually make the initial assault, with a third regiment following for immediate support.”

  Avan pointed to symbols and arrows on the diagram aimed at a section of the city walls.

  “We’ll threaten a broad-enough front to prevent adjacent bastions from fully supporting those under our main assault. The infantry will try to breach by two tactics. First is to place charges at the base of the walls and bastions. We don’t know their strength, but we might be able to blow holes in the lower walls or even bring down a bastion or two. In that case, the men can pour over and through the gaps. If that doesn’t work, the second tactic is grappling hooks. Men will try to swarm sections of the lower walls, supported by grapeshot and musket fire of their compatriots. It will be a bloody goal, but once we start getting men over the wall, the attention of the defenders will be forced to switch from our men in front of the wall to those already over it. At that point, the breach should be unstoppable. Our artillery will keep firing grapeshot at flanking bastions and wall sections. While this initial assault is taking place, all other regiments will move toward the gap created by the first three regiments, and the next two in column will advance about halfway to the wall. They will go no farther unless the signal is given of a successful breach. At that point, they will move quickly to the breach, followed sequentially by other regiments, as directed by the commander on the scene. If and when we have secured one or more of the gates through the walls, additional units on standby will advance.”

  He turned from the diagram to face the audience. “As we all know, at that point, any further planning is moot, because the confusion and unknown conditions inside the city will require on-the-spot decisions.”

  The next three hours were occupied with questions, small changes to the plan, and clarifications of unit assignments. When they finished, Marshal Gullar sent them back to their posts. The attack would commence at first light the next day.

  Orosz City

  Denes Vegga had somehow, at least to his uncertain recollection, ended up being looked to as the lead person in the defenses around Orosz City. He had protested that the Orosz clansmen who had overseen th
e fortification construction knew more details of the city, but given everyone’s general lack of experience with real battles, his roles in the defense of St. Sidryn’s and the Battle of Moreland City, and his command positions in the two raids into Preddi had all argued against him.

  That night, while sound asleep, he was shaken awake.

  “Ser Vegga! Wake up! Something’s going on with the Narthani.”

  He didn’t recognize the voice or the person holding a lantern.

  “What is it?” he asked, pulling on his boots. He hadn’t taken off his other clothing from the previous day.

  “We’re not sure, but they’re up to something.”

  Denes had been sleeping in a small house adjacent to the city wall, near the curve connecting the north and east sections. Whatever was happening seemed to be in that vicinity, because the man—an Oroszian, from his accent—led him directly up to the top of a nearby bastion. Twelve to fifteen men stood up there, he couldn’t tell the exact number in the darkness, along with the two 30-pounders. The silent men strained to hear out into the darkness toward the southwest. A partly shielded lantern with red glass gave the bastion top and the men a menacing glow. The red lantern was one of Yozef’s innovations—allowing map reading without reducing night vision.

  A grizzled older man noticed Denes and came up to him. “Ser Vegga,” he whispered, “one of the boys thought he heard something about an hour ago. We brought up one of the ‘ears’ to see if we could hear more.”

  The “ears” were self-standing sets of exaggerated animal ears. On Earth, they would have been recognized as models of the fennec, a foxlike African animal—another of Yozef’s introductions. Each ear was eighteen by twelve inches and fixed on a frame where a person could insert his head under the two ears. The effect was to focus more sound into the person’s own ears, much as animals with especially sensitive hearing do. The older man shushed those who had started whispering to one another. Denes listened at the edge of the rampart. He could just hear . . . something. It seemed to rise and fall, with a constant background. He moved to the ears and put his head in position. All sounds were amplified, including the other men’s shifting of feet, the wind blowing over the ears, and a faint cacophony of voices trying not to be loud, rustling of cloth, clinks of metal on metal and . . . wheels. Definitely wheels.