The Anvil (80 page)

Three
days
after
the
first
Supreme
General
the
other
showed
with
the
last
of
the
troops
.
The
Arstanians
had
built
many
lines
of
defences
,
rows
of
sharpened
sticks
,
weighted
net
throwing
devices
,
traps
,
trenches
and
many
other
things
,
along
with
the
defences
already
in
place
because
of
the
castle
.
Some
trenches
had
been
filled
with
sharpened
sticks
,
oil
or
other
stuff
,
but
some
were
left
left
empty
for
archers
.
The
Ilemites
had
only
made
siege
engines
,
confident
in
their
numbers
to
keep
the
Arstanian
forces
from
attacking
back
.
Tom
’
s
schedule
was
almost
always
the
same
,
wake
up
,
eat
breakfast
,
dig
trenches
,
take
his
turn
on
watch
,
eat
lunch
,
sharpen
sticks
,
place
sticks
,
help
set
traps
,
eat
dinner
,
go
to
sleep
.

Often
Bryn
,
Madison
or
Zack
would
join
him
as
he
worked
,
but
usually
Tom
worked
without
knowing
the
people
near
him
.
Tom
’
s
thoughts
often
wondered
,
thinking
about
random
things
.

Two
days
after
the
last
of
the
enemy
troops
came
Tom
stood
in
his
armour
,
watching
the
enemy
camp
and
the
land
around
both
camps
.
Suddenly
a
hissing
sound
registered
in
Tom
’
s
ear
,
becoming
louder
quickly
.

Tom
flinched
as
an
arrow
hit
the
ground
a
foot
away
from
his
feet
.
He
put
the
horn
that
was
around
his
shoulder
to
his
mouth
and
blew
.
More
arrows
starting
coming
and
men
along
the
sentry
line
started
going
down
,
Tom
could
also
see
the
enemy
warriors
marching
across
the
bridge
and
through
the
river
.
Tom
stopped
blowing
,
lifted
his
shield
and
got
his
axe
out
of
it
’
s
belt
loop
.
He
ran
to
the
bridge
,
where
the
first
of
the
enemy
warriors
were
coming
.
He
saw
the
ranks
of
enemy
troops
,
organized
into
groups
of
one
hundred
known
as
legions
,
with
ninety
-
nine
soldiers
and
a
commanding
officer
.

Around
him
Arstanian
troops
ran
with
him
,
looking
unorganized
against
the
Ilemite
legion
.
The
front
rows
of
enemy
warriors
lowered
their
spears
,
knowing
the
momentum
of
the
Arstanians
’
runs
would
impale
them
on
the
spears
.
But
Tom
slid
under
the
spears
and
shields
,
into
the
feet
of
a
front
soldier
.
The
man
fell
and
Tom
stood
,
smashing
and
hacking
as
more
Arstanian
warriors
followed
his
example
and
slid
inside
.
Arrows
came
in
as
the
Ilemite
warriors
lowered
their
shields
from
the
tortoise
like
formation
to
fight
the
warriors
.
Tom
stood
looking
at
the
Ilemite
soldiers
,
who
had
stopped
and
were
looking
at
him
and
Arstanian
warriors
,
who
were
in
the
middle
of
the
Ilemite
legion
.

Tom
suddenly
sent
a
pebble
flying
at
a
man
,
fast
enough
to
smash
the
man
’
s
forehead
,
then
jumped
towards
the
enemy
,
followed
by
the
Arstanian
warriors
.
They
slowly
fought
their
way
out
again
,
Tom
getting
stabbed
in
the
leg
by
a
Ilemite
sword
deflected
off
an
Arstanian
shield
.
Tom
limped
back
to
the
rear
of
the
Arstanian
army
,
so
he
wouldn
’
t
have
to
fight
very
hard
.
Someone
handed
him
a
bandage
as
they
rushed
passed
,
and
Tom
quickly
wrapped
his
leg
.
He
looked
up
and
saw
the
Dragon
Guardian
battling
enemy
air
forces
,
sometimes
coming
down
low
enough
to
send
a
column
of
fire
from
their
mouth
into
the
enemy
ranks
.

Likewise
the
Ilemite
forces
swooped
down
,
trying
to
weaken
the
Arstanian
ground
forces
.
Tom
saw
a
enemy
griffin
diving
near
him
and
spread
his
wings
,
his
leg
may
hurt
but
his
wings
were
fine
.
He
flew
into
the
rider
sending
him
back
off
the
griffin
.
Luckily
for
Tom
the
rider
tried
to
hang
on
the
the
reins
and
the
griffin
flew
away
as
it
’
s
mouth
was
yanked
back
.
Tom
looked
around
and
joined
the
fight
in
the
air
.
He
flew
below
most
the
fighting
and
then
went
upwards
,
underneath
a
enemy
dragon
.