89 There's only a few more weeks of winter left.
Spring is coming. The desert passages will soon be blocked. If we can
hold out that long, our people may be able to reach us."
90 The next morning more bow towers were moved into position and
slowly,surely under the cover of their shields, The Trns and Frns
pushed up their siege towers. From these two the bow people kept up a
steady barrage. Finally the gates of the towers fell on the
city walls, but to the enemy's surprise there was no one to greet them.
Instead they were met by flight after flight of arrows.
91 On the roofs of the houses across from the wall The Children of
Spirit had built their own bow towers. And now the sting of their
arrows was being felt.
92 Sections of the walls on either side of where their ramp had been
built had been pulled out on the inside, and the stones used to build
new defenses.
93 The soldiers were confused. They had expected to rush along the
walls and surround the city, descend into its midst, kill its men, and
ravage its women. Now, instead, they found themselves in a deathtrap.
Unsure what to do, they withdrew to their towers and pulled up the
ramps, while their leaders rethought their plans.
94 In a few hours they returned. They now had scaling ladders and
archers. They descended with ropes into the cleared area behind the
wall, much to their sorrow. The Children of Spirit had had plenty of
time to set foot traps and step rakes. Also, there were concealed
crossbows fired by trip lines.
95 The enemy never reached the wall of houses. They retreated carrying
their wounded and dead, screaming curses at The Children of Spirit that
they were cowards and didn't fight like men.