Take the bridge

Only fools waste time when they have overwhelming odds in their favor. Think how many of your countrymen had to die because of the stupid hesitation to take advantage of the breach in the wall. You do not plan to make that mistake.

"Take the bridge!" You yell to the croud. "Take the bridge, and if any one gives you trouble show them that you will take what you want." The croud turns as one and moves back up the alley and towards the main street. Following behind them you continue to encourage the mob. Turning to your small troop of countrymen you remind them to watch out for archers from the overlooking estates.

"This mob will keep anyone on the bridge occupied, but the archers will be looking to hit high value targets, not the rabble up there." Your men shift their sheilds higher on their arms and start scanning the balconies and rooftops as the mob closes the remaining fifty paces to the bridge. Two figures with bows appear on a short tower to your right. Most of the mob don't even realise where the arrows are coming from, but it doesn't matter. Three or four of the men fall but the rest reach the barricaded bridge and climb over the low wall that has been errected there. More archers appear to your left shooting from a high window, but their aim is not as acurate as thier counterparts from the tower.

The tower archers have noticed you and soon arrows are headed in your direction. The high angle makes it easy to keep your shield between you and the archers. Holding Cylace's trembling slim body tightly against yours you use your shield to cover both of you. Already two of the shafts have thumped into your sheild and you can see other arrows sticking from the other Galacian's wooden shields. As long as only the archers from one side are shooting at you you are relatively safe, but it the archers to your left focus their attention on you then you could be in trouble.

Even as the thought crosses your mind you see one of the two archers pointing at you and your men. A volley of throwing axes might take them out, or maybe its time to sprint the remaining twenty paces to the bridge and climb over the wall to the other side.