Rahab Bk. 05 Ch. 07: The Seige

As I told Ana, I could not quite share the joyfulness of the population. Even if the Mongols fell for the story that we were going to surprise them via the mountain passes, we still had to beat them on the Plain of Yerevan, and that battle would not be joined for at least three days, and possibly four. Yeghergis still lay open to an attack, and we would not find it easy to resist a prepared force.

Commander Kunt wondered whether it might be possible to get some of the women and children out using our war-barge, but that posed two problems: it would take many journeys to relieve all of them, and it would deprive us of our one element of mobility. The Mongols had no ships and could not easily get at the barge, which could be used to rain Greek Fire down on them. Thus it was that, despite the pleas of the Rabbi, I turned down the request to begin evacuation.

That night was a watchful and wakeful one. The moon was nearly at its full, and the skies were clear, as Ana and I took a tour of the walls, keeping the guards in good spirits, and making sure that everything was prepared for whatever the morrow might bring. We did not have long to wait.

We slept but fitfully, and even as the sun's dawning rays began to smear the skies, there came a cry from the watch-tower.

One of our scouts had spotted it - a force, he reckoned numbering about five hundred, and with siege towers, heading our way. It looked as though it meant business. We held a Council of war.

There were tunnels under the Citadel where the women and children could shelter from what was to come, but against such a force, my plans for using the narrow streets of the town to slow down and assault would be useless, we did not possess the manpower for that. We could leave traps, we could make them uneasy, but we were facing a siege. Even with Helena and the Bodyguard we barely mustered a hundred and fifty troops, and while we had arms for some of the townsmen, they would be useless except in slowing down the inevitable if the Mongols gained access.

The Commander advised that to hold the walls in all places would be to spread ourselves too thinly, they would be bound to see we were stretched. But, as Ana pointed out, this is where the townsmen could be useful. The spy-glass would not help our foes distinguish between trained men and women and those just holding armaments. We could give the illusion of being many more than we were by using civilians. This, as things transpired, was inspirational.

I was thankful we had not despatched the barge, and we directed Abdul to bombard the Mongols when their siege towers were in range; if we could take out some of those, we would whittle away their advantage.

We watched as the Mongols closed in. I forbade any action until it could be effective. It was painful to watch as the force came closer. The siege towers looked formidable, and if they once gained a foothold on the walls, they would be hard to remove. Ana and I talked with Helena and the bodyguard about what we might do to prevent this.

Abdul's aim proved as accurate as it had been the previous day. Three fireballs hit three towers, demolishing them; still the Mongols came on. Then, seeking to save scarce material, Abdul implemented plan B. From the barge came great sacks which burst on contact with the Mongols and their towers. The Mongols cheered, thinking that our Greek Fire had failed; fools.

At Ana's signal the Bodyguard drew their bows. Down the line came one Amazon with a fire-pit, each arrow catching fire - and then they fired. Abdul had doused the Mongols with oil, and as the fiery arrows hit their targets, the men and towers struck burst into flames.

As the Mongols panicked, Kunt's men fired three barrages of arrows, and the Bodyguard another set of fire-arrows. The slaughter was grim. With only the narrow streets to retreat into, the Mongols got in each other's way, and as the explosives we had planted there exploded, the panic increased.

As they ran, select troops went by the postern gate with axes, and made sure that not a siege tower was left standing. By the time the Mongols realised what was happening, our soldiers were back in the citadel. We had broken the tide.

The Mongols regrouped, and by early afternoon were poised to make another assault using siege ladders, which were much easier for us to deal with. Not realising where we were using sham soldiers, they concentrated their forces, which allowed us to do the same.

Ladder after ladder was flung against the walls, and time and time agains, our men and women repelled them, cutting down any who reached the ramparts. From the towers, our archers rained down deadly fire. Then it came - the battering ram.

Here we needed Abdul to be accurate. He was.

The Greek Fire struck those carrying the ram, and set fire to it. Using the oil trick again, we were able to see two more rams out of commission. But still they came. Whatever one thought of them as human beings, which was not a lot, they were brave men. By even-tide they relented and went back to their own lines, ready to begin again at first light.

Ana hugged me as they retreated.

"We have survived the day my darling, and by my reckoning, we have killed dozens of them and lost not a man or woman."

"And, said Commander Kunt, "we have wrecked their siege towers. It looks as though they were anticipating an easy victory as they have brought no siege engines."

"Perhaps they are coming up slowly Commander. The river runs parallel with the road, so we might send the barge down to see who and what awaits us?"

Abdul went down river, but reported nothing. It seemed as though whatever we faced on the morrow, it would be a concerted attempt by brute force to take the walls. They would have been well-advised to have taken that course whilst they still had their engines of war, but I was glad they had been arrogant enough to think they could proceed without care. It was not a mistake they would repeat.

Exhausted, I retired with Ana to our chamber. She was there with Helena. They made such a beautiful couple, both tall, full-breasted and gorgeous; were I a sculptor I should have wanted to use them as models. Ana was looking at me with a mischievous smile.

"In the absence of our Mel, how would you feel, my darling, about sharing our love with Helena?"

I smiled back:

"As though, my darling, I could refuse you anything, and as though, even if I could, I would not, myself, want to share with Helena!"

Helena joined the smiling, kissing Ana, who kissed her back. As they embraced each other, their hands began the process of stripping off their tunics. The sheer beauty of the sight of their naked breasts pressing against each other caused me to catch my breath, and my cunt suddenly felt soaked.

They fell together on the couch, their lithe bodies entwined, kissing and feeling each other with the familiarity of old lovers. I had assumed they were lovers, and I was obviously correct.

"What are you waiting for my darling?" Ana asked.

It was a good question, which I answered by stripping and getting onto the couch. They embraced me, my face in Ana's breasts and Helena's hard nipples pressing into my back as she kissed Ana. Her hands went between my open thighs to touch Ana's cunt, with her wrist pressing into mine. If I had been soaked a moment ago, I was dripping at that point.

Helena's assault on Ana's citadel was a great deal more successful that that of the Mongols on ours; but then Ana was not resisting.

Helena's wrist slid between my cunt lips, and as her fingers penetrated Ana, pushing in and out, my cunt was also aroused; she had us both.

I was sucking Ana's gorgeous breasts, conscious of her moving, propelled by Helena's fingers, so my own hands gripped Ana's bottom, stroking down the crack between her firm cheeks and teasing her arsehole. Her breathing became even more ragged.

My other hand reached behind me, and found Helena's wetness, touching her, feeling for her full lips between her curly hair. As I found the spot and began to massage her bud, she too began to gasp. Strategically placed between the two gorgeous lovers, I was able to add to their stimulation.

It felt like very heaven. Warm and safe between Ana and Helena as they made love, I could help the process of their climax with skilful use of fingers and lips. Helena's hand was moving faster, stimulating my bud, as well as my imagination; I heard Ana's cunt squelch. She was gasping loudly.

My own fingers were circling Helena's bud, and probing Ana's arsehole. They pressed in together tightly, kissing with passion, squashing me between them.

I could feel that Ana was not far off, and so speared her with my finger, doing the same with Helena in her cunt, as she took Ana.

At length, Ana could hold out no more and surrendered to her red-haired Amazon, and her arsehole clenched my questing finger as I bit her nipples. That set Helena off, and I found myself trapped, deliciously, between my two lovers as they climaxed. In turn, I too surrendered to the delights of passion, and climaxed.

We collapsed in a heap on the couch, a mass of limbs, wetness and kisses. All the tension of the long day was released, and for a moment, we were able to ignore the dangers of our situation.

Ana kissed me:

"Oh my wife, that was so good. How was it for you Helena?"

Kissing the back of my neck, Helena answered for us all:

"Delicious. When it comes to sieges, I prefer this sort to the one we shall be sorting out on the morrow."

On that we could all agree.

As tiredness overtook us, we fell asleep in each others arms. Love, not to mention lust, has taken us to a well-deserved rest. For now, the morrow could take care of itself.