It took seven days to move everything from the encampment to the our position we had taken up outside Columbia. Never before had an army like this, in my life time, moved across the land that many of us called home. Each day more people had filtered into the mass, bringing food and raising spirits.

Now I crouched with three hundred men and women just a quarter mile from the walls of Columbia. We were not the armies from stories, all dressed alike and armed with rifles and swords and spears. My unit, which after discussion with Shaw I came to understand that the group trusted me because I was not only an Outsider, but that they knew of my reputation, and that was enough for them to insist for me to lead them. Many of them were farmers, some had worked with the Walled Cities, others had not. I could not blame them for trusting me over Shaw, despite my own feelings towards him.

Distracted by the screech of tree branches rubbing together, I returned my thoughts to the fighters I was leading. They had a mix of weapons, despite my efforts to arm them as best I could, few had decent firearms. Most of them had some type of rifle or carbine, but the vast majority were old fashioned flintlock, matchlock, and wheel lock weapons. The ammunition was cheaper, especially since many did not have the resources like me to afford bullets that costed up to five dollars apiece. Luckily all of them at my insistence carried clubs, along with their sheath knives that no Outsider left home without. I personally had traded the bolt action rifle I had acquired over the winter for a old M1 carbine. It and three full magazines, along with my two pistols and my knives were what I had.

Somewhere behind me, a mixed group of Outsiders and those of the Walled Cities stood ready with what their leader called Trebuchets. I had no idea what those were, but some of the rangers had seemed happy and had ensured that they were built. All I cared about was that my group got to the wall and then over it and into the city itself. Shaw and the rangers had groups of their own that they were leading in attacks against the other two walls. This was being done in an effort to catch the War Wolves off guard and ensure that they spread out to thinly to hold the walls effectively.

Along with the attacks on three walls, and the trebuchets hurling rocks into the city itself, eight ships that had been in the area that we had contacted had agreed to attack from the sea. Agreements regarding prices of their goods and future visits had been made, and they had promised to do their best to draw as many of the War Wolves as they could away from the walls we were attacking. They had been instructed to fire before we made our charge, in hopes that many of the War Wolves would rush to the harbor to fight them.

After the all the plans had been agreed upon, Shaw and I had talked to Kaelyn. Despite her dislike of violence and death, she had been strong willed to join us in the fight. Both Shaw and I spent two hours discussing and pleading with her to stay behind and help the sounded before she had agreed, along with stating, "The three of us are having dinner tonight in the city then. Z, you are going to dress in a good pair of pants and a nice shirt along with a jacket. Father, help him, but do not make him look like something he is not."

Once she had left we had both stared at each other for a moment before Shaw had sat down and rubbing his temples muttered, "She is just like her mother."

"Cassie is worse... which reminds me." Pulling a series of papers out of my inner coat pocket I extended them to Shaw. Staring at me he gently grabbed them and placed them in a small box. Without a word I left and had made my my way back to camp. Shaw knew what they were and I was confident that he would deliver them if the need arose and would see to it that they were carried out as best he could.

Glancing around me at my fellow Outlanders, I picked out the groups who would carry the hastily built ladders that would be used to scale the wall. Those who I had selected to be sharpshooters was scattered among the ranks as well. Some would moved along with the ladders to give them protection, while others remained hidden and picked off the defenders as they tried to kill us. Despite all this I knew that some of those around me would never leave this field, or the city behind the wall. All of them had come willingly, and all knew the risk.

According to the plan we had agreed upon yesterday, once any one group made it over the wall, they were to push into the city itself. My group was to control the wall and five blocks past it. We did not want to over extend our lines, and once the walls were taken it was reasoned that the War Wolves would flee to their ships and the safety of the ocean.

Five hundred citizens of Columbia had agreed to help hold take the main gate and defend it. They wanted their city back and had provided all the information they could. Most of them were poorly armed, and if it came to a serious fight their only advantage would be sheer numbers. Overall our forces number roughly fifteen hundred along with the ships, to the War Wolves estimated seventeen hundred to two thousand. There was no real way to know how many of them were actually left, as some might have gone home or moved onto other areas to raid in the last few weeks.

Next to me Benji muttered darkly, "Just like that time in dead man's pass right."

Biting my tongue to keep from chuckling at him comment, I shot back, "Except there were five of us and twenty of them. At least we knew that they were going to try and rob us, and had planned accordingly. Though that still nearly ended up with us in graves, had you not gotten those last two who had me."

Chuckling he replied, "Yeah, but man did we make some money, not only from their ill begotten wealth, but also the forty dollars each after the bounty was evenly divided. Heck, you were more of a kid then, only joined because you had a share of the hides and wanted to make sure they got to where they were supposed to. Now look at you, all grown up with a reputation as a man who can find what no other is willing to find."

Boom boom boom

Faintly from far away we heard the first of the ships open fire on the harbor and the city itself. One sailed past, a mile or so away. Small white puffs erupted from its side, followed by the noise of the guns themselves.

"Charge!"