-28-It was night and the nurses had finished their rounds. Elk raised his head and scanned the tent.It was dim but he could barely make out their figures. The other patients were all asleep and there were no nurses keeping watch for now. He carefully got up from his bed and put his slippers on, then crouched down beside the bed.He extended his hand below the bed and grabbed his stick. He pulled it out and stood.Elk silently walked out of the tent.When he went outside, he raised his head and stared up. The sky was cloudless and clear, and the stars were shining.He breathed in deeply and exhaled. Nothing like the good old outdoors, and much better than the strong-smell tent. Seriously, what did they use that smelled so thick?It was warm outside, even with his pale tunic and brown trousers alone."Up already, Elk?" Said a voice from behind him.Elk turned and saw Mound, wearing a white robe. His hair was grey and face was old. He stared at Elk with his brown eyes."'Bit whiter Mound, and I would've thought you a ghost." Elk laughed with a hand on his belly, then stopped - curved his back and covered his mouth - when he realized how loud he was."Keep it down idiot! Wake the nurses up and you'll get it!" Mound whispered to him.Elk turned his head around and checked. Thankfully, it seemed no one woke up."You bringing your pillow, Mound?" Elk asked. Mound had his left hand carrying a pillow as he stood."Aye," Mound replied, "What of yours?""Can't risk it again. They caught me the last time 'cause the dirt on it." Elk shook his head.He shivered as he thought of the nurses who smirked as they threatened to chain him to his bed. Heck, he shouldn't even be risking going out."Told you to take care, fool," Mound shook his head, "Let's head on then. Even the others are moving out."Elk turned his head around and saw patients walking out of their tents and heading in the same direction. Many carried pillows as they walked."Okay," Elk replied, "But I'm getting the good seat.""If you want it then sure." Mound shrugged.Elk turned and followed the other people, with Mound walking beside him."How's your foot faring?" Mound asked."It hurts and makes me think it's a log. But it's getting better." Elk replied.He was limping at the start. But now - though he still relied on his stick a lot - he could plant his foot on the ground at least."You ever think of offing it and getting a wooden leg?" Mound said."Stop trying to get me to cut my leg off!" Elk shouted. The old fool had an obsession with peg legs or hand hooks. Always bringing it up randomly to Elk, and to anyone with bandages on their limbs."Don't gotta be mad. It's an option." Mound said.'An option no sane person would choose.' Elk would be crazy to cut off his leg and replace it with a peg.Hm? Why did that kind of sound cool?Elk shook his head. The old man was getting to his head. He had to keep a steady mind, steady mind.As they walked along, Elk could see the plateau, and the castle wall. The forest was a faint blot in his vision.There was a point where the curving city wall crumbled like broken bread and extended no further. The plateau was visible from that - former city wall, now empty - space.He saw many constructs and machines - some were likely to be those rope machines - above the paved-stone tiles. On the plateau were catapults and many other deadly-looking things he didn't know.They stepped from stone to flattened ground and were now on the plateau. They turned right and made for a grass patch near the edge where many people were." 'Ey! Pitch! I get the good seat tonight!" Elk shouted, as they neared the place.There was a man - black haired and dark skinned - seated on a smooth stone, holding a tube to his eye and staring at the forest."There's room for two. Three, if not your fat butt." Pitch replied.Elk sat on the stone beside Pitch while Mound sat on his pillow on the grass."So, they comin' out tonight?" Elk asked."Soon, if they will." Pitch replied.Pitch had told him that the creatures had a pattern - something the rangers knew - they followed when they left the forest to attack the city.So if a ranger returned from the woods waving his torch like a madman, the creatures were attacking that night.If he didn't, then they weren't and the crowd would disperse and return to their tents. They knew enough to tell when the rangers usually returned. So they never waited long when they gathered.Pitch had told Elk on the night he stumbled to this place. One night, when he was trudging back to the infirmary he saw some people heading to the same place. He followed them blindly and ended up here.He thought them mad. But after the first night he understood."Ranger's waving. Show's on." Pitch said.Pitch handed his tube to Elk and Elk brought it to his eye.It was an odd cylinder-tube thing with a wide end and narrow end. He put his eye on the narrow end and could see afar with clarity.As the bell rang, Elk saw the ranger had crossed half the stretch and was nearing the boxes. Then the metal clanging started.He shifted the tube to the forest and saw the figures emerging from the woods.Elk handed the tube back to Pitch while rubbing his eye."Still can't get used to that. Hurts my eyes." He said.Pitch kept it in his pouch and turned to the forest.As the clanging stopped, Elk saw boulders trail the air and crash into the creatures - trunkfoots they called them - as they fell.This marked the start of the show."If they have the big special flasks, why don't they just start with 'em?" Elk asked.He asked Pitch why their bark burned when the captain said it wouldn't and Pitch had told him. They had big flasks with special wood-oil - it seemed - that could burn them, bark, whites and all."Target practice. So they don't miss." Pitch replied.Now the flask volley started and the trunkfoots burned. Bringing a much needed light to the show.The flasks and rocks kept crashing into the trunkfoots.One trunkfoot leaned forward as his trunk-foot sank into the ground - or was it a hole? - and stumbled. It slowed the creature down but it made the rocks and flasks miss.'Must've been the friggin sappers.' Elk thought. They were a pain for both enemy and ally.The trunkfoots started their own volley. They picked up or even broke off their bark and flung it towards the city-plateau.Few reached the terraces, fewer reached the plateau and city. Most dropped at the stretch or were stopped by the boxes."Are you sure we're safe here?" Elk asked.Pitch sighed. "Yes, we are," He replied.Elk asked them before, and their reason was that this part of the city wall would've collapsed as well if it wasn't.He thought it fair, but still felt uneasy. Though he grew more comfortable the more nights he spent here.They gathered here every night to watch this. Even if only to disperse when there was no assault. Elk was captivated on the first night and joined them every night since. Well, every night he managed to sneak out.He decided to rest his name-making plans while his leg healed and just enjoy the show."We really have no grub? Not even a drink?" Elk asked."You can take water if ya want. A whiff of any else and the nurses'll tell." Mound replied.Elk shivered and shook his head. He didn't even dare to bring his blanket, he wasn't going to take any more risks.They all watched until the show ended.