50
I looked at the men in front of me. Nobody moved. The men who had previously tried to find a horse and a weapon and flee were as petrified as the statues around the market place.
"Here you see the reason why we are to fight today!" I yelled, but my voice felt weak, and barely reached more than the first five rows of men. "The tatars have come to our lands to kill not only men, but also our women and children!" Still hardened faces in front of me, and my voice way too weak to make an impression on these men. "There is no retreat!" I continued. "There's no retreat, and no mercy! We now have but one option - to fight, or to die. We can choose to fight like cowards, and die here for no purpose! Or we can fight honorably, and in our death take most of the tatars with us, so that the remaining forces become too weak to be able to hurt our countrymen any more! Another roman army is marching towards this city as we speak. If we're lucky, they'll arrive in time. If we're unlucky, we'll be dead before they get to our aid. In any case, it's our duty to fight hard. If we fight hard, we will die with honor, or survive. If we fight like cowards, we will die as cowards no matter what happenes." Finally my voice reached it's full potential, roaring over the plaza, echoing against the stone buildings, statues and rows of white marble columns. I had been swallowed by my attempt to make a proper speech, and did not know if my words had had an affect, until I now went silent, and swept my eyes across the audience. They were silent, their faces empty. But it was not dissent that had formed their faces, it was their deep concentration, their successful attempts at getting rid of their fears. A man who realizes fear won't save him but kill him does not panic, I thought. It was the taks of the general to explain that to his soldier. And I had succeeded.

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the sounds of drums and trumpets, followed by a thundering sound on the field to the north of the city. The huns were here. The siege was about to begin.