The market square came into view when Süke's arban turned from the side street onto the main avenue, and the barricade was the first thing that was noticeable.
Carts on their sides across the full width of the south entrance, loaded sacks stacked on top of them, timber and merchant poles in the gaps between. It was built high enough that a horse hitting it at pace would stop cold.
Behind it the garrison positioned in depth across the open paving of the square, and at the far end a secondary position was visible in the narrow opening to the north streets.
Rooftop archers shot at the south entrance from the buildings on both sides. Two steppe riders twenty meters ahead of Süke's position were under fire from the near-right roof as they cleared the last building.
The first took a shaft through the side of his neck. His horse carried him further forward before he listed sideways and came off.
