Dorsitt heard the shouts and ran out of his office, armed and armored, just in time to watch the wave hit the breakwater and the skiffs jump into the harbor. In front of him stood several of the dock crew, frozen in disbelief with spears held low.
"To arms!" Dorsitt shouted. "Phalanx forward! Defend the dock!" He grabbed the nearest body and shoved it out in front of him. "Lock in! Lock in!" Sailors and dock crew all moved together around him, mandatory military training snapping into place. The clang of alarm bells was everywhere. Dorsitt was thinking about how he needed those people to stop ringing bells and start setting a defense.
Dorsitt had only ten men in front of him. "Forward at the quick time!" he shouted. They obeyed. In the low light of the approaching dawn, Dorsitt looked past the edge of the dock and watched the skiffs break to the right and left. In an instant he knew the Tormangi plan. Two were heading towards the south tower to take out the ballista turret. Five were heading along the docks towards the cargo ships at berth. They'd board and disable or capture them. Three were heading right towards him. Even with just a few barely trained men Dorsitt started to have hope. There were actually very few of the Tormangi attacking.
Overhead he saw a volley of arrows zip through the sky, all missing their marks. There'd only be another two volleys before the Tormangi pulled up alongside the docks and started their attack. Dorsitt kept his phalanx moving forward, trying to deny the invaders any space to assemble. As they approached the edge he watched in shock as the skiffs kept sailing straight forward without slowing. Dorsitt realized too late that his estimate of the enemy was flawed. All three skiffs rammed into the edge of the dock and the Tormangi leapt forward, vaulting through the air and directly into the Rennon spears.
Then the screaming started.
