Sweep

Georgetown may not have much in the way of variety when it comes to industry, but these people sure as hell know their defense. The wall is solid and strong, and because iron is so plentiful, they've got enough weapons to arm every citizen three times over. Every person is required to participate in combat drills several times a week. 

Last evening I got to see it in action. I thought our people worked as a unit well, but not even our dedicated group of spearmen, our Spartans, match the average person here. 

I've got a meeting in a few minutes, so I'll keep it brief. 

We went out on a sweep of the surrounding area. For about a hundred feet in every direction is a flat, featureless plain. After that the terrain changes, trees and rocks as well as hills and folds in the land giving good hiding places for zombies. We weren't disappointed in our search. The group I went out with had fifteen people in it counting me, and when they saw the two dozen or so zombies, they snapped into formation. 

Hollow square, four men on a side, two in the middle (three, with me there. It was snug.) It's a classic tactic, one my own people have used. The team all carried shields, shorter than I'd have expected, only about two and a half feet tall. What surprised me was that the shield wall guys worked together as a unit flawlessly. They made no mistakes, and didn't even have to use log weapons like spears to hold off the zombies. Their defense was perfect. 

When the new breed zombies attacking thought to drop to the ground since the shields didn't go down very far, I was caught off guard again when the men on that side dropped with it, slamming the edges of their shields down on the attackers. Turns out those things are sharpened on the top and bottom for just such an occasion. 

We were outnumbered, but practiced thrusts of heavy spikes by the defenders meant one shot, one kill. It was the best display of teamwork I've ever seen. I'm told that part of why people here have gotten so good is because before that wall was built, they had no other choice but to fight the undead hand to hand every time zombies wandered near. 

That went on for a long time. Zombies wandering in the streets with only a narrow plank of metal-banded wood and a handheld weapon between them and the living. 

Which leads me to wonder once again what happened to the children here...