there 's 8 other women like yourself - ok 7 like you and one old girl - and 22 kids all under the age of 11 - and you propose to march 200 miles to the north , then cross 50 miles of the most rugged mountain terrain , then capture a walled city defended mostly by women and children , but still defended also by some nasty old geezers who are n't above using the most vicious methods of medieval vengeance against their enemies : the rack , the stake , the wheel , man-eating tigers , man-eating cave bears etc .