It was an awful time.

We were besieged in our city and prayed every day that the relief force would free us.

The relief force was close at hand. They released a pigeon with a message telling us they would arrive imminently.

Ironically as the bird neared the city a defender fired an arrow with a message asking the relief force to come at once.

The arrow shot the pigeon down so both crashed to earth and neither message was delivered. But no-one noticed this breakdown in communications.