Jessica Jackson
Stories
5
Chapters
1,060
Words
656.8 K
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Reading
2 d, 6 h
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When the day was still young, before any mercenaries had marched on the Citadel, the armies of Adalmearc assembled on the southern slopes before Middanhal. In gleaming armour, with great shields and tall banners flying, they arraigned themselves upon the foothills of Valmark, facing an enemy more than twice their numbers. Furthest to the west, where the terrain became ragged, two thousand Dwarves and their dvalinn had taken position. In front of them rose spiked fences, deterring any cavalry charge. Next…
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Barely past dawn, the soldiers of Adalmearc prepared across the city. From Lowtown to the Citadel, they gathered on the Arnsweg. In the castle itself, both the northern and southern courtyards were completely packed. All farewells had to be made inside before the noblemen, knights, and soldiers walked outside to take their place in formation. From the windows, their families watched them march out, not knowing if they would return. ~~~~ Once the armies of Adalmearc had left the city, an anxious mood…
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It was barely dawn when a thane entered Brand's bedchamber. "Forgive me, my king, for waking you, but you gave command to know the moment your spy returned." The king blinked a few times. "I did. Tell him to wait in the parlour. And have some ale brought for us both." "Yes, my king." Getting out of bed, Brand moved to stand in front of a large mirror. He inspected a few scratches from the recent fight, which all seemed to be healing. He let a tunic of cotton fall down over his head and walked to the…
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A weary and wounded band rode into the courtyard of the citadel. Dismounting, the king and his thanes left their horses with the stable hands and moved with tired steps inside. As the sun had already been up for a few hours, their return was noticed by the inhabitants of the castle. Quickly, speculation gave birth to rumours as the courtiers wondered what had taken place during the night. They received no answers from the warriors, who returned to their quarters in order to rest and tend to…
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At any given point, scores of sentinels could be seen on the walls. In addition, every turret had a handful of archers keeping watch. Under the pale moon, they looked for anything that might arouse suspicion in the blanket of night covering the approach to Middanhal. The reflection of moonlight in a helmet. The quick flash of a torch otherwise hidden under a cloak. Any kind of movement in the dark. Even just the sound of anything besides the wind or the footfall of patrolling defenders. The blackboots…
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The outlanders changed strategy. The first assault had been strategic; a lack of troops forced an attack with limited equipment at the greatest vulnerabilities. On the fourth day of the siege, such limitations were gone. Numerous siege towers greeted the defenders, moving up the gentle slope towards Middanhal. Elsewhere, screens and catapults rolled out, preparing the way for contingents to follow carrying storm ladders. Not all the towers could reach the fortifications, as the outlanders had not been able…
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The outlanders did not follow up on their initial attack the next day. The assault had been to test the garrison and exploit possible weaknesses to seize a swift victory; since that had proven impossible, they instead made further preparations. Soon, many more siege towers began to rise. Another reason existed to keep the outlanders in their camp. As the morning waned, more and more soldiers trickled in from the vanguard of the reinforcing army. They confirmed with eager voices the stories that had…
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On the second day of the siege, the outlanders seemed content to use their stone throwers and archers, harassing the defenders as they could, who responded in the same manner. Meanwhile, on the horizon, siege towers took shape, swiftly built by skilled craftsmen. On the third day, as soon as dawn allowed light to reach them, the towers began to move. ~~~~ On the walls, they watched with astonishment and rising dread as the siege towers approached. Besides these implements for scaling the walls, the…
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Regardless of Athelstan’s predictions, no siege towers rose against the horizon in the early days of the siege. First, the outlanders completed their defensive structures, protecting themselves against sorties and hiding their labours from eyes on the city walls. It took three days before the outlanders revealed their work, pushing and rolling past their palisades. Stone throwers and wicker screens, the former to attack and the latter to protect. Appearing in large numbers with cavalry to protect their…
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Weeks after the battle in Ingmond, patrols from Middanhal caught sight of the outlander vanguard. They moved swiftly up the Kingsroad, plundering the area for food on their march. Their speed suggested good knowledge of the land, whether through maps or spies set in advance. Rather than risk a skirmish, the Order patrols kept their distance. Experienced troops were few in Middanhal compared to the need, and the lord marshal had given strict orders to avoid fighting. Instead, the soldiers of the Star…
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