"So, Rufus, what's your strategy?" Edward inquired.
Rufus replied, "Based on the intelligence I've gathered, the Baron's forces consist of 100 infantry and 12 cavalry. We hold a significant numerical advantage, and since this will be a surprise attack, they won't have the chance to hire mercenaries."
Boris, Edward's father's steward, chimed in, "That assessment appears accurate."
"Very well, then," Edward declared. "Let's formulate a plan based on these insights."
After more than an hour of deliberation, the command team had devised a battle plan. They decided to commence their march the following morning, allowing the soldiers to rest in the village until then.
Wymondham was located approximately 8 kilometers from the village of Besthorpe, which meant that the journey would take no more than 3-4 hours in total.
Another day passed, and Edward kept himself busy with various tasks. He meticulously inspected the army's equipment and horses, ensuring that everything was in order. Additionally, he attended to the paperwork required to approve rations for the numerous villages that had suffered under the tyranny of the bandits, all orchestrated by the Baron. His efforts were aimed at alleviating the suffering of those who had endured so much.
As the first light of dawn painted the horizon, the army assembled in formation. Cavaliers took the lead, ready to charge into action. The commanders, including Edward, Rufus, Nathan, and John, positioned themselves at the front of the formation, prepared to lead their troops into the impending battle. However, Lord Boris, the steward, and Bishop Ian, the chaplain, assumed positions at the rear of the formation, offering their guidance and support from behind.
With the sun rising behind them, casting long shadows over the great plains, the army began its determined march. Their purpose was clear: to deliver the hammer of justice upon the Baron and put an end to his reign of tyranny once and for all. The path to justice was paved with uncertainty and danger, but Edward and his forces were resolute in their mission.
While the march was steadily moving forward, a sudden pop-up covered the eyes of Edward.
Quest: Defeat The Corrupt Baron Norwood!
Reward: 500 XP, Reputation [+], New Title.
Failure: Reputation [-], Death [50%]
Edward smiled as he glanced at the screen and decided to continue his march.
Following an uninterrupted march of an hour and a half, the army halted near a tranquil lake, taking a much-needed respite. They were now a mere three kilometers away from Wymondham, their destination and the site of their impending battle. To ensure their safety and readiness, Edward ordered a team of eight men to ride ahead on the fastest horses, tasked with scouting the next couple of kilometers. Their mission was to gather vital information and relay it back to the main force within the next hour, thus providing advanced warning and preventing any potential ambush from taking them by surprise.
Within an hour, the scouting team confirmed that the path ahead was clear of enemies, providing reassurance to the marching army. With renewed determination, they resumed their march, their destination clear in their minds—the imposing castle of Baron Norwood.
As the army approached the edge of the city of Wymondham, the ground trembled beneath the marching feet, alerting the city guards well before the army came into sight. The guards quickly relayed this information to Baron Norwood, who, along with his personal knights, gathered atop the fortifications, ready to face what they believed to be a neighboring enemy's attack.
Baron Norwood assumed that a hostile neighboring force sought to lay siege to his castle, given its wealth and his own reputation as one of the most powerful barons in Norfolk. He felt a sense of amusement, confident in his castle's defenses. However, when he finally laid eyes on the approaching force, his confidence waned, and fear gripped his heart.
The sight before him was unlike anything he had expected. A vast flood of cavalry and infantry stretched beyond the horizon, a seemingly endless tide of soldiers. Panic overtook him as he wondered who he had angered to invoke such a formidable response.
Then, his eyes fell upon a young boy and a familiar figure leading the army. Recognition washed over him, and he muttered in disbelief, "Edward Plantagenet and Sir Rufus."
Baron Norwood's mind raced, recalling an encounter from just a couple of weeks ago. He turned to his advisor, saying, "No more than a couple of weeks ago, the Earl's heir and his knights visited Wymondham as part of a tour. I extended them the best courtesy I could offer. They stayed in the castle for a day, but then his knights left and returned later that evening. By morning, all four, including Edward, had vanished."
His advisor nodded, listening intently as the baron continued to recount his thoughts, "I didn't think much of it at the time. Their horses were gone as well, except for Edward's. I assumed they had continued their tour and left the horse as a gesture of gratitude or some such thing."
The realization of the dire situation they now faced settled heavily upon Baron Norwood. The return of Edward Plantagenet, leading a formidable force, was an ominous turn of events that he had not anticipated.
He had unwittingly incurred the wrath of the most formidable adversaries in the Isles - the Plantagenets.
The city guards at the gates were on high alert as a silver-armored rider approached, bearing a letter addressed to Baron Norwood from Edward Plantagenet. With due ceremony, the guards received the letter and swiftly conveyed it to the waiting baron, who stood atop the fortifications.
As Baron Norwood unfolded the letter and perused its contents, his initial reaction was one of shock. His muttered expletive, "Shit," betrayed his growing unease.
"He knows," Roger Norwood muttered to himself, his face etched with anxiety. "Why couldn't he simply focus on his own demesne? I've even paid the Earl the highest taxes among his vassals. Though my peasants may grumble under my rule, why should we nobles concern ourselves with the grievances of such lesser humans?"
Roger Norwood's realization that Edward Plantagenet had discovered his misdeeds left him facing the consequences of his actions, and the potential wrath of the Plantagenets was not something to be taken lightly.
Baron Norwood's eyes scanned the concluding lines of Edward's letter, outlining the options laid before him. Surrender and face punishment but retain his life, or continue the fight and be branded a traitor, facing severe consequences.
As Roger read the ultimatum, his blood began to boil with a mixture of fear and defiance. The audacity of this young Plantagenet to threaten his life was infuriating. However, he had not risen to his position unprepared. The city walls of Wymondham were constructed to rival the fortifications of Norwich itself. Defending within those walls would prove a formidable challenge for any besieging force, even one as large as Edward's.
Roger Norwood knew that he stood at a precipice, and the choice he made in response to this ultimatum could determine the course of his future and the fate of his barony.
In the absence of a response from Baron Norwood within the next hour, it became clear that he had no intention of surrendering.
"So war it is," declared Edward with unwavering determination.
Rufus nodded in agreement, replying, "Seems like that, milord."
With resolve in their hearts, the army was ordered to form the siege formation. They began setting up siege engines, including mangonels and ballistae. These formidable siege engines were provided to the Earl, a member of the royal Plantagenet dynasty, by the monarchy. While they might have limited effect on the fortress's defenses, their presence alone would serve to undermine the morale of those within.
Three battering rams were brought forward, ready to be deployed to break down the castle gates. These rams were a critical asset, potentially creating a direct entrance into the castle. Additionally, the Plantagenets possessed a single siege tower, but its origin set it apart. Imported from the Eastern Roman Empire, it represented the pinnacle of siege technology, capable of inflicting severe damage to the fortifications.
As the siege preparations unfolded, Edward Plantagenet and his commanders knew that the battle ahead would not be an easy one.
The siege was underway, and the formidable siege engines launched a relentless assault. Mangonels hurled projectiles while ballistae sent bolts flying toward the castle walls. However, the stout fortifications of the castle held their ground, and after half an hour of continuous bombardment, only small cracks began to appear.
Occasionally, a well-aimed bolt or projectile managed to reach the defenders on the walls, further thinning the already reduced forces of Baron Norwood. In some unfortunate instances, these projectiles overshot their target and damaged parts of the city's infrastructure, adding to the chaos and destruction within Wymondham.
The unrelenting assault on the castle's fortifications, combined with the overwhelming size of Edward's army compared to the defenders, took a toll on the soldiers' morale within the barony. As fear and desperation grew, Edward seized the opportunity to press the attack further. He ordered the deployment of siege towers and battering rams.
A dozen archers quickly occupied the siege tower, which was then maneuvered toward the castle gate. From the relative safety of the tower, the archers unleashed a relentless hail of arrows upon the defenders atop the walls. In contrast, the baron's men struggled to reach the towering siege tower, which loomed at a height of around 16 meters compared to the castle gate's 10-meter height.
Meanwhile, the battering rams were operated by groups of ten to fifteen soldiers at a time. Protected by wooden shields held overhead, they tirelessly slammed the rams into the castle gates. It became increasingly evident that the baron's decision not to construct a moat around his city was a critical oversight in the face of such a determined assault.
After around two hours, the wall of the castle broke down and the siege towers were brought back. Over a couple hundred soldiers marched inside the castle gate, with many more standing by outside the city. The number of soldiers of the baron dwindled from a hundred to no more than forty after the siege.
The baron's panic grew as he observed several individuals clad in chainmail armor infiltrate the city. In a frantic attempt to regain control, he barked out orders, "Stop the intruders immediately!"
However, the soldiers, who were already shaken and demoralized, were too overwhelmed by fear to defy their lord's command. Their hesitation proved to be a critical moment, as Edward, leading his army inside the gates alongside Rufus and Nathan, seized the opportunity to make a pivotal announcement.
"I will spare all the soldiers if they bind the baron and bring him to his knees to me," Edward declared.
This unexpected offer kindled a spark of hope among the soldiers, and they swiftly redirected their hostility toward the baron. Roger Norwood's protests and claims of lordship fell on deaf ears. In their eyes, their own lives took precedence over blind loyalty to a lord who had led them into a disastrous situation. Within a matter of minutes, the baron was brought to his knees before Edward, his authority shattered in the face of survival.