The Hafdan army set up camp about 500 meters below the hill where the castle stood. For "Black Eye" Blok, the commanding general, assaulting this castle was just a secondary objective.
Before departing from the North, Hermin had tasked him with plundering the Southerners' western territories, wreaking as much havoc as possible and tying down local leaders' reinforcements, preventing them from aiding the main battlefield in the East. Everything else was left to Blok's discretion.
In Blok's view, assaulting the castle seemed utterly unnecessary. While Hafdans valued comradery, having shared meals and battles shoulder to shoulder in their tribes, this did not necessarily mean they couldn't accept the loss of comrades. After all, dying valiantly and reaching the Great Hall of Gods was every Hafdan's lifelong desire, and there was nothing regrettable about it.
However, "Six Fingers" Haral had a particular attachment to his brethren. The decision to attack the castle was entirely his strong advocacy. Some within his tribe even deemed it unnecessary, but Haral forcefully quashed these objections.
Blok simply saw it as an opportunity to appease Haral, hoping that taking the castle would silence him and make him more compliant with future suggestions.
With this mindset, Blok decided to attempt the capture of the castle. However, being from northern fishing and hunting tribes, they had no clear idea how to take down a stone castle.
From the outside, the castle's walls stood five meters high and one meter wide, just wide enough for people to move around on top. Wooden planks were nailed on both sides of the wall – the outer side to prevent arrows and the inner side to prevent accidental falls. A five-meter fall could easily break a leg.
A moat had been dug one meter away from the wall. Originally two meters wide and one meter deep, Gwyneth had ordered it to be deepened to two meters on one side before the Hafdans' invasion. Over time, the other half was also deepened, and sharpened logs were buried at the bottom, posing a lethal threat to anyone falling in.
The castle's entrance was accessible only by a drawbridge, connected to the wall with iron chains and normally retracted, only lowered for entry or exit. Behind the drawbridge stood a wooden gate.
Though less sturdy than the one-meter-thick walls, the gate could easily be broken with a battering ram. However, the drawbridge and moat made it impossible to employ such tactics.
Apart from using a battering ram, the only other method Blok could think of to breach the castle was to scale the walls with ladders.
After setting up camp, Blok immediately ordered timber to be cut for making rudimentary ladders. Constructing ladders was not complicated, even for the tribal Hafdans, but considering the height of the walls, they had to be at least six meters long and made of solid wood to support multiple climbers.
As a result, the ladders became heavy, especially using freshly cut wood which hadn't had time to dry. Fortunately, the Hafdans' strength made it feasible to move them with several men.
Blok, anticipating the imminent slaughter within the castle, couldn't suppress a cruel, bloodthirsty grin. He wondered if the "noble" ladies and misses would taste particularly sweet. His saliva almost dripping, he urged his men to hasten the woodcutting and ladder construction.
...
Meanwhile, Gwyneth's castle was under immense psychological pressure from the approaching enemy army. The shadow of fear loomed over everyone. Many who had escaped from Windermere recalled the hellish scene of that night, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. Women holding children cried in every corner of the courtyard, with many praying ceaselessly.
Baldwin was naturally scared, but even Rosalind was unusually tense. She had been tirelessly fulfilling the role of a war priestess, treating the wounded, including Gwyneth's guards, Windermere refugees, and the remnants of the noble army. Gwyneth was grateful for her indispensable aid.
Felicity, under Gervase's training, had become proficient in various weapons. The only issue was her lack of experience in killing. But soon, she would have her chance. She clutched the dagger Gwyneth had given her, her eyes determined.
As for Gwyneth himself, he remained unafraid, eating and sleeping as usual. Whenever he had spare time, he patrolled the castle, scrutinizing every detail that could pose a problem, like the well.
The well in the courtyard was now the lifeline for the over three thousand people in the castle. Any impact, whether contamination or poisoning, would spell doom. Gwyneth assigned Cedric, the deputy captain of the guards, to ensure its safety around the clock.
Baldwin, being of no use elsewhere, was tasked with monitoring the grain storage.
Standing on the tower, Gwyneth gazed at the Hafdan camp a few hundred meters away. He could clearly see thousands of Hafdans busily working, cutting trees, and constructing something.
When the first ladder was completed, Gwyneth took a deep breath. The Hafdans' assault on the castle was inevitable. Now, it was all about how he would respond.
...
Three days later, the Hafdans had about twenty ladders ready. They assembled in the morning, advancing slowly towards the castle after breakfast. Starting from 500 meters away, shield bearers led the front, followed by the siege team carrying ladders.
All Hafdans wore smiles, eagerly anticipating the rush into the castle and the taste of blood and death.
The great battle was about to begin.