Second Officer Tajo Musashi smiled at the doomed viking raiders below. What the hell had their leader been thinking? And rushing into battle with them on top of that? What a joke. This fortress stood for several decades prior to this sorry excuse for a siege and would remain for many more to come. Foolish as it was, Musashi had to hand it to the viking leader.
Never before had he encountered a king who fought and bled alongside his pawns. Sure an argument could be made for certain warriors down there, the brute with the greatsword for instance, being more than mere pawns, but why risk it at all. Where was his queen piece? Did he not have a secret weapon? Surely they didn't think they could jus—
Fwook! Thook!
Musashi leapt back in surprise. One of his personal bodyguards fell forward with an arrow tail protruding from the back of his head. On his left, the other archer dropped to his knees, gagging, weakly grasping at an arrow lodged in his throat. Musashi spun around. Trygve stared the officer in the eye. Her arms were crossed over her chest, bow slung over one shoulder. Eventually, she spoke.
"Surrender! Or I'll have Ivar here put three arrows in your stomach."
Musahsi's eyes shifted back and forth between the four vikings suddenly here in the gatehouse with him. How long had they been there? Even if he did somehow manage to make it past the first two, he knew he'd be shot down by the other two blocking the exit.
Musashi cursed. He was captured. But to dishonor himself by allowing this to continue simply wasn't an option.
Trygve, sensing this, warned him, "Don't do anything foolish."
Musashi tensed. Ivar pulled the bowstring back further. Aside from that, no one moved a muscle. Everyone held their breath. This held for a matter of seconds before all hell broke loose.