After Bone Baldy and Sparison discussed matters for a while, they decided to take this opportunity to launch a probing attack on Border Fortress. Bone Baldy wanted to see just how effective those three completed earthen ramps were.
Under Gutor's influence, even Priest Sparison, who had initially been reluctant, was persuaded.
This time, aside from the five ten-thousand-man squads under Priest Sparison, Bone Baldy also sent his own troops to join the attack.
The forces expected to engage directly numbered more than thirty thousand. Any more troops would have had no room to deploy, and such a large-scale Barbarian mobilization was quickly noticed by the defenders of Border Fortress.
They saw troops moving within the Barbarian Main Camp. Many were fully equipped Barbarian warriors, not the Barbarian herdsmen cannon fodder they had been seeing every day lately.
The defenders hurriedly reported to James. James immediately gathered his officers and asked, "What do you think the enemy intends to do?"
Jackson answered at once, "Unless something unexpected happens, Lord James, they should be planning to launch a direct siege. Why else would they mobilize so many combat troops?"
The others nodded in agreement with Jackson.
James agreed as well. The Barbarians had already cleared away the fortress's outer defenses. Both the moat and trenches had been nearly filled in, and they had built three earthen ramps leading to the walls, removing more than half the obstacles to a siege.
However, James knew the Barbarians' nature all too well. They were not skilled at siege warfare, and attacking a fortified city head-on was an extremely aggressive tactic for them.
Still, James agreed with everyone's assessment and immediately ordered all units to prepare for battle.
Sure enough, not long afterward, the Barbarians truly began their attack.
Within the Barbarian main formation, Bone Baldy