Viktor pondered for a moment, then said, "Count, it's still too early to pursue the matter of the traitor. Our top priority is figuring out how to take this fortress. Although Roland is prepared, we hold the advantage in numbers. If we are willing to pay the price, we may not be unable to capture it."
Eisenberg drew a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He knew Viktor was right. Now was not the time to assign blame. He lifted his head and looked once more at Clift Fortress, a flash of ruthlessness passing through his eyes.
"Pass down the order: the entire army will camp where it stands and rest for two hours. Then prepare to assault the city!"
Two hours later, Eisenberg's army had finished resting and began its assault on Clift Fortress.
The archers moved first. Around five hundred archers, covered by shield-bearers, advanced to roughly two hundred paces from the walls and began lofting arrows toward them. The dense rain of arrows flew at the walls like a swarm of locusts, whistling through the air. Most were blocked by the battlements or lodged in the cracks between the stones, but a few cleared the parapets and struck defenders who had failed to take cover in time.
Roland stood at the highest point of the walls, utterly unafraid of the incoming arrows. A small shield was clenched in his hand, and from time to time he knocked aside arrows aimed at him, his gaze never leaving the enemy's movements. Under the cover of the archers, he saw a unit of infantry carrying cloud ladders charge toward the walls. Behind them, battering rams were slowly advancing as well.
"Ballista crews, aim at those cloud ladders—fire!" Roland gave the order.
At his command, the ballistae atop the