On the other side of the Wailing Hills, Ora's camp lay like a filthy patch sewn onto the wilderness.
The black tents that had originally belonged to the Shatterrock Knights were now surrounded by a greater number of shabby linen tents, pitched crookedly and without any order.
These belonged to Levy Soldiers from Creek Valley Village and another, smaller domain, Graystone Watchpost.
There was no fighting spirit in their eyes, only uncertainty about the future and fear of the "Shatterrocks" around them.
Ora Stonebeard, the Baron of Stone Salt Town, strode through the camp, inspecting his "army."
His upper body was bare, his bronze muscles gleaming with oil in the sunlight, and his two thick beard braids swung vigorously with every step.
His gaze first fell on the two newly assembled trebuchets.
These weapons of war had been built with Creek Valley Village's last scraps of iron and all of Graystone Watchpost's hardwood, after he had "persuaded" those two pitiful knights to offer them as "tribute."
Crude and cumbersome, but brimming with destructive power.
"My lord, we've finished taking stock of the provisions."
Glenn followed behind him. The dent in his breastplate had been hammered flat, but the humiliation was still etched on his face.
"We have enough to besiege that little town for half a month."
"Besiege?" Ola sneered.
He patted the trebuchet's cold wooden arm as though caressing a lover's skin.
"I don't lay siege. I crush."
He turned to face the hundreds of soldiers in the camp.
The Shatterrock Knights stood in the front ranks like a line of silent iron towers.
The ragged Levy Soldiers behind them looked like stalks of wheat battered every which way by the wind.
Ola's voice boomed across the camp.
"Only cowards hide behind walls and play tricks!"
**"True warriors speak