The first volley of arrows struck the stone parapet before the raiders reached the dry ditch.Daniel pulled his head down as an iron point ricocheted off the granite above him, sending stone chips flying. A young guard two paces away cried out, clutching an arrow sunk deep into his shoulder, and slid down the wall."Get him down to the inner yard," Edmund shouted. "Archers, loose!"Daniel grabbed Edmund’s wrist before the man could give the signal. "Hold fire. They are over two hundred paces out. Your damp bowstrings will drop the arrows short, and we cannot afford to waste a single shaft."Edmund scowled, looking out at the advancing line. "They are covering their ladder teams. In four minutes, they will reach the base of the wall.""Then wait until they are within sixty paces," Daniel said, his voice flat and controlled. "Aim only for the ladder carriers. Break their footing."Daniel turned and ran down the worn stone stairs to the courtyard.Six soldiers were struggling with the tw

Daniel turned toward the western passage, his hand tightening around his sword.The main force was battering the eastern breach, yet another group had slipped through the rear gate. If they reached the courtyard, his men would be trapped between two fires."How many?" Daniel demanded.The wounded soldier gasped for air. "At least twenty. They came up through the dry gully. They are already inside the stone corridor."Edmund drew his blade, his face dark with fury. "That gate was barred from within. It was supposed to remain locked.""Then someone unbarred it," Daniel replied. "Captain, take five men and seal the inner archway. Do not chase anyone into the ravine. Hold the passage.""What about you?""I will hold the yard," Daniel said, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Move."Edmund hesitated for a fraction of a second, then gave a sharp nod. "Stay alive, my lord."Daniel turned to the soldiers who remained in the yard. "Move the wounded behind the stone grain store. Two men wa

The thud of the falling guard snapped Gareth out of his triumphant trance.Daniel did not give the commander time to recover. With his broadsword knocked away, he drove his shoulder into Gareth's chest. The impact threw the man off balance, and his blade sliced through the air where Daniel's neck had been moments earlier.Both men crashed onto the hard flagstones.Gareth rolled quickly and swung his armored elbow toward Daniel's jaw. Daniel ducked, taking the blow across his upper back instead. He grabbed Gareth's sword wrist and slammed it repeatedly against the stone until the weapon slipped from his fingers."Hold him," Daniel barked, pressing his knee against the commander's right shoulder.Edmund, blood running from his mouth, scrambled to his feet and thrust his spear toward Gareth's throat. Three more guards rushed forward, kicking away the fallen weapons and pinning the commander's legs beneath their boots.Gareth struggled against the ground, snarling like a trapped animal. "

Daniel watched the torsion catapult through the narrow slit of the western parapet.The machine was three hundred paces away on the packed dirt road. At that distance, normal garrison bows could not reach the crew. Yet as Daniel focused his eyes on the wooden frame, a faint chime sounded in his mind.A soft blue grid overlay settled over the dirt road, projecting glowing lines across the timber structure.Tactical Analysis Interface Initialized.Target: Heavy Torsion Mangonel.Structural Weakness: Left tension cord bundle. Counter-torque stress at 94 percent.Environmental Factor: Western ravine provides 12-degree blind angle from enemy cavalry screens.Daniel’s pulse steadied. In his former life, supply depots lived and died by physics, angles, and choke points. The system was finally acting like a proper logistics instrument instead of a simple alarm clock."Edmund," Daniel called out quietly. "Call the four men holding hunting bows."Edmund hurried over, his dented armor rattling.

The courtyard fire crackled as night settled over Greyrock Fortress.Two iron braziers cast long, flickering shadows across the uneven flagstones. In the center of the yard, two hundred and fourteen villagers stood in silence, huddled together against the biting chill that crept down from the northern peaks. Their clothes were threadbare, their faces hollow, and their eyes lingered on the armed sentries patrolling the parapets.Beside the granary steps, Edmund finished tallying the wooden tally sticks. He approached Daniel, holding a rough slate tablet marked with chalk lines."The counting is done, my lord," Edmund reported in a low voice. "We have twenty-two sacks of dry barley and twelve bags of dried field beans remaining in the storehouse. If we distribute three days of grain to every family who brought tools to the ditch, we will empty nearly half of our stock tonight.""Give it to them," Daniel said, not looking up from the stone map table. "We gave our word. A lord who cheats