The Travels of a Hairy Hermit

Nilsar leaves the baron’s upper chamber and descends through the quiet tower. Outside, Anuncagra settles into watchful preparation as shutters close and distant hammers strengthen the palisade.

At the cottage, Gravam, Aritik, and Eiluj remain gathered around the hearth. Their relief is restrained by the bells, the guarded roads, and the knowledge that Lucas still walks beyond the walls.

Nilsar rests through the tense night while the household keeps low voices and the town’s defenses shift beyond the cottage. At dawn, a knock sounds at the door.

Lucas enters behind him, mud darkening his patched coat, followed by the second scout, a lean young adult woman with a weathered face, braided black hair, and a gray cloak. Both carry the cold damp of the drainage ditch.

At the cottage hearth, Eiluj clears a place and examines Nilsar’s left shoulder. Her practiced hands find the strained joint without worsening it, while he identifies the safest angle as a smith judges a bent hinge.

Eiluj supports the elbow, works warmth into the muscles, and binds the shoulder firmly with clean linen. The ache settles to a manageable throb, and Nilsar can move the arm carefully.

Nilsar places the concealed camp accounts in Aritik’s hands. She reads the first entries beside the hearth, her expression sharpening as Gravam and Eiluj watch in silence.

Aritik folds the accounts into her legal papers and secures them beneath her belt. Outside, watch bells mark another guarded hour, while the household turns its attention back to the threatened town.

Nilsar settles near the hearth with his injured arm supported against folded blankets. He keeps his longsword within easy reach, its familiar balance and hand-forged grip ready beneath his resting right hand.

He remains still through the morning, allowing warmth and Eiluj’s firm linen binding to ease the strained shoulder. Careful breathing replaces movement, and the ache steadily loosens.

Nilsar listens past the quiet crackle of the fire. The town’s distant hammers continue, but no alarm interrupts the guarded hours.

When a watch bell sounds from Anuncagra, Nilsar’s hand closes around the longsword’s hilt. He rises only enough to confirm the bell’s measured pattern, then returns to rest, blade still ready beside him.

Gravam’s deep brown eyes brighten. He crosses to the smithing corner, where a round wooden shield hangs behind the tools, its iron rim darkened but sound.

He lifts the shield carefully and passes it across. Its ashwood face bears a simple iron boss, leather grips, and a faded knotwork mark from the Yarb family forge.

Nilsar tests the balance with his right hand rather than strain the healing shoulder. His craftsman’s eye recognizes Gravam’s careful grain, tight rivets, and practical weight.

Gravam straps the round shield over Nilsar’s right forearm and adjusts the leather until it sits securely. The old forged metal settles against the wood, ready for the road.

Nilsar leaves the family workshop with the round shield slung across his back, keeping its weight off his sore left shoulder. His longsword, forged by his own hand when he bought his cottage, rests securely at his side.

The shield’s ashwood face and iron rim ride steady behind him, while its boss and leather grips remain ready if the watch becomes a fight. The familiar longsword balances cleanly against his hip, its forged edge prepared for the work ahead.

Nilsar crosses Anuncagra beneath watchful shutters and muted bells. He reaches the western rise without forcing the injured shoulder, the shield secure on his back and his sword at hand.

Odran checks the shield’s position, then nods at the sheathed longsword. Around them, defenders hold the rise while carpenters continue strengthening the palisade below.

Nilsar takes his assigned place on the rise, shield resting across his back and longsword ready at his side. The next watch begins beneath a cold, quiet sky.

Nilsar stands without a fire, keeping the shield’s weight settled across his back and his longsword ready at his hip. Cold air moves through the stones as he studies the western treeline.

The first changes are small: a branch bends against the wind, then a darker shape shifts between two pines. Nilsar holds still and follows the movement instead of mistaking it for shadow.

One raider pauses beneath the pines while the other crouches beside the concealed cart. Their movements are deliberate and quiet, confirming the force is watching the rise rather than settling into camp.

Nilsar counts the cart’s position, the men’s route, and the gaps between the trees. He keeps the information clear in his mind, preserving the advantage of having seen them first.

The two figures withdraw toward the covered carts, still unaware that the western rise has marked their approach. Nilsar remains fireless at the stone line, watching the treeline and holding his report for the proper command.

The two raiders fade among the western pines, leaving the covered cart concealed beyond the trees. Nilsar keeps their route, numbers, and position fixed in memory until his watch ends.

When the relief reaches the stone line, Nilsar yields the post without lifting timber or straining his injured shoulder. He descends toward the inner yard with his shield secure and sword at his hip.

Captain Odran stands beside the well, reviewing the palisade work with two carpenters. He turns as Nilsar approaches, his attention sharpening at the watchman’s purposeful stride.

Nilsar gives Odran the complete report: two raiders moving along the treeline, a covered cart waiting behind them, and a deliberate withdrawal toward the hidden carts.

Odran marks the report on his damp map and calls for a runner. Below the rise, defenders adjust their positions while the western trees remain still beneath the cold sky.

Nilsar climbs to the baron’s chamber with the damp map tucked beneath his shield strap. His injured shoulder stays untroubled as he uses his right hand to keep the creased route visible.

Nilsar spreads the damp map across the table and marks the cart’s position with a charcoal nub. His smith’s eye reads the ground like a faulty brace, identifying the hidden approach and the rise it tests.

The baron copies the marked position onto his own map and seals an order for the western watch. Nilsar’s account now directs the town’s response, while the hidden carts remain under scrutiny.

Nilsar keeps one hand on the map while asking, using his smith’s eye to weigh the town’s defenses as carefully as timber, iron, and fastenings in a failing brace.

The baron shifts wooden markers across the map. Nilsar’s practical question has turned the defense from a vague danger into measured strength, weakness, and need.

Nilsar lays two fingers along the western rise and the hidden carts. His craftsman’s eye treats the defenses like a failing frame, finding where support, weight, and pressure must be balanced.

He shifts the markers without lifting his injured shoulder, using his right hand to show overlapping watches, protected roads, and a reserve held back from the first clash.

The baron marks the plan onto his map and seals an order for the western watch. The troop dispositions now follow Nilsar’s counsel, with no defender wasted in a premature attack.

The baron studies the damp map as Nilsar spreads it flat. The water-stained markings reveal the northern ground’s slope, while Nilsar’s smithing judgment selects firm soil and approaches that can bear concealed pits.

Nilsar directs the town workers from the northern palisade, using the damp map to align each position with the tree line. He leaves the heavy digging to them, marking stakes and safe lanes with his right hand.

By afternoon, concealed pits interrupt every likely flanking route, each covered with light branches and marked discreetly for Anuncagra’s defenders. The work also uncovers an old timber-lined drainage cut leading toward the raiders’ hidden carts.

The baron adds the drainage cut to his map and orders the northern watch informed. Nilsar’s plan now protects the palisade while giving Anuncagra a hidden route to observe the enemy without wasting defenders.

Nilsar turns the damp map toward the baron, tracing the drainage cut with his right hand. His smith’s eye follows the marked bends, judging where a hidden route can be entered and abandoned safely.

The map’s water-stained surface makes the ditch’s narrow exits plain. Nilsar’s knowledge of timber, soil, and sound footing shows why a familiar route matters more than an untested scout.

The baron marks Lucas’s route on the damp map, then seals a written order for the western watch. The concealed ditch remains useful, but its danger is now treated as known rather than overlooked.

Nilsar traces the wall and western approach on the Damp Map. His skilled craftsman’s eye weighs the stonework, retreat lanes, and footing as carefully as a brace and its fastenings.

The baron studies the marked ground while the raiders remain beyond the western trees. Nilsar’s proposal offers a measured test, with the walls shielding any withdrawal.

He marks the sally route on the Damp Map and adds a retreat line beneath the western wall. The plan turns the raiders’ test into Anuncagra’s measured answer.

The baron seals the order and sends it down the stair. Beyond the western rise, the covered carts remain still, while Anuncagra prepares to meet any probing force on its own terms.

Nilsar leaves the baron’s tower and returns home beneath the guarded bells. He keeps his shield balanced across his back and avoids using the injured shoulder as he crosses the town.

At the Yarb shop, Gravam sets down his hammer and studies his son’s careful movements. The familiar forge glows behind him, iron tools hanging in ordered rows.

Gravam leads him to the hearth instead of the anvil. He checks the shoulder without pressing it, then sets the shield nearby and gestures for Nilsar to rest.

Nilsar settles beside the hearth with his sword within reach and the shield close at hand. Gravam’s counsel gives the coming battle a clear measure: defend first, endure wisely, and let honor follow.

Gravam studies him in the forge-light, then reaches for a bent iron strap on the workbench. He tests its weakness with practiced fingers before setting it beside the sound tools.

He selects a straight length of iron and places it beside the bent strap, showing how a craftsman preserves useful strength instead of ruining good metal for spectacle.

Gravam searches the forge shelves and produces two small pots, one green and one brown. He clears a board beside the hearth, while Nilsar rests the round shield flat upon it.

Nilsar sketches the donkey in brown, then works green through the looping knot. His blacksmith’s eye keeps the lines balanced around the boss, and the shield’s ashwood steadies beneath his careful hand.

The knotted donkey takes shape across the shield, ears raised and legs woven into the surrounding pattern. The green pot runs dry and the brown paint is scraped nearly clean, but the emblem is complete.

Gravam lifts the shield by its rim and holds it toward the forge-light. The painted donkey and looping knot stand clearly against the wood, a family mark ready for the walls of Anuncagra.

Gravam sets the shield on the workbench and examines its iron fittings. He brings out a small packet of gold leaf, a clay pot of flux, and a hard polishing stone.

Using his Skilled Craftsman gift, Nilsar scrapes the iron bright, warms it over the forge, and lays the gold leaf across the round shield’s boss and rim. The shield guides his steady right hand.

He works the leaf into the heated flux and burnishes it with the stone until the fittings gleam gold. The entire packet is consumed, and one narrow patch on the rim remains visibly uneven.

Forge-light runs along the gilded boss and rim, framing the knotted donkey with a bright, imperfect edge. Gravam returns the empty packet to the shelf beside his tools.

Gravam rests one broad hand beside the shield, studying the gilded boss and uneven rim. Nilsar’s careful workmanship has made the fittings serviceable, though the gold catches the forge-light imperfectly.

He turns the shield slightly and points out where the gold leaf has settled cleanly over the boss, then taps the uneven rim with a thick finger. His craftsman’s eye judges the work without mistaking decoration for protection.

Gravam carries the shield to the workbench and sets it safely beneath the gilded fittings. Nilsar’s craftsman’s eye confirms the boss and rim will rest without pressure or damage.

Nilsar settles near the hearth with his left arm supported by folded blankets and his longsword within easy reach. The forge’s warmth loosens the shoulder without demanding movement.

Gravam lowers the shop’s shutters and keeps the fire banked. Outside, Anuncagra’s watch continues beneath muted bells, while the family waits for the scouts’ return.

Sleep comes quietly. By dawn, rest and steady warmth have eased the injury, leaving Nilsar’s shoulder ready for careful use rather than force.

Nilsar reaches beneath the workbench and retrieves the newly remade round shield. The gilded boss and rim catch the forge-light, while the painted knotted donkey remains clear across the ashwood face.

He checks the leather straps, rivets, and grain with a craftsman’s practiced eye. Each fastening sits firm, and the shield’s balance makes its weight predictable before he lifts it.

Nilsar raises the shield carefully, favoring his right hand, and guides the strap over his back. He moves slowly enough to keep the healing left shoulder from taking the load.

He rolls the left arm through a small, cautious range, testing the joint rather than forcing it. The shield settles against his back, its weight distributed securely across the straps.

A final adjustment brings the gilded rim clear of his shoulder and leaves the iron boss ready before him. Nilsar has the shield secured and can move carefully toward the workshop door.

Nilsar leaves the workshop with the gilded round shield secured across his back and his longsword at his hip. The shield’s bright rim catches the morning light, while the sword’s familiar balance keeps his stride measured.

His craftsman’s eye follows fresh boot marks through the damp street, distinguishing Odran’s heavy watch boots from lighter traffic. The trail leads toward the western rise without requiring strain from his healing shoulder.

Captain Odran stands beside the stone line, one hand resting on a folded map. Nilsar reaches him and sees no sign of Lucas among the defenders or on the road from the drainage cut.

Odran points to two overlapping tracks near the drainage path. Nilsar reads the mud, shield strap, and sword hilt ready at hand, but the rain has softened the prints beyond certain identification.

Nilsar’s gilded round shield rests across his back, its bright rim marking him clearly against the stone. His longsword, forged the day he bought his home, hangs ready as his craftsman’s eye traces the safest approach to the wagons.

Odran selects ten defenders from the western watch and marks their route on the map. Nilsar’s practical plan earns the command, while the shield and sword make his readiness plain without demanding force from his healing shoulder.

Odran hands Nilsar the marked map and orders the ten-man patrol to assemble after sunset. The mission is granted, but suspicion now travels beside him as plainly as his gilded shield.

After moonset, Nilsar leads the ten-man patrol through the drainage cut. His gilded round shield stays close, his longsword hangs ready, and concealed chainmail protects his torso beneath his clothes.

He guides the patrol around wet roots and loose stones, using the Damp Map and his craftsman’s eye to choose firm ground and avoid branches that would betray their passage.

The patrol reaches the concealed wagons beneath the western pines. Nilsar checks the dark tree line, then examines the axles, lashings, and covered frames without touching his aching shoulder.

Together they lift the coverings enough to inspect the loads: bundled spears, shield blanks, rope, sacks of grain, and timber braces, all arranged for a planned assault rather than ordinary travel.

Nilsar has the wagons’ contents, their position, and their military purpose confirmed. The patrol withdraws along the marked route, carrying the report back before dawn.

The patrol halts beneath the pines. Nilsar studies the Damp Map, matching its drainage marks and slope lines to the wagons’ position before circling the ground with one finger.

His Skilled Craftsman’s eye turns from the military loads to their construction: fresh-cut braces, standardized spear shafts, and axle grease still wet from recent travel. The wagons were assembled for this operation, not gathered casually.

He checks the lashings without lifting them, then finds shallow cuts beneath the rear boards. A loosened plank reveals a narrow compartment containing waxed route slips and a charcoal sketch of Anuncagra’s western wall.

Nilsar compares the slips with the Damp Map and confirms the route: the raiders were directed toward the western rise, with the drainage cut marked as their safest approach. The patrol now has proof of an informed guide.

He replaces the plank and signals the withdrawal. The wagons remain undisturbed, while the route slips and wall sketch go with Nilsar as evidence for Odran and the baron.

The Night Patrol spreads quietly around the wagons. Nilsar uses the Damp Map to compare drainage bends with the Wall Sketch, then follows the Waxed Route Slips toward the western exits.

His Skilled Craftsman’s eye reads crushed grass, fresh axle grease, and a narrow heel mark beside the loosened compartment. The signs show someone left the wagons recently and moved toward a low stand of pines.

Nilsar parts the branches without disturbing the ground. Lucas Harris lies concealed beneath them, muddy and exhausted but alert, one hand still gripping a short knife.

Lucas rises carefully and gives Nilsar a second bundle of route marks taken from the handlers’ trail. The patrol has found him, recovered the evidence, and can now return to the baron together.

Nilsar Yarb leaves concealed wagons beneath the western pines behind and arrives at Baron's Castle.

The baron’s castle rises above Anuncagra in gray stone, its gatehouse wet with dawn mist. The Night Patrol stands beneath the arch with Lucas, while guards draw the portcullis behind them.

Captain Odran has already received Nilsar’s brief report at the western wall. Inside the castle, a waiting clerk leads the patrol toward the baron’s chamber, where lamplight spills across sealed maps.

The patrol enters the chamber. Lucas places his bundle beside the waxed slips, while Nilsar’s marked Damp Map shows the wagons, drainage cut, and western exits in one clear pattern.

He takes the route slips and wall sketch into his keeping, then orders the patrol housed inside the castle until questioned. Beyond the shutters, Anuncagra’s bells begin a measured warning.

Nilsar returns to the western wall with the defenders, keeping the gilded round shield settled across his back and his longsword clear at his hip. Odran waits beside the parapet, watching the tree line.

He unfolds the Damp Map against the stone and matches its drainage cut, western rise, and cart marks to the ground. His craftsman’s eye separates fresh tracks from old traffic while the shield’s bright rim helps him keep the marked approaches aligned.

Movement breaks from the western pines. Nilsar counts raiders emerging in ordered files, then follows their carts and spacing through the haze, using his longsword’s familiar length as a steady measure against the wall’s nearest stones.

The count settles at roughly twenty-four raiders in the visible advance. Their carts carry the assault gear, but drifting mist and the uneven ground conceal how many remain beyond the western trees.

Nilsar has the advancing force’s number and route, but the time spent confirming the rear carts leaves the hidden reserve unresolved. Odran turns toward him, waiting for the report before shifting the wall’s defenders.

Nilsar presses the Damp Map against the parapet and traces the rise, carts, and concealed trees. His Skilled Craftsman’s eye reads the ground like a failing brace, showing where the enemy’s weight will bear first.

Odran signals along the parapet. Defenders tighten their formation, while the carpenters clear the inner lanes for a reserve. Beyond the mist, the raiders’ carts halt within sight of the rise.

Nilsar spreads the Damp Map across the parapet and marks the palisade, western rise, tree line, and reserve lanes. His craftsman’s eye compares each position like a brace, placing strength where pressure will fall.

Odran relays the orders along the wall. Archers take protected positions, town guards climb to the parapet, and militia gather inside the western gate with weapons ready.

The defense now follows Nilsar’s arrangement, and Odran waits beside the marked trees for the promised answer while the raiders’ carts remain motionless beyond the rise.

The Scavik vanguard advances toward the western wall. Odran’s signal drops, the gate opens, and Nilsar leads the charge, gilded shield forward and his hand-forged longsword ready.

His craftsman’s eye keeps the formation tight as the shield turns aside incoming blows. Chainmail beneath his clothes catches a glancing strike, protecting his torso while he drives the vanguard back from the gate.

The raiders rush from the western trees exactly as baited, exposing their reserve and the narrow route behind the carts. Nilsar turns the charge back at Odran’s signal, and the defenders regain the gate before the reserve can reach them.

Nilsar turns from the gate toward the western wall, where Town Guard struggle to hold the parapet. A raider climbs the nearest ladder, shield hooked over one arm.

Nilsar joins the Town Guard and climbs toward the parapet. His left shoulder protests when he grips the stone, but his right hand keeps the longsword steady. The weapon he forged for himself follows his practiced balance.

The raider reaches over the wall and swings down. Nilsar raises his shield, and the gilded boss turns the blow aside while concealed chainmail catches the edge that slips past, sparing his torso.

Using the opening, Nilsar cuts across the raider’s torso with his longsword. The man loses his grip and falls away from the wall, dead before the defenders can pull him down.

The Town Guard close ranks around Nilsar as more ladders strike the wall. His first enemy lies below, while the forged sword remains ready and the shield keeps the next climbers from an easy ascent.

The Town Guard seize fallen branches and lever them against the ladders. Nilsar plants his gilded round shield on the parapet, keeping the climbers’ blows from the stones and his body.

The raider on the ladder reaches the crest. Nilsar’s concealed chainmail catches a glancing cut, while his own hand-forged longsword stays aligned through the cramped struggle.

Nilsar catches the raider’s northern helmet by its face guard and wrenches his head aside. His craftsman’s eye finds the opening, and the longsword delivers the killing stroke.

The raider falls from the parapet as the Town Guard drive the ladder outward. The effort jolts Nilsar’s left shoulder, sending a hard pain through the healing joint, but the ladder crashes clear.

The rival house’s shadow makes the defenders watch Nilsar warily, yet his shield, mail, and precise swordwork have bought the parapet a breath. Below, another ladder hooks over the stones.

Nilsar raises the gilded round shield over the parapet, its iron boss catching the light, while his longsword points toward the advancing line. Chainmail beneath his clothes turns a probing spear aside. His voice carries across the field, though a brief hesitation tightens his breath before the final word.

The raiders slow beneath the challenge, their ordered advance losing its certainty. Nilsar’s careful stance and craftsman’s balance make the shield a bright warning above the stones, while the hesitation in his breath leaves the nearest guards watching him closely.

The Town Guard lock shields along the parapet. Below, the raiders regroup around their covered ladders instead of rushing forward, granting Anuncagra’s defenders the moment Nilsar demanded.

The command cuts through the parapet. Nilsar raises his gilded round shield against the incoming blows, while his forged longsword hooks at a ladder’s upper rail and his concealed chainmail turns a spear point aside.

Arrows arc over the palisade and drive the raiders back from the foot of the wall. Nilsar’s careful craftsman’s balance keeps his shield firm as he directs the nearest guards toward the ladders.

The guards lever the ladders outward with poles and shield rims. One ladder crashes clear, and the others tilt away beneath the combined effort, leaving the parapet secure for the moment.

Nilsar crouches beside the fallen raider on the wall walk and retrieves the northern helmet without disturbing the fighting line. His gilded round shield remains braced before him, while his longsword keeps the nearest ladder crews at bay.

He carries the helmet to Odran and turns it in his right hand. His craftsman’s eye studies the ironwork, cheek plates, straps, and dents, recognizing equipment made for sustained field use.

Odran accepts the helmet and tests its fittings. Nilsar’s gilded shield marks him as a visible defender, while the longsword he forged himself reinforces the disciplined skill behind his advice.

Odran returns the helmet and points toward the regrouping raiders. Nilsar’s rival house still makes his initiative suspect, but the successful defense gives his counsel a clear place within Odran’s command.

Nilsar keeps his voice measured and his shield lowered. The gilded round shield makes his service visible, while the longsword he forged himself rests at his side as proof of useful craft, though the Yarb name still gives Odran reason for caution.

Odran takes the captured northern helmet and sets it beside the map. He weighs Nilsar’s rival house against the shield’s proven protection and the sword’s reliable workmanship, then draws a fresh line beneath the western watch roster.

He signs the roster and seals it with the watch mark. Around the wall, the defenders continue readying themselves, while Nilsar’s new rank becomes part of Anuncagra’s active defense.

Nilsar reaches for the northern helmet as the next Scavik wave gathers below. His Rival House makes the nearby guards hesitate, but his Skilled Craftsman’s eye finds the quickest way to settle its straps and cheek plates.

He lifts the helmet with his right hand, fits it over his hair and beard, then works the fastening beneath his chin. The unfamiliar weight shifts his balance, and his left shoulder gives a sharp, hot pull.

Nilsar catches himself against the parapet with his right forearm, scraping it across the rough stone. The cost leaves a raw line of pain, but the Northern Helmet is secured and shields his head and face.

Below, Scavik Raiders advance behind raised shields while ladders and covered carts follow. Town Guard tighten along the stones, watching Nilsar’s masked face as he steadies his sword beside the gilded shield.

The helmet’s narrow eye slits frame the western field. Nilsar lowers his center of gravity, keeps his injured shoulder clear of the parapet, and prepares to meet the approaching assault under Odran’s command.

Nilsar braces behind the gilded round shield as another ladder rises toward the wall. His Northern Helmet protects his head, while concealed chainmail guards his torso beneath his clothes.

The ladder slams against the stones. Nilsar’s Skilled Craftsman’s eye catches its angle and weakened footing, while his longsword steadies his balance and keeps his right hand free.

Nilsar steps aside exactly as the ladder bites into the parapet. The movement jars his injured left shoulder, but the shield takes the pressure and his chainmail turns a probing spear point.

The pole teams thrust together. Nilsar’s longsword hooks the upper rail to guide its fall, and the gilded boss braces against the stone as the ladder tears free.

The ladder crashes away from the wall, leaving the parapet secure. Town Guard reset their poles while Nilsar lowers his shield, sword ready, and watches the next raiders advance.

Nilsar studies the Damp Map, comparing the ladders’ approach with the wall stores. His craftsman’s knowledge identifies lamp oil, resin, and pitch as suitable, but the nearby guards hesitate at his orders because of the Yarb name.

He points to the carpenter’s supplies inside the gate: pitch reserved for sealing braces, oil from the tower stores, and bundles of dry kindling. The Damp Map shows a protected route for carrying them without exposing the wall.

Odran relays the command. Town Guard carry sealed pots and pitch-wrapped kindling to the parapet, following Nilsar’s mapped lanes while archers cover the work.

The next ladders strike the wall. Town Guard pass the prepared pitch-soaked kindling and oil to Nilsar, while archers keep the climbing Scavik Raiders suppressed.

Nilsar steps to the parapet with his gilded round shield braced before him. His Northern Helmet turns aside flying splinters, and his concealed chainmail guards his torso as he reaches for the nearest pot.

His injured left shoulder protests as he lifts, but his Skilled Craftsman’s eye judges the safest angle. He steadies the pot with his right hand and pours the oil and pitch over the ladder crews.

Nilsar strikes the kindling with the flint kept beside the bundles. Flame catches at once, racing across the soaked wood and down the ladders without reaching Anuncagra’s timbers.

The ladders collapse away from the parapet, scattering the assault and forcing the climbing raiders back. Nilsar’s longsword hooks one ladder rail aside while his shield protects him from the falling debris.

Nilsar lowers his gilded round shield after the assault breaks. His Northern Helmet keeps splinters from his face, chainmail guards his torso, and his longsword remains ready while the destroyed ladders burn below.

His request carries calmly across the wall. The Yarb name makes a few guards watch him with doubt, but his shield, armor, helmet, and self-forged sword visibly prove his usefulness in the defense.

Odran points toward the western field. Town Guard reform behind the palisade, while the Scavik Raiders draw back from the cleared wall and regroup around their covered carts.

The order settles Nilsar’s place in the defense. His Rival House still shadows the appointment, but his practical counsel has earned command, and the wall now answers to Odran’s clear plan.

The guard steps into the shelter of the parapet, where Nilsar’s Northern Helmet and gilded shield mark him as a defender. His self-forged longsword hangs ready, while concealed chainmail protects him beneath his clothes.

The guard glances toward the wall, where Nilsar’s careful shield work and steady sword have earned respect. Yet the rival house’s whispering still makes the nearest defenders avoid his gaze.

His answer gives Nilsar the source of the coldness and points directly toward the vanished camp complaints. The cost is immediate: the guard’s trust must remain private, or the watch will treat him as a Yarb partisan.

The Northern Helmet frames Nilsar’s steady face, while the Gilded Round Shield rests ready and the Longsword he forged hangs at his side. Concealed Chainmail supports his defense with the quiet authority of proven service, though the Yarb name still makes the guard wary.

His eyes move over the helmet, gilded shield, and self-made sword, then settle on the mail hidden beneath Nilsar’s clothes. Each piece speaks of work, defense, and risk accepted for Anuncagra rather than profit.

The guard’s private support does not prove the accounts false, but it gives the Yarbs a credible witness inside the watch. He returns his attention to the battlefield, no longer turning away from Nilsar’s name.

Nilsar raises the Gilded Round Shield over his injured side while directing the work with his right hand. His Northern Helmet protects his face, and concealed Chainmail guards his torso as he moves along the wall.

The Skilled Craftsman checks the arrow bundles, rejecting split shafts and loose fletching before they reach the parapet. His Longsword, forged when he bought his cottage, stays sheathed at his hip while he measures the defensive lanes.

Town Guard move, among them Town Guard 7, a young adult man with a compact build, brown skin, close-cropped black hair, a square clean-shaven face, and a dark green tunic beneath silver plates the usable arrows through the protected lane while the militia open space behind the right parapet. Nilsar keeps the shield between himself and the field, avoiding force through his left shoulder.

The archers settle behind the palisade with fresh arrows stacked within reach. The right section stands organized, its lanes clear for defenders, while Nilsar’s equipment and command have made the next defense ready.

Nilsar’s command carries across the western wall. The Gilded Round Shield covers his injured side, the Northern Helmet frames his steady gaze, and concealed Chainmail protects his torso as he points out the advance lanes with his right hand.

His Skilled Craftsman’s eye places the Longsword’s reach beside the gate and marks where the archers can cover a retreat. The blade remains sheathed, but its familiar balance steadies his stance while the shield’s gilded rim catches every defender’s eye.

Town Militia tighten their reserve behind the gate, while the Town Guard face the field. The rally succeeds, but several veterans exchange guarded looks: Nilsar has earned their readiness, not their full trust, and his Yarb name now carries a stated command burden.

Nilsar swings the Gilded Round Shield onto his back, settling its weight across the straps instead of bracing it with his injured left shoulder. The adjustment protects the joint from further strain.

He draws the Longsword with his right hand and tests its familiar balance. The blade he forged himself answers cleanly, while his Skilled Craftsman’s eye keeps the point aligned without the shield’s support.

Concealed Chainmail covers his torso beneath his clothes, ready to turn aside a piercing or slicing blow. The abandoned shield leaves him more exposed, but his left shoulder no longer bears the sword arm’s strain.

The Town Guard make room along the gate lane, and Town Guard 9, a young adult man with a sturdy build, brown skin, a broad clean-shaven face, close-cropped black hair, and a dark green wool tunic beneath a leather vest, steps forward, while the Town Archers shift their aim to cover Nilsar’s exposed side. Town Militia tighten behind them, ready to support the charge.

Nilsar settles into a one-handed stance, longsword forward and shield secured behind him. His injured shoulder remains painful but unstrained, and he is ready to advance on command.

The gate squad surges forward. Nilsar leads with his Longsword in his right hand, the Gilded Round Shield secured behind him, and the Northern Helmet guarding his head.

His Skilled Craftsman’s eye catches the raiders’ uneven spacing and drives his blade through the gap, turning their ordered front aside. Concealed Chainmail catches a glancing spear point beneath his clothes.

The gate squad strikes as one, forcing the vanguard away from the wall. The gilded shield keeps a counterblow from Nilsar’s exposed side while his longsword drives the attackers toward their carts.

The raiders break formation and retreat beyond the marked ground. Their exposed supply carts and scattered route now lie open to Anuncagra’s watchers, a clear advantage from the charge.

Nilsar raises the Longsword he forged the day he bought his home, pointing with its blade toward the withdrawing raiders. The Gilded Round Shield stays secured behind him, leaving his sword arm free while its weight protects his back.

His Skilled Craftsman’s eye marks the carts, broken spacing, and safest limit for a pursuit. The Northern Helmet guards his head, while concealed Chainmail protects his torso beneath his clothes from the scattered blows of retreat.

The Yarb name makes several defenders glance toward the baron with doubt, but Nilsar’s precise reading of the field gives his request practical weight. His left shoulder remains unbraced and free from strain.

The baron’s order carries along the gate line. Town Guard open a protected lane, Town Archers shift their aim beyond the carts, and the retreating Scavik Raiders find Nilsar’s pursuit authorized before they can reform.

Nilsar charges across the marked ground, Longsword forward and Gilded Round Shield secured behind him. His Northern Helmet guards his head, while concealed Chainmail turns aside a glancing spear point.

A large adult man breaks from the retreating raiders, broad and heavily built beneath battered iron plates, with a red beard, shaved temples, and a two-handed axe raised in both hands.

The axe warrior, with weathered brown skin and a scar across one cheek, meets Nilsar’s advance. The Longsword he forged himself slips beneath the man’s guard as the Gilded Round Shield catches the axe’s crushing sweep, and the great raider falls dead.

Nilsar presses on through the broken retreat, using the shield’s gilded rim to turn another blow aside. His Skilled Craftsman’s eye finds the safest lane between carts, men, and scattered gear.

Nilsar reaches the exposed wagons and secures them for Anuncagra. He checks the loads again: bundled spears, shield blanks, rope, grain, timber braces, and waxed route slips, all intact and ready for the baron’s evidence.

Nilsar plants his Longsword beside the nearest wagon and grips its rear rail. His left shoulder flares under the effort, but his Gilded Round Shield braces the load while his Northern Helmet guards him from falling debris.

His Chainmail turns aside a loose splinter as he hauls the wagon clear of the retreat route. The Skilled Craftsman judges the axle and lashings, then secures them so the cargo cannot be scattered or reclaimed.

Nilsar returns to the fallen raider’s two-handed axe. He tests the haft, checks the iron head for cracks, and lifts it with both hands despite the protesting shoulder.

The weapon is heavy but sound. Nilsar rests its haft across the wagon, then carries it to the captured loads, claiming the axe as a battlefield trophy.

Nilsar secures the two wagons under guard, with spears, shield blanks, rope, grain, timber braces, and route slips intact. The axe hangs from his right side as the captured cargo begins its escorted return to Anuncagra.

Nilsar lifts the Two-Handed Axe onto his back and threads its strap through the same harness supporting the Gilded Round Shield. The weight settles securely without relying on his injured shoulder.

He checks the axe haft and knot with his Skilled Craftsman’s eye, then sheaths the Longsword he forged himself. Its familiar balance leaves his right hand free while the shield and axe ride together.

Before the escort moves, Nilsar circles the first wagon and studies its underside, axle gaps, lashings, and shadowed bed. The shield’s rim helps him shift the covering safely without exposing himself.

He inspects the second wagon just as carefully, lifting each canvas edge and checking beneath the grain sacks, timber braces, and shield blanks. No hidden raider waits among the captured cargo.

Satisfied, Nilsar signals the Town Guard to take the wagon handles and escort the cargo home. He walks beside them with the axe secured, shield steady, and sheathed sword ready if danger returns.

The column passes through Anuncagra’s gate under raised weapons. The wagons, route slips, military stores, and captured axe enter safely, while the western field remains under watch.

The Town Guard guide the captured wagons into the castle yard. Nilsar walks beside them, his Gilded Round Shield steady across his back, the Two-Handed Axe secured above it, and his Longsword sheathed at his hip.

His Chainmail remains concealed beneath his clothes, protecting him without turning the delivery into a display of force. The Rival House makes several guards watch him warily, but his Skilled Craftsman’s eye has preserved every load and fastening intact.

Town Guard take the wagon handles while Odran checks the escort’s formation. Nilsar points out the sound axles, the concealed compartments, and the military stores, making the captured evidence impossible to dismiss as common plunder.

The wagons are placed under the baron’s guard. Odran records the cargo while the baron claims the route slips and wall sketch, and Nilsar’s careful inspection earns the evidence a formal place in the castle inquiry.

Nilsar stands before the baron with the Gilded Round Shield across his back, the Two-Handed Axe secured above it, and the Northern Helmet still guarding his head. His Longsword remains sheathed at his hip, while concealed Chainmail protects his torso beneath his clothes.

Nilsar leaves the castle yard with permission secured. The shield and axe ride firmly without being lifted, the helmet stays buckled, and his Longsword’s familiar balance steadies his careful walk while Chainmail remains hidden beneath his clothes.

At the Yarb home, Eiluj clears a place beside the hearth and examines his shoulder. She removes the Northern Helmet and helps him set the Gilded Round Shield, Two-Handed Axe, and Longsword safely aside before beginning treatment.