The Devastation: Unexpected Circumstances Book 7 by Shay Savage Read Free Book Online

glow.
    “Now we are ready,” Benjamin said with a grin.
    He nodded at the Master Archer, who drew back his bow and called to his men.
    “Ready!” the Master Archer yelled loudly.  Each of the flame-tipped arrows rose to point at the sky. “Loose!”
    My eyes widened in awe as the arrows remained lit and soared up into the sky in perfect, glowing arcs.  They left a trail of light through the clouds before disappearing behind the walls of the castle.  We could hear shouts from inside the castle walls, and I saw several places where firelight began to burn more brightly.  One man—still in flames—fell from the castle wall.
    “Ready!  Loose!”
    Fifty more arrows lit up the night sky as they sailed over the heads of the knights battling in the open field, over the walls of the castle, and inside again.  I could then hear the screaming of those who fought for Edgar as they burned.  The glow behind the castle walls became brighter as the sun set, and the battle continued.  Benjamin and his pitch-covered arrows continued to rain fire upon our enemy.
    With the sun below the horizon, the bright fires from behind the walls were even more evident.  The battle in front of the castle was slowing both because all the men were tired and because the sheer number of bodies lying in the field were in the way.  They hindered the cavalry’s movement though it also meant the serfs and peasants who had survived thus far were better armed.  Each of them grabbed a mace or sword from the fallen enemies’ hands.
    Still, there weren’t many of the common folk left.  As I looked around and quickly counted those still standing—both for Silverhelm and for Hadebrand—I knew the people of Silverhelm had indeed been willing to die for their queen.  There was no way we would have survived without them.
    Parnell approached on foot with Rylan close behind him and called up to me.
    “My king, many of Hadebrand’s soldiers and their mercenaries have surrendered. The fires inside the castle are reported to be reaching the inside walls.”
    “We have to move inside,” I said, “and quickly.  We do not know where they are keeping Alexandra.”
    “What of the prisoners, my king?” Parnell asked.
    “No prisoners,” I replied.  “Any man who has fought for Hadebrand will die.”
    “Yes, my king.”
    I turned to Rylan as he mounted another horse and rode up beside me.
    “Where are the engineers?” I asked.
    Rylan motioned behind us, and I could see Lord William’s men with their machines.
    “Ready, sire!”
    “Make way for them!  Give them cover!”
    With twenty men holding their shields for cover from Edgar’s bowmen, the engineers moved closer to the walls, pushing the huge log, sharpened at the front.  It rolled on a shortened cart but could be raised and lowered with a crank at the back and front wheels.  It was huge and it was heavy, and it took many of the farmers and other peasants to help push the gigantic contraption to the castle gate.
    To get close enough to use it, those pushing the machine needed to be directly under the castle walls, which left them quite vulnerable.  Another line of peasant fighters—also partially protected by knights with their long, tower shields—stood at the ready so they could replace those that would undoubtedly fall during the attack.
    As they approached, the engineers adjusted the height of the battering ram, and the men on the sides of the cart began to run.  The impact of the pointed end of the ram as it hit the castle gate must have been heard all the way back to Sterling.  Arrows fell from the top of the castle walls, and many of those pushing the ram dropped to the ground.  As the body of each man was pulled away, there was always another, ready to take his place.
    Two more similar rams were used on the walls at the sides of the gate, smashing into the stone structures repeatedly until dust dropped onto the heads of the men who pushed it.  The stone walls were harder to