Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, on top of the cliff.
After many days trapped, Lord Arkansas was overjoyed to see reinforcements arriving. He was about to lead his men down the hill, but before he could leave the house, he heard bad news: the reinforcements had fled.
"These cowards, they ran all the way here and retreated after only one shot?"
In desperation, he asked everyone to shout together, but unfortunately, the reinforcements did not respond and went straight into the lush mountains and forests to the south, as if they had never been there.
At sunset, the clouds reflected the pink light of the sunset. Under Arkansas's gaze, the army poured out of the western wilderness again. He rubbed his eyes and saw a black flag raised in front of the detachment. The last hope was finally destroyed.
At the foot of the mountain, Wig looked at the scattered houses beyond the trench and asked about the specific situation in the battle.
: "The Gaels, frightened by our fortifications, made a probing attack before retreating into the woods.
The enemy in Edinburgh on the mountain tried to break through, but seeing the actions of their allies, retreated back to their wooden fort."
Run?
Wig looked around the hilly forest to the south, seeing no sign of human presence, and a slight pang of regret touched his heart.
But then he thought: the disorganization of the Gaelic coalition, combined with the difficulties of securing supplies in the mountains, meant that many must have deserted. The longer they stayed, the fewer troops they had, which meant less of a threat.
"After this battle, the Picts and Gaels will probably have very few mobile forces left. From now on, we will concentrate on siege warfare."
Wig rubbed his head and sent for Thorga, who had made the greatest contribution to the battle. A smile spread across his face as he looked at the tall, thin man with short, light-blond hair and handed him a wineskin.
It is easy to raise thousands of warriors, but difficult to find a good general.
After this battle, the knight had proven himself a capable cavalry commander, and Wig did not hesitate to invite him to stay in Tain.
Having watched him for the past few days, Thorga felt that the chances of victory were high. With the northern border secured, the lord would have vast lands to bestow upon the demonic nobility, and they would be treated with the utmost respect.
Taking a deep breath, he dropped to one knee in the grass. "It is my greatest honor to serve the Chosen One." After
two days of rest, Vig led his troops back to Stirling, testing their patience further in battle with the enemy. By the end of June, the situation in Edinburgh had finally changed.
In the morning, the defenders of the inner wall yawned uncontrollably. After a long night, their spirits and physical strength were exhausted. They wanted nothing more than to give up their work and return to their barracks to sleep.
Suddenly, someone noticed five figures emerging from the nearby bushes, and instinctively aimed their crossbows.
"Wait, they are unarmed and seem ready to surrender," the commander ordered his men to halt, and sent for instructions from Shrike. Shortly after, Shrike, leading a large force of archers, scaled the inner wall and ordered an interpreter to address five Picts, demanding to know the reason for their surrender.
"Sir, there is nothing to eat here. We only get half a loaf of black bread and two cups of rainwater each day. Some are already dying of hunger."
Looking at the exhausted civilians, Shrike ordered them to remove their shirts. Satisfied that they were unarmed, he let them in.
Once through the city gates, the five Picts spontaneously rushed to the nearest porridge vat. Ignoring the grumbling of the others, they grabbed the wooden bowls and wolfed down the warm oatmeal.
Yawning, Shrike waved his hand, "No problem, let them eat."
After several bowls of hot porridge, the Picts came to their senses and told the translator in detail about the situation in the fortress on the hilltop.
Since the previous winter, Lord Arkansas had been recruiting civilians to strengthen the fort, storing food in the cellars and digging a large cistern to collect rainwater, preparing for a long defense.
In late April, the settlement at the foot of the mountain fell, and many of the inhabitants fled to the wooden fortress on the mountain. The lord assigned most of the people to the garrison,
400 people in total, and more than 300 family members.
After a long period of devastation, the stores were running low, forcing Arkansas to cut back on supplies. With the exception of himself, 50 guards, and a few family members, the rest were on strict food and water rations.
Knowing this was not a long-term solution, the five Picts secretly descended the mountain under cover of darkness in search of a hearty meal.
When Shrike finished, he sighed, "Seven hundred men, two months in the mountains, and we are almost out of food. Before setting out, the lord had told him, 'War is a battle of attrition: of men, food, and weight. Inflict the greatest losses on the enemy with the least expenditure until you achieve final victory.'"
Shrike still finds those words insightful when he thinks back. He glanced at the five Picts and decided on a more radical strategy.
"I have a task for you. No pressure. Those who agree will receive twenty silver pennies."
The money fueled the Picts' greed, and they listened attentively to the task.
Shrike's demands were simple: they must call for surrender. Those who agree will be fed, and if they bring weapons and armor from the mountain, they will receive an additional reward.
"Exchanging food and money for enemy soldiers and weapons is a very good deal. I hope Your Excellency will not punish me. Well, I doubt it."
That same day, the five Picts, escorted by a detachment of soldiers, climbed the hillside to persuade their former allies to surrender.
"Men, the Serpent of the North promises not to disturb the peasants and slaves. Also, the captured guards will undergo hard labor, but the lord's family will not be spared."
Their calls drew arrows from the defenders, but the Pictish bows did not have the range to take casualties.
The persuasion continued.
To increase persuasion, Shrike chose a favorable wind and ordered his soldiers to put out pots to boil porridge and roast mutton.
The aroma wafted all the way to the wooden fort, weakening the defenders' resolve.
That evening, three shadowy figures approached the inner wall. The Welsh archers ordered them to squat at the edge of the ditch and
not move until dawn.
After a hearty meal, the three men took it upon themselves to convince the defenders to surrender, drawing on their own experience.
For the next few days, men came down the mountain every night offering their services. One guard even brought back a precious piece of iron armor, and Shrike immediately made good on his promise, offering him a keg of beer and fifty silver pennies.
Realizing that the situation was getting worse, Arkansas led dozens of men down the mountainside late at night, pretending to surrender. However, they panicked as they fled back to their mountain fort, further demoralizing the enemy.
On July 5, Arkansas had completely given up hope of resistance. Under cover of darkness, he and a dozen loyal guards secretly lowered several ropes from the cliffs. They were spotted by the Vikings hiding there. After a fierce battle, Arkansas was killed and Edinburgh was declared the new owner.