The warm sunshine in the afternoon comforts every lucky person who has successfully survived the harsh winter. The chirping of the birds has returned to this land at some point, and the earth has begun to become full of life and vitality.
A strong stench lingered above the siege camp.
These extremely slovenly soldiers and mercenaries made a mess of the poor land, leaving feces and urine everywhere in and around the camp.
Baron Quinnier's soldiers finished their lunch talking and laughing in this harsh but accustomed environment. After a while, the familiar sound of the rally horn came.
Wearing a peaked helmet and a clean brown infantry-length soft armor, the private soldier blew the horn with all his strength, his face flushed. He wanted to ensure that the sound of the horn could be clearly heard in the ears of every soldier.
The first clarion call is to organize the equipment.
The serf soldiers had little equipment to organize. The young serf soldiers put their ragged felt hats on their heads and picked up sickles and pitchforks. The old serf soldiers were indifferent and continued to lie lazily on the straw mat.
Freedmen soldiers wore soft-armored hats and leather turbans, and some wealthy soldiers wore rusty iron helmets or old leather vests. Everyone then walked towards the big tree where shields and spears were piled.
Mercenaries, like serfs, have nothing to prepare - their equipment and weapons are almost always with them, or kept in a place where they cannot leave their sight. This is the household items they use to survive, and the surroundings are filled with green eyes filled with greed.
With the help of their attendants, the knights put on their chain-mail robes, their polished Norman helmets, and their chain-mail gorgets. They were extremely majestic. However, their facial expressions are not relaxed. This battle is their decisive battle. Success or failure depends on this. No one wants to be a waste.
Next to the temporary stables, the groom was putting the reins, saddle and stirrups on the horses.
There was a clear sound of the collision of iron equipment, and the grooms couldn't help but look sideways - it turned out that it was the knights who were striding through the mud towards the temporary stables, stepping on the stirrups and getting on their horses. The knights mentally predicted that the second horn would soon sound.
Just as they expected, it didn't take long for the second horn sound to reach their ears. This was the rally horn.
"Take your people and assemble in the open space in front of the siege camp!"
Wearing a bright red tabard over exquisite chainmail, Baron Quenir rode his beautiful horse and shouted orders to the knights. The traitor Fawkes rode his pony closely behind Baron Quenir like a follower.
The knights scattered and gathered their soldiers in the camp. The private soldiers of the lords shuttled among the mats, and from time to time they kicked the old serf soldiers who were still sleeping hard with their broken boots on the buttocks, urging them to quickly get their equipment and assemble.
The camp became even noisier - everywhere was filled with the sounds of packing equipment, the voices of soldiers joking among themselves, curses, howls of pain and silent prayers.
There were even two energetic mercenaries fighting together at this moment. As for the reason, it was just that one of them lost the bet and became angry and wanted to get the money back through a duel.
"hurry up!"
Master Carlo, with black hair and eyes, directed the servants to push the siege engines and siege towers out of the woods.
At this time, the soldiers who had assembled in the open space heard the distant alarm bells coming from the village of Verde.
They knew that the despicable defenders on the village wall had prepared a "summer meal" and were now waiting for their "guests" who had come from afar.
"There are so many people. This time they should all come out in full force." Simon said with a slight worry, holding on to the log spire at the crenel, looking at the men and horses that had almost been assembled in front of Kunir's siege camp in the distance.
"Yes, sir, I bet it will be a tough battle next!" The fat man standing behind Simon frowned and wiped his sweat, but his eyes were full of determination.
"Ha, since they are coming, we will arrange and use all the good things prepared for them, and try to leave them an unforgettable memory," Simon sneered and waved to the fat man. "Come on, Fatty, accompany me on a tour."
On the wooden ladder of the village wall, well-dressed soldiers and archers were constantly coming up with spears and bows. Some archers put the arrow barrels they were holding under the crenels, and then took out the arrow barrels from the cloth bags around their waists. The bowstring was strung with difficulty.
The soldiers holding spears and shields looked at the massed army on the opposite side and couldn't help but hold their spears tightly, with some nervousness on their faces.
Behind them is their home, their family, house and property. They never want to experience the feeling of having their family broken up and being enslaved, so they will fight to the end, even at the cost of their lives.
Little Klein stayed beside Bill, stuffing the arrowheads with pieces of grease-soaked linen. This year's full meals have made the little guy grow a lot taller, his arm strength is much stronger than before, and the muscle lines on his arms are clearly visible.
In fact, not only little Klein, but also many militia soldiers are now much stronger than they were a year ago, when they were as skinny as a stick or ribs.
In addition, they are now wearing Viking-style cold-proof corsets and various northern-style armors and shields. From a distance, they look like fierce Viking invaders. The only difference is that the militiamen are relatively short. Height and the brutal aura that dares to tear everything apart.
Pedi and Gabriel followed Simon's instructions and took a few soldiers to garrison the west and north walls. Although it seems that the main force of the enemy is definitely on the south wall, Simon does not dare to take it lightly.
Matilda and his wife put on armor and stationed themselves at the place on the south wall where the enemy was most likely to set up a ladder. This reassured Simon a lot - Matilda was the champion of the entire Anjou region.
Her husband, Ercle, was not bad either. He had been able to safely navigate major business roads with his bee cart for so long. Without his skills, he might have died in a gutter long ago.
As for the stonemason Ryan, he also put on his own armor and chainmail, and is now directing the workers on the trebuchet turret to adjust the angle.
Next to the exquisite torsion trebuchet, in addition to the large and smooth stone bullets piled up to deal with the enemy's siege equipment, there are also several half-full baskets of cobblestones used to attack the enemy's infantry and skirmishers.
At that time, the soldiers of the Baron of Quenier will be able to understand the fear and despair of the poor soldiers of the Baron of Arnhem.
Under the village wall, closest to the wooden ladder, there is now a large pot set up. Of course, what was burned inside was not fragrant broth, but bubbling asphalt filled with a pungent smell.
Two young serfs were standing by the cauldron, with two wooden barrels at their feet. They just waited for Simon's order, and then they would fill the barrels with hot asphalt as quickly as possible and carry them up to the village wall.
In the open space behind the cauldron, there were more than sixty villagers' slingers holding slings and bulging bags full of pebbles at their waists.
Although they were behind the village wall and could not see the enemy troops outside the wall, they were not too nervous based on the impact of the victory in the first defensive battle a few days ago.
They just waited for an order from the wall, mustered up all their energy, and threw stones, big or small, over the wall. As for whether you can hit someone or not, it's up to God.
For them, the clanging helmets, painful wails, and even curses and insults coming from outside the village wall are a different kind of enjoyment - as ordinary villagers, they can use their own hands to beat the invaders to pieces. , I have to say that this is something to be proud of.
When the battle is over, the survivors who have witnessed everything on the village wall will naturally be happy to vividly describe to them how the enemy was beaten to death by the dense stones, crying for their fathers and mothers. This is their honor.
"Gah, gah~"
In the sky above the siege camp, the smart crows have begun to circle, watching indifferently as these strange bipedal beasts on the ground are about to start killing each other.
They don't understand the reason, but they definitely know that after the fight, there will be a lot of fresh "food" in the open space, which is a feast just for them.
It must be mentioned here that until the third day after the first attack, there were still corpses of serfs left during the attack in the open space in front of the south wall of Verde Village.
No one expected that these rotting, green and stinking corpses would be chewed beyond recognition by nearby crows after only one day.
Kunir's soldiers were terrified - no one wanted to be exposed in the wilderness so desolately after death, without a priest to come to the mass, and they could only be eaten by those damn carrion birds.
For this reason, Baron Quinnier specially sent a messenger to communicate with Simon, and finally sent people to transport the remains of these serfs, dug a big hole in the woods behind the camp, and asked the military chaplain to hold a simple funeral. He calmed down the shaken military morale.
At the forefront of the assembled army in front of the siege camp, Baron Quinnier's chaplain held an oak cross in one hand and put the other on his chest, reciting a pre-battle prayer loudly.
"Almighty God, my Lord, we praise you! May you bless your faithful believers in the coming storm and grant us victory! Amen!"
At this moment, even the most cruel and bloodthirsty mercenaries lowered their heads, made prayer hand ornaments, and prayed for God's blessing.
On Simon's side, Father James said a pre-battle prayer for all the soldiers and villagers on the village wall.
His attire is much better than that of Quinier's chaplain - he is seen holding a silver cross in one hand and a precious prayer book with colorful hand-written patterns in one hand, reading sonorously and forcefully. A heart-warming prayer before war.
"God is the protector of our homeland. Thank you for the miracles you have brought to this land. Every citizen of this land is praising you so devoutly! May you bless your obedient people. Destroy the enemies who invade their homeland, break their bows, destroy their spears, burn their armor and helmets, and give us the fruits of victory. The Almighty God is with us, Amen!"
Simon could clearly feel that after praying before the battle, whether it was the soldiers and archers on the village wall or the slingers under the village wall, the fear in everyone's heart had been dispelled, and was replaced by the perseverance to defend their homeland. and determination.
"Woo~wuwu..."
At this time, in the distance from the direction of the siege camp, a long and long sound of the trumpet came over.
That was the clarion call to attack.
"Come on." Simon smiled slightly and spat disdainfully at the siege vehicles and siege towers that were clumsily moving forward in the distance.
