Volume Two: The Iron-Blooded Baron Chapter 127: The Defense of Norlandenburg (Part I)

Atop Windcloud Peak, within the dungeons of Norlanden Castle, the pirates captured at Maple Manor were held in separate cells. This was not because Berion possessed any particular concern for human rights; against such murderous cutthroats, human rights were irrelevant, as their very actions disqualified them from being considered human.

They were kept in solitary confinement because when Riano originally constructed the fortress, he had based the design on old blueprints, and lords were always eager to build an abundance of cells to house those who offended them. Consequently, the dungeon contained twenty-one cells across three levels, including the basement. It was cavernously large; Mark had roughly calculated that, by the standards of other lords, the prison could easily accommodate a hundred inmates.

There was no help for it; once built, demolition would be a waste of labor and money. Furthermore, Berion, anticipating future captives, decided against tearing it down. He had all the Toba pirates taken at Maple Manor locked inside, and to prevent them from conspiring, staging a breakout, or attacking the guards, he ordered them kept apart. Deprived of the chance to speak to one another, these men would be driven to the brink of insanity, making them more likely to spill information. Previously, brutal interrogation had already extracted a fair amount regarding the Toba pirates, and the ongoing strategy was to slowly grind them down to reveal whatever else they knew.

During the month Berion was away in the city of Yanwick, these isolated pirates had indeed leaked some intelligence, though it was of little value—hardly surprising, given they were all small-time fish. However, upon learning of the Toba invasion, Berion began to reconsider their utility. These Toba pirates, their ferocity long since broken by their confinement, could now serve a vital purpose.

A jailer from the Norlanden guard yawned as he paced the corridor, bored. The keys at his waist jingled, loud enough to keep the two pirates on that level from getting any sleep. They dared not complain; offending the guard could mean going days without food or water, or being subjected to a savage beating—this was no mere suspicion, but a lesson they had learned soon after their arrival. Every time these pirates had shouted or banged on the walls in protest, three or four guards would enter with batons and beat them until they were bruised, bloodied, and unable to crawl, followed by a three-day deprivation of food and water. Having suffered these lessons, the Toba pirates had been conditioned into submission. Though hatred and rage smoldered within them, they dared not resist. The cost was too high; even these pirates had their Pavlovian masters.

As the jailer wandered, a companion approached and began chatting right outside the door of one of the pirates' cells.

"Did you hear?" the first guard said, his voice tense. "The Toba pirates are here! They’ve landed at Forest Lake and set up a camp. There are nearly a thousand of them!"

The other guard was stunned. "Is that true? How did they find their way here?"

"Of course it’s true. Why would I lie? I have a brother in the scouting party; he was on his way to report to the Lord when I ran into him. He told me himself—there’s no mistake!" the guard asserted. He glanced at his distressed companion and added, "As for why they’re here, it’s simple. Our Lord was too ruthless when he retook Maple Manor, leaving almost no one alive. Now they’ve come for revenge."

"What rotten luck. We’d finally had a few days of peace, and now these Toba dogs are back. My family is still outside the castle—what am I going to do?" the other guard lamented.

The messenger patted his shoulder and smiled. "That’s why I’m here—hurry and get your family into the castle."

"What?" The other guard froze, his face pale. "That doesn't seem right. If the Lord finds out I abandoned my post, he’ll have my head."

The messenger smacked him on the head. "You fool! With the pirates coming, do you think the big men have time to check if you’re at your post? Besides, this dungeon is solid, and the pirates are broken men. What are you worried about?"

"Heh, you're right," the guard muttered. "Let’s go, then. I’ll get my family. You know, the castle is absolutely safe. Lord Berion has fifty thousand dinars and over a hundred thousand pounds of grain stored here."

The messenger was dumbfounded by these figures. "Fifty thousand dinars! And over a hundred thousand pounds of grain! By the God of Fire, if only that were mine!"

The other guard nudged him, signaling for him to lower his voice. "Keep it down! What if the pirates hear you?"

"Hah!" the messenger sneered. "These pirates don't understand a word we say. Besides, they’re locked up tight—you’re being overly cautious."

The guard draped an arm around his companion's shoulder. "Better safe than sorry. Let’s not waste time; if we’re late, we might not even be able to get back into the castle ourselves."

"True, true. Let’s move." The two guards turned and hurried away.

In the moment the guard turned, the keys at his waist slipped from his belt. They didn't clatter to the floor; instead, they landed directly into the hand of the pirate, who reached out through the bars and caught them.

The Toba pirate clutched the keys and sneered, whispering to himself, "Stupid Brick pigs. I understand every word you say."

Many of the Toba pirates understood and spoke the Common Tongue of the Velen Continent. They had been raiding these lands for years and had learned much from their victims. The Toba had even made the Common Tongue a part of their military training, for their leaders knew that being able to understand and communicate with their enemies prevented them from being deceived and allowed them to extract information on where wealth was hidden.