Volume II: The Iron-Blooded Baron Chapter 130: The Defense of Norlandenburg (Part IV)

They had certainly planned well, but the soldiers of Noldenburg had prepared an elaborate nocturnal program for them—how could they possibly be allowed to drift off so easily? To let this band of pirates fall into a peaceful slumber, only for them to wake up refreshed and ready to strike the next morning, would hardly be in keeping with the hospitality of the Noldenburgers.

"Boom, boom, boom," "Clang, clang, clang"—scarcely had Asedan laid his head down when deafening drums and gongs erupted around the camp. Exhausted from a full day’s march and desperate for rest, Asedan was incensed. He rose, grabbed his axe, and stormed out of his tent, only to find his men outside, just as furious as he was.

As soon as Asedan appeared, a pirate called out, "Father, what is this racket? It’s the middle of the night—they won't let a man sleep!"

Asedan’s expression was grim. He gazed at the glowing hilltop in the distance—the site of Noldenburg—and replied, "Hmph! That Brik bastard doesn't want us to rest well, so that we won't be in prime condition to assault their fortress tomorrow."

"Hahaha!" the pirates roared with laughter upon hearing this.

One pirate chuckled, "Father, these Brik bastards are truly hilarious. Even if we don't sleep tonight, we’ll still thrash them tomorrow."

"Exactly! We’ll send them running in terror."

"Right, let's beat the living daylights out of them!"

"Tomorrow, we’ll show them exactly what we’re made of!"

The other pirates chimed in, echoing these sentiments. In their eyes, storming Noldenburg was as simple and routine as eating or sleeping.

But just as they gathered outside their tents, venting their frustrations, the sharp "thrum-thrum-thrum" of bowstrings pierced the air. Suddenly, countless points of fire appeared in the sky, rapidly descending upon their camp.

"Take cover! Fire arrows!" shouted an experienced Toba pirate, warning the rest.

These pirates, mostly young, were clearly unaccustomed to night raids. They scrambled in panic for their shields, while the more seasoned warriors hurriedly sought shelter.

"Argh!" A scream rang out, followed by many more. Although the volley of fire arrows was not massive—perhaps fifty or sixty in total—and lacked precision, the pirates had been bunched together in the open, mostly unarmored and without shields. The Noldenburgers scored a significant success.

By the time the volley ended, seven or eight Toba pirates lay dead, and more than a dozen were wounded. The arrows had also ignited several tents, but thanks to their ingrained habit of fire safety from life at sea, they had buckets of water prepared near their camp, preventing the flames from spreading.

Asedan gripped the handle of his battle-axe, his knuckles white with rage. Glaring at two fires still burning in the nearby forest, he immediately ordered two squads of men to attack the Briks who dared to harass them.

As the men prepared to move out, one of the chieftains urged him, "Father, we don't know what kind of ambush those Briks have set in the dark forest. Perhaps we shouldn't go."

Asedan shook his head. "We must. We must show them we have the courage to strike back; only then will they stop their insolence. Otherwise, they’ll creep right up to our camp to loose their arrows, and then, let alone sleep, we’ll be lucky to even make it back to our ships."

"But, Father..." the chieftain tried to protest, but Asedan waved him off, signaling an end to the discussion.

"Enough. Am I the Wolf Lord, or are you? Just do as I say." Asedan’s calm tone carried a clear, sharp edge of threat.

The chieftain quickly bowed his head. "Understood, Father."

The two squads marched out of the camp fully armed. Bathed in the bright moonlight, they needed no torches as they entered the forest, splitting into two groups to cautiously approach the fires.

Just as one group drew within twenty or thirty paces of a campfire, a sudden sound echoed, and the fire vanished. The pirates were terrified; they had seen with their own eyes that no one was near the flames, yet the roaring fire had been extinguished into thin air right before their eyes. It was utterly inexplicable.

Fortunately, the lead chieftain remained composed. "Quick! Form a circle around me!"

It must be said that in the face of the unknown, the chieftain’s reaction was spot on. By forming a circle, they were protected from attacks from any direction, and since the raiding party was surely small, they had little to fear while waiting for the enemy to reveal their next move.

But the pirates did not know that the Noldenburgers had long since anticipated their response and prepared a "special surprise."

The pirates stood in their circle, gripping their round shields, eyes darting vigilantly into the gloom, ready to battle the treacherous Briks. The forest was deathly silent; they could hear nothing but their own breathing and the pounding of their hearts.

They remained on edge for quite some time. Thinking that the cowardly Briks had retreated, their nerves began to fray, and their vigilance waned.

It was at that moment that a thunderous shout erupted from above: "Die, Toba mongrels!"

Six heavy javelins whistled down from the canopy. These five-foot-long, weighted spears struck with a force and lethality the pirates could never have imagined—the same weapons hunters used to bring down wild boars.

Of the six javelins, two missed, but four found their marks perfectly. One spear, driven by immense force, punched through a pirate’s chest, tearing through his double-layered leather armor like parchment before pinning him to the ground. The pirate was left suspended in an unnatural, arched position, as if frozen in a macabre display of gymnastics.

As the four struck men wailed in agony, the remaining five or six pirates, spurred on by their chieftain, huddled together, shields held high to protect against further strikes from above.