He and Shakh were in the third line of the western phalanxes, near the third tower. It was the most unpleasant of all the infantry positions, because it was the third, fourth, and fifth towers that had to break through the defenses near the central gates of the castle, which was the most fortified line.
“We ended up in the past, but didn’t even get to hear the King’s speech,” Shakh complained. He seemed not to care about the soldiers surrounding them, the neighing of horses, the creaking of freezing armor. “What is even the point of this adventure?”
Up on the hill, the King sat on a pitch-black horse. He shouted something to the army at his feet, and they responded in kind. Swords rattled against shields, spears clattered against the ground, but the battle drums were still silent. Behi
