A siege was never really the preferred method of fighting a battle. Stuck outside of high solid walls, or stuck within, the act of breaking or holding out against an enemy could be long and tedious task. It was something that was often measured in how quickly it was over, and could just as easily be given up rather than won or lost.

A warrior could prepare for a siege if needed. Gather the necessary provisions and weapons, prepare themselves for the trials to come, for the hard decisions to be made. A siege was about perseverance. Who could outlast the other and still have the strength to claim victory. The siege of the Walled City was something Herleif had been preparing himself for since this raid had begun, and with the volcano looming ever greater on the horizon he knew that the time to test his true mettle as both a Warlord and a Jarl would soon be at hand.

So the very idea that he would get caught up in another siege before that, one unexpected and not prepared for, did not sit with him well at all.

"We are running out of men!" he growled in frustration as he glared up at the rising walls of the Great Forge. A fortress unto itself, the Forge loomed above the village of Cinder Mill, nestled among the rising mountains like a crouching beast that fed off the village's resources to create its weapons of war. A lone winding road lead up the cliff side from the village to a single gate securely barred against their approach, and any attempt to reach it with a makeshift ram had been halted with a hail of arrows from the walls.

Rolling gray clouds and cold rain gave the forge an all the more ominous and dour feeling in the gloom. Herleif looked away, turning his ire towards Lady Judith and her small legion who had so far done little to aid him since their arrival. "How many more must die before we get results?" he snapped at her.

Gathered with her Lion Flame Knights in a small courtyard within tightly packed houses, Judith gave him a glance over her shoulder, but did not reply. Instead she kicked the headless Pyre body from the tree stump it had been slumped over, a gout of blood squirting from the open neck as it fell to the mud. With a wave of her hand she called out to her followers. "Bring us another!" At her side a crimson armored Lawbringer holding a bloody poleaxe kicked the Pyre Knight's head towards a small pile of similar victims, while two other warriors approached to carry away the body.

Feeling his patience growing thin, Herleif watched as Marcelo opened the door to a nearby storehouse and stepped in along with Ragnar. The two seemed to have been getting on well since the march had begun, and when they appeared again from the building they dragged a haggard looking Pyre Knight between them. Bound and gagged, the traitorous Knight still struggled the whole time he was manhandled to the stump, only to be roughly forced to his knees.

Leaning down, Judith pulled the gag from the man's mouth and tossed it away. "Now then, listen close and you might just live. Tell us where-"

"Go fuck yourself!" snarled the Pyre Knight, glaring up at Judith with bright, feral eyes. He tried to sit up straight, only to have Ragnar kick him down again, face smacking against the stump with a sharp thwack. The man grunted, spit sputtering from his lips, but his anger seemed no less subdued. "This is a hero's death. A righteous death. My devotion to God's Fire has earned me my place in paradise. I will tell you nothing!"

Judith gave a nod towards the Lawbringer, who took his stance and easily lowered his weapon, lining up the sharp edge along the prisoner's neck. "Your deceitful leaders have led you astray." she said to the man, her voice firm but calm. "The volcano is nothing more than a rising mountain. Just rock, fire and smoke. It is one of God's mighty creations, not his earthly power, and your misguided devotion has brought nothing but death to our people."

The man swallowed hard under the blade of the Lawbringer's axe. "The volcano brings death," he began to laugh, a weak trembling sound that slowly grew more hysterical, "and life. God will deliver us from your wicked blasphemy with fire, and from the ashes of your bones our great kingdom will rise anew!"

"Tell us how to get into the Forge!" Judith demanded. "Where are the people of this village? Are they inside? If you are to save even one bit of your wretched soul do it now and aid us in rescuing them. Tell us!"

"My soul is pure!" laughed the Pyre Knight. "The volcano wills it!"

Herleif gave a deep sigh as he watched on, knowing that this would gain them nothing. There was no dealing with these fanatics. The war they fought was against more then just fortresses and men, but against belief as well. It would be no simple thing to gain victory with steel alone.

The sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention and he looked to see Gunnar walking up to him. His brother gave a wary glance towards the scene unfolding before them, and leaned in close to speak quietly in his ear. "This still going on then?" he muttered. Herleif shot him a disgruntled look, and Gunnar got on to the point. "He is at the gate."

This news did nothing to improve Herleif's mood. Things had been going well up until this point, having marched his warriors up the road of hanging bodies only to find Cinder Mill nearly empty. There was not a farmer, shop keep or beggar to be found. Only a small group of the Divine Pyre had either chosen or been forced to remain outside the walls of the Great Forge to hinder their advance, but they had been easily dealt with and rounded up to be interrogated by Judith and her Knights. Now he was stuck outside of the Forge and the Pyre within, with no sign of either gaining any ground against the other judging by the number of heads rolling under the Lawbringer's blade.

"Enough of this foolishness, Judith. We are needed at the gate," he called out to the Warden commander. "Be done with this one, and those that are left. They will give us nothing of worth." He frowned down at the crazed prisoner and turned to follow Gunnar away. "This whole thing has been a waste of time."

Judith gave him a nod, then a wave of her hand to the Lawbringer. A few Knights were already stepping back into the storehouse, the gagged screams of what few prisoners were left following after before they were abruptly silenced. Judith, Marcelo and Ragnar followed Herleif and Gunnar out of the courtyard, with the rest of the Lion Flame trickling after. Still the Pyre Knight chanted on, determined to preach his heretical message to the very end.

"You will all burn in God's fire! The volcano will be your doom!" he cried with demented glee.

Nobody stopped to listen. The Lawbringer lifted his poleaxe up into the air, holding the bloodstained blade high above his head.

"The volcano wills it! The volcano wills it! The volcano-"

Herleif made his way up the path that led to the barred gates of the Great Forge, his warriors clearing a path for him as he went. Cinder Mill was an old village, one that had seen its share of battles and destruction in the past. Either ravaged by passing armies, or devastated by the unpredictable eruptions of distant Mount Ignis, much of the village had been torn down only to be built up again and again. In that time it had often changed hands between the forces of Ashfeld and Valkenheim during the raiding seasons, and so bore the characteristics of both cultures in the building of its homes, taverns and shops.

A barricade of crates and broken fences had been constructed a safe enough distance down the lane where they had been keeping watch on those enemies that appeared above the walls. Judith walked just behind him, with Marcelo, Gunnar and Ragnar following.

"Who is this troll humping bastard again?" Ragnar asked to no one in particular.

"Sir Vincent Chaldeon." Marcelo answered. "Once a middling Lawbringer in service to the Royal Legion, and now a commander of traitors and apostates with the Divine Pyre."

Ragnar nodded, but scratched his beard and seemed to give it some thought. "So why is he more important than any other tin we need to kill?"

"Because he stole the armor of Apollyon when he fled Ashfeld's capitol." Gunnar answered, reminding Ragnar of why this raid had been started in the first place.

"Which is why Erik wants him taken alive." Herleif called back over his shoulder. "No matter what happens here today, we take this man as plunder, along with whatever else we find inside."

"It is not likely that he has the armor here with him." Judith commented. "The priests of the Walled City would have taken it to keep safely hidden within their vault, along with anything else of value that they have plundered until now."

Herleif gave her a dismissive wave of his hand. "I would have suspected as much. But we shall find out what secrets he has to tell on the armor, and the vault once he is captured. By blood if necessary."

The Bilrost warriors standing guard behind the barricade drew back to give them room when they arrived. Ragna and Helge were already there waiting, and Ragna gave her brother a playful slap on the belly with the flat of one axe head as he joined them. Skuld stood stoically watching the gate house, and next to her Coal leaned lazily up against the barricade, with Priscilla sitting brazenly on top of it as if daring an arrow to be fired in her direction. None of them were who Herleif had come to see though, and he frowned as he looked up at the top of the wall, finding it empty.

"Where is Vincent? You said he was here?" he shot at Gunnar, who simply shrugged.

Priscilla turned and glanced down at all of them. "He walked away not long ago. Must have gotten bored of waiting for you. He is a very important man now after all."

Herleif frowned and shot a stern finger up at the Peacekeeper. "I am in no mood for any of your smart quips now. This stalemate has gone on long enough as is, and I have not the patience for it."

"I sent scouts to look for another way in among the cliffs." Skuld said smoothly, not taking her eyes away from the gate.

That news did lighten Herleif's mood a bit, but as he waited for some sort of report he found that he was only given silence. "And? Have they returned with any news?" he asked at last. A shake of Skuld's golden helmet was her only answer. "Bah! I want to know as soon as they return. Unless they can find us another route we may have to wait out these mangy dogs until we can get closer."

"Like Hell we are." Judith seethed, pushing past Herleif and stepping boldly up onto the barricade next to Priscilla. "Chaldeon! Chaldeon show yourself!" Her voice echoed up into the air, carrying her anger and wrath over the walls of the Great Forge.

For a moment nothing happened as her voice faded away, but then at last movement was seen upon the gate house wall. A tall Lawbringer, clad in polished golden armor that still bore the eagle of the Royal Legion embossed upon the cuirass, strode forward to look down upon the heathen army gathered before him. His face was hidden behind a helmet crowned with a ornament like an axe head, and he slowly gazed over them all through the single narrow slit in his visor. Flanked by two other black armored Pyre Lawbringers, Vincent Chaldeon gave a hearty laugh as he lifted his hand in greeting.

"Lady Judith! It doesn't have to be like this!" he called back, his voice powerful and booming. "It is not too late! Repent for your sins and give up these wild barbarians! Join me, and you will be rewarded with everlasting salvation in our new world!"

"There is no world where you and I would ever be joined in fellowship!" Judith shouted back. "We did not come here to talk! There will be no trial for your crimes!" She lifted her sword and pointed it at Vincent across the distance. "Just your execution!"

Vincent again gave a loud laugh. "Now you dare take the law into your own hands, Warden? Is it not your duty to uphold and defend the people of this once great land? And yet here you stand, making war against your own country with these murderers and defilers!"

"Calling the kettle black now, isn't he?" remarked Coal behind the barricade.

"Be quiet," Judith hissed down at him before looking back to the wall. "Lets not waste each other's time with useless words! All I want to know is where are the people of this village? I hardly think that even a man with a soul as wicked as yours wishes to rule over a land full of corpses. What have you done with them?"

"My followers are with me, safe and secure under my protection." Vincent answered. "A true leader does not punish the obedient unnecessarily, but cares for them as if they were his own family. He watches over them. Protects them. Keeps the them strong by culling the weak and the unfaithful!" With a wave of his hand, two more Pyre Knights appeared over the wall, clutching a struggling young woman between them. The woman cried out as she was pushed forward against the battlements, the two Knights holding her down against the stone. "So many have seen the greatness of the volcano's purity now, but still so many more continue to resist. They cannot comprehend the salvation they rob themselves of by refusing us. By refusing God himself!"

The woman gave a shuddering cry as she tried in vain to fight back against her captors. "Mercy!" she wailed into the air. "Mercy my lord! I will say the prayers! I will pray to the mountain! Just please let me go!"

Vincent gave a disappointed shake of his head. "As you said, Lady Judith. Let us not waste time with useless words."

"Vincent stop this madness!" Judith cried out. Beside her Priscilla shot up to her feet, and Gunnar gave a growl of anger. Herleif watched on helplessly with everyone else as the crying woman was lifted up and tossed over the wall, her trembling scream rising in terror as she fell through the air, only to be abruptly silenced as her body slammed into the ground.

A shocked stillness hung over the road like strangling hands around a throat in the moments after. Herleif looked over the barricade at the motionless body of the woman. Dying without a weapon in hand was a fear that every Viking warrior lived with. Being murdered while begging for your life was a fate that would chill the heart of anyone, regardless of creed or belief.

"Devotion!" shouted Vincent, shaking his gauntleted fist in the air. "That is all that will save us from the heresy of the weak and cowardly! The volcano wills it!"

"The volcano wills it!" called out the other Pyre Knights in unison.

Herleif had seen enough of the Pyre's devotion now. While Judith remained frozen on top of the barricade, struck dumb by the abject cruelty displayed before their eyes, he would not simply stand by and cower before this disgraced madman. "Get the fuck down." He growled as he climbed up onto the barricade to pull Judith away. Taking her spot as the others helped her down, he stood tall with his shield in hand and drew his sword to call out up the road to the gate. "Vincent Chaldeon! I am Jarl Herleif Bjornson of Bilrost, and I have come to claim this forge for Valkenheim!"

"Aha! So the northern beast can speak!" Vincent returned with a laugh. "You have brought your warriors a long way just to sit outside of my walls! How long until Ashfeld grows tired of your savage filth and rises up against you, I wonder? I am willing to wait and find out if you are, Jarl of pigs and vermin!"

Herleif lifted his sword just as Judith had done before. "I did not come here to sit idle and grow old waiting! If you are truly such a great leader as you claim, then step out from behind those high walls and fight me! Let us settle this in the old way. A duel to the death for the Forge and Cinder Mill!"

"Why would we ever risk all that on one duel?" he heard Priscilla say behind him, but a resounding rebuke from his warriors quickly made her go quiet.

Vincent went quiet for a moment, potentially thinking over Herleif's proposal. "A tempting offer," he called out at last, "but I am afraid I must decline. Come and break yourselves upon these fortress walls if you wish, heathen. I have no desire to debase myself fighting the likes of you!"

"Coward!" Herleif roared, his voice carrying far off over the rising towers of the Forge. "Nithing arse licker! Come out here and fight me!"

"I tire of your mindless prattling. Stay if you wish, I have enough provisions here to outlast you, and out fight you. With this forge I shall craft your destruction with steel and fire, and when I lead my faithful Knights from this place we shall march over your arrow-ridden corpses and leave you to rot beneath the sun. God will always grant victory to the devout!" With that Vincent turned his back on his attackers, striding confidently away with his black armored Knights until the top of the gate house was empty once again.

Herleif gritted his teeth as he watched the power-mad Lawbringer go, then glanced down at the broken body of the woman before the gate. He cursed under his breath, then slipped down from the barricade. "We do not have time to wait him out. There is no telling what weapons they might craft and bring against us. The fight on the lake was surprise enough, and I do not wish to waste anymore time here while Erik and Ivar march on Mount Ignis without us."

Judith still stood in a daze, leaning up against the barricade, seemingly unaware of what Herleif was saying. "That bastard." she muttered to herself, and slammed her fist against makeshift barrier. "He will pay for this. By God, I swear I will see him answer for that woman's life. I will cut off his head and bury it in a pile of cow shit for what he has done here."

Herleif had to stop and give her a hard look, then knocked her shoulder with his shield. "I said we take him alive. Kill the rest if you like, but the Lawbringer will talk before anyone takes his head." He was about to leave her to sulk when she reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder. A few of his warriors raised their weapons at her and the other Knights, but he quickly waved them away as Judith stared him down.

"What of the people he has captive? You saw how little he cares for their lives. If we make a move on the gate then he will surely have them all killed." she said.

Pushing her back with his shield, Herleif squared off against the Warden, looming over her, Jarl to Commander. "My concern is taking this forge." he said, inviting no room for argument. "Anything else can be sorted out afterwards."

"You Vikings are all the same." Judith hissed. "You, Erik, Ivar. We came to you seeking help, but all you bring is more butchery." Her fingers tightened around the longsword she held at her side. "Do you have any idea what we have sacrificed by coming to you? History will damn us all for what we have done here, but it has been left to us to put an end to this tyranny while the rest of our countrymen simply sit by and watch. But what does it matter to you? We have no home to return to, no families to greet us with warmth and love, while you will all be welcomed back in Valkenheim as heroes."

"Do not look to blame us for your civil war," Herleif retorted. "Our gods are many, and they guide us well through life, and in battle. Your God pits you all against each other, simply to test how far you are willing to go in order to obey his rule."

Judith took an step closer, close enough that her eyes shone angrily through the visor of her helmet. "My faith bids me to fight on behalf of others until my strength fails me, not murder and raid for righteous self indulgence. Your quest for Valhalla only leads you to sacrifice your life with no thought for leaving the world a better place, just a heavenly reward for making others suffer." Her words began an angry grumble among the surrounding Vikings, but still she went on. "Is that why you have come here? To die in this God forsaken village for your own glory? Or did you come here to help save our people as you promised?"

Herleif gritted his teeth as his anger grew. The limits of his patience were truly being tested today, and he silently considered challenging Judith to a duel in Vincent's place. Luckily Gunnar stepped forward and put a hand between them before it came to that. "Might I interrupt this little exchange for a moment?" he asked. "The scouts Skuld sent out have returned." Herleif held Judith's gaze for a moment longer, jaw clenched and face tight, but then turned and stalked off down the lane.

He was still fuming when the scouts came forward, but he had enough experience as a Jarl to know when not to let his anger fall on those who did not deserve it. There were three scouts in total, bearded warriors with swords and painted shields slung across their backs. They looked tired, each taking heavy breaths as if having come to meet him in a great hurry. "What news?" he bid them, hoping for something that would finally make this day a little better.

One of the scouts grinned and nodded. "I think we've found it, my Jarl. A small creek that runs from a drain, north side of the cliffs below the forge."

The next man spoke up quickly. "We were able to pry off the grate covering it. A bit of a tight fit, but we managed to crawl in a ways down. It turned sharply into the mountain though, into stark darkness so we could continue no further."

"We heard rushing water in the tunnel, though it smelled foul." added the last warrior.

"Most likely run off from the slag made during the smelting process." Priscilla interjected. "This could be the outlet for the forge's drainage lines."

"Sounds like a foul route to take, but for now it is all we have." Herleif said. He looked at the scouts and smiled broadly, clapping the closest one on the shoulder. "Good work. Gunnar, see that these men are given some silver and some mead for their efforts." The scouts thanked him profusely as Gunnar took a pouch and began to dole out hack silver into their cupped hands. Herleif praised their efforts again and turned back to the others. "So, we have our way in. But how do we navigate our way up into the Forge and to the gate? A single drain tunnel will not see the entirety of our forces inside."

Priscilla jumped down from on top of the barricade and stepped forward. "Send me. I will find a way up and get the gate open. My order trains new recruits in the sewers of Beaufort, to see how long we can last in the filth and learn to navigate in darkness."

"Priscilla, you know that giving up the secrets of any Knight Order is forbidden." Judith chided, speaking to her like a child that needed to be scolded.

Priscilla dipped her head apologetically. "Forgive me Commander. Given the circumstances, I did not think it really mattered anymore."

The two women seemed to regard each other with a tense stillness then, and Herleif felt that it would be better if he simply cut in to ease the tension. "You can regale me with more tales of your Sisterhood later. I have no doubt in your abilities, but this task seems like a tall order for a single Peacekeeper." he said, glancing up at the imposing cliff side forge.

"It only took one Peacekeeper to open the bridge at Dalborg." Priscilla rebuked with a tinge of amusement.

"Indeed." muttered Herleif. The tale of the lone Blackstone Peacekeeper who had sabotaged the outpost at Dalborg and allowed Apollyon to lead her army north across the snowy valley was well known among his people. It was a lesson in never underestimating your opponent, no matter how small and harmless they might seem. "Still it does not sit well with me to send you alone. We do not know exactly how many Pyre Knights remain within those walls, and if you are caught then there will be nothing we can do to aid you."

Coal gave a grunt as he stood up from and rolled his shoulders. "Guess our work is never done. You afraid of the dark, big man?" he asked Gunnar, thumping him on the arm and earning an amused grin from the Raider.

"Oh no. You two are not coming with me." Priscilla said quickly. "You do nothing but draw attention anytime I wish to stay out of sight. This task has no room for glory seekers."

Gunnar scoffed and shifted on his feet. "What? When have we ever caused you any trouble of the sort?"

Coal seemed to think it over, then shook his head. "No, she has a point."

Gunnar looked at him for a moment, then sighed and sadly nodded in agreement. "Aye."

Priscilla crossed her arms and looked back to Herleif. "Give me the Valkyrie. Their reputation as scouts and trackers is well known all across Heathmoor. And the Shaman too. She seems nimble enough to crawl around in tight spaces for a while."

Herleif gave Skuld a questioning glance, but the quiet Valkyrie simply nodded in agreement to Priscilla's request. "Very well. We will pray to the gods for your success. It is up to you to get that gate open. Otherwise we will take our chances storming the Forge, regardless of who remains inside."

"Fair enough." Priscilla answered, turning back to Judith. "Do I have your leave, Commander?"

Judith glanced up the road towards the gate, where a crow had landed on the dead woman to inspect the body. "If Herleif will ask his gods for for help, they I will pray to our God as well. Go quietly, and do not fail."

Priscilla gave a bow of her head and lifted her fist to her chest, then motioned for Skuld to follow. She stopped before the Shaman, hands on her hips as she regarded the young woman. "Looks like you are with me on this one."

Helge was sat up on a wagon, idly examining some carved finger bones in her hand as the twins stood to either side of her. "I think not." she said coolly, not looking up from her bones. "I have not the heart for it. But my beloved Ragna does. She will go in my stead."

Ragna looked up at Helge with a surprised and confused scrunch of her face. "I will?"

"The voices say you will." Helge smiled, rolling the bones in her hand.

Priscilla simply sighed and gave a shrug. "Hardly my first pick, but at this point what does it matter?" Ragnar gave a grunt of laughter at that, earning himself a punch in the arm from his sister. Priscilla turned to lead her new comrades down the same path that the scouts had come from, only to hear the scuffle of movement and a muffled groan behind her and Skuld. She turned back to find Helge gripping Ragna by the collar of her shirt, and pulling her upward to capture her lips in a rather heated and passionate kiss. Ragnar backed off a bit with a bemused grin across his lips, while the rest looked on in stunned silence. "Ladies," Priscilla spoke up at last, interrupting the lover's moment. "If you would please wrap this up, there is work to be done."

Helge released Ragna with a sharp gasp of breath, face flushed as she smiled down at her dazed partner. "Fight for her." she said quietly, and then sent Ragna away with a playful swat to her cheek and a joyful laugh.

Ragna stumbled back to join with Priscilla and Skuld, all smiles after Helge's parting gift. "What are you standing around waiting for?" she mused, quickly moving past the two women down the lane.

Herleif watched them all go for a moment, then removed his helmet and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Odin grant me strength." he sighed. "Gunnar, leave a few warriors here on watch and have the rest stand ready behind the houses. If the Pyre sees us gathered here in force they might suspect something." Gunnar gave a nod and beckoned Ragnar to help him in gather their warriors into position. "Lady Judith, prepare your Knights. We will move fast once the gate is opened. If you wish to secure the townsfolk trapped within, then I leave it to you. My focus will be on capturing Chaldeon."

"We will be ready." Judith assured him. She looked after the departing women for a moment as well before speaking again. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked him. "What if they fail?"

Herleif sniffed and spit onto the ground, then slipped his helmet back on over his head. "The Allfather has seen fit to bring us this far without defeat. Perhaps even your God has had a hand in our good fortune so far as well." He gave her a parting narrow-eyed glance before leaving her behind, making his way to help prepare for the attack. "Have some faith, my dear Warden. Have some faith."