As we looked out over the grotesque legion laying siege to Castle Town, soldiers began to gather in the streets adjacent to the wall, replacing the civilians that had previously occupied the space. Many of the soldiers – younger recruits, mostly – gazed in wide-eyed fear of the invading force. There were, however, a large number of soldiers with more composure. I looked at Zelda and asked, "How come so many of the troops aren't afraid? Haven't you had peace all the time?"
Zelda shook her head. "We had a civil war around the time I was born," she replied. "Many of our soldiers are veterans of that war."
Her statement encouraged me quite a bit. I took to quickly surveying the fortifications. As I had observed before, the moat was so narrow as to be a non-factor in this siege; I doubted the enemy siege towers would even have to cross it. But unlike my first observance, I began to feel more confident about how well the walls could hold. They were sturdily constructed, and decently high. A resolute force could hold the walls against all but the most determined attackers.
In short, our chances were pretty good.
Immediately, I swung into action. Turning to Zelda, I said, "You have to evacuate with the rest of the civilians. Take all the Sages with you who aren't fighters. I'd ask Link to go with you, but I have a feeling he'll stay to hold the walls."
Zelda gave me a half-grin in return, responding, "I'm capable of handling myself in battle."
It was Impa who spoke next: "You are also a high-value target. If those hordes get over these walls, many will attack you."
I continued, finishing for Impa, "Besides, the Sages and the civilians will need someone who can fight covering their backs.
"I'll need someone else with me," Zelda said.
Impa put her hand on Zelda's shoulder. "I will go with you."
Zelda finally nodded her agreement, and the two of them led most of the Sages, save for Nabooru and Darunia, back through the streets. I didn't watch them go, however, as I was already setting down my backpack and shrugging the shield off my back and onto my arm. I called down to the waiting soldiers, "I need all crossbowmen and archers on the walls! Make sure your close-combat weapons are ready!"
I could see, in my periphery, Link looking very approvingly at me. I dashed over to him and said to him, "I need to get the veteran swordsmen right next to the walls, and the newer guys behind them."
Link nodded, then hollered out, "Veteran men-at-arms form up inside the wall! Recruits behind them!"
Immediately, every soldier in that area sprang into action. The defenses were shaping up quite well. From the elevated position on the battlement, I could see that the same pattern was being followed all along the wall, even by troops who couldn't possibly have heard us. Then I looked back at Link. "Are there elite soldiers or cavalry here?" I asked.
"Both at once," he replied. "Hylian knights."
I was certainly glad to hear this. Most of these knights, I imagined, would be war veterans and highly-trained warriors to a man. "I want you to form them into a reserve and lead them," I told Link. "If you hear a horn, get them charging."
Link nodded, and leapt down the stairs from the battlement. I called over to Darunia, "You go with Link!" The animate stony mass nodded, and rolled after Link. Nabooru and I were left on the wall, alongside those soldiers who carried bows or crossbows. "Shall we hold the walls?" I called over.
Nabooru did not respond, aside from a savage grin. In a moment, her twin scimitars came sliding out of their scabbards. I pulled out the long, straight sword I'd had since day one of my incredible journey. I ran across the battlement to the opposite side of the gatehouse from Nabooru. I shouted to the troops there, "Aim for their leaders!"
Elsewhere on the wall, I could hear Nabooru shouting the command to fire. As one, the archers and crossbowmen let loose a volley of missiles into the enemy lines.
Dozens of the uncouth warriors dropped to the ground with arrows or crossbow bolts protruding from their bodies. Two of the massive wild-boar creatures had been relieved of their riders, but there was one boar rider, clad in plate armor as decorative as could be expected from that ugly metalwork, who remained unhurt, He unsheathed a massive, crooked sword, and bellowed out an indecipherable command. The entire mass of enemies began to advance on the walls.
The troops on the walls let loose volley after volley of projectiles into the ranks of these insidious beings, causing horrific casualties that could not be answered by the feeble bows of the attackers. But their numbers were not thinning quickly enough, and they never slowed down. Before I knew it, the bravest among them already had a tree trunk at the drawbridge, and were swinging it against the wooden portal.
As if to add to my concerns, the siege towers arrived at the walls not long afterward. I immediately hollered to the ranged troops beside me, "Get off the walls! Get on the ground and prepare to fire when they get up here!" The archers and crossbowmen on my side of the gatehouse did as bidden. Nabooru hadn't given the same order to the soldiers under her command, so they remained on the walls, firing quickly and desperately. Some even pulled out their swords. Desperately, I hoped the archers on that side could handle their blades well. Even more desperately, I hoped I could handle my own blade well enough to hold the enemy on the wall. A few crossbowmen, braver or slower than the rest, took up positions beside me, their own swords coming out.
It was right then when every siege tower along the walls let down the platforms atop them, and great numbers of the Goblin-like abominations poured onto the walls. I called out for those archers and crossbowmen who had made it to the ground to fire up at the enemy on the walls. As the first several enemies across the platforms were shot to pieces in front of me, those who followed immediately rushed in. All of these terrors came charging across the battlement, straight for me and the little knot of crossbowmen around me.
Another volley tore into the attackers nearest to me. And then, we made contact.
