The breach bell was still ringing when Loccy hit the bottom of the manor steps at a run.
"Loccy, wait for us!" Juna yelled, tearing after her through the dark square.
Over her shoulder Loccy called back, "The bell sounds so sad, I want to go and fix it."
"Go, Bun, we're right behind you, hold the breach until we get there," Hajin shouted.
"Give me ten minutes and that gap will have a door," Ferra said, already unslinging a gauntlet from her belt.
Along the wall, farmers with bells and pitchforks stood shoulder to shoulder, shivering like wet cats in the cold.
Winter Gate's north wall glowed orange with torchlight, its middle bitten out by a wide spreading crack. Beyond it the slope rose steep and pale, crawling with Flint banners, ladders, plus one enormous shape.
'There are so many of them. I did not know a hill could be this crowded.'
The ram came down that slope like a falling house, trailing a white avalanche behind it.
