Roland had done his part

Roland had done his part while the Bombard was being moved. While not directly involved with the actual move he and six other men had made a recognizance sweep of the Citadels walls. During the cover of the downpour they had made their way around the exterior of the citadel moving from house to house.

They found that there was very little in the way of a watch atop the wall. The men that they could see were few and far between. This most likely meant that either they were under cover from the storm or that the garrison had been reduced to a mere handful of men.

From what he had seen earlier in the day, he was bound to believe the latter. A good strong assault on the gate would be enough to force a way into the citadel.

He stopped and delivered his information to Sir Jamie before returning to his tent.

When he arrived back at the tent that he shared with his younger brother Tam, he opened the flap and went inside. The sound of the rain beating on the oiled canvas was a constant murmur. He took off his plaid and hung it up to dry the best it could during the night. He saw Tam asleep in his cot, the blanket rising and falling with his breathing.

Roland sat on his cot and looked over at his sleeping sibling and thought, “Och lad, ‘tis guid that ye can sleep sae. The morrow wull tell th’ tale o’ aw this. Either we win through the gate or it holds agin’ us. If we dae win through it wull aw be o’er in a shaert time. there are nae enou men tae keep oor forces at bay fer any length o’ time once the gate falls. Oh that I could sleep wi’h sich confidence. Giud nicht tae ye Tam, and may angels guard ye this night.”

He then knelt at the side of his cot and said his evening devotions. After doing so, he lay down and pulled his blanket up to cover himself. It was not long before he too was fast asleep.