The attack outside became worse after the first baby's cry.
At first, the defenders had managed to hold the enemies near the outer wall because Kian had already changed the patrol routes earlier. The watch fires had been kept high. The western path had not been left empty. The guards had been warned to watch the snow because Isabella had already guessed that something could happen when the weather became thick enough to hide movement.
Because of that, the first wave of attackers did not get the easy opening they had expected.
They came through the falling snow with furs pulled over their heads, weapons wrapped in dark cloth, and beast forms moving low against the ground. Some were wolves. Some were bears. Some were strange mixed beastmen from villages that had clearly been gathered together for this one night. Their plan had probably been to reach the inner wall before anyone noticed. But the moment they stepped into the wrong path, the hidden guards blew the horn.
