Another attack comes and trouble in the invaders ranks.

As Jacinta reached the huddled mass of people in the castle’s courtyard, she could hear Lady Amelia shouting for a healer to be brought from the castle. Soldiers were helping Sir Rifkin down from the back of the other knight’s horse. She could see bright red blood flowing from beneath the older knight’s breastplate and down onto his tasset. A rent in his armour the cause of the dangerous wound. Men removed Sir Rifkin’s breastplate and Jacinta could see more clearly. A sword had passed through his armour and into his chest. A long tail of red running from his chest to his still armoured legs.

Just as the castle’s apothecary reached them a cry rang up from back above the gates.

“To the walls!” came the shout as the castle’s defenders answered the call. Bowmen ascending the towers as spears were grabbed from racks at the bottom of stairs leading to the ramparts.

Jacinta followed her Lady then as they too came to the defence of Castle Arrowthorn. Looking out she saw men running for the walls with scaling ladders and hooks. The attack was chaotic. Lady Amelia killed a man as he appeared between the crenulations. Her sword slipping in under his helmet to strike a mortal blow in his throat. Lady Amelia losing her sword in the process as he fell back from the ladder. The weapon was soon replaced when Jacinta took the fingers from another man as he climbed over onto the battlements. His grip lost, he too fell backwards, his sword clattering to Jacinta’s feet to be picked by Lady Amelia.

The **** on the castle's wall was mercifully brief with the attackers losing a hundred men or more to not a single casualty of the Arrowthorn defenders. The reason for the poorly coordinated **** was soon seen by the defenders. In fighting between the two armies breaking out in the camp between Lord Maugh’s and Duke Blackmuir’s men. The inhabitants were not to know until much later but the reason being the **** of Duke Blackmuir caused by blood loss after Sir Rifkin loped his arm off. The Duke’s son and the eventual new Duke had ordered his troop to break camp and return home. Lord Maugh, furious at the loss of half his besieging ****, had ordered his men to make their allies stay which had set off a series of violent clashes between the two sides. The full extent coming over the course of the next day as half the attackers broke camp and departed.

The Siege of Castle Arrowthorn being considerably weakened.

How are Sir Rifkin and the other inhabitants of Castle Arrowthorn?