Four days passed swiftly after the meeting.
Gerhard Castle, once settled into its usual calmness, had gradually fallen into a state of restless movement.
Servants hurried along the corridors with armfuls of parchment and sealed letters. Messengers came and went through the gates at all hours, their horses barely given time to cool before being saddled again.
The armoury rang from dawn till dusk with the clang of steel being inspected, repaired, and fitted. Crates of provisions were counted, sealed, then counted again.
The storehouse was no less busy.
Sacks of grain and barley were hauled over broad shoulders, barrels of dried meat and salted fish rolled across the floor, and bundles of hardtack, herbs, and medicine packed tight into wooden chests, ready to be loaded at a moment's notice.
Every task was expedited and pressed forward without delay, as though time itself were chasing its heels. Even the air seemed different—charged with urgency.
