Opening post by Lady Alys Karstark · #1
2 watch rotations keep a seat through winter: 1 on the wall, 1 asleep, then change them at dawn and dusk. Keep the same men together so each knows his stretch. I lost a keep when tired sentries missed movement below the north wall.
3 things must stay within reach of the gatehouse: oil, stones, and a horn. Refill them before dark, not after an alarm. Count the buckets yourself. A sealed gate is worth little when the men above it have nothing to drop.
6,959 swords are not enough for my open fight, so I close my gates until they are. You should do the same when the field is wrong for you. Keep 2 trusted men awake beside the inner bar, and send runners to every tower when the horn sounds.