Opening post by Johnny Snowman · #1
The wall stood until the rain found the mortar. I learned to watch the bar gate before the enemy reaches it. Keep one crew on the inner bar, another on the winch, and never let both crews leave for the same alarm. Tap the gatepost twice, then check hinges, oil, and the spare bar. A gate held by habit is already lost.
Check fires every watch, not only when smoke rises. Keep one cookfire low inside the wall and one covered brazier near the gatehouse. Wet fuel makes smoke, smoke hides movement, and panic follows blind orders. Send the frightened soldier first; he notices the missing bucket, the loose rope, the cold hinge.
Give your reserve a retreat mark and a runner who knows it. Hold the stairs until the gate crew reaches the inner yard, then close the second bar before chasing anything outside. If the weather holds, this buys time. If it fails, you lose a gate, not the keep. Siege bells ring for walls; good planning saves people.