Chapter 43: The Enemy Emerging from the Shadows

The answer was simple: John had no solution.

He spent half a day discussing with Guillaume, Hugo, and others how to attack Dunderam Castle, and the consensus was clear: it could be done, but it would cost many lives.

Moreover, if there were a collapse in morale and the enemy seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack by opening the gates, it could result in even greater casualties for John.

As the side with a secure position, John needed stability.

At worst, he could afford to wait. John had the luxury of time; those in Dunderam Castle should be the ones truly worried.

However, John overlooked the news coming from the west.

In Connacht, High King Rodri had once again rallied a massive army. This time, he also gained the support of Earl Domnall of Thomond and Lord Caimán of the West Meath.

Domnall and Caimán, who should have submitted to John, had now rebelled and detained all messengers reporting to John, preventing him from receiving news from the west.

Additionally, Rodri had acquired a group of mercenaries from Bordeaux. These soldiers, speaking the Aquitanian language, not only bolstered Rodri's forces but also brought weapons and equipment, significantly enhancing the combat power of Rodri's army.

Messengers from Connacht had also reached Downpatrick, forming a temporary alliance with De Courcy, who was hiding there.

Previously, they were like scattered grains of sand, nominally under the High King's authority but otherwise unconnected. Now, under John's threat, they had united.

John was unaware that he was in a highly dangerous situation. At this moment, he was still pondering his next steps at Dunderam.

Besieging a castle was a tedious affair, occasionally interrupted by minor skirmishes, but these were of no concern to John.

He didn't need to personally handle those small conflicts.

John was considering what to do once the campaign at Downpatrick was over, contemplating which soldiers to use as the Gloucester knights would gradually return.

Although John could retain some knights by paying them, not everyone would be willing to stay.

The thought of where to get more soldiers gave John a headache. The conscription system of this era was both a blessing and a curse. John could raise a highly effective knight force at minimal cost, but their service time was limited.

Just thinking about it was a headache, let alone solving the problem.

However, seeing Dublin's ships appearing in Dunderam Port lifted his spirits. De Courcy's scorched earth strategy was no longer effective against him.

Days passed, with the knights in Dunderam Castle staying put, holding their ground.

Meanwhile, John's army surrounded the castle, doing nothing for ten days.

But on the tenth day, John sensed something amiss. A patrolling squad had been ambushed by the enemy.

John stumbled upon this information while wandering around, bored. The squad had two knights who were severely beaten.

According to them, their attackers were De Courcy's knights.

John knew that De Courcy's knights were as skilled as his own, composed of seasoned Norman-trained knights. The perplexing part was why De Courcy would take such an aggressive stance.

This question puzzled John until Rolf arrived at Dunderam with a contingent of Norwegian warriors.

The moment he saw Rolf, John smelled the blood. Although Rolf had cleaned his armor, the scent was unmistakable.

"You encountered a battle on your way here," John asked directly, "Who attacked you?"

Rolf smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness, you won't believe it. The attackers didn't succeed, and we captured a prisoner. He claimed his lord is your vassal, Lord Caimán of West Meath."

Caimán?

John immediately recalled the burly lord, somewhat similar to the Earl of Bedford. Impressive in appearance but essentially a buffoon.

The most important point was that John thought he had subdued Caimán last time.

He still remembered Caimán's subservient attitude, humbled to the dust. Who would have thought he'd dare to rebel again?

However, De Courcy and Caimán alone couldn't possibly stand against John. The High King Rodri was undoubtedly behind this, stirring the pot.

Thinking of this gave John an even bigger headache.

He needed to figure out where the enemy was and who they were. If the enemy was far enough, John might have to consider abandoning the siege and withdrawing from Dunderam.

"Guillaume, come here, I have a task for you," John called Guillaume over. "Send someone out to scout our surroundings. I need to know where the enemies are. Try to avoid engaging with them... understand?"

After finishing his instructions, Guillaume nodded and went out to carry out the order. John stood up from his chair, trying not to show any sign of his inner turmoil. His mind was in a storm, but his face remained calm and indifferent, as if nothing was amiss. This time, it seemed that all forces opposed to him had gathered together, ready to strike.

They had indeed chosen an opportune moment. The knights from Lancaster had already returned home, and the new phalanx soldiers were still training in the large camp in Dublin.

"Jacques, I have a task for you. Go to Waterford," John issued another order. "Have Martin bring as many men as possible to support us. We must gather all the forces we can."

Although Waterford was far away, if they traveled by ship, it would only take about five or six days for a round trip. Upon receiving John's orders, Jacques quickly left the room to carry them out.

Silvio swallowed hard. After glancing around, he noticed that there were not many key officials left in the room. Rather than waiting for John to ask him, he decided to speak up first.

"Your Highness, after taking stock, I found that the remaining grain in Dendram Castle is not much. The grain brought from Dublin cannot cover our consumption here and will last only about a month unless you procure more from elsewhere..."

John didn't let Silvio finish. "That will be enough. We absolutely cannot stay trapped here."

This statement received nods of agreement from Red-Nosed Hugo and young Roches. They both nodded, showing their approval of John's plan.

"Don't just nod, you two. Go check on the knights' conditions and then see how to set up outside. Especially you, Hugo," John said.

Suddenly being singled out, Red-Nosed Hugo was a bit confused, and in his bewildered state, he was led out by young Roches.

"What's going on with His Highness?" Red-Nosed Hugo still hadn't figured it out.

Young Roches glanced around and then whispered to Hugo's ear, "His Highness seems to be in a bad mood right now. Let's hurry up and get things done."

With that, Young Roches slipped away on his own. Red-Nosed Hugo stood there for a few seconds, still bewildered, but then he caught on and followed Young Roches out of the room.

As for Rolf, seeing John's silence, he tactfully left the room and closed the door behind him.

Alone in the room, John finally sat down and took a deep breath in his chair. He was somewhat puzzled. How could Roderi reorganize so quickly and strike directly at him? Connacht was at least a hundred or two hundred kilometers away. How was this possible?

Moreover, John's army had previously dealt a significant blow to Roderi's forces in front of Cayman. Why would he dare to rebel? Why was John so uninformed about the enemy's actions, only receiving the slightest hint when they were so close?

John felt that there might have been some flaws in his layout in Ireland. He felt a bit ironic, having previously mocked the knights in Dendram Castle as being trapped, but now he seemed to be in a similar predicament.

But regardless, even if adjustments were needed, that would be a matter for later. Only by dealing with the enemies in front of him could John have the qualifications to make adjustments.