Bab 73: The Daily Life of Siege Warfare

"This shall hence become my music." – King Charles XII of Sweden

Such were the first words that resounded in Bruno's mind upon awaking to the echo of guns in the dawn. In a similar vein, the legendary Swedish King had spoken this exact quote upon hearing the thunder of his artillery crack the sky when fired upon his enemies for the first time.

Bruno awoke after a long night of artillery, which ceased sometime around 2 AM, only to be resumed with the break of dawn. For him, it was the sign that he needed to awaken and start the day. Truth be told, sieges were often long and dull affairs.

What was Bruno's first action upon getting out of bed? The same as it would be if he were home, rather than in the trenches outside Tsaritsyn. First, he would get dressed, bathe, brush his teeth, before having breakfast. All the while artillery crackled in the background.