"That said, of our six-thousand soldiers present, two thousands are dwarves. I would like to set them immediately to overseeing the wall's reinforcement. Those men presently engaged in such labour should be sent instead to begin work on a dike outside the wall, before the ground freezes. If we are to hold out for any length of time, we will need to surround ourselves with a killing zone resistant to siege engine, ladders, and sheer force of numbers."
Wilkin nodded to this. "We have already begun the task in places, but the Dwarves' expertise and labour will be greatly appreciated on the wall. Also, upon your arrival, I ordered every wooden structure dismantled and put to other use. If Alin is to be defensible, it must not be allowed to burn out of control, and ourselves with it. In the meantime, we will need structures and dormitories built of stone. There, too, your people's expertise will be needed.
"Our plan was to dig trenches about the walls and fill them with wooden stakes. When the enemy arrives, they were to be partially filled with oil and water to make the removal of the stakes difficult. If this does not suffice, then we will modify our plans accordingly. The Enemy will, of course, attempt to bridge these trenches. Our plan was to hamper their progress with a veritable hail of fire arrows. These we have in plenty. And the oil in the trenches will burn for some time."