Eagle Byzantium

The great emir personally rode out of the camp and looked around. He had a panoramic view of the entire battlefield: the new army of Titicius and the pilgrims led by Conrad were divided into a dozen mutually echoing camps around Ankara. He cleverly blocked his way to aid Ankara, and divided it into two parts: the inner one besieged the city, and the outer one resisted his attack.

The southeast direction of our own camp is the most likely place for Gawain to attack. There is a flat land there, which is easy for Gawain to use force to gallop. According to various previous intelligence, it is not necessarily certain that his cavalry team will fight against Gawain's red-handed cavalry. It is its opponent, not to mention that its own weak light infantry is a prey to the powerful and elite infantry of Seleucia.

After thinking about it, the Great Emir couldn't find a reason not to retreat, so he summoned all the Attabergs and Beys. In the end, most of the people present agreed with the leader's judgment, "Danishmund Our advantage is in the mountains and deserts. Now it is better for us to pretend to retreat, so that we will not be attacked from both sides. Follow the left bank of the Harris River behind us, retreat all night, and then occupy the dangerous gorges around the Castle of Germanico, luring the enemy into a trap to ambush and annihilate them. If the enemy does not pursue us, we will choose another route - —Going south to threaten Nassa or Kayseri, forcing Gawain to withdraw from Ankara.”

There should be no flaws in such a plan, and Merrick was also satisfied. As a result, thousands of lightly-armed Sargetus cavalry held torches like giant pythons running and roaring at night, illuminating the Harris River for dozens of miles. , and then the great emir led the battalion and other cavalry behind him, heading towards the vast and towering southern mountains of Paphlagonia.

In the early hours of the morning, all the cavalry in front were horrified to find that on the right bank across the Harris River, countless torches were erected, heading towards them.

"What!" Merrick was furious. It was only when he rode his horse to the bank of the river that he finally admitted that those were not the reflections of his own team's torches, let alone mirages on the desert plateau - but from Seleucia. The army of Gawain, infantry and cavalry, banners and baggage trains marched exactly parallel to them: Merrick was going towards the castle of Germanico, and so was Gawain, separated by the river Dahalis.

In other words, Gawain came, but he was not satisfied with eliminating the threat to Titicius's new army as Merrick expected. This great patron did not care about the gain or loss of Ankara Castle, nor did he care about the gain or loss of Ankara Castle. He will not stop tracking, and the message he sends is very clear and strong: "Don't run away, fight me decisively, and see who can annihilate the other."

Everything is for the final decisive battle. This concept is not popular in such an era, but Gawain does not care about this shackles. He relies on instinct and experience to form his own military philosophy:

"All military operations serve the decisive battle between the enemy and ourselves, and the decisive battle has only one purpose, which is to completely or semi-completely destroy all the enemy's overt or hidden military forces. If we don't have the conditions, we will have to resort to all possible means. To avoid a decisive battle with the enemy and to hinder and consume the opponent's decisive battle strength; on the contrary, to create all conditions for a decisive battle with the enemy."

"Damn it, the whole army of cavalry is advancing on horseback with all its strength. We must first enter the Germanic Castle and occupy a good position to block Gawain's pace and actions." Merrick issued such an order, and nearly 8,000 Turkic cavalry of various colors suddenly appeared. Speeding up the pace, they traveled a full 40 kilometers in one day and one night.

But on the next day, when the tired Turkic cavalry were releasing the horses, they discovered that on the other side, Gawain's cavalry had arrived there at some unknown time and continued to keep up with them, also releasing the horses.

Merrick looked at the formation on the opposite side. When the red-handed cavalry were released, the honorary cavalry dismounted and carried their spears to form a guard line, while their horses were nibbling or kneeling to rest in the same orderly manner.

This is indeed an elite cavalry team that cannot be underestimated. When Merrick saw that the overturned boat was tied to the light baggage of Gawain's cavalry, he couldn't help but shuddered, "Change the previous order, the entire army The infantry, cavalry and camp troops all moved closer to prevent Gawain's elite soldiers from crossing the river in small boats to attack and lose their baggage. "

So the whole army of Danishmund completely slowed down again on the second day. Thirteen thousand people crowded closely together. Many soldiers stared at the boats tied behind their backs on the carriage on the other side, very nervously. appearance.

"The enemy has been influenced and induced by us. Merrick changed the marching order twice in two days, but we did not change. Branas and Leotius led the Guardian Brigade and the Pyrothrower Detachment according to the plan. Go ahead!" Under the banner of Red Hand, Gawain pulled the reins and laughed, "As for the Red Hand cavalry, leave it to Bramson and keep running!"

Following this order, more than a thousand red-handed cavalry, guided by Bramson's battle flag, raised their whips and galloped with their horse hooves flying. Their respective mounts had billowing dust behind their tails, and they quickly headed further north. Travel in a hurry.

This scene made the gathered Danish Monde army very anxious, because there is a river south of Germanic Castle, which intersects with the Harris River and is a tributary of the latter - and the intersection of the river The branch is very open and the river is gentle. , the river bed is still very short and shallow, making it easy for men and horses to wade across. It seems that the group of cavalry on the other side wants to take the lead, cross that stretch of river, intercept the army in front of Germanico, and prevent them from entering Pafra smoothly. In the Konya Mountains.

Many beys hurried over to ask the Great Emir what to do. Merrick waved his riding crop and angrily said that it was needless to say, "If the enemy cavalry moves, we will move too. We will bite and overtake them. If they dare to cross the river to fight, Just use your horn bows to kill them all at the halfway point!"

Under the flying wolf-head banner, countless Danishmend cavalry, including the Sagittus, were howling in response to each other behind the swaying horse heads and manes. They kept looking to the right, where Gawain's red horse was flying. The hand cavalry is also rushing Galloping, the two cavalry teams sandwiched the broad and turbid river, running parallel, shouting provocatively, and overtaking each other. The dust stirred up covered the sky and the sun, and the light of the armor and the bright colors of the battle flags were completely absorbed. Swallowed.

Merrick also led the large battalion and followed behind, sweating profusely. It was now a hot season, and the tail of summer was slowly brushing against the peaks of the plateau. Unknown wild flowers were blooming everywhere, and under the horseshoes It was broken and flying everywhere.

We walked like this for about half a day, and when night fell, the cavalry on the opposite side looked very tired and set up camp one after another. Soon Gawain's iconic red-handed seven-ridge flag also appeared in Merrick's field of vision, "We and our horses The soldiers' physical strength had also reached its limit, so they sent out sentry horses to monitor the other side, while the rest rested on the spot. "

Then, the Danishmond sentry cavalry was divided into four evacuated teams, arrayed on the left, right, up and down, forming a large hollow rectangle. It became a temporary fence barrier, and people in the "big rectangle" used their saddles or blankets to lie down on the ground and rest - as long as they passed tonight, they could successfully enter Fort Germanico tomorrow. Even if Gawain successfully crossed the river, he would still be worried about it. They were at their wits' end. (To be continued ~^~)