Iron Powder and Spellcaster

The sun rose to the height of the tree branches, and two riders galloped along the river embankment.

Tamas, who was leading the way, suddenly slowed down, and Winters behind him suddenly reined in his horse.

"There, Centurion." Tamas pointed to a bend in the Bighorn River: "That's where the barbarian dropped his anchor."

The war horse shifted its legs restlessly, as if it could smell the lingering smell of blood in the air.

Winters tugged lightly on the reins, inspecting and assessing the dams, slopes, ravines, and rivers before him.

After pondering for a moment, he took out an atlas with a blackened cover, made a few strokes and put it back in the saddle bag: "Let's go down and have a look!"

Winters just exerted a little strength in his legs, and the spiritual war horse immediately understood.

The tall and slender mixed-race horse with a tan black color, a white star forehead and a tall and slender body jumped down from the earth embankment and galloped towards the river bank like a joy, raising a cloud of dust.

Tamas did not have such equestrian skills. He carefully walked downhill diagonally and hurriedly followed.

The battlefield has been cleared, the birds are chirping, and the river flows calmly to the north.

If you didn't pay close attention to the red and black blood stains between the stones, you wouldn't be able to tell that there had been a fight here a few hours ago.

Question: Who wins in a close-range duel between bows and arrows and stones?

Answer: The one with more people wins.

Probably not many of the Terdun people were killed on the spot, but many were injured. Seeing that the battle situation was unfavorable, they did not hesitate to cut the anchor rope and use the water to drift back to the west bank.

After the war, an inventory was carried out, and three corpses were fished out in succession, all of which were drowned. One of the corpses was wearing a red feather helmet; the second company downstream reported six floating corpses.

A total of nine enemies were killed and unknown wounded, two horn bows were seized, and 82 arrow clusters were recovered; three of our own party were seriously injured, and some were slightly injured.

Looking at the numbers alone, this battle seems like child's play.

However, for the participants in the war, they are risking their lives at any time and trying their best to kill each other. This is something that only those who have actually faced arrows, knees trembled, and teeth clenched in the fight can understand.

So this is a win, not a big one, but no doubt about it.

After daybreak, Winters learned of the small-scale encounter of the company.

It wasn't because he wanted to sleep in, but because when the soldiers of the first company returned to Oxhoof Valley, he had already rushed to another battlefield.

Last night was not just one bloodshed, but three battles broke out in succession. The other two encounters were both in the defensive area of ​​the 12th Company, and were larger and more intense.

The time difference between the three groups of Terdun troops crossing the river was less than two hours, and the crossing distance spanned nearly 40 kilometers.

Winters changed horses five times in the round trip alone and rode more than sixty kilometers.

So at this moment, Charles and Heinrich, who had always stayed together, were not with Winters. They were unable to walk steadily when they left the saddle, and were ordered to rest by Winters.

When Winters came to the shore, he dismounted and walked along the river beach. His gaze traveled over the water, over the hillside, to the horizon of the river valley.

Seeing the centurion observing the terrain, Tamas did not dare to disturb him. He imitated the centurion and looked around, but all he saw was water, grass, stones and soil.

Suddenly, Winters stopped. Tamas saw the centurion bending down as if picking something up.

After looking at it for a while, Winters handed the thing to the first company commander and said calmly: "Bone arrow."

Tamas took a closer look - it was a polished bone arrowhead, but the tip of the arrow had broken off.

As a veteran of the Great Wasteland War, Tamas knew some of the enemy's inside information. Although the Hed tribes still widely use stone arrows and bone arrows, at least the Terdun tribe has iron arrowheads.

Therefore, Tamas was a little confused: "The Terdun barbarians also use bone arrows and stone arrows? Don't they have iron arrows? Just to prevent us from using their arrows?"

"How many arrow clusters were recovered?" Winters asked.

"Only about 80 arrowheads are intact, and there are still some arrow shafts." Tamas was quite helpless: "The stone arrowheads and bone arrowheads were all broken when they hit the stone."

"No iron?"

After thinking about it carefully, Tamas replied seriously: "There is no iron."

"Others don't know." Winters paced and pondered: "The people who lead the fire roasters should have iron arrows."

"You mean... those who came last night were not the elite of the Barbarians?"

"Why don't you send the elite?" Winters asked back: "Why don't you send the elite for the vanguard?"

"I...I don't know." Tamas began to sweat on his forehead.

"You are already the acting battalion commander, you need to think about it."

Tamas spoke hesitantly: "Maybe it's to test us, or to kill us."

"Yeah." Winters nodded: "On the surface, that's the case."

"Then...what about inside?"

"I don't know either." A smile appeared in the corner of Winters' eyes: "War is the art of deception."

Tamas was completely confused.

Winters changed the subject: "Barbarian anchored here last night?"

"Yes, right here."

Winters is located at the corner of a bend in the river, and the river flows clockwise.

On the west bank outside the river bend, the water speed is fast and the river bed is deep, while on the east bank inside the river bend, the water speed is slow and the river bed is shallow.

"The people in Teltown are very discerning and it is a good ferry." Winters commented: "To cross the river from here, you don't even need to send people to the shore, just send them into the shallow water. There are only a few steps left, and you can walk to the shore. .Besides dropping anchor, what else did the Teltown people do last night?"

"Not sure." Tamas felt ashamed: "My horse was hit by two arrows and ran away for several kilometers like crazy. The battle last night was commanded by Sergeant Bunir. According to him, the barbarian seemed to be dragging it from the water. Something comes out."

"Drag something out?" Winters shook his head: "I think it was lowered in first and then dragged up - it should be measuring the depth of the water."

"Measure the depth of the water?" Tamas was shocked and asked in disbelief: "Is it possible that the Telton barbarians want to learn and sell now? And also build a bridge on the Bighorn River?"

"You shouldn't be so stupid with a monkey's butt face." Winters smiled: "If the Teltown people drive piles and build a bridge on the river, it will be like putting a noose around their own necks."

"Why?" Tamas' mood was full of twists and turns.

"Time." Winters said flatly: "The weather is getting colder day by day, and the food and grass are getting less and less day by day. They don't have much time. But this is indeed a good ferry."

"I'll send someone to monitor this place!" Tamas immediately cheered up.

Winters asked slowly, "How did you know they were going to cross the river here?"

"I...this..." Tamas was speechless.

"Based on the terrain alone, there are more than 40 locations in Zhongtiefeng County that are suitable for forced crossings." Winters patiently explained to the first company commander and acting battalion commander: "With all our efforts, we may be able to control these more than 40 locations, but This mentality may also be exploited by the Teltun people in reverse."

"Then...what should we do?"

Winters' tone became more formal little by little: "We are trying our best to deceive and mislead the Teltown people, and the Teltown people are also doing their best to deceive us. Let me ask you, are the fire-warmers still on the other side?"

"Here?" Tamas didn't dare to answer.

"Why?"

"The flag is still there..."

"I'm in the Cow Hoof Valley. Did I raise my flag in the Cow Hoof Valley?" Winters' tone was so calm that there was no trace of emotion:

"The fire-warming people may no longer be on the other side, and the elites of the Terdun people may have quietly moved out of camp; these raids may be a smoke cover, or they may be preparations for forced crossing; as for the enemies who came last night, they may have done it deliberately The elites who switch to using bone arrows may just be a group of slave soldiers. Even the information eaten into the mouth may be poisonous meatballs."

Tamas tried his best to follow the centurion's thoughts: "Then... what should we do?"

"There is no way." Winters' tone seemed to be talking about the weather: "Intelligence is always incomplete, true and false, and complicated. The old marshal said - the commander's duty is to pass the limited, true and false information information to make correct judgments.”

"Fortunately you are here." Tamas licked his lips and said sincerely: "There is no need for me to think about this, otherwise I will definitely go crazy."

In the past, Winters would scold him with a straight face when hearing such blunt flattery.

But this time, he didn't say anything. He just sighed and kicked a pebble from the side of his boot into the river.

"I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you." Winters said with some disinterest: "I don't have the ability either. For example, I can't tell what's going on on the other side of the river, and I can't figure out what the fire-warmer is trying to do."

Hearing such depressing words from the omnipotent centurion, Tamas suddenly felt panic in his heart. Sweat beaded on his forehead and back, his heart was pounding, his mouth was dry involuntarily, and his palms were cold.

But when the uneasiness exceeded the threshold, Tamas became feeling nothing. There was only one thought left in his mind, and this thought was as solid as a foundation.

"Wherever you point me, I will hit you." Tamas said firmly from the bottom of his heart: "I will do whatever you say."

"Tool mentality is unacceptable."

"I'm willing to be your tool. Just tell us what we should do, right?"

"What should I do? If you can't guess it, then just don't guess it." Winters laughed heartily: "Let him be blown by the wind and rain, I will remain unmoved."

Tamas chewed on the words.

Winters looked into the eyes of the company commander and asked, "What is the first phase of Plan Tempest?"

Tamas responded reflexively: "Block the river! No one will be allowed to cross the river!"

"Time is not on the enemy's side." Winters's words were clear: "No matter what the price, no matter what the monkey butt face's machinations are, we just have to guard the river bank of Zhongtiefeng County. Not only can we not be led away by him, but also It's that simple to force him to follow the path we charted."

Tamas raised his hand in salute.

He solemnly requested: "In the battle last night, the first company suffered some losses because it could not reach the barbarians. Please send some muskets and bows and arrows. Even if more barbarians come, I will definitely defend until the reinforcements arrive."

"You suffered a loss because of my negligence." Winters chuckled softly: "The old marshal wrote in the handbook that if the sword and shield hand lacks the cover of bows, crossbows and muskets, they must be issued with javelins. The handbook also says, 'Sword and shield' You need to carry six stones in your hand'. I couldn't figure out what the stones were used for before and thought it was a typo, but now I understand."

"If you don't have bows, arrows and muskets, you can give me some hemp ropes." Tamas said eagerly: "I have already asked the first company to practice slings."

"That's right, keep practicing. Let other companies practice as well." Winters patted Tamas on the shoulder: "In addition, I have prepared eighty archers for you - each of your companies has eighty archers. Name. Whether you can control them depends on your ability."

…

With the assistance of Father Carman and the priest of Niu Tu Valley Church, the men, women, old and young in Niu Tu Valley were successfully divided into men's and women's camps.

Winters set aside a separate area in the town for women and children to live, and even built a small inner city for this purpose, which strictly prohibited adult men from entering.

On the one hand, it is to protect the safety of women and children, and on the other hand, it is to physically separate the women's camp from the men's camp.

"The barbarians are on the other side. In the face of the enemy, whoever dares to act recklessly and violate public order and good customs will be hanged as a collaborator." Winters publicly told the people of Niutu Valley: "Gentlemen, show courage, your children, wives and mothers can count on you. Watching you. Guarding the Cow Hoof Valley means guarding them! Anyone who is timid or afraid of fighting is betraying everyone."

If you are a passionate and open-minded Hai Lan, forcibly isolating men and women will definitely cause a lot of trouble.

However, Tiefeng County is located on the border of Plato, with a closed environment and conservative folk customs.

Winters's policy of isolating men and women was praised by all - especially among ladies and older men in middle age and above.

Because not long after the crowd of refugees poured into Niuti Valley, a gang rape occurred in the temporary shack area where the refugees gathered, which shocked the people of Niuti Valley.

The criminal went through the entire trial process quickly and was publicly hanged.

According to the local customary law in Plato, the victim's father would first insert a dagger into the chest of each prisoner on behalf of the victim - because he would not die immediately, it was not considered murder.

Next, Tribune Montagne personally pulled the lever and broke the criminal's neck bone.

Although "judgment came quickly," this vicious case shocked the people of Niuti Valley for a long time.

For a time, the original residents of Niutigu Town regarded the refugees as savage beasts - thousands of people were suddenly crowded into the small town, and not only vicious cases but also petty thefts increased.

The original residents were not even willing to let the refugees enter the church to pray.

The refugees were equally aggrieved. They were all farmers with families and businesses in nearby villages, and they had no choice but to leave their homes and flee to the town.

Now he lives in a low shack, eats poor food, and is looked down upon by the townspeople.

Conflicts intensified overnight.

First there were a few quarrels, and then four or five young men started fighting each other. Then the young people from the town and the young people from the farm families went back to hang out with friends, and more and more people gathered in the square.

The two sides were holding weapons and were about to fight, and even the mayor and village chiefs could not stop it.

At that time, Winters was inspecting the river defense, and it was Samkin who finally came forward to solve the problem.

Samkin has accumulated considerable experience in dealing with rabbles.

He sent out his cavalry first, and thirty riders separated the two groups with just one charge. The rider swung his cane whip like a saber, causing both sides of the confrontation in the square to cry for their fathers and mothers.

Then Samutin fired a round of gunfire - without lead bullets - and completely dispersed the crowd.

After the Montagne tribune returned to the city, the dispersed crowd was searched house by house by the gendarmerie.

"Don't you like fighting?" Facing hundreds of bruised and listless private fighters, Winters coldly issued a verdict: "I'll let you see the real battlefield."

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