Iron Powder and Spellcaster

On the Bighorn River, a boat loaded with rocks drifted down the river, heading towards the pontoon downstream.

At the same time, in the wilderness on the southern outskirts of Jevaudan, Dusak [Tulin], whose tail was bitten by the Tertun people, was galloping on his horse.

Túrin kept looking back, and seeing the Hud Barbarian pursuing him, he dug his spurs into the horse's ribs with redoubled force.

Stimulated by the severe pain, the war horse [Miklanhei] exerted its strength like crazy, and its hooves struck the ground with a "dong-dong" sound.

Tulin stood up in the stirrups, trying to reduce Mo Lanhei's burden as much as possible.

The four legs of the dark blue and black are slender and powerful, and the hooves and wrists are perfect. They are the blood descendants of the Shield River Horse brought from the north thirty years ago.

On weekdays, Tulin cherishes Mo Lanhei so much that he rarely uses his whip.

But at this moment, the dark blue and black belly and sides were already covered with sweat mixed with blood.

The Terdun people's war horses are short, and they are no match for Mo Lanhei in terms of speed.

But the Hed's horses were as tough as their masters. They chased after the dark blue black and refused to give up.

The battlefield seemed to be shrouded in fog, and both armies sent a large number of scouts to look for traces of the enemy.

The reconnaissance cavalry Turin met the Tellun sentinel unexpectedly. Seeing that there were many barbarians, Tulin retreated decisively, but the Teltun people followed.

The two sides crossed the wilderness, crossed the stream, and climbed over the mountains one after another, chasing from the southern suburbs of Gevaudan to the town of Shenk.

The Tellunites wanted to capture Túrin alive, and Túrin was also leading the Tellunians into an ambush.

Tulin galloped through a deserted farmland and through a country road surrounded by two rows of birch trees. Reinforcements finally arrived.

More than a dozen Tiefeng County cavalry outflanked the Terdun people from the left and right wings. The leader was carrying a powerful red-brown horse, which was none other than the ponyboy Angelou.

"[Hedian] means big beard!" A Teldun man couldn't help but exclaimed after seeing clearly the appearance of the rider and the iconic saber.

With his beard, forelock, and silver earrings, Dusak can be distinguished from ordinary Palatians at a glance.

The long years of war left a deep impression on the Hud people on these two-legged men with superb riding skills and ferocious fighting skills. The Hud people even gave Dusak a nickname with a mixture of hatred and awe - "The Bearded Man".

Terdun Honglingyu originally wanted to retreat, but seeing that there were not many cavalry surrounding him, he became a little bolder.

He whistled and called his men to come closer to him.

War horses galloped freely, scimitars whizzed, and Angelou led the Dussacs to fight against the Tertun people.

Soon after, the fire roaster and the old interpreter learned of the small-scale encounter.

The fire-warmer's eyes were bright, and he asked the red feather in front of him in a deep voice: "[Hudian] The tent of the two-legged people is in the southern town? You saw it with your own eyes."

"[Herd] There are ruts and ruts everywhere, you can't fake them." Hong Lingyu replied with a pale face and grinning: "[Herd] There are also a lot of beards!"

Small-scale cavalry battles competed in horsemanship and sword skills, and Dussac was best at this. Hong Lingyu lost half of his ear, and if it weren't for the iron pieces sewn into his sleeves, even his arm would have been chopped off.

The fire-warmer rewarded Hong Lingyu with a gold medal and promised him two tents, property slaves.

After Hong Lingyu withdrew gratefully, the fire-warmer's face suddenly turned gloomy: "[Hede language] has already arrived in the south? How could it come so fast?"

The old interpreter tugged at his beard and only frowned: "[Hidden] Tai Chi's tribe has probably been raised to dust!"

"[Herdese] How could it be?" The fire-warmer was shocked: "[Herdese] How many days have it been?"

"[Herd language] Otherwise it doesn't explain why the other party responded so quickly." The wrinkles between the old interpreter's brows became deeper and deeper.

The fire-warmer slapped his thigh, and a fierce light flashed in his eyes: "[Hed] Come as soon as you come! Just kill them all in one fell swoop. By then, this place will be free for you and me to plunder!"

"[Hede] If the opponent rushes towards you with a burning tail, then let's have a big fight. The opponent has just fought with Taichi's tribe, and they are tired and hungry. They can easily crush them to death." Lao Tongyi said in Pacing in the tent: "[Hud] But the other party stopped in the southern town and was not in a hurry to come back for reinforcements. If you push a cow to the cliff, the cow will go after you, so you can't fight recklessly."

"[Herd] What should we do?" the fire-warmer asked impatiently.

"[Herdese] Foxes hide in holes in the earth. If you want fur, you have to force them out." The old interpreter stood still and said firmly: "[Herdese] The biggest knot in the rope is this small city. If the city on the south bank is in danger, , the other party has to come even if they don’t want to come.”

The fire-warmer stood up abruptly: "[Herd] I will send my troops to attack the city right now!"

"[Herd] Don't fight too hard, but you must build up enough momentum; since the opponent's big tent is in the small town in the south, then send a few hundred cavalry teams to go around the opponent's side and intercept and kill their young and strong men. Burn their grain carts; then send tribesmen to collect grain and gather scattered tribesmen..." the old interpreter added slowly.

The fire-warmer kept nodding. Although he usually calls his father Echige [father], the relationship between the two is still master and slave after all.

However, at this moment, in front of the old interpreter, the man who roasted the fire really seemed like a son who had received his father's teachings.

At the same time, Angelou also rushed to Winters' command post with Turin.

Winters' troops were assembled in the town of Saint-Centre, and their headquarters was located in the church of Saint-Central.

As soon as he entered the church, Turin reported anxiously: "Sir! Gevaudan has not fallen yet!"

Because of the echo structure of the church, Turin's voice sounds particularly ethereal, and its content is no less than gospel.

The other people in the command center were refreshed. Winters, who was overlooking the map, suddenly raised his head and signaled Tulin to speak carefully.

Gévaudan has been surrounded by the Terton people, and the south bank is full of patrolling Terton sentries.

The transmission of messages inside and outside the city was completely cut off, and the messengers who passed around the north bank had not yet returned. Tulin was the first scout under Winters to break through the blockade.

Tulin did not dare to take credit for his fault. He looked around at the crowd and spoke loudly: "The barbarians patrolled with many men and horses, and my subordinates did not enter the city. They only took a look at the hillside to the west. But I dare Guaranteed, the flag on the city wall is still our Blue Army flag, not the barbarian’s horse-tail flag!”

Many of the clerks in the command post are citizens of Gévaudan, and their families are all in the city.

Hearing this, the clerks couldn't help but cheer loudly, and the gloom that had accumulated over the past few days was swept away.

The sound spread outside the church, spreading the news that "Gévaudin is still holding on".

The soldiers and civilians who were building fortifications around the town dropped their tools and started shouting like crazy to vent their pent-up emotions.

In the sea of ​​madness, only one person remained calm and restrained.

Winters tapped his fingertips lightly on the table and asked Tulin slowly: "Is the city defense of Gévaudan still intact?"

"Complete!" Turin replied without thinking: "The city walls are all in good condition. There was no fire in the city. I also saw carriages and pedestrians walking on the bridge, as if they were carrying things!"

Bud strode into the church and asked happily as soon as he entered the door: "I heard that Gévaudin is safe and sound? The senior is really capable!"

"It's safe and sound. Now that senior is guarding Gévaudan, we have more choices." Winters unconsciously stroked an unmarked knife, lost in thought.

Upon seeing this, Bud signaled everyone to be silent, and the church fell into silence again.

Winters stood thinking under the altar, and the sun shone on him through the mosaic glass on the church wall, dappled his figure.

The subordinates and clerks looked at this scene devoutly, and some prayed silently in their hearts.

"Bud." Winters said word by word: "All people over the age of fifteen and under sixty in Tiefeng County will be recruited."

…

The messengers carrying green flags rushed in all directions, carrying two orders.

The first order was to recruit all men over the age of fifteen and under sixty in Zhong Tiefeng County and Upper Tiefeng County to serve as militiamen; all those who participated in the war were given a hectare of land, and three times the number of war casualties.

While the second order was still being transcribed, it was already spread throughout the town of Shenk.

It has no official name, and everyone whispers its nickname - the Beheading Order - with a hint of fear and trembling.

That is, everyone in Tiefeng County, regardless of gender, old or young, soldiers or civilians, who captures an enemy's head and has a helmet and clothing as proof, will be given a hectare of land.

Land is Winters' capital, and it is Winters' only capital. But when it came time to use it, Winters was no slouch.

…

Mason also received a message from Winters - the messenger who had passed through Kingsbridge and crossed the river finally arrived at Gevaudan.

"What is written here?" Mason sighed as he slapped the table and handed the letter to Moritz: "Is it the special spelling method of the Veneta people?"

A hastily created code is too simple to carry a large amount of information.

However, the risk of being intercepted cannot be ignored, so Winters' letter was written in code.

Mason couldn't understand.

Listlessly Lieutenant Colonel Moritz took the letter, glanced at it, and simply handed it back: "No."

The lack of food prevented anyone from making wine, so Moritz suffered from severe withdrawal reactions during this period.

At this moment he was playing with a small silver flagon, in which was the last bit of Gévaudin's spirit.

The lieutenant colonel observed every detail of the jug with concentration, as if just touching it could quench his thirst.

Only Mason knew that the Lieutenant Colonel had saved the last of his liquor for the battle.

"What else did Tribune Montagne say?" Mason asked the messenger helplessly.

"Says the tribune," replied the messenger: "Go to A and B."

…

Generally speaking, within the army, A refers to Lieutenant Don Juan, and B represents Moritz.

Don Juan has been missing for some time, but Mason knows that there is another A, and that this lady A is in Gevaudan at this moment.

Ms. A——Anna Navarre took the letter, looked at the garbled letters, and frowned slightly.

Catherine also peeked over her sister's shoulder, but she was also confused.

"Written by Winters," Mason said sheepishly, "I think only you can understand."

Upon hearing the name of the bad thing, Anna's eyebrows spread out, and she replied reservedly and a little shyly: "Then I probably understand how to interpret it."

Later, Anna briefly explained the reason, and the more she explained, the redder her cheeks became.

Because the letters Winters wrote to Anna were always read by others, when Anna joked about it one time, Winters told Anna a secret writing method.

"In ancient times, there was a commander-in-chief who would move each letter in the military order back a few positions in order." Winters thought he was solving the problem: "In this way, the original sentence would become a mess of letters. ."

Catherine snorted slightly.

Anna picked up the letter and became confused again: "But this letter is a bit strange, it doesn't look like a sequence of secret writing... Why are there only ten letters? I... Oh! I understand..."

Mason and Catherine on the side were confused.

Anna explained hurriedly: "This is another encryption method. I just mentioned it to Mr. Montagne casually... It's not just ten letters, but one to ten. We also need a book, Mr. Montagne. Have you mentioned what book it is?”

Mason quickly replied: "He said to find A and B."

"It must be a book that he and I also have. At least it's not difficult to find. B? What is it?" Anna glanced at the shrine with her peripheral vision and figured out all the joints in an instant.

She smiled and pointed to the holy symbol: "It's a scripture."

The contents of the letter were quickly deciphered after a "folio" was borrowed from the Cathedral of Gevaudan.

This is a complete military communication. Winters concisely described the process and results of the Battle of Pangtuo River, and calmly analyzed the current predicament of the army-shortage of supplies; failure to rest after the hard battle, and fatigue of the division veterans. .

Next, Winters told Senior Mason his next battle plan, and that Gévaudin would not receive support for the time being.

The cold emotion of the iceberg only cracked a corner at the end of the letter. Winters wrote two words "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" in pain and restraint.

"What's there to be sorry for?" Mason spread his hands helplessly: "In a war, anything can happen..."

Mason's voice became softer and quieter, and then he stopped. Because he saw Anna's eyes, which were translating the letter, slightly red.

Soon, Anna regained her composure, and she smiled gracefully like Mrs. Mitchell: "Yes, anything can happen in a war."

…

At the same time, on the Bighorn River.

Standing on the bow of the ship, Samkin could already vaguely see the outline of the pontoon.

The pontoon across the two banks is like a ribbon on the water, looking so fragile.

As an eyewitness to the Battle of the Great Wasteland, Samkin witnessed the Hurds using driftwood and rafts to attack the Styx Bridge and destroy half of it.

Now the situation was completely reversed. It was Samkin's turn to lead the fleet to attack the Tertun people's pontoon.

"There is too little water." Samujin said in his heart.

Now is the dry season in winter, and the water volume of the Bighorn River has decreased and the flow rate has slowed down, not to mention that there is a large reservoir behind the pontoon, Shovel Lake.

Can a boat carrying stones destroy a pontoon? Samujin couldn't guarantee it.

Will the Tertons rebuild after destroying the Boardwalk? Samujin didn't dare to think about it.

If the pontoon bridge could be intercepted by Terdun Manzi as soon as possible, the pontoon bridge would never be built.

Now that the Tertun people occupy both sides of the bank at the same time, even if they destroy the pontoon bridge, as long as they have craftsmen and materials, they can build it again.

Samkin felt regret and self-blame in his heart. Centurion Montagne handed him the fleet and gave him great command on the battlefield. However, he mistakenly concentrated all the ships in the battle of Pangtuo River and did not allocate some ships to control the river.

Samkin thought that the Telduans had exhausted all their cards, but this thought led to a big mistake.

Winters did not blame Samkin. Winters only blamed himself for not warning Samkin in advance, which made Samkin even more painful and ashamed.

"The only way to wash away the shame." Looking at the pontoon bridge getting closer and closer, Samkin ordered the drum beat: "The only way is to destroy it."

"Even if it takes my life." He gritted his teeth and added the last sentence in his heart.

The Tertun people who were defending the pontoon discovered the boats going down the river. They shouted, ran, and ran up the pontoon carrying long sticks with iron hooks - both sides learned a lot in the war.

In the camp near the river bank, the masked captain suddenly stood up and looked toward the river like a hawk. He tore off his scarf and put his hands to his ears to listen.

The other prisoners didn't know what was going on and looked at each other.

"It's the sound of a snare drum!" The captain's pupils expanded, and his thin body seemed to be injected with endless power: "Snare drum!"

The other prisoners were also shocked, and they couldn't help but shout.

"Snare drum?"

"Our people are here?"

"where?"

"Will you come to save us?"

"Quiet!" the captain shouted, and the prisoners instantly fell silent.

The captain suddenly remembered something and punched his thigh hard: "It's broken!"

"What happened?" asked another prisoner.

The captain had no time to explain, stretched out his feet and ordered sternly: "Cut it in pieces!"

A pair of iron shackles were tied around the captain's feet. The prisoners clearly had axes, but no one dared to use them. Because whoever helps the captain, the captain's fate will be the fate of everyone.

The furious captain ordered again: "Do it!"

Still no one dared to move.

"Do it!"

Finally, the other prisoner who struggled repeatedly stopped thinking and shouted hysterically with a ferocious expression: "Fight! Are you willing to be a slave to the Hud Barbarian for the rest of your life?!"

On the other side, Samutin played the drum himself, the oarsmen rowed hard, and the boat loaded with stones rushed towards the pontoon.

The Terdun people did not seem to be fully prepared, and they just kept shooting arrows on the river bank. Samkin's fleet sailed in the middle of the river, as far away from the river bank as possible.

Suddenly, Samujin saw a group of ragged people running out from the north bank, waving, shouting and jumping at him.

With the sound of drums piercing his ears, Samujin couldn't hear what the people were shouting. He could only see the other party waving their hands desperately.

"Are they my brothers who were captured?" Samujin thought painfully: "But I don't have the power to save you!"

The prisoners on the shore were actually shouting just one thing - "Don't come over!"

However, the speed of the fleet on the river is getting faster and faster.

The masked captain's eyes were bloodshot with anxiety. He picked up the axe: "It's too late! Come with me!"

After that, he rushed to a Tertun tent on the shore.

The other prisoners hesitated for a moment, but soon picked up tools and even stones, and followed the masked captain towards the Teltun people.

At the same time, with the sour-sounding sound of the winch turning, the rowers of the leading boat were horrified to see a long snake leaping out of the water, blocking the way.

No, not a long snake! Samkin could see what it was at a glance - it was a thick cable spanning both sides of the bank.

The cables are in a natural sagging state. The cables near the shore are suspended on the water, and the cables on the far shore are half submerged in the water.

The leading boat was caught off guard, its bow hit the cable and spun uncontrollably.

During the rotation, the boat laden with stones swayed like leaves and capsized violently.

The improvised boats are all flat-bottomed boats. Although the draft is shallow, they are not shallow enough to float on the cable, let alone being fully loaded now.

"Go to the bank!" Samukin yelled the order with all his strength: "Go to the river bank!"

Before he finished speaking, another small boat hit the cable and capsized. The oarsmen of the other boats hurriedly turned around and drifted toward the river bank.

Cables near the shore were suspended from the water, and the boats carried axes and swords to cut them.

However, the Terton archers were also on the shore, and when they saw the fleet approaching, they opened their bows and fired arrows.

Arrows rained down for a while, and the arrow shields were not enough to cover them. Arrows in the oars' hands kept falling into the water.

What happened next made Samkin even more desperate - the second and third cables rose one after another from the river.

Even if the cables are not iron cables, three cables are enough to destroy the entire fleet.

"Retreat!" Samkin ordered through gritted teeth.

At this moment, a sudden change occurred.

As if it suddenly lost its restraint, the first cable contracted suddenly, and then floated limply on the water.

The masked captain who cut the cable then slashed the Telton man to death with a heavy axe, and almost fell down himself.

He propped himself up and yelled to his subordinates who were still alive: "Next one!"

Samu Jin saw the strange movement on the west bank and knew that someone was risking his life to help.

"Don't let them down!" Samkin beat the war drum heavily: "Paddle! Charge!"

The fleet returned to its original route, the oarsmen shouted and waved their arms, and the boat loaded with stones slammed into the pontoon.

The Telton people were caught off guard, and the second and third ropes were also cut by the masked captain.

There was the sound of horse hooves behind him, but the captain ignored it. He watched the boat rush towards the pontoon he had built with his own hands, contentedly.

Samkin on the boat noticed this strange man with his face covered and holding an ax standing alone on the shore.

Samutin stood up and raised his hand in salute from a distance.

A faint smile appeared under the scarf of the man whose face was covered, and he returned the greeting solemnly.

More than a dozen small boats broke through the barrage ropes and resolutely crashed into the pontoon. A few Teltun people could still stick to their posts, but more Teltun people threw away their long poles and turned around and ran away.

"[Hud language] Your people are really clumsy..." On the river bank, a man looked at the chaotic scene of people and horses running away, turned around and said helplessly to the others: "[Ancient language] Help them... Fortunately, it is the dry season now. "

Amidst the roaring of war drums, the oarsmen jumped out of the boat to survive, and the leading boat hit the pontoon hard.

The floating bridge tensed instantly, trembling slightly like a giant in pain.

Several anchor cables holding the pontoon were torn off, the boat capsized, and the pontoon rebounded significantly.

"Okay!!!" Samkin and the masked captain shouted at the same time. If the impact continues, sooner or later the pontoon will be unable to withstand it.

However, at this moment, the quietly flowing Bighorn River made waves.

At first it was just a few ripples, but gradually the ripples grew into waves.

As everyone on both sides of the strait watched, the waves became more and more visibly visible to the naked eye, with the waves getting higher and higher.

Flat-bottomed river boats are unable to withstand such strong waves.

"Fuck! This is..." Samu Jin cursed angrily. Before he could finish speaking, the boat he was riding in was capsized by a wave as high as one person.

The pontoon was also swayed by the "waves" and hit the water heavily, tearing off more than a dozen anchor cables.

The river water swept people and broken boards to the bottom, and the aftermath spread far and wide. The waves are gradually lowering, and the angry river is gradually returning to its former calm.

When the people of Terdun witnessed this "miracle", they knelt on the ground and worshiped.

The masked captain didn't have time to think too much. He threw off his clothes and plunged into the cold river water.

Samkin could swim, but after choking on two mouthfuls of water, he was left with the instinct of waving his arms randomly. Soon, he lost consciousness.

Just as Samkin sank deeper and deeper, a pair of iron arms wrapped around him from behind and dragged him towards the water.

Samutin, who was unconscious, vaguely felt someone digging into his mouth and throat with fingers, and he felt the air urgently.

"Breathe!" the stranger said hastily.

Samkin instinctively took in a sharp breath, as if his lungs were about to burst. His body even curled up uncontrollably like a shrimp, and his consciousness became clear.

Then Samkin saw a face, a hideous face without a nose, without ears, and half burned.

"Who are you?" Samkin struggled to get up.

"Morrow." The disfigured man said in a low voice, "Denzel Morrow, Captain."

"Bridge?" Samkin seemed to have found the anchor point of his consciousness. He stood up and looked eagerly at the pontoon bridge.

"The pontoon bridge suffered some damage, but it can be repaired." Captain Moreau said coldly.

The captain was right. Although the pontoon bridge was damaged in many places, it still stretched across the river, as if mocking Samutin.

"Fuck!" Samkin suddenly felt dizzy. His knees weakened and he fell to the ground weakly. He pounded the sand as hard as he could: "Fuck! Fuck!"

"Save your energy." Captain Moreau just spoke and did not reach out to stop: "The Hed's search team is coming. If you don't leave, you will die."

Samu Jin turned a deaf ear, and the iron-clad man suddenly hugged his knees and burst into tears.

"Why are you crying?" Captain Moreau couldn't feel Samkin's grief. He just sneered: "With your stupid method, it would have been impossible to completely destroy the pontoon... I have a better way, take me to see you. Sir."

Samkin raised his head suddenly, like a drowning man grasping at the last straw: "You still have a way to destroy the pontoon bridge."

"Of course." Captain Moreau looked at the pontoon bridge coldly: "I built that pontoon bridge. I think about how to destroy it all the time."

…

On the other side, Mason summoned the Gévaudan municipal councilors and public opinion representatives at all levels and read out part of Winters' letter.

"The Montagne tribune has just fought hard and needs a few days to repair and regroup." Captain Mason concluded: "So we have no reinforcements during this period and can only rely on ourselves."

There was an uproar in the meeting hall. Although the repelling of an attack by the Terdun people increased the confidence of the citizens, the news that there were no reinforcements still shook everyone's will.

"Montagne Tribune agrees if necessary." Mason paused for a moment: "Abandon the South City."

Another grenade was thrown into the henhouse. The citizens of Gévaudan loudly agreed, the public opinion representatives of the asylum seekers were worried, and some people openly opposed it.

"Quiet!" Old Mayor Priskin banged the table.

When the meeting hall became quiet again.

Mason explained carefully: "Even if we have to abandon South City, we must have a strategy. Supplies must be moved to the north, old, young, women and children must have a place to stay, and things that cannot be moved must be destroyed..."

Mason's speech was slow and gentle, but there was a power in his gentleness and calmness.

The meeting hall became quieter and quieter, and everyone listened carefully.

"Just tell us what to do!" The blacksmith Chauchat, the number one supporter of Montagne's tribune, was the first to respond: "We all listen to you. The enemy is facing a formidable enemy, and whoever doesn't listen! Just deal with him!"

The crowd was in a commotion. Seeing this, old Priskin simply said: "Those who agree with what Commissioner Chauchat said, cheer Tribune Mason three times!"

Three cheers, each time louder than the last.

Old Priskin dropped the hammer heavily: "Three calls to pass!"

"Since you all listen to me." Mason stood up and said a little embarrassedly: "Then evacuate the women and children to the north bank first."

The evacuation went quickly because most of the women and children had been resettled on the north shore.

After the women and children were evacuated, it was their turn to move away the supplies.

The men in Gevaudan, both citizens and refugees, were organized into militia detachments and came to the south bank to move things.

There was only one bridge across the river, and it was blocked by water for a while.

Upon seeing this, Mason ordered that the necessary defense manpower be left on the north bank. Other militiamen and city guards gathered on the south bank to move supplies in order.

After the bridge was cleared, Mason ordered it to be demolished.

No dynamite was used - as gunpowder was precious;

No lamp oil was used either - for fuel was also precious;

Every piece of wood was carefully put away ready for reuse—frugality, in a very Masonic way.

"I have decided." Mason stood in front of the panicked crowd and announced with a smile: "I will never give up on Nancheng."

[Late, sorry, Orz... because it’s a big chapter of 7,000 words]

[Redefining Saturday and noon...the next chapter is Tuesday]

[Thanks to book friends for their collection, reading, subscription, recommendation votes, monthly votes, rewards and comments, thank you all]