The Sun and the Lion

Ibrahim led his soldiers to observe a large group of gazelles in the distance. These animals, which were living by instinct on the dry land, did not know what kind of fate they were about to face.

Just before they were alert, the red heads who came to hunt had already completed setting up nets on all sides. Those holding bows and arrows and those holding spears had three layers inside and three layers outside, completely surrounding the group of gazelles.

The King of Kings shot an arrow at a gazelle far away from him, hitting it in the throat, and the gazelle fell down. After Ibrahim fired his arrow, the trumpeter blew his trumpet to convey a signal to the officers and soldiers.

The low sound of the trumpet and the sudden death of their companions made other gazelles in the group realize that something was wrong. After discovering that they were attacked by predators, the gazelles wanted to follow their instincts and use their own speed to quickly escape from the field.

But will the red heads who come to hunt let these prey run away? The riders shrank their formation, tightened the encirclement, and used arrows and spears to deal with the gazelles' attack on the encirclement.

Arrows from all directions harvested the lives of these gazelles, and their blood flowed out through the wounds and spread on the wasteland, dyeing it red. Then they fell down one after another, lying on the ground struggling uselessly.

After confirming that there were no trapped antelopes, the redheads tied up the carcasses, placed them on the backs of mules and camels, and then transported them back to the camp.

After transporting these prey back to the baggage camp, with the help of red heads, the tanners and butchers who accompanied the army skillfully broke down the gazelles. The skins are removed as completely as possible and then put together in preparation for tanning.

The meat and offal were simply processed and cut into pieces of equal size and weight, and then distributed by the quartermaster to the troops participating in the hunt.

Unlike the previous conquest of the Aries Dynasty, Ibrahim believed that it would be difficult to conquer Guregani quickly, so he asked his troops to carry a large amount of baggage and accompanying troops to prepare for a long siege. This strengthened the army's logistical support, but also greatly slowed down the army's march.

Eastern Iran was raided twice by the Mongols and Timur in the past. A large number of people died or fled, water conservancy facilities were destroyed, and farmland was abandoned. This resulted in a large number of settlements being abandoned.

Even decades later, on the road between Tehran and Mashhad, it is difficult to see a city with complete outer walls, a karez that can still divert water normally, or cultivated land that is carefully cared for.

Animal husbandry has replaced the planting industry, which required heavy investment to maintain, and has become the mainstream of the local agricultural economy.

Based on this fact, in the first few days after entering enemy territory, Ibrahim took a chance and dispatched food collection teams to the surrounding countryside to raise additional military supplies for the troops, but most of them returned without success. The food and grass obtained from local settlements is only a drop in the bucket for daily consumption.

But fortunately, Iran is rich in wildlife resources. In the deserts and grasslands, scouts can see large groups of gazelles or sporadic beasts from time to time.

Whenever the scouts discover a group of wild beasts, they will report it to Ibrahim immediately, and then the King of Kings will personally organize hunting activities in the army. In addition to bringing his own soldiers and those of the nobles, he will also Randomly mobilize some red heads to participate in the hunt.

The enthusiasm of the red heads for hunting activities is very high, and there is always a lack of entertainment during the march - military discipline does not allow them to leave the team without permission on the way, go out without permission in the camp, gamble, or get drunk. While staying in the camp, you can also exercise with your comrades, or listen to the mullahs reciting scriptures.

Oh, what a damn baggage camp! The quartermaster kept under supervision all the prostitutes, actors and other personnel who could provide entertainment for them, and limited the number of times they could go to take care of business in a week, and the money required was quite high.

Moreover, during the march, ordinary soldiers and low-level officers implemented a rationing system. The portion and weight of the food they received for each meal every day was fixed. It was basically staple food such as naan and biscuits, with dairy products and very few seasonings—— Usually just salt. Wanting to eat fresh meat, fruits and vegetables is a fantasy.

In order to boost morale, Ibrahim ordered that the meat and offal of all prey be divided equally among all the riders participating in the hunt. Therefore, the red heads who have the opportunity to participate in the hunt will be regarded as heroes by their comrades in the same team, and they hope that they will not be stingy and share some game with them.

………………

Just as Ibrahim was about to leave and return to the camp, the scout told him interesting news.

"A cheetah chasing a gazelle, that's good."

Ibrahim and his soldiers galloped on horseback, led by the scouts, and arrived at the scene where the cheetah was chasing the gazelle.

The chase was over and the gazelles scattered, leaving only the cheetah enjoying its meal. It doesn't seem to realize that death is coming.

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But it is a pity that Ibrahim did not bring a professional breeder with him on this expedition. Even the royal hunting ground in the Ardabil forest was just an empty shell. Capturing cheetahs alive would only be a burden on the march. It would be better killed.

Pulling the bow string fully and aiming it at the cheetah's butt, Ibrahim loosened his fingers on the arrow's tail. The arrow cut through the air and pierced the cheetah's flesh in less than a few seconds. The pain left the beast paralyzed. He didn't let go of his mouth on the gazelle's neck.

"Forward!" Ibrahim ordered his soldiers to surround it and restrict the cheetah's direction of movement.

The cheetah, which had just consumed a lot of energy in hunting, saw the threat and quickly approached it. A large group of terrifying erect apes rushed towards it on horseback. But it didn't intend to back down. It had not eaten for a long time, and its hunger prompted it to desperately defend its hunting results.

Seeing that the cheetah neither ran away nor pounced on him, it just stood there and observed the situation, and it became a fixed target. Ibrahim would not miss this opportunity. He quickly rode his horse and approached it. Then he drew out the arrow, fully drew the bow string, aimed it at its left eye, and then released his finger.

Ibrahim, who had received a systematic aristocratic education, was very skilled in archery and equestrian skills. There was no accident this time, and the arrow accurately inserted into the cheetah's eyeball.

Ibrahim drew another arrow from his quiver, intending to finish it off once and for all, this time, he aimed at the neck.

The arrow quickly crossed the distance of less than thirty meters and pierced the cheetah's artery, causing it to bleed profusely.

Then he jumped off the horse, drew out his long knife, and cautiously approached the cheetah. At this time, the big cat was unable to resist. Ibrahim first raised its head with the back of the knife, and then put away the cat after seeing no response. At this time, the soldiers and nobles who came also gathered around to confirm the performance of the King of Kings in hunting beasts with his own hands.