In order to avoid sinking the ships at anchor in the wind, the fleet found a headland on the coast of Africa, and when the Norwegians went ashore to look for water, Count Rodrigo learned from a local Moorish that the Sultan had built a large city on the flat land to the east, near the majestic mountains where the Titans lived, and that the city was guarded by only 200 cavalry.

"Are we going to attack this city called Marrakech?" Rodrigo was a little unsure, their fleet was not in very good shape, some of the soldiers were already sick, and the bread they had carried from Navarre was starting to mold and had a bitter taste, and it seemed too risky to go deep into the interior and attack the enemy's lair at this point. However, judging from the information of all parties, that Youssef is still under siege of Algiers in the north, and it is a pity to let go of such a good opportunity.

The knights had not yet seen the bravery of the Berber warriors, and even if they were exhausted, they were still full of confidence, and they were very interested in the legendary golden city south of the desert, and even the soldiers of lower origins wanted to plunder from the infidels.

"We can replenish fresh water, anchor chains and cables here, and then continue sailing south to establish a base on that lucky island." The Count pointed to a delicate silk map, as if trying to convince himself, "It's obviously safer that way, and we don't have to stay away from the ship." ”

"My lord, with all due respect." The knight of Berenga, the illegitimate son of the Earl of Mercia, was the first to object, "We and the Norwegians are so close to the Moorish land that we can't hide the nearby villages, if we don't attack at this time, I'm afraid that the Moorish king will already lead his army back to this land when we pass by next time, and it will be difficult for us to even dock freely to replenish the shore!" ”

Count Rodrigo, who had always been a man of great wisdom in commanding his troops, listened to the opinions of the others, and seeing that all of them wished to fight a battle here, he said to his squire Alva: "My friend, go and inform the King of Norway for me, we have something to discuss." ”

The Spaniards could anticipate the Norwegians' reaction, and the northern lords were not particularly interested in exploring new frontiers and finding colonies, but this kind of looting of the city would not be missed.

The road from this coast to the interior has obviously been well groomed, and the figure of some sentry on camels is also a testament to the enemy's level of governance, this is a well-organized country, not the territory of barbarians, Count Rodrigo has a trace of apprehension in his heart, he ordered his soldiers to wear their armor at all times to guard against enemy raids, the English people complained but obeyed the order and put on iron armor, and the Count sent people to buy from the local villages a lot of cloth made of kapok fibers, a material somewhat like linen, Then the soldiers were asked to wrap their bodies in cotton robes, just like the Moors.

The limited number of pagan soldiers encountered along the way were Berbers in leather armor, surprisingly well armoured, most of the enemies had two swords, their cuirasses were made of elaborately tanned leather, and their shields, when first seen from a distance, were insisted by some Englishmen that they were plated with low-quality gold.

In terms of horses, the Arabian horses of the Moorish cavalry were far more powerful than those of the Norwegians and the English, and Rodrigo had seen the best horses of Al-Andalus, all of whom had the best blood of these horses from the deserts of North Africa, and were taller and more adapted to the local climate than the Anglo-Saxon horses.

The Norwegians didn't care much about horses, unlike their distant counterparts in Normandy, horses were always a means of riding rather than a platform for battle, and the Vikings' axes could split the necks of their horses, and they often swung their two-handed axes from their left arms to attack them, avoiding the shield-protected parts and making it easier for their blades to drink blood. Rodrigo's training of Mercian soldiers differed from those of the English in Northumbria and Wessex, in that they were trained in guerrilla tactics in complex terrain in addition to traditional shield warfare, with round shields and javelins being their typical configuration, and the crossbowmen from Wales were also very adept at shooting heavily and inflicting heavy casualties at close range.

Aware of his strengths and weaknesses, Count Rodrigo arranged his army in multiple columns, shielded samurai and light infantry to protect a limited number of knights and horses. Through his interactions with the Moorish captives, the Count learns that the Murabiti were of some black ancestry, that they were originally a mysterious military order, consisting mainly of nomadic tribes in the desert, especially the Lem Tunais, and that their monastery was a military fortress, all of whom wore masks, trained hard, and were extremely skilled in hand-to-hand combat, which was extremely rare among the infidels.

These barbarians practiced some doctrines far more barbaric than those of the inhabitants of Al-Andalus, and they were especially fond of building the heads of the vanquished into bloody minarets, a custom that even the Moors of Seville shuddered.

Fortunately, the main force of the enemy was far away on the shores of the Mediterranean, and the savage nature of the Norwegians was temporarily restrained by the king's restraint, and they did not encounter threatening harassment along the way, but it was difficult to dig wells for water, and the horses had to be carried in barrels for drinking water, and in short, the greatest enemy in such a march was often the surroundings.

Sometimes, the herdsmen of some villages would spontaneously resist the invaders, and Count Rodrigo used part of his forces as bait, and then personally led the cavalry to ambush them, taking most of the herdsmen on camels prisoner, and letting the soldiers force them to work with spears and serve as servants of the expeditionary force. In one area, they even co-opted some black tribes, who first smoked the northerners with some incense that smelled like myrrh, and then put some cotton fabrics and gold ornaments in front of them, and Rodrigo took out some weapons and exchanged them with them, and hired some camel guides from these tribes.

Perhaps having endured the harsh environment for too long, the northerners thought it was a vision in the clouds when they saw the square tower of the mosque in the distance, but they soon entered a silvery valley with snow-covered red mountains in the distance, and the sight of such a beautiful view, coupled with the fact that Marrakech was not far away, and the sergeants, whether high or low, began to cheer.