Kabeamia, who once led an army of 5,000 believers, tried to directly go south to capture the city of Heraclet, and then threaten Constantinople, but the imposing walls of the emperor's capital and her own weak strength prompted her to cancel this idea, and she could only rush along the south bank, to cooperate with the Khan of Cuman, first capture the Iron Gate Fort defended by Gawain, and then penetrate into the Thrace region to gain a foothold, in order to gain a foothold for a long time.

Because the army was dominated by infantry, Kabeamiya was slower than King Yasin Khan, and by the time her army reached the plains ten gulli east of the Iron Gate, it had been four or five days since Yassen had crossed the river to attack the fortress.

But in the past four or five days, the situation on the battlefield has not changed in any way: the Cumans and the bandits who have been enveloped in them have repeatedly forced their crossings, and all of them have been firmly blocked back by the crossbowmen and projectile equipment of the Red Hand, and Yasin came in high spirits, but he hit his head against the strong wall and broke a few teeth.

"The consul told me that the Roman generals in the fortress opposite were all defeated and had nothing to fear. But why is there now that the other side has thousands of elite troops, cavalry, archers, and ramparts are all available, and the combat effectiveness is also quite strong. Could it be that Kabeamia deceived me? Yasin was still puzzled.

I had to think about other ways to attack.

Therefore, when the Tevris Believers arrived, Yasin immediately sent an envoy to ride along the riverbank to a crossing point opposite the Believers, and came in a birch boat. Kabeamia nodded in agreement, but across the line in front of her. There is a new choice.

A tributary of the Morava River, known as the river of Plivensus. It forms an oblique "T" shape with the main stream, facing south to the back of Fort Sophia. Right in front of Kabeamia.

So the consuless inquired about the local believers, and said that the river would rise in spring and autumn, but that the water was coming towards its right bank, where the camp of the Faithful Legion was now, and that it was full of tidal flats and aquatic weeds, and that if the water rose, it would surely flood a large area, but the triangle on the left bank at the junction with the Morava River was a dry river with enough men and horses to stand on it. Because its bank is much higher than the one on the right, and it is very steep, and it is not easy for the water to overflow.

The co-worker also told Cabeamia that in winter, the Plivensus River would be covered with thick ice, and that people and horses could cross it without boats or bridges.

But apparently Kabeamia would not wait for the winter, time did not allow her to wait so passively, besides the triangle on the other side. It is the inflection point of the middle stream, and although the river is wide, the current is gentle, and it is just right to connect the boat pontoon bridge on it. and the king of the Cuman Khan on the northern shore of the city.

"Hezhou is where we set up camp, not here, and we all set up a pontoon bridge tonight. Cross the River Plivensus and drive back Gawain's scout cavalry. Occupy there! Kabeamia raised her whip and said to all the co-workers.

After dark. The entire river and meadow were filled with a thick mist, and Bramson and Giovanni teamed up again, leading the scout cavalry towards the Plivensus River, the end of the patrol.

Bramson grunted and rode at the front of the group, shaking the torches in his hand and complaining that the fog was too big, while Giovanni reminded him angrily, "Watch your torches and don't dance around like those jugglers, but come according to the rules, there may be other patrolmen and other cavalry of the army, and there may be enemies." ”

"Ha, with such a big fog, how could those enemies come?"

"The Kuman Khan's assault on the crossing has failed miserably in the past few days, so the priesthood speculates that they may make up their minds here, and that guarding the river is the most difficult, and the enemy may be able to cross it anywhere."

Then, Giovanni suddenly stopped talking, and then the entire scout team fell silent, Bramson leaned down slightly, pulled out a small crossbow from the saddle bag, and pointed it in the direction from which the voice had just come: several black blurred horse riders appeared in the white mist.

Several Cumans in their ranks immediately shouted at the figure in Turkic, demanding an answer, only to be accosted in Turkic, replying that we were your patrol cavalry, lost in the fog, and now moving to the back.

Now Giovanni Nahan: when did His Excellency the Grand Duke give the order to move the camp. In the course of this time, the men were getting closer and closer, and they could all see the faint reflection of their spear tips and scimitars.

His eyes moved downward, and he quickly shouted, "Bramson sword!" Their horses' hooves are like no other, they are Wallachian bandits! ”

In the oblique stab, Bramson raised a crossbow, and a guy on the opposite side cursing, the arrow rolled down from the horse's back, and then the two riders stabbed with spears, Bramson swung the Swabian sword with one hand, cutting off one of them with the tip of the spear and the upper half of the body, and the other spear pierced Brampson's arm, and the blade came out with a broken ring of chain mail, and then Bramson shouted in pain, knocking another Wallachian off the horse.

"Bramson!" Giovanni tightened his grip on Cantos' spear, and with a spear facing forward, a spear from his back pierced through the enemy that was entwined with Bramsson, the tip of the spear piercing through Bramson's chest, "Damn, you can't be careful?" ”

In the foggy night, there were Cumans on both sides who drew bows and shot at each other, and at a distance of about twenty feet, the arrows swept back and forth, and it was difficult to distinguish between you and me. ”

At this time, on the Plivensus River, the Paulineans held torches like stars, the light of the fire shook the shadows of the water, many people were pushing simple boats, hurriedly erecting pontoon bridges, Cabeamia herself crossed her waist, standing on the bank, "Speed up, there may be enemy scouts ahead, we must cross the river and set up camp before the enemy brigade attacks!" ”

At this moment, in front of the gate of the Iron Gate Fort, Gawain took the lead, raised the flag and pulled out all the cavalry companies of the Baptized and the cavalry companies of Saint-Cyril, "Send Bramson to the camp to heal his wounds, you scouts are very good, and you can't let the enemy set up camp smoothly, Giovanni, you act as a guide - Melo commands the infantry of all six companies, and then follows me to line up." ”

At this time, it was almost the first hour of the day, the morning sun had risen from the east, the red light was dispelling the mist, the white birds were passing by the wheel of the sun, and two cavalry companies with dense torches, fully armed, under the guidance of the red hand banner, rolled in the direction of Plivenseus.

"What, the enemy's cavalry came so quickly?" Hearing the scout's urgent report, Kabeamiya suddenly felt a chill in her heart, could it be that this time I am going to fall into the hands of that Gawain again? She couldn't help but shudder, "Send some of the co-workers to intercept them, plus the archers sent by the King of Cuman Khan, everything will be easy with the archers!" (To be continued.) )