Eagle Byzantium

"You mean, Bohemond also hopes to move north and occupy Melitene?" Little Sunfish was a little uneasy.

Gawain glanced at her, pointed at the drawings spread out on the table in front of him, and tapped his fingers fiercely on the target, "Melitene is able to block the border between Danish Mond, Greater Armenia and Marash at the same time. If God favors me and seizes it, then my career as king will be half successful. But for Bohemond, He certainly doesn't want Melitene to be a sword hanging over his head; and for Merrick, he doesn't want Melitene to be a dagger against his soft belly." Then, behind Gawain. The chair suddenly creaked, and he kicked it backwards and slid half a step. The huge body of the big brown bear stood up, and the shadow covered Agnes's gray eyes. This allowed the little sunfish to intuitively feel his tension and entanglement, which was difficult to see in her previous years of getting along with the big brown bear. Sivas, the central core fortress of the German Emirate; to the south, you can follow a plain pasture area and directly attack the Norman Maras area; to the west, you can Threaten Kesia, the only water source in the center of the plateau. If I guess correctly, even if Bohemond will not directly turn against me, he will send cavalry to attack Melitene directly to expand his power and resolutely contain it. My horseshoe. Little sunfish, this is the secret battle between me and him, this gamble is carried out under the table."

"Because honeymoons are always short." The little sunfish frowned and made a philosophical conclusion.

On the Maidensberg battlements of the Syria Gate, Bohemond twirled his red beard and took a long breath of joy, looking at the blue waves below and the dots of black rocks in between, "These thirty military towns , with the narrow entrance and exit over there Tao, the strategic value is much more important than that guy Raymond's Iron Bridge Fortress! By the way, Tancred... After Gawain captured Fanka City, he probably really mobilized and extracted all the elites, and continued. Go north along the Sanus River?"

"That's right, uncle, for a man like Gawain, his sword will never be sheathed before it pierces Mount Pontus and the Sea of ​​Euxing. We have to race against time, because from Marash to Melite "Our cavalry takes much less time than Gawain's team, which is our advantage." The windy Tancred stood behind him, his flaxen eyes piercing, "Please issue the specific deployment as soon as possible, uncle! Four thousand Apulian troops who are good at fighting are resting in the La Vodra area. If these are still If it's not enough, I can recruit another 3,000 soldiers from Edessa and Samosata at any time."

In the sea breeze, Bohemond raised the corners of his mouth, triumphantly raised his middle finger and index finger together, and said calmly: "Confidential officers, convey my order - Richard's four thousand men, together with Parkade and Fela's army of servants, move north from Maras immediately! Tancred, you will also return to Edessa immediately and organize a reserve army according to the number you mentioned. As Richard's backstop, our goal is Melitene.”

"No problem, uncle!" The fierce and courageous Tancred immediately walked down the stone stairs of the fortress with his sword on his shoulder. Suddenly Bohemond called him and added, "After Melitene is captured, The Armenians, Greeks or Turks must not be entrusted with the control of this fortress. The commanders and mayors inside must be us Apulians, leave it to Richard - besides, the war will go well After the end, in the name of increasing rewards, foreigners such as Pacoad and his son, Ostu and Fer were moved to the Syrian Gate for easier supervision - Antioch, Marash, Samosata The real key city fortresses such as Edessa and Melitene should be our own people in charge of the city gates and treasury keys, and we cannot rely on others. Barak is a lesson."

After hearing his uncle's advice, Tancred looked thoughtfully at the sea and sky on the other side, then nodded in agreement and continued walking down the stone stairs.

The mobilization military orders were quickly sent to the two castles of La Vodela and Tubosaina within one day. The Parkards urgently asked their subordinates to close the city gates, increase the garrison on the towers, and then take advantage of the situation. Ye specially invited Fela, "What should I do? Richard is camped in the countryside ten miles away... It is said that the Turkic mercenary Osdu also brought hundreds of cavalry from Samosata is coming here."

Later in the meeting hall, Feir's fingers kept tapping on the oak table, as fast as raindrops, and he looked very anxious, "Yes, we should only have one day to think about it."

"To obey or not to obey their orders?" Hercules put his hand on his chin, "But on the leather paper attached to this military service token, the number of soldiers and horses levied is equal to what we have It's all..."

"That is to say..." Then the three of them said in unison, "We joined the army and followed Count Richard to attack Melitene. Maybe as soon as we left, the Normans took over our castle. Who did this? It must be Tancred, he is going to Edessa to keep an eye on us."

"Anyway, I don't want to go to the Syria Gate!" Bald Pak'ad was a little excited. "There we are just a mule raised by Bohemond to pull goods. We will only get farther and farther away from Greater Armenia. Sooner or later The plateau of the motherland will be divided between Gawain and Bohemond." These words aroused Feier's anger. Feeling suspicious and uneasy, he said to the bald head with a trembling voice, "Do we have to rely on the city to stand on our own? But with all our troops gathered together, there are only about 2,500 people. How can we fight against the Normans, let alone Bohemond?" It is also very possible that La Gawain will come to attack us. Ask yourself, Pakade, if you can surpass Prince Ruben in strength?"

"Even I have doubts about surpassing Reuben; but the fate of Barak and Kusus is before my eyes, and there is no doubt about it." This answer of Parkade left Feier speechless. , then the bald head paced back and forth on the stone floor with some pain, and Feier also leaned on the chair without saying a word, obviously hesitating.

Heracles was leaning against the pillar, hitting his forehead with his fist from time to time, making a thumping sound, and soon made a concluding deduction, "How many paths are in front of us now? One is to obey Norman He handed over two rich castles and handed over his fate to Bohemond's hands; one was to rise up and risk being destroyed at any time. Is there a third way? The third way..."

Hercules repeatedly chanted this word, which vividly proved that in this world, in all countries and eras from ancient times to the present, east, west, north and south, all weak people hope to get out of the gap between the confrontation between the strong and the strong. "Third Way" has come, but there are no successful examples at all. (To be continued ~^~)