Eagle Byzantium

When the morning star was still there the next day, Oude was riding on a horse, holding the flag of his family and territory. Behind him were about a thousand infantrymen and about three hundred people as his personal bodyguards, equipped to varying degrees with helmets and chainmail. There were also shields, spears and swords. The remaining seven hundred people were armed pilgrims, many holding iron forks and flails in their hands. They left the fields under Gangala Castle and entered the winding road in a mighty way. In the sloping valley, the hope of finding food disappeared.

Then the pilgrims who besieged Gangala set up their camp in a valley that stretched for several miles and was surrounded by mountains and forests to the southwest of the city. The tents were as numerous as sand and dust; then Raymond, Miles, Alban, Guillaume and other lords selected about 15,000 strong men who were still capable of fighting and continued to attack Fort Gangala from all sides.

However, the 800 Turkic defenders in this fortress are still very tenacious in fighting spirit. They throw countless stones and arrows with seemingly endless strength. In addition, this fortress is built on raised stone hills everywhere. Above, it is very steep and difficult to attack. The water source is an independent deep well in the city, and the warehouse also stores enough food. Therefore, the pilgrims fought all morning and paid a heavy price. Bodies littered the steep slopes and trenches, but still made no progress.

The anxious Raymond sent a light cavalry team to the sloping valley to inquire about Count Oude's progress.

This small group of cavalry marched for more than ten miles in the narrow and long valley. The road gradually became clearer. Finally, in a trumpet-shaped valley, they saw a group of armed pilgrims staying behind. They all knelt down. Crouching in a few immature wheat fields, they were struggling to thresh out the millet with flails. Some people made a fire to roast the batch of millet before eating - after all, they were half-dead from hunger a few days ago, and now they can see everything that can be eaten. Won't let it go.

"Where is His Excellency Count Oude?" the leader of the cavalry squad shouted, reining in the reins.

The answer was that because it was said that there were more large fields ahead, Count Ode had already moved forward with his troops to explore.

"Don't start a fire casually, because it will expose our actions." The leading scout looked at the gloomy and desolate wilderness on both sides. There were clearly visible gravel rocks everywhere, mixed with some dense low shrubs, and a few Shepherds and herds have long traversed He warned uneasily about the traces of the path that had left, and then turned around to go back and report this slightly exciting news to Raymond: Even if the wheat fields are not yet ripe, as long as there is food, it is better than anything else, and there are many in the camp. Women and children have begun to eat bark and grass.

At this moment, when the scout leader turned his horse's head, he suddenly saw a pile of small trees on the desert ridge on the left suddenly swaying. He originally thought it was an illusion, but soon he heard an arrow coming from his helmet. The sound passing overhead, the buzzing sound, is the sound of the friction and vibration of arrow feathers and air.

Then the buzzing sound became louder and denser, and the scout leader raised his face in fear: among the narrow mountains, the shadows of flying arrows tore apart the dim sun above the head - the hillsides and Behind the stone, countless hideous faces suddenly appeared The ferocious pagan soldiers all held bows made of poplar wood, which is extremely tough on the plateau, and attached with layers of fine horns or animal sinews. They were recurve bows with extremely powerful power and range. The arrows shot out were two feet long, in a continuous stream.

The arrows kept falling or sliding, and the poles and leaves in the wheat fields were riddled with holes. The bloody wheat leaves rolled and flew in all directions. The pilgrims covered their necks or abdomens, and they were shot into The tail feathers of the arrows kept falling headfirst into the ground. The timid ones just lay down on the field and simply pretended to be dead. The whole team panicked. People kicked over the bonfire and scattered unroasted wheat grains all over the floor. There were running figures everywhere and screams begging each other for help.

At the same time, in the woods, a ball of flame suddenly emerged. It was Danishmund's ambush soldiers who tied the rope with logs, straw bales, and flammable materials, lit it with fire, and continued to pull it along the hillside. Then push and roll down, and soon there will be dozens of such flaming logs along the entire gorge. Valley, the sound was earth-shattering, like the end of the world, rolling down from both sides, crushing everything, everything in front of them was rolled flat and burned. Several pilgrims who tried to climb the hillside were instantly destroyed by this A batch of logs hit and rolled over, turning into piles of burning carrion.

The scout's horse made an ominous cry, and his eyes were filled with fire. The return path from the sloping valley to Gangala was cut off by rolling logs. The forests on both sides were all burned, and the fire spread. Oh, God, he looked back over there again. Countless Turkic soldiers were flying flags and shooting down overwhelming fire arrows. It seemed that Count Oude's front team was about to be destroyed.

This is an ambush planned by the Danishmends in advance!

"Rush over and report to Lord Raymond." The scouts shouted desperately and rushed out. They all drew their swords and ran towards the burning woods - over there, rushing from the mountains. The Danishmend soldiers who came down let out a scream of terror, crossed their feet over the steaming flames, and then lined up together to block the exit passage, and then fired arrows on the strings one after another.

The scout cavalry were shot one after another. Some of them were covered with arrows. They were already dead but their mounts were still running wildly. It was really a desperate and tragic scene - when the billowing smoke came out and drifted to Gangala. In the sky, and from the exit of the inclined valley, several horses full of arrows ran out When the blood-stained war horses rushed into the pilgrim camp that besieged the city, many people saw the flames flashing from the inclined valley and the shouts of killing from far to near. They couldn't help but fight, "Lord Oude is finished. "We're done!" shouts like this exploded instantly, and soon spread Throughout the entire camp, countless pilgrims threw down their weapons and ran away wildly. In front of a noble and gorgeous tent, Duke Guillaume hurriedly mounted his horse and threw away all his belongings and treasures. He cursed "Raymond's stupidity and greed". Ruined the entire pilgrimage cause, the thing in his hand The Holy Spear is a fake, a mockery and deception by the devil!" After saying that, under the protection of dozens of loyal and brave Aquitaine knights, he blended in with the huge retreating people and abandoned the siege in the northwest of Gangala. position, and hurriedly fled to Mikhail's army position on the rear side.

"What, all the troops in the west have fled?" Miles, Earl of Bray, was extremely surprised at the front gate of Gangala. "The Turks came from the inclined valley? Go and report to Lord Raymond and request as soon as possible. his resolution."

Because there were too many camps surrounding the city, it took about half an hour of chaos before the news reached Raymond's ears. The one-eyed Lord was so shocked that he stuttered even more, "Gather, gather everyone, gather, in front of the inclined valley. , line up, hold on, that’s victory.” (To be continued~^~)