Eagle Byzantium

Anna ran along the battlement. She thought Gawain had walked in front of the team and went far away.

She felt that the setting sun would soon sink. Once it sank, her world would fall into gray again.

"Gawain..." Anna was tired. She pressed the battlement. Because she was short, she couldn't get a good view. She could only shout at the Sarabria wilderness with tears.

The eldest princess's voice echoed in the city walls, trenches and the wilderness until she heard the sound of "yo yo yo" in response. It was the sound of calling deer in the Paphlagonia region. She had already sat down, but she stood at a protruding war corridor, where she could see the entire Sarabria wilderness more clearly.

On a slightly raised hill, next to a solitary tree swaying in the wind, Sabina was eating grass with her head down, and Gawain stood there, covering her mouth with his hands. He learned the sound of calling deer from Mikhail. He and Anna had used this sound to catch musk deer in Alexius's royal garden before.

After the sound was blown over by the wind, Gawain, wearing holy armor, put his hands down and continued to stand there so that the princess could see him.

After a while, Gawain continued to raise his hands high, condensing in mid-air, and then shook his arms twice in the direction where Anna was standing. After that, he picked up the helmet with red hand feathers from the ground, put it on his head, tied the scarlet guard cloak, turned over and straddled Sabina's back, carrying the oak sapling lance with the red hand flag, and walked from Anna's right eye to her left eye, and walked out of her eyes, disappearing in the blood-red sunset and the mountains.

As the sun set, the golden halo of Anna's back standing on the city wall slowly dissipated until it merged with the low twilight, leaving only the ochre-red city wall and some blurred strips of color...

Three days later, Gawain and Diogenes, along with 500 mercenaries sponsored by the emperor, arrived at the Gallipoli Fortress.

There, Taitsius was already waiting at the camp with a thousand armed soldiers.

"I am here to assist you, the Count Commander, in your expedition to Apulia and Bari under the order of the Imperial Caesar." This is what the cavalry general said. Gawain looked at the lineup he led. In addition to the 500 Turkmen and Cuman light cavalry, there were also 500 lightly armed infantry and military servants, wearing robes, carrying small Turkish shields, and hanging axes and slings. The equipment was even "lighter" than the emperor's Tekopo mercenaries. The Tekopo people were not a nation, but a group. They were all mixed-race people. Their fathers were Turks or Saracens, and their mothers were Greeks in the empire. They were the assistants of the emperor's archery guards. They used composite bows and swords, carried round iron shields, wore retro-style helmets, dark red robes, and adopted a Turkic tactical style. They were relatively good archers and light cavalry.

"Are these all the troops of the empire?" Gawain looked at the nose-cut-off Titishius, who shook his head, "These 1,000 people are all Caesar's private soldiers, and I am also Caesar's private servant. This time I came to join the army because of Caesar's intention, not the emperor's."

Oh, then I understand, it turns out that this team is also an "angel investment". Well, now the "three camps" mentioned by Macolinus have all the investments: the emperor's private Tecopo mercenaries, the empire's public Italian veterans and packhorse teams, and Macolinus's personal 1,000 private soldiers.

This extremely mixed team, let alone saving the siege of Amalfi City, even walking from Gallipoli to Italy is a huge challenge for Gawain.

"We are all beasts living on the edge, in this empire." This was the first sentence Gawain said to Diogenes, Titishius, and Francesco when they were discussing matters in the garrison tent.

The three of them looked at Gawain without saying a word, and probably felt that what he said made sense.

"You, Diogenes, are a mixed-blood border guard; you, Taitishius who lost his nose, are a Turkish slave, a servant of the imperial Caesar; and you, Francesco, are an Italian officer from Amalfi." After calling out the names one by one, Gawain pointed at himself, "And I, am a Varangian from the north, a typical barbarian."

"We are all treated coldly and rejected because of our identities, but you, Gawain, have the best of both worlds, and both the noble lady and the princess like you." Taitishius, who had no nose, kicked Gawain's "chicken soup for the soul" to the ground with just one sentence. After saying that, Taitishius covered his face with his cloak, leaving only his eyes exposed, with a "one-hit-and-take-off" plundering momentum.

Gawain was speechless for a while, and was unable to refute. He could only give up the mobilization in advance and pointed at the sand table around the Gallipoli Fortress. "Now our road must go by sea."

At this time, Taitius nodded, "If we go by land, it will be too long and the supply will be difficult to sustain."

"But at the cape of the fortress, on the only way to the sea, there are nests and fortresses of the Zahas Turkic bandits blocking the way. The Amalfi ships can only enter, but not leave now." At this time, the guard pulled out the whip tied at his waist and pointed at the sand table.

"Then break their stronghold." Gawain said concisely.

"In this way, it will be much more convenient and faster to go to Thessalonica by sea." Francesco agreed.

But the officer shook his head and continued to use his whip to gesture, "Although it is only a group of Zahas who are entrenched at the Gallipoli Cape, they have light boats and have tied up many local farmers to serve as oarsmen. This fortress is located between steep cliffs and one side is close to the sea. There are many caves with turbulent currents in the entrance and exit areas, which are used as hiding places for their boats. We must plan carefully."

Gawain stared at the sand table and then said, "General Taitius, don't you have 500 lightly armed cavalry? The Tekopo people I brought with me are also capable of riding and shooting raids."

A correct version in 16-9 Books and Bars!

"It is impossible for horses to rush up the cliffs by the sea, and it is impossible to fight on a swaying ship." The officer felt that the new earl commander was talking too much.

But Gawain did not show any anger. He just said, "The infantry and cavalry will fight separately. I want to ask you, the commander, what is the location of the Zahas Turks' nest under this cape?"

"The Heliston Strait lies between Gallipoli and Abydos, and its width is only half a mile. The Turks' base is located at Erainus at the top of this cape. Because they are not many in number, they need to be in a place where they can attack and defend. This area is full of steep mountains in the middle, and only the coastal area is flat, with some narrow streams for ships to enter and exit." This is how the commander explained.

"Very good, then we will fight Erainus." Gawain made up his mind.