The Water Gate of the City of Nicaea, which was the passage through which Gawain was sent back by Hajib, is located on the south side of the city, on the shore of the vast Lake Nicaea, with a small pier and a hidden dock where galleys can be used to move on the lake. After cruelly abandoning his wife, the Sultan of Konya came here, jumped into a boat, and went down the lake to the shore on that side.

Now by land, he feared being captured by the pilgrims' army. So for the gilligi standing on the bow deck . Arslan, looking at the faintly white arena behind the city walls, left over from the Roman antiquity, was filled with hatred and shame.

Now Giliki is inseparable from the great city, and his philosophy is completely different from that of the former Emir of Nicaea, Zahas, "The city is the best pearl that Allah has given to the faithful." Nicaea, I'll be back with thousands of warriors soon. That abominable red-handed cross sword banner, I will burn it in front of the temple with the captured enemy! ”

But just as Gilligi was gritting his teeth, a headwind blew, the sails shook violently, and the sailors pulling the ropes began to croak loudly, and Gilligi turned back—on the high ridge on the other side of the lake, the flag he was most hostile to was being raised at the pass of the rising sun! "The Armenian dog, the Armenian dog Pakad, really sold the fortress of Ben Sultan."

In fact, it was not only the gilligi who left by ship who was surprised and angry, but also Bohemond who was commanding the formation, the Normans advanced very quickly, and just last night Bohemond summoned all the counts and asked them to line up the besieging deer fence around the Constantine Tim Gate in the city of Nicaea. Calabrian crossbowmen were stationed on guard, and he sent five hundred soldiers. Guarding the entrance to the canyon, ready to bargain with Godfrey and Gawain.

However. A day later, Parkard sold his castle - Gawain's Red Hand Dalian was the first to go straight down the pass, and climbed over it mightily.

First were the Greek infantry companies and Lombard soldiers with spears, then the cavalry companies with horses, and finally the sailors' companies and the craftsmen's companies, who together with their servants used small two-wheeled carts to transport their baggage. Thousands of people followed the curved gray mountain road, winding upwards to Gawain in the center of the formation. Constantly looking back, looking at the hidden coast around Civet, stretching for more than a dozen ancient miles, he implemented the strategy of "the big camp behind" - he agreed with Godfrey that only the combat troops would be brought in, and Peter and Gottschalke would stay behind to organize the resettlement and aftermath of the pilgrims.

The number of pilgrims has now shrunk by a new step: about 10,000. Half of them had some money, and after the situation stabilized, they were still reluctant to continue to move forward and meet the endless killing of each other with the Turks. They found the monks and priests, broke their vows of holy war, and took the ship back. Returning to the vicinity of Constantinople, most of them were saved by the emperor. Acquired residency in the imperial capital and the rest of Thrace. The number of ordinary pilgrims who remain in Chivet today is about 100,000 (30,000 are those of Peter and Walter). 30,000 are from Gottschalke, and nearly 40,000 are from Godfrey).

"Gawain, how are you?" As Gawain looked at Chivet, then turned his head to look at Nicaea on the other side of the mountain, and then stopped at the horse, Anna, who was sitting in a small shoulder in the queue, lifted the curtain and asked in a low voice--This shoulder was bought by Gawain from the camp of Baldwin's wife, Goldchild, before leaving, after all, there were more noblewomen and maidens in the Franks, but the money was not spent-"Oh, I see, this shoulder can be given to the priesthood, anyway, he needs this now, You can't tell the delicate girl to walk the rough mountain road, as a thank you gift for coming to the rescue of our husband and wife at the former St. Atkins Bridge. With a beautiful and "know-it-all" smile, Gothchild rubbed her finger against her nose and said to the fat eunuch who had come to run an errand, and then she smiled more, clasped her hands, and added to the fat eunuch, "By the way, if Gawain lacks any items for girls in the future, he will come and ask me directly." ”

"Nothing, just a reminder." Gawain heard Anna's call, looked over on horseback, and replied with a smile.

At the same time, the servants and guards who were carrying the shoulders also stopped, and when Anna saw this, she hurriedly nodded to Gawain, signaled that she could continue to open, and lowered the curtain, and then Agnes, who was sitting next to her, came over with a scroll in her hand, "Look at this group of pilgrims, who are obviously a group of reckless men without wisdom, but they want to take down a city like Nicaea, how sad." Then, Agnes' eyes flashed, and she took Anna's hand, "Why don't we leave, this road is full of dangers, those women from the West, once they fail, will be taken captive by the Turks, and they will be subjected to unspeakable humiliation, or they will be reduced to cathartic slaves, or they will be killed." Come back to Res with me."

Who wanted Anna to break away from her hand and said softly and firmly, "I am a person with a goal, and a person with no way out." ”

"What if it's really dangerous, and that Gawain can't protect you?"

"Then kill yourself." Under the curtain, looking at the lake and foothills in front of her, Anna's brown pupils did not fluctuate at all, and her tone was faint.

Agnes shuddered, and stopped talking.

After the wooden fence, Bohemond swayed out with his sword and in his tent, and his teeth were about to be crushed when he looked at Gawain, who was surrounded by foot riders from the mountain road, and his banner.

Behind him, Tancrad also came over, looking coldly at Gawain through the fence.

And Anna raised her hand, and quickly pulled down the other layer of dark curtains, and soon disappeared her face and figure in the shoulder, so that the group of Norman bandits could not see her clearly, so as not to cause disputes and troubles.

But this subtle movement was also seen by the sharp-eyed Bohemond, who did not see the person clearly, but had already guessed that there must be a woman sitting in this shoulder, so he laughed, "Your Excellency Grand Duke Gawain, I haven't seen you for a long time since the battle of Bari. ”

"Yes, I salute you, the most honorable prince of Apulia, the Emperor's Commander of Asia, who tried to contact Your Excellency when he clashed with the Emperor's army at the gates of Constantinople, but unfortunately it was unsuccessful." Gawain rested his hand on the brim of his helmet.

"We had already crossed the sea to get here."

"Is it to rescue the pilgrims who are being besieged by Surelman?" Gawain sneered.

Bohemond did not answer directly, but pointed to his shoulder and said, "Who is this?" Two days ago I received an urgent letter from the Emperor from the fortress of Nicomedia, which seemed to bring my attention to the noble maiden who had recently been abducted in the imperial capital. (To be continued.) )