This group of troops descended along the Plivensus River, from the area of the Iron Gate Fort and the Morava River, and soon cut off the back road of Fort Sophia!

This is Gawain's "back move", even if it does not cooperate with the frontal siege team very accurately, but in this medieval era, this tacit understanding of frontal detour attack is enough to kill the rest of the army of the same era in an instant.

The roundabout army was all Gawain's elite - three companies of Italian veterans, plus three hundred Lombard infantry troops brought by Birel, which was in fact equal to four companies (equivalent to four detachments of the Byzantine army), of which the military commander was Birel and the head of the ship was Andreev. Yelgo. Among them were hundreds of Paulician heretics and Cuman archers who volunteered to join in the process of making enemies of the Byzantine Roman Emperor.

In advance of the shipbuilding camp at Iron Gate Fort, Andreev worked overtime to build a large number of improvised wooden boats and rafts, after the arrival of Gawain's herald cavalry. The supreme governor who stayed behind, Wesat. Merlot organized this roundabout attack, which in fact proved to be very successful.

At least that's what the Byzantine soldiers in the fire tunnel on the top of the hill thought, and when the soldier who was carrying the candle and poked out his head to watch the path down the mountain gave an alarm, the small black team threw stones and arrows in their heads, and the soldier screamed and dodged, and then retracted back to the wall of the fire tunnel, and the dense sound hit the wall and exploded: but it didn't help, and soon a few men with dark robes and armor quickly jumped in from everywhere, and then the fire candle was knocked over, The cold light of the blade swept through with the screams of the people, a short death fight. It ended quickly in the night - more than a dozen of the soldiers guarding the fire tunnel were killed or wounded. The Banner Bearer of the Boss is tied up and loses his ability to instruct the town below.

Then. Isaac who had just stepped on horseback in the small castle field. Komnenos saw the shouts of killing on the top of the hill above it, and the red hand flag fluttering on it, and the imperial brother was immediately stunned, "Our backs have been attacked by Gawain's despicable fellow. Branas also saw it, so he gritted his teeth, pulled the halter, and came to Sebastoprat's side, "We must break out as soon as possible." Wait until the enemy is in formation to block it. ”

Isaac nodded, and then the blood genes of the Komunen family began to awaken, "Gawain, it's too early for you to humiliate me as the second glorious person of the Roman Empire!" When I get back to Adrianople, I'll gather my team and fight you! Don't underestimate Komnenos's bravery and wisdom. Then the trumpets sounded, and the eastern gates of the town were opened, and Branas took the lead with a Byzantine oak spear with a small flag. Thirty or forty cavalrymen rushed out with shouts, lined up in a fierce and fierce formation, and pounced on the muddy ground at the confluence of the river.

The dozens of Paulines who were in the front of the line were immediately killed and wounded by Branas. Among them, Branas stabbed two or three of his enemies with his own spear, and the rest fled in all directions," said Lord Sebastoclat. Keep up! Branath raised his spear and turned back to the cavalry behind him.

"Andronicus is well done. When I get to Adrianople, I will play my brother and crown you as a nobleman with a sword in a white robe. Great medals will shine on your armor and lintel. Surrounded by the rest of the cavalry, Isaac whipped his horse, and kept promises, "The rest of my comrades, each of whom will give twenty gold coins, will not break their word." ”

Branas, who was even more jubilant, continued to charge forward with his spear, and in front of the path of the river, several small groups of enemy Italians, using halberds and axes, made ambush attacks on the cavalry around him, and these soldiers were obviously specially trained to make use of the surrounding bushes and low walls, and fought in groups of three and two.

A cavalry horse was slashed and stabbed, and after falling under the horse, it was immediately dragged away and killed, but Branas continued to roar, and stabbed the tip of the riding spear from the shoulder down, into the chest of the standard-bearer of Gawain, and then the head of Branas's horse knocked it away, "The glorious Branas family will not give in!" So saying, the young general, still rushing to the forefront, threw down his spear, and drew his sword in valiant force, for in the midst of his gallop he saw a samurai, dressed in heavy armor, coming ashore from his boat, and with a long halberd in his hands, he stabbed straight towards him.

"Ahh Branas swung his sword and slashed at the opponent, and then the fire exploded, and his sword was broken by what the Italians called roncone (the hook of the halberd), and then the warrior shouted loudly and directly used the halberd to cut off the hind legs of Branas's horse! Branath stumbled from the fallen horse to the ground, but his relatively light cavalry was armoured so that he could quickly get back up, and then pulled his spare single-edged saber from his belt, but the warrior did not chase - the cavalry behind Branas swept past him, forcing him back with swords and spears.

Branass hurriedly wiped the dust and nosebleeds from his face with his hands, and continued to run forward with his saber and chop, and several of the rowing Paulians and Schiavonians in front of him saw his fierce appearance, and ran back to their boats, and hurriedly retreated, while the other cavalry gave up his mount to him, and Branas, seeing that his cavalry had succeeded in breaking through and occupying the small sandbar that could cross the Plivensus River, was full of joy and turned on his horse, and waved his arms loudly at the back.

But he could not see anything, and after rushing about two Gustadias, he found that there were only thirty or so people still with him, and at this time the cavalry also looked back in surprise.

Your Excellency the Imperial Brother, where are the hundreds of cavalry guarding him!

Soon, the dust raised from the flanks of the town told Branas all the answers—after Isaac had managed to attract many enemies to chase him after he had charged towards the riverbank, he gave a decisive order, "Let's break out in reverse!" ”

The so-called reverse breakout, which is to lead the cavalry in the opposite direction after the enemy has set up a blockade in the front, and let the enemy's interception be futile, is an extremely bold and unexpected tactic, and only a few people of the empire can come up with such wisdom and courage as His Excellency Sebastocrat.

Isaac's direction was to follow the southwestern walls of Sofia, break into the terrain of the Rila Mountains, collect some boats, and follow the Thrace River to reach Adrianople safely.

This is a circuitous breakthrough route that Gawain's intelligence cannot even figure out, especially when Isaac sees more and more enemy ships and infantry coming ashore to intercept him in the direction of the riverbank. (To be continued.) )