"Beneath the Cloak of Darkness"
After night fell, a rider came to the camp with urgent news. He said there was a camp not too far from here—a huge one. Kara swiftly assessed the situation. The rider drew what he had seen at the camp on the ground with a stick. They began planning.
Kara looked at Tanrıverdi and asked, "How many men here can fight now?"
Tanrıverdi replied, "Maybe 1,000. It's night. Should I wake them up?"
Kara raised his hand, signaling, "No need. Cover your faces, and only take the black horses if you can. Take those who are experienced—I have to see it myself."
They rode toward the camp, and before they got too close, they dismounted. Slowly, through the trees, they observed the camp. Wolfram whispered, "It looks like they're having a festival there."
Kara nodded. "Yes, they're far too proud for their own good." He turned to the riders and asked, "Do you recognize this banner?"
"No, beyim, but it seems to be Eastern European."
Kara said, "Aye, it doesn't matter anyway. Let's watch them a bit more."
They continued spying on the camp, the tension palpable. Wolfram, feeling the pressure of the situation, muttered, "I should have peed before this—these stressful waits always make me feel like I'm going to burst."
As the night wore on, the sounds of the camp began to fade, and it was now quite late. Kara looked at the river, noting how their enemies, like them, had positioned their backs to the Dniester. "Alright, let's head back," he said, and they slowly returned to the riders waiting for them.
One of the riders asked, "What do we do now, Kara?"
Wolfram interjected, "We're not just going to march in there, wake them up, and invite them to a fight, are we?"
Kara raised his eyebrows and turned his gaze to Wolfram. "How many do you think there are?"
Wolfram hesitated, unsure of the answer.
Kara continued, "Let me tell you--if there are that many tents, there are at most 20,000 men in that camp, all fast asleep. The guards at the gate are probably tired, maybe even sneaking drinks and getting drunk. Their army isn't disciplined; we've slipped right into their midst. They have an inexperienced commander."
Tanrıverdi chimed in, "Or maybe an idiot."
Wolfram added, "Or someone who's overly confident."
Kara scowled. "Whatever! Don't confuse me! If we send in 1,000 men and set 200 on fire at the exit, the chaos alone will be enough for them. Then what?" Wolfram asked. "What will we do?"
"We'll keep pushing. If we retreat, they'll realize we're just a small force. We have to push them until they break. This can't be done with arrows and fleeing--we need close combat. We need to set the tents on fire, increase the number of torches, and wait for my signal. If we drive them back to the river where they've positioned themselves, the chaos will swallow them."
Tanrıverdi was stunned. "What are you saying, Kara? I mean, beyim, this is madness. If they've come this close to us thinking these lands are unguarded, this event will give them confidence. 20,000 soldiers will feel like 40,000. The battle is lost here first," he said, tapping his head. "Remember the chaos at the Dniester? If we push them back into the river, the rest will be a bloodbath--or should I say a blood river, ha ha."
Wolfram asked, "But what if we don't succeed, Kara? What then? If we wait a little longer, our numbers will increase, and we can fight on equal terms."
"The terms are already equal, Gengiz," Kara said. "On one side, there's me and my 1,000 riders; on the other side, if you join them that makes it even, doesn't it? Ha ha ha." Kara's words instilled confidence in the men. The atmosphere was charged with self-assurance, and the riders were all young men eager to prove themselves. One of them stepped forward and said, "If you're in, Kara, we're in too. Let's go in and get it over with. Better to die fighting like kings than to live poor and on the run."
Kara looked at the young man. "Just don't die on me, kid. I promise I'll get you two Christian brides." The soldiers laughed. The young man was engaged, and hearing this, Kara added, "Things like that happen during wartime, don't take it too seriously. Besides, we don't want Ashina's curse on us, do we? Alright, I promise I'll see to your wedding," he said, and they laughed. Then Kara turned serious. "Get ready--we're about to make Tengri proud," he declared.