≡ »In the sky, dawn is like a sharp sword, splitting the dark night and spitting out the blood-soaked morning light.
Under the dome, six thousand Dothraki roaring warriors, one man and two horses, gathered outside the ruins of Ves Kvor on the banks of the Sarn River, ready to go.
Mongol rode a fiery red warhorse, galloping from the east in the morning sun, with thunderous roars in his chest:
"Since I was able to ride a horse, I have never heard of Dothraki fearing war."
Six thousand Dothraki roaring warriors witnessed him killing Khal Zheko and his blood guards single-handedly. At this time, seeing Mongol's majestic figure, galloping on horseback, and listening to his roar that pierced through the stone and split the clouds, the cheers were like thunder.
Mongol raised his arakh scimitar, the warhorse galloped, and continued to roar:
"Dothraki, this is nature."
The roaring warriors roared and raised their scimitars and spears, and the sky was boiling.
Mongol rode past, weapons collided and roared:
"Now we need to march quickly, cross the river grassland, and pass through the forest plain. All this is for you, for your honor, and for your wealth. Dothraki men, Dothraki warriors, Dothraki roaring warriors, follow me, follow your khal, victory, victory at all costs, honor belongs to the brave Dothraki warriors, and wealth belongs to the Dothraki people."
The roar and the sound of horses' hooves shook the forest, and the sky and the earth were shocked. Under the leadership of Mongol Khal, six thousand roaring warriors rushed out of the Sarn River.
The army crossed the Sarn River from the ruins of Ves Kvor and headed north along the Valyrian Road.
One person rode two horses, switching back and forth, and even sleeping was tied to the horse's back. In addition to beans, dried meat, and dairy products, the Dothraki had a leather bag filled with milk, plus a corresponding amount of water, hung on the horse's back. When the horse galloped, it would vibrate violently, which would turn the milk in the leather bag into a paste, which could be used as food to satisfy hunger and replenish water.
At noon the next day, the army moved into the Qohor Forest, which is the largest forest in Essos. The trees in the forest are tall and strong, with trunks as wide as city gates, and the leaves are golden in the sun. The cavalry dispersed, and the horses jogged through the forest. Fortunately, the Dothraki had superb riding skills.
The forest is not safe, as it is inhabited by large elks and spotted tigers. Dozens of Dothraki patrol cavalry died under the antlers, or were dragged away with their horses, leaving behind their corpses after being eaten.
The Dothraki cavalry were also skilled in archery. They hunted a lot to replenish their supplies. They also hunted lemurs with silver fur and purple eyes. This feature reminded people of the typical appearance of Valyrians. Old Man Ofer explained that this lemur was called "Little Valyrian" and it was said that stroking its fur could bring good luck to people.
The trees in the Forest of Qohor were lush and covered the sky. They could only climb to the treetops to determine the time and direction.
As the third sun set, Old Man Ofer suggested that from today on, people's rations and horses' fine grains should be reduced, and as much supplies as possible should be saved to prevent accidents. It is easy to get lost in the forest, and luck is very important. At the same time, he was also worried that the march of the Jumokao tribe might not be so smooth. Once the plan started, it would slowly lose control and could only be quickly changed according to the specific situation.
At the eighth dawn, Mungo led 6,000 cavalrymen and finally saw the end of the Forest of Qohor. The Dothraki themselves were nomads, and at this time they looked more like wild men in the mountains.
Despite the experience and guidance of Old Man Ofer, it was still one day later than expected.
Before they completely walked out of the forest, they saw the endless waters. Mongol's heart suddenly sank, as if sinking to the bottom of the sea. The northernmost part of the Qohor Forest is the ocean. They once lost their way in the forest and walked to the seaside.
He couldn't help but feel nervous. Did they go the wrong way again? But this looked more like a lake.
At this moment, the Dothraki Roaring Warrior suddenly became agitated.
"This is not poisonous water, but a source of water. My horse can drink it."
The Dothraki people called sea water "poisonous water". They did not trust any liquid that horses could not drink.
The old man, Orver, got off his horse, scooped up the lake water and splashed it on his face, and said excitedly:
"This should be the lake north of Qohor City. I have been here. Its lake water is connected to the Undercurrent River. You can find the Undercurrent River by walking southwest along the lake."
Looking at the red sun rising in the east, and then looking at the lake in front of him and the Norvos Mountains looming in the distance, Mongol knew that he should have gone the right way this time.
Then, he sent out hundreds of patrol scouts to explore the traces and ordered the large army to rest on the spot.
At this moment, he fully realized the strength of Li Jing, Duke of Weiguo, Huo Qubing, Marquis of Champion, and others. He didn't know whether they had lost their way in the battle.
At noon, the patrol scouts returned to the camp one after another. According to the information from the scouts, the old man Aofu determined that they were in the north of Kohor City and the northeast of the Undercurrent River. At the same time, the scouts also brought back a bad news that the Jiumo Kao tribe did not appear outside Kohor City.
This made Mengge imagine that the other party had left Kohor City or had not arrived yet, or Jiumo Kao had discovered his plot long ago and turned back to attack his tribe. However, for the sake of safety, he only brought out 6,000 roaring warriors this time, and Kosoro still had the strength to fight.
Everything is possible. Now he is left with only infinite reverie and tormenting waiting.
He kept reminding himself to stay calm. He still needed to survey the terrain and not delay important matters.
Undercurrent River, the flowing river water rushed away, flying stars splashed, and huge whirlpools rolled up from time to time in the river.
Mungo was leading a team of cavalrymen to survey the terrain along the river bank. Looking at the turbulent river and the river surface that was getting wider as he went south, he said thoughtfully:
"At present, if the tribe of Jumo Kao wants to cross the river, they can only take the Undercurrent River Bridge."
Hearing his muttering, the old man Orver said confidently:
"The Undercurrent River Bridge not only connects to the Valyria Avenue, but is also wide enough for Jumo Kao's tribe to pass quickly. There is no better choice than there."
Mungo also thought so in his heart, but the wider the river surface downstream, the more likely it is to have shallows, and it is still impossible to guarantee that Jumo Kao will choose to cross the river at the Undercurrent River Bridge.
Until the group reached the intersection of the Undercurrent River and the Qinn River, they did not find shallow water to cross the river.
Looking at the Qinn River that was becoming more turbulent and farther away, he was completely sure that only the Undercurrent River Bridge could cross the river.
Mongol led the cavalry back to the Undercurrent River Bridge. The terrain here was just as the old man Ofer said, open and flat. If the enemy was halfway across the river, the cavalry could attack from behind and charge from a high position.
Looking at the other side of the bridge, he suddenly had an idea to go to the west bank to observe.
The Undercurrent River Bridge was the main route for foreign trade in Qohor City, but it was not heavily guarded. However, if you wanted to cross the bridge, you had to pay taxes.
The Dothraki had no money, and the tax officials pushed and shoved, but no one dared to stop them, allowing the cavalry to rush across the bridge. However, the bridge was indeed well built.
The terrain on the west bank was not as open as that on the east bank, but the other terrain features were not much different. It was enough for 6,000 cavalry to charge. The advantage was that the Norvos Hills were in the distance, which was conducive to hiding. Each had its own advantages, and it was difficult to choose.
Mongol still felt a little unhappy in his heart, and always felt that he had not grasped some key points, so he called Ofer and a Dothraki Howler to his side and asked:
"If you were Khal Jumo, how would you choose to cross the river?"
"You mean..." Ofer asked thoughtfully: "How would Khal Jumo arrange the formation for crossing the river."
Mongol's mind suddenly became clear, and he hurriedly said:
"Yes, will he arrange the Dothraki Howler to cross the river first, or give priority to ordinary tribes to cross the river."
"Dothraki Howler."
The two answered in unison.
Seeing Khal Mongol's eyes looking at him, the Dothraki Howler said proudly and straightforwardly:
"Dothraki warriors are given priority."
Then Ofer also gave his own answer:
"Khal Zheko has always arranged it this way before, and it has never changed. Warriors are the most important tribe. Without the protection of warriors, ordinary tribes cannot survive."
At this time, Mongol had made a decision in his heart.
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