Ever since hearing the news that the Lombards intended to attack the Burgundian kingdom, Art was wary of danger and began to be on guard against Lombardy. Soon after, a team of fifty people was dispatched to the south of the valley, asking them to find a place that was easy to defend and difficult to attack as a temporary camp after arriving near the mouth of the valley, but not too close to the Lombard village they had discovered before, so as not to expose their target. Later supplies of food and grass will be delivered on time by dedicated personnel.
This detachment was led by squadron leader Hans, assisted by Bury, who had previously been promoted to squadron leader.
There are forty soldiers in the small team, all of whom are veterans of Hans's command and have rich combat experience. In addition, there are ten soldiers who are newly recruited soldiers who have just completed their recruit training. Most of them are from hunters. There are also two or three baggage soldiers selected by the baggage team who are responsible for managing the accompanying mules and horses and providing simple medical treatment.
Due to the current unknown situation, additional commercial roads are under construction. Art only asked this small group of people to find a dangerous place to set up camp at the mouth of the valley in the south.
According to Art's previous explanation, the group successfully found the basin marked on the map. When a few people arrived there, it was early spring, and the area of the lake in the basin had also shrunk a lot due to the decrease in water volume in the surrounding rivers. The broken fishing nets on the edge of the lake had long since disappeared~
After arriving at the basin and doing some repairs, Hans led everyone to continue walking for a long distance along the river that rushed southward. They did not choose a suitable camp until the river was almost out of the valley.
This is located at the southernmost mouth of the Wells Valley. The terrain at the mouth of the valley is extremely steep. In addition to the turbulent river, only a narrow river bank of less than twenty feet can be vaguely seen on one side of the river. After leaving the mouth of the valley, there is still a large wilderness, but it already belongs to the Principality of Lombardy.
The selected camp is located more than 300 steps north of the valley entrance. It is a relatively open space in the canyon, with a length and breadth of about a hundred steps. The open space is bordered by a river on the left and a cliff on the right. It can barely be built into a garrison camp.
After selecting the camp, Hans immediately sent people to rush back to the valley. Soon after, a team of a hundred people arrived carrying food tools and led by a craftsman and a construction manager.
After more than half a month of construction, a temporary checkpoint at the mouth of the valley to resist the Lombard invasion has taken shape.
The cliffs on both sides of the checkpoint are towering and the slopes are densely forested and steep. The river on the left side of the road flows rapidly, and the boulders in the river are covered with moss and are extremely smooth.
The checkpoints are built against the cliffs on the right, all made of river rocks. It was more like a six-foot-thick half-wall than a checkpoint. Due to the narrowness of the road, no more than one carriage could pass. According to the opinion of the craftsman, this place is not suitable for building a small fort. The purpose of the checkpoint was to prevent Lombard infiltration without fear of their approaching army. Because as far as the surrounding terrain is concerned, except for infantry and cavalry that can barely pass through, there is no way that large siege equipment can appear here. Even if the enemy builds a ladder to climb the city, they can only build one ladder at a time.
Therefore, Hans agreed to the craftsman’s design and built a heavy stone wall relying on the mountain. At the same time, several gaps are left in the middle of the stone wall to observe the situation on the other side. Four people can stand on top of the stone wall at the same time, and a stone wall with four openings was built to prevent soldiers from being injured by arrows. A small camp was set up in a slightly more spacious area near the checkpoint to provide shelter from the wind and rain for the soldiers on duty.
After the checkpoint was completed, the craftsmen organized soldiers to cut down many trees to build a simple camp for more than fifty people in the open space behind the checkpoint. The air in the valley is humid and has been uninhabited for hundreds of years. Inconspicuous things such as insects, snakes, and rats can easily cause diseases to the soldiers. If they don't get treatment, they are likely to die in the wilderness. Previously, when Ron led people to explore this valley, one of the soldiers had to stop advancing and return to the valley because one of the soldiers was ill. Fortunately, the sick soldier received treatment in time, otherwise he would have had no choice but to serve God.
In view of this lesson, the barracks built by the Artisan craftsmen must be far away from the ground, with giant logs as supports at the bottom, and the height can only accommodate a horse standing. The bottom serves as stables and feed sheds. The upper floor serves as a barracks for soldiers and stores grain, grass, baggage and other supplies. In this way, not only can the amount of work be reduced, but also time can be saved.
After the checkpoints and barracks were built, the craftsmen who completed the task returned to the valley with their apprentices. Now, the only ones stationed here are the fifty legionnaires.
Having been stationed here for more than a month, there was no sign of the Lombards. The soldiers usually didn't dare to drink and gamble on beans, so they could only take their bows and arrows to hunt wild animals in the surrounding mountains and forests for a change. Of course, all this was done with Hans's tacit approval. This place is not as good as a valley and is inaccessible. If these brothers around me are not allowed to find some work to pass the time, most of them will fall ill.
Like these soldiers, Hans also found something to do for himself, which was to take his good brother Bury to the river to fish with him with a homemade fishing rod.
At the bend of the river, after Hans arranged his duties, he took his guys and came here with Bury. The two of them sat on the stone, taking off the wine naan from their waists and taking a few sips from time to time, and then drank with a handful of green beans.
"Hey, Hans, does this fishing rod you made yourself work?" Berry, who had been fishing for a long time without seeing any fish bite the hook, became a little anxious. He lifted the fishing rod and took a look at the fishing line that was kneaded into a hemp rope with several skins. Then he checked the earthworms hanging on the fishhook made of branches and kept shaking his head.
"You kid, why are you so anxious? Fishing requires patience. With you like this, the fish would have been scared away~" Hans comforted him.
Bury sighed softly, then threw the fishhook into the water again, and threw aside the fishing rod made of long wooden sticks. He took off the wine naan from his waist and started drinking alone again.
“Berry, you are now a squadron leader like me. Now you can’t do things as recklessly as before. It’s right to calm down and think more.” Hans advised earnestly.
"I know, I know, you are the only one who talks a lot. Look, you are so loud that it scares away all my fish~" Berry lifted the fishing rod casually and suddenly felt a force coming from the end of the fishing rod.
"Hey, there's a fish! There's a fish!" Berry shouted loudly. Hans, who was sitting next to him, also hurriedly got up~
In the end, a big fish weighing two pounds was caught out of the water by the two of them.
"I'll just say there is a fish~" Hans grabbed the fish's gills and kept looking at this big thing that was almost as long as an arm.
Bury also had a smile on his face, and he grabbed the tail of the fish that kept swinging with both hands. Said: "It's good now, I finally don't have to chew those hard dried meats today."
After saying that, the two people put away their fishing rods and ran towards the camp happily~
………
At dark, the two of them ate fish simmering in an iron pot in the barracks with the light from the fire, and the room was filled with the aroma of the fish soup.
"Come, have a drink~" Berry picked up the wine and clinked glasses with Hans.
"Come on~" Hans put down half of the fish head in his hand, picked up the wine naan and poured it into his mouth.
While the two were drinking to their heart's content, the sentry came to report. This afternoon, several soldiers went out hunting and strayed into the dense forest near the side of Mount Meral. Just as several people knocked down a wild boar and rushed forward to check, one of the soldiers was shot in the calf by an arrow that suddenly flew out of the dense forest. A few people panicked and quickly carried the injured soldier out. After a few people left, the wild boar was immediately dragged into the depths of the forest~
"...What? A wild boar weighing more than a hundred pounds was robbed just like that! That's equivalent to our half-month ration." After hearing the news, Bury was furious, his eyes widened as big as a copper bell, as if he would not give up until he could get the wild boar back.
"Let's go, take someone with you, I want to see which bastard dares to steal our things!"
Hans hurriedly grabbed Bury and said: "Burry, have you forgotten that the earl has ordered not to provoke those people in the dense forest for the time being. Their identity is unknown, and it is unclear whether they are friends or foes." Hans also hurriedly chased after him.
ifier Bury, it's already dark now, and we have no idea about the situation in the mountains at the moment. What if we lead troops rashly and encounter an ambush? Don't forget, our mission is to guard the valley. We can't afford it if the Earl blames us.' "So what do you want to do?"
"In this way, after dawn tomorrow, we will take people to negotiate and let them return our prey."
Bury, who calmed down, agreed with Hans's opinion, then dismissed the soldiers, and returned to the house with Hans.
After breakfast early on the second day, Hans and Bury gathered twenty soldiers and prepared to go to the dense forest to find those guys who stole their people's prey yesterday.
The moment they left the camp and walked towards the dense forest, a figure that had been lurking not far away to observe immediately disappeared into the bushes~
………
"Chief, they are coming~"
Deep in the jungle, a man who looked like a hunter who had just hurried back from the entrance to the hill reported to a guy wearing animal skins, with protruding cheekbones and an unusually tall physique.
"Everyone is ready to fire arrows as soon as they cross the line!"
"Yes!" everyone replied in unison.
Hans, who was holding a wooden stick, was also sweating profusely and kept wiping his forehead.
“Bury, you said you had to compete with others and brought us to such a hellish place~” Hans kept complaining, and as he spoke, he took off the wine bag and took a swig.
Bury just looked back and said nothing. Continue to direct the people in front to clear the way.
Half a day later, the road ahead gradually became wider, and there were faint traces of human activities.
"Burry, look, there are a lot of footprints here~" the sharp-eyed Hans shouted to Bury who was walking in front. Bury immediately stopped and walked in to check. Immediately, the group followed the footprints to the pass located at the innermost part of the hill.
ification as the soldier in front opened his mouth, he was hit in the neck by an arrow flying from the dense forest on the right. He vomited blood and fell to the ground.
“There are enemies!” Hans shouted, and then he took off the arrows on his back with his backhand. With his right hand, he took out a light arrow from the quiver on his waist and put it on the string, while his eyes searched for the target.
Hiberry, who was leaning behind a big tree, held a long sword in his hand and looked around from time to time, looking for the enemy.
Other soldiers also crouched down and drew their bows and arrows or held sharp blades in their hands, ready to fight the enemy at any time.
After a moment, the forest suddenly became quiet, without even the sound of birds chirping.
Hans, who was shielded by boulders, took advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness and rolled to Hans' side. He said: "It's over now. It looks like we were ambushed."
Bury on the side took advantage of Hans's words to glance in the direction where the arrow just flew, with cold sweat on his forehead.
"What to do now? These bastards are at a high place, we can't even see their shadows!"
"In this case, I'll call and talk to them."
Berry nodded in agreement.
Then, Hans cleared his throat and shouted loudly: "Guys on the mountain, we don't mean any harm. The purpose of our trip is just to retrieve the prey that was snatched away by you yesterday. As long as you return it to us, everyone will be safe. If~"
· Bang~
Before Hans could finish speaking, a trembling arrow was nailed behind the trunk of the tree the two of them were leaning against.
"These bastards, if I catch them, I will chop off their heads!" Berry gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with anger.
After a confrontation between the two groups, a word came from the dense forest: "The people who brought you will get out of here immediately. If you dare to step in again, you will all die! If you hadn't blocked the road in and out of the valley, we wouldn't have had trouble with you for a wild boar!"
Immediately, a roar came from the dense forest, demonstrating to the group of people.
"You bastard, you robbed our things and you still dare to scream here. Let me tell you the truth, we are the men of Art Wood Wells, Earl of Wales in the north. If you dare to offend our Earl, all of you will die sooner or later!" Bury was furious and threatened the people on the mountain angrily.
"Mr. Christopher, why are you here?" The leading man on the mountain hurriedly stepped forward to help the old man.
"I'm not afraid that you reckless guys will cause big trouble!"
"By the way, is the Earl of the northern province of Wales he just mentioned named Art Wood Wells?" The old man's voice trembled slightly.
"Yes, Master Christopher. Could it be that they are the men of the guy who brought people here last time?" The leading man suddenly remembered those guys who came with a few guards to explore last year.
"It seems it's really him~" the old man said softly.
“Master Christopher, who is he that you are talking about?” The leading man was full of doubts. In his memory, the last time he heard that this person's surname was Wells, the old man was filled with guilt. But he never mentioned who this person was from beginning to end. Now it seems that this person must be acquainted with the old man.
"Ke~" Just as the man was about to speak, the old man stopped him.
"Quickly, return the prey you brought back yesterday to them immediately?"
"Return it to them?" The leading man was puzzled and continued, "Then what will we eat in the future? These people have sealed the only exit in and out of the valley. How can we go out and exchange food with the people in the villages near the valley entrance."
"Currently we have enough food to last for several months. The most urgent task is to return the prey to them immediately, otherwise we will all suffer disaster~" The old man was excited and coughed a few times.
"Master Christopher, don't worry, I'll send someone to return the prey to them right away~"