Chapter 106 Can’t Walk
In the autumn afternoon, a team of 1,200 people was busy dismantling tents on an empty grassland.
The sun shines on them through the sparse leaves, and combined with the water mist and spores floating in the air, there is a sultry feeling.
The children were still laughing and helping the adults roll up the tents, while some elderly villagers were struggling to carry their luggage or load the carriage.
The grassy smell of the swamp hung in the air, making people breathless. Sweat flowed along people's armpits to their waists, soaking their pants.
The sick villagers were carefully supported and walked towards the carriage. Some of them were still sleeping, while others were coughing, their voices hoarse and weak.
Boy soldiers and elders shuttled among the crowd, coughing and falling sliding on the grass.
Busak stood on a carriage and directed everyone to carry luggage and tents.
Standing at the front of the team, Horn frowned, contemplating his next move.
After another count, there are already more than 400 patients in Horn's camp.
Although most of them can still walk, when they really want to hit the road, their walking speed is much slower than normal.
"Throw away all the baggage that can be thrown away, and throw away the food. As long as you are alive, there is always a way." Horn captured the boy army and asked him to inform him of this order.
His eyes stopped at a carriage. An old man was struggling to climb up. His face was pale and his breathing was rapid.
Horn immediately walked over, extended a helping hand, held the old man's waist, and pushed the old man into the car.
As soon as he turned around from the carriage, Horn saw Carrie and the boy army who had been sent to explore the road earlier.
They hurriedly jumped from their horses and searched everywhere for signs of Horn.
"How's it going?" Horn strode forward and walked up to Carrie and Boyjun.
The boy army handed a simple hand-drawn map to Horn: "There is indeed a small road, about 12 miles away from here, but there is a small river there, and the original wooden bridge was washed away. Let's We have to build a sheepskin raft pontoon first."
Horn nodded and called Das.
"Das, take a brigade of Guards soldiers with sheepskin rafts on their backs, and go to the river to build a pontoon first. It must be completed before we arrive."
"As you command, Your Majesty."
After receiving the order, Das led the only Guards brigade whose members were not sick, and ran toward the predetermined location on a sheepskin raft.
Just as Horn was about to leave, Carrie opened her arms, pouted, and closed her eyes.
“Yeah.”
Horn touched her head: “What for?”
"Where's my reward?"
"I didn't say I'd give it to you right away. Let's wait until I'm free." Horn held her waist and pushed her to the patient camp, "You Go get those people with mobility difficulties into the carriage.”
“You are a bastard like a goat!”
“Hey, what the hell, who is the bastard of a goat today? !”
Despite such complaints, Carrie went to the patient camp and loaded the seriously ill patients into the carriage.
A carriage was loaded here, urging the people accompanying it to get on the road. When Horn turned around, he saw Cosey again knocking away the crowd of people trotting back and forth.
"What's wrong?" Horn asked hurriedly, looking at Cosey, who was running out of breath.
Kosei took a few breaths: "We have too many patients, and the car can't fit them."
"Then let the Guards or the Black Hats carry them. Their own Put your luggage on the horse and carry it. No sick or wounded soldiers are allowed to ride!"
After intense preparations, Horn finally set off across the country within half an hour.
On the long road, the wheels made a creaking sound, and the villagers struggled to carry their luggage and the wounded. On both sides of the road, the originally endless puddles and gullies gradually disappeared, replaced by dense metasequoias.
The water spider glided on the water, passing by a large water snake dragging the rotting carcass of a water vole.
The metasequoia seems to be a street tree or a sentinel, silently watching the marching crowd.
The villagers looked tired and their clothes were soaked with sweat.
The children no longer laughed. They followed their parents and relatives silently, holding the adults' clothes tightly with their little hands.
The sick villagers became increasingly weak and coughed one after another.
The steps rose and fell mechanically. As he walked, a villager fell to the ground or fainted, and had to be moved to the carriage.
Horn also walked forward with this group of villagers.
The horse he usually rides has three wounded people on it.
"The pursuer is still 40 miles away, Your Majesty." A boy soldier ran down the hill and reported in a low voice.
"What about us?" Horn reluctantly opened his eyelids weighed down by sweat.
"There are still 8 miles to the river crossing point."
Horn had previously contacted the nearby lycanthropes. If the pursuers passed by their village, the highest mountain on that mountain A red linen ribbon is tied to the tree.
At the time of the last report, the edict knights were still 50 miles away from them, and they were still 10 miles away from the scheduled river crossing point.
It was only an hour ago since the last report.
If the current speed is maintained, they will be caught by the command company at the same time that Horn reaches the river crossing point.
It’s too slow, the speed is only half of the usual speed.
Although the pontoon bridge has been set up in advance, it still takes time to cross the bridge. It takes at least half an hour to walk across.
"There are still eight miles to go to the scheduled location, everyone, work harder." Horn shouted to the people around him, "Faster, faster."
Despite Horn's urging, the troops could not move quickly because there were so many sick people.
Here Horn was still anxious about the march ahead, but the rear of the team became noisy again, even somewhat marching.
With no choice but to go against the flow of people, Horn walked through the crowd and came to the back row: "What's going on?"
"Frick, there are still a bunch of young people The older one said he didn’t want to leave.”
“It’s been so long, why are you still being stupid?” Horn pushed away the boy angrily and ran towards the back.
Sure enough, at the end of the queue, Chilvis was still earnestly urging these old people to leave quickly and follow the convoy.
Striding forward, Horn shouted at them: "What are you doing? Get up quickly, we have to leave."
"Your Majesty the Holy Sun, I really can't walk." A rosacea The old man was leaning under the tree, drinking wine, and said drunkenly.
"The pursuers of the Knights of the Order will not arrive until there is still 40 miles, so there is still time."
"You go first." Frick, who was leading the trouble, sat on a large table with his legs spread apart. On the rocks, "We really don't want to leave."
Horn stepped forward and grabbed his arm: "What nonsense are you talking about? Get up quickly, or those order knights will catch up."
Frick suddenly shook off Horn's hand: "I'm tired. Don't leave! Didn't you listen to me? "
(End of this chapter)