While the Northern Alliance Army held its meeting and settled on its battle plan for that night, the Barbarians had not been sitting idle either.
After leading their troops to set up camp where they stood, Heshima and Keledu each left the camp with their personal guard cavalry to inspect the battlefield.
Both were seasoned commanders, and each had his own views on gathering battlefield intelligence. They would not blindly trust the reports of their mounted scouts.
They intended to take another look for themselves. If they could find a crossing the enemy had not blocked, they would not have to pay too steep a price fighting their way through.
But after making their rounds, they reached a disappointing conclusion. The Northern Alliance Army had positioned its camps along the river with meticulous care. Enemy camps occupied virtually every shallow stretch and every place where the current ran more gently.
These camps varied in size, but connecting passages had been built between them, allowing troops to move from one camp to another within their defenses.
Heshima studied the camps stretching several kilometers along the opposite bank. They could all be considered a single whole: if one point came under attack, the other camps could send timely support. Even if these linked camps were somewhat crude, they would not be easy to take.
Heshima knitted his brows, trying to think of an easier way to capture them.
Under normal circumstances, a fire attack would have been an excellent way to deal with wooden camps like these.
The Barbarians had only rudimentary means of attacking with fire, such as shooting flaming arrows. They lacked the resources to use large quantities of fire oil jars as the Two Rivers Army did.
Moreover, the camps had been built right beside the river. Heshima could