After the two reached an agreement, the Ranger Cavalry captain turned and left without hesitation. He knew time was pressing and that he had to act quickly.
He needed to begin gathering the Ranger Cavalry under his command as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, James led his troops a safe distance away from the Ranger Cavalry, following them from afar. This would keep them from being detected by the enemy while allowing them to support their allies at any time.
Once the Ranger Cavalry had successfully lured the Barbarian Cavalry away far enough, it would be the perfect moment for James to strike.
The operation had been meticulously planned and thoroughly arranged, and James had made ample preparations. Every warhorse was fitted with specially made snow-grip hoof covers to ensure they would not slip and suffer injuries while galloping at high speed over wet snow. In addition, to prevent their trail from being exposed to the Barbarians, manure bags were hung behind every horse to minimize the traces of droppings left in the snow. The final crucial piece of equipment was a huge sheet of spotless white cloth for each man—once draped over both rider and horse, it would allow them to blend easily into the vast snowy plain and remain difficult to spot.
The plan went even more smoothly than James had expected. The tightly grouped Ranger Cavalry soon caught the attention of the Barbarian mounted scouts, and large numbers of them began to gather.
According to the detailed reports brought back by James's scouts, the Barbarian Cavalry assembled this time far exceeded their previous expectations—there were actually more than a thousand of them!
That number was almost equal to the cavalry force led by James!
Upon hearing the news, the expressions of the two squadron commanders instantly turned grim.