The battle was hard and long. Fearing the cold steel of the Prince’s men the mob often turned and ran back to the bridge, but were either forced back onto spear-points and trampling hooves, or drowned in the flooded drain. Those who fell on their knees begging for mercy died under the steel. They could not go forward or backward; for Yuno urged on new regiments, which, pushing forth, closed the only road to escape. On one side were black masses of fugitives; in the middle piles and mounds of dead bodies and men deprived of speech, groaning, and crying; on the other masses were advancing. The drain was filled with the bodies of men and horses, and the water overflowed the banks. 

At times the heavy muskets fell silent. Then the bridge, like a cannon, threw forth crowds of men, who rushed over the mounds of bodies and threw themselves under the swords of the cavalry waiting for them. Then Bang Chan would play again with his storm of flame and lead, and the rebels would fall by the dozens. Whole hours were spent in these bloody struggles. 

Yuno, furious, foaming at the mouth, did not give up the battle yet, and urged yet more reinforcements onto the bridge and into the jaws of death. 

Jongin, sitting on his horse atop a mound, watched the battle intently. His face was calm; his eye took in the whole bridge and drain, and extended to the black masses of rebels and their enormous camp in the ruins of the town; and then up the mountain to the fortress where a fog was gathering, shrouding it and the dim torch-lights along the battlements in a mysterious cloud. At last he said to Seungwan:

“Alas! This battle is inconclusive!”

“How? We are killing them like flies!”

“But it is growing late. It is almost evening.”

Indeed, much of the day had been consumed by the downpour, and the battle, kept up by the stubbornness of Yuno, had lasted so long that the sun was inclining to its setting, and was resting atop the towers of the fortress. The light clouds began to grow red and disappear in groups behind them. The flow of rebels gradually stopped, and those that had already come onto the bridge retreated in dismay and disorder. 

The battle was ended, and the enraged crowd now turned their fury towards Yuno, falling upon him and beating him within an inch of his life, then bringing him to Ziyu’s feet. 

“Well, this is what your so-called valour and bravery brings you: death and destruction!” reprimanded Ziyu. “Even if I do not kill you today, Yifan will, for you have hurried masses of his warriors to their deaths. The Prince of the Mountain remains strong before us, while we have exhausted ourselves against her for long and no gain. Perhaps tomorrow I will offer my head on a plate to her.”

“I can only wish that I had been against any other noble,” said Yuno. “Give me a blade, so that I can atone for the deaths I have wrought today and preserve the honour of our brothers.”

“You arrogant pig! How dare you talk about honour when you have usurped power from me, and driven my men like cattle to a slaughter without charging into the fray yourself! If you had fallen in battle vainly against the Prince I would have some forgiveness for you, but since you have returned, there is no salvation for you from me.”

Ziyu had her guards strangle Yuno to death, and hung his body from a pole so that any other colonels with thoughts of disobedience would delay their plans until Yifan could arrive with his whole force. 

Night fell. On both sides thousands of fires were burning, and columns of smoke rose into the sky. The weary soldiers strengthened themselves with food and drink, or gave themselves courage for the next day by relating the exploits of the earlier battle. Loudest of all spoke Bang Chan, who boasted of the rain of fire and lead his men delivered upon the rebels, sweeping away waves of the enemy with each belch of smoke from the muskets. 

But between Seungwan and her officers there was little talking; they were all agonising over the lack of outcome in the battle. Although the enemy had undoubtedly incurred the brunt of the losses in this clash, there was no small amount of death on Seungwan’s side, and many good nobles had perished in the bloody struggle before the bridge. The enemy was no closer to being forced off the field, and the fortress was still behind the rebel army with no route of evacuation. But at least the White Hand of Changge still flew proudly above the fortress; Lord Chaeyoung had not given up hope of salvation yet. 

Jongin did not have any strategems in mind to beat the enemy, and remained silent and sullen into the night, staring longingly at the fires opposite the drain. The water was still too high to wade over; the only way across was the bridge or by swimming over. Short of constructing rafts to cross the drain, he could see no way of bringing the full force of Seungwan’s army to bear on the rebels. Any attempt to force the bridge would be met with the same failure that Yuno had suffered today.

Late night came, and the soldiers of both camps retired for sleep and rest. But from the forest behind Seungwan’s army there suddenly came new guests. They were young Datar striplings who informed Seungwan that a new force was presently hurrying towards them that was not from Silsa, but an entirely different direction — from the river Uda, which flowed from the Halu in Datar territory. Two hours later the troops came with such a sudden commotion and thundering of trumpets and drums that Seungwan had to send out men to order them to be silent, for fear of alerting Ziyu’s army to the reinforcements. It turned out they were followers of a man whom Seungwan had forgotten about: Stepan the Kosak, who had promised that he would return to her in the second month of this year. He led an astonishing five hundred men of the same stamp as himself — most of them fellow Kosaks armed with muskets and spears, but also many Datars who endeavoured to seek their fortunes with the Prince of Mount Geum, who once shared kinship with some of the ancient Datar clans. All of them were unwashed barbarians who were no better than the rebels of the Pure Realm in their potential for brutality and rapacity, but Seungwan was not afraid of their insubordination, trusting that in her hands they would be like lambs, and make up with bravery and strength for their defects. 

“Great prince,” greeted Stepan, bowing down to his girdle when he finally met with Seungwan, “forgive my lateness, but it took much effort to avoid the outbreaks of rebellion throughout the realm, and we did not wish to be delayed by being embroiled in them. I have collected many of my brothers and Datar youths who were not accepted into the service of their princely warbands; I believe you understand the character of these packs of wolves and carrion, for they are quite unlike any of your civilised men.”

“Your delay is a hidden blessing, Stepan, for if you had arrived a day earlier as promised, you might have been thrown into the struggle of today, and I would have therefore pitted my full might against the enemy’s. But now that you have come as reinforcements, I have a fresh reserve of troops that may be employed in novel maneuvers against them.”

“We did not come this far to be idle, great prince. Even now our swords are ready to taste blood. But we only ask of you to feed us, for we have come a long way, and our provisions have been exhausted beyond the bottoms of our barrels.”

“Excellent! I have no spare provisions for you, but I have your first reward prepared for you already — in the camp of the enemy. The rebels came here to lay siege to the fortress, and they will undoubtedly have brought with them an abundance of supplies and foodstuffs. Defeat them, and I grant you the right to pillage the camp first — not only the provisions, but also their valuables and booty, and also to take captives as you wish.”

Stepan was not convinced yet, for he really was hungry from all the walking and the long journey to this part of the world. 

“I must discuss with my men first,” he said. “Not all of them will agree to this.”

Seungwan let him back to his men to hold a conference among themselves. Hyukjae was distrustful of the Kosak, and said to Seungwan, “We should not put so much faith in these reinforcements. According to the law of the land they should all be hung, for they cannot have travelled all the way here so lightly without having resorted to banditry. Troops like these are strong and courageous, but also very fickle about when they choose to be strong and courageous.”

“Then so be it. My success does not balance solely upon the backs of a few barbarians.”

After some time, and a few raised voices from the conference among the barbarians, Stepan returned at the head of a few quietened warriors, who were the officers of this motley band. 

“Great prince, we will take you for your word; for we are in a foreign land, and we place all our trust in you. But the sooner we take the enemy camp the better.”

It was a very lucky day for Seungwan. She brought the thoughtful Jongin to meet Stepan, and when seeing the barbarians that had come to reinforce them he was also delivered from his sullen reverie, and his face lit up with relief. He personally took Stepan’s hand and led him to the front of the line, so that he could see the other side where the enemy was encamped, also in battle order. There was a pitch-blackness all across, punctuated only by the campfires that were now being put out, and the small bonfires at the guard posts. The rebel line extended considerably longer than Seungwan’s, and was also much deeper, being anchored on the ruined town. 

“My friend, before us is the entire army of the enemy, who is led by the sister of the Headman of Renzu. Just today they had rushed upon us over the earthen bridge across this flooded drain; we bloodied them, but they are no closer to defeat than they were in the morning. When tomorrow comes, there will be another bloodbath, and the Prince’s army cannot withstand another one.”

“Then we must defeat them tonight.”

“That is what I am thinking. But the Prince’s men are tired from the fighting of the day; I can only dare to ask you to help us — not to drive the enemy from the field, but to disconcert and terrify them with some sort of raid that will make them lose heart for fighting tomorrow.”

Stepan laughed heartily. “The sister of the Headman! I have heard of her; all brawn, no brain. I am not afraid of her! I will take her head and present it to the Prince if she permits it tonight.”

“Oh, no, we don’t need such a feat. Besides, even if you slay her, among the rebels they will quickly elect another leader; all the more readily, for she has already disappointed them with inaction this morning.”

“Then I will lead a party to their camp and take prisoners. I only ask that when I return my men will at least be given water and bread. But I go not for food and water, but for Kosak glory.”

“Good hero! I will give you