黑夜如漆，天際邊久而不時地傳來悶聲炮響，一道道閃光劃破夜幕，這是戰爭中的黑夜，這是一個個亡魂滿布的黑夜。
曠野中，一陣急促的馬蹄聲響起，卻見黑夜中穿梭而過的黑影，那是薛凌香策馬奔騎，在黑夜之中帶隊狂奔，前往赤木要塞。
赤木要塞，那是一個天然型成的戰略要塞，一個山谷通道，通道口豎起巨樹圍牆，讓里面成為一個別據點和通道限制口。
薛凌香停落在赤木要塞旁邊的山坡上，可見要塞之處一片火光沖天，要塞之外大量的蠻兵正在突擊。在黑夜中的投石車劃過一道道弧線將燃燒的巨石投向要塞，在巨木制的圍牆下，巨大的野象駝著蠻兵幾乎已經能夠到牆頭。
這樣的危機下，赤木要塞竟然能堅持到現在。薛凌香帶兵打仗不是一天兩天，領兵有十足的經驗，對軍力判斷也十分準確。
她估計了一下兩邊的戰力，卻是多長一個心眼，對旁邊的齊少錦道︰「你留三百騎在這里等著，如何有什麼不對勁，還可以求援！」
現在她帶騎五百余人，精騎薛家軍戰力更是翻倍，眼下攻城不到千余蠻兵，有兩百精騎加要塞內守軍，應該說完全足夠救援。
齊少錦對軍力的判斷也相當準確，他知道兩百騎已夠，不過他擔心的還是薛凌香，他道︰「還是我去，你留在這里察看！」
薛凌香不高興道︰「這小小一戰，難道你還不相信我，實際上給我一百精騎，我就能解赤木之圍！」
齊少錦也不好多說什麼，看這情況，並不是困難之戰。
「駕！」薛凌香一夾馬肚，帶頭沖鋒出去︰「一二隊跟我來！」
兩百精騎隨著薛凌香從山坡上沖鋒而去，騎兵之勢銳如鋼刀，轟隆隆的馬蹄聲震得大地在顫抖。在黑夜中的蠻兵听聞黑夜中傳來的滾滾馬蹄聲。頓時慌亂起來，等他們看到人的時候，已來不及，騎兵的速度快如閃電。從黑暗中出現之時，那雪白的馬刀也同時出現在他們的脖子上。
啊啊啊！
隨著數聲慘叫聲起，巴圖蠻兵已經意識到騎兵來襲，嗚嗚哇哇地叫喊著，四周的士兵已經做好防御之勢對抗騎兵。這時，從投石車那邊沖出一隊長槍兵，長槍兵是騎兵的克星，在騎兵的強沖擊下遇到對面的長槍，自身的沖擊力會轉化成對自身的危險，就算穩下對戰時。長槍也有不可替代的優勢。
眾多長槍兵的出現，讓薛凌香的騎兵陷入兩難之境，騎兵優勢在靈活速度，現在如林豎立的長槍，沖進槍群就會被戳成篩子。
在山坡上的齊少錦看到不知道從哪里出現這麼多的長槍兵。也知道局勢不妙。他立即一夾馬背，帶著三百精騎從山坡上沖下救援，沖到山下，卻見長槍兵迎面而來，對面槍林密布，在黑暗中的長槍更是危險，直直沖過去就會撞到槍尖上被戳得慘死。
經驗豐富的薛凌香迅速的判斷局勢。做出最有效的應對方案，她在黑暗中下令道︰「退進要塞，用弓箭手對付長槍兵！」
對付長槍兵最好的自然就是弓箭，因為長槍兵無盾牌，在弓箭手面前，長槍兵就完全是個活靶子。
兩百精騎迅速向要塞靠攏來到城牆下。後面的騎兵在斷後，非常危險，已經有幾個精騎被蜂擁而上的長槍兵戳下馬背。這片刻之間，薛家軍兩百精騎就已經折損二三十人。
薛凌香朝著牆城上喊道︰「快打開門，我們是薛家軍！」
城牆上的士兵探頭望下。確定是救援的薛家將，立即吆喝著上面的士兵把門吊起。笨重而巨大被燒得焦黑的塞門依依呀呀地升起來，薛凌香帶著騎兵迅速的往里面撤退。
沖進要塞之中，薛凌香躍下馬來，朝著城牆上的士兵喝道︰「弓箭手上，把長槍兵解決掉！」
卻見，城牆上的士兵並無動靜，而且，那吊起的城門也沒有放下。頓時一股不詳的預感襲來，薛凌香大喝一聲︰「不好，這是圈套，大家小心！」
話剛落，卻見城牆上的弓箭手齊齊轉向塞內，嗖嗖嗖地就是一陣箭雨，薛家軍頓時一陣慘叫傳來，後面的長槍兵已經沖進要塞之內。
這要塞，完完全全的就是一個圈套，在外攻城的，和里面的守軍，全都是巴圖軍，只為引得求援部隊自投羅網。
薛凌香在這萬急之時，喝聲下令︰「全部下馬，用馬刀！」
所以薛家軍听領棄馬，從鞘子里抽出匕首般的馬刀，薛凌香飛速拾起地面的一塊盾牌，一個滾地沖到木門之下，阻止外面的長槍兵繼續進入，她的屬下也隨她之後，來到木門下。
其它的薛家軍也是訓練有素，迅速清理進入要塞內的長槍兵，在城牆上的箭雨之下，傷亡無比巨大。
城牆上的士兵朝著要塞外的蠻兵興奮地嚷喊道︰「是薛家軍，是薛家軍，快快回去稟報，這回賺大了！」
頂著巨大的傷亡，薛家軍依然殺上城牆，在城牆上一片屠殺，在黑暗中那些弓箭手哇叫著滾落城牆之下。奪回城牆，立即來到木門機關處，在薛凌香等人在城門快要頂不住時，一個薛家軍士兵砍斷繩子，轟地一聲，巨大的木門滑落，重新將要塞堵上。
薛凌香無力地癱坐在地上，渾身滿是血漬，也不知道是自己的，還是敵軍的。木門外，轟轟地傳來巨象的撞擊聲，外面的攻城已經重新開始。
一個士兵過來將薛凌香扶起，薛凌香捂著肩膀上的傷口，掙扎著站起來。
望著要塞之內，滿布的薛家軍尸體，薛凌香緊咬下唇，在白天時，這些還是在一起歡笑的士兵。淚，不是要在這個時候流，那是要在敵人的鮮血流盡之後的奠祭。
她邁著沉重的腳步，面無表情地踏上城牆。火星飛舞，巨石呼嘯，城牆之外一片咆哮的蠻兵正在蜂擁而來。
她冷冷地道︰「匯報傷亡！」
「輕傷二十一，重傷十五。死亡，，，，七十，還余，一百零四人！」士兵緩緩地垂下頭。
薛凌香兩眼迸出憤怒，狠狠地一拳捶在木樁之上。
卻見那城外，根本不止千余蠻兵，埋伏在外的長槍兵就已經超過五百。其它的狼騎兵也有數百，其中竟然還有一個巫醫。
齊少錦的三百精騎在外圍急得冒火卻也沒有辦法，光是那超過五百的長槍兵，就已經讓他的騎兵無法發揮威力，更加上狼騎。這簡直是騎兵的惡夢，馬狼是馬的終級克星，在馬狼面前，連戰馬都會失控，馬狼的一個撲咬就是直擊馬脖子，直接斃命。
齊少錦是急在心里，卻毫無辦法。只有策馬在四周環繞卻沖不進來。
浩大的攻城正式拉開序幕，這一回的攻城，不是像之前的烊攻，而是真正的攻城，投石車呼呼作響，一塊塊巨大的燃石轟然落下。砸在木牆上震得人都無法站穩。
比方才多出一倍有余的攻城部隊出現，巨象嚎叫著沖擊而來，上面的蠻兵一個跳躍就可以爬上城牆，其它的蠻兵也紛紛架起梯子攻城。
薛家軍的訓練多樣，一個騎兵換套裝備就可以變成另外一個兵種。拾起地上的弓箭，對著下面一陣狂射，其它的人與爬上城牆的蠻兵撕殺。
遠處的巫醫，站立在一頭巨象身上，象背建有祭壇，幡旗飄舞，四個頭骨懸掛四角，上身紋有各種恐懼的圖案。撒向空中的粉未，在火把下燃燒成火球，一種種莫外的咒語在嘴中念起。卻見，一群士兵頓時眼楮通紅，嘴里嚎叫著像一頭野獸，任由弓箭射在身上卻不知疼痛，爬上城牆被砍掉手臂都像掉的不是自己的。
這連薛凌香都感覺到恐怖，城牆上連連失利，薛家軍的人數在急劇減少，不知道這個要塞能撐到幾時。
在黑夜中的另一個沉靜的樹林，只有不知名的鳥兒在嚎叫。
(拖欠拖欠,例行拖欠!)
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