Hounding the leading units, even after multiple encounters with local militias left many horses maimed by stakes and spikes driven into wooden piles and logs that were buried along the roads.
Ancient caltrops were also scattered around lightly wooded areas that the mysliwi would fire from, charging in the Italian mercenary cavalry would be repeatedly un-horsed from the wounded animals.
These actions served to buy the time needed for the Loyalist forces to re-deploy.
Once Konrad was able to bring up his foot columns then his forward progress could continue.
The Konrad usurpers came to a halt at the great woods north of Mieczyslaw. Their troops were not well suited to striking deep into the woods and cavalry patrols were reporting Loyalist troops massing only 15 kilometers away.
Duke Czeslaw ewa Jerzy had arrived only a few days before with the bulk of the Horse and veteran infantry. The greater weight of cannon was still far behind, indeed Ogólny Ludwik had already diverted most of the heavy guns into Mieczyslaw, so as to prepare the city for repelling a seige.
Duke Czeslaw ewa Jerzy had learned of the diversion and now was set upon drawing the usurper and his forces into battle. To that end he directed all mysliwi to commence harrasing hit-and-fade attacks along the woods line. At the same time all of the light horse had been dispatched to the north for a long, 4-6 days, ride around the wood and to encamp north of the mysliwi force. Once in position they were to inform the mysliwi pickets and wait one more day, then commence an advance on a broad front until contacting Konrad's Korpus.
Duke Czeslaw ewa Jerzy had heard of the light horse's positioning at sunset...therefore the time to strike had come. A night attack should discomfit the pretender and his forces just enough to leave them vulnerable to the coming horse charge!
