Tailing the enemy

After releasing the militia at Bratfurt, Friedrich and Ilse rode after the French with their remaining forces, now less then fifty Friehussaren and a dozen Freishutze mounted on pit ponies. Despite their best efforts the French kept closed up giving no opening for an attack. There was a slight opportunity when the French were distracted by an attack across the Flussweih, but they were now more wary and realised their error in time.

By mid afternoon the next day the French had halted around Ostdorf, the point where the Flussweih stopped flowing northward and turned west. It was also only a few leagues from Sonnebad. Puzzled by the inactivity Ilse led the party back up through the woods emerging at an ancient tower. “It’s the Braunturm” she explained to Friedrich as they climbed the stairs “it was built in medieval times to provide a lookout over the Electorate.”

Emerging at the top Friedrich gasped at the view. Although the tower was surrounded by woods the top was well above the treetops. To the east there was a clear view across the plains of the Electorate, after all its position was just inside the border.

But it was the view to the west that was so useful. Immediately below them was a steep wooded slope running down to the Flussweih which flowed from the south into an enormous bowl and then flowed round it and exited eastwards. The spires of Sonnenbad could be seen in the distance. Entering the bowl from the north east was a small river with the Haupbtstrasse from Berlin. These joined with the Flussweih and the road from Bratfurt below them. To the north of the bowl was a range of hills with a significant ridge projecting almost to the river and creating a defile on the road to Sonnenbad.

“What’s the big hill called” asked Friedrich pointing.

“That’s the Landsberg” answered Ilse “My father must be occupying it and the village of Lamsdorf on the road and that is why the French have halted.