Kashmir border,Kohala Valley, afternoon of 21st April 1557
In the afternoon sun, a man in lamellar armor, holding a glaive, stood upon the wooden fortress wall atop the hill. His gaze fixed on the riverbank below as enemy soldiers emerged from the forest with saffron flags waving in the breeze.
This man was none other than Commander Rinchen, who was responsible for handling the defense of the Ladakhi position.
Rinchen scanned his defenses. The fortress was well-prepared, with fifteen outpost towers positioned to deter any approach. Five hundred archers lined the walls, ready to rain death on any who dared to scale the hillside.
Yet, his defenses had a glaring weakness. The newer cannons they awaited from Srinagar had yet to arrive. He had only ten Xinbai bronze cannons with a limited range of 450 meters, barely enough to cover the riverbank. These Chinese-made cannons were reliable but far from optimal for defending such a sprawling landscape.
