Early the next morning, a thin veil of dawn mist blanketed Blackstone Town. Leylo, accompanied by Ed, Bolin, and two squads of knights, quietly left the camp and headed toward the Blackwater River. They carried no heavy weaponry, only longswords for self-defense; instead, they were laden with the capture nets and snares the townspeople had rushed to complete the previous night, along with a supply of harvested Earth-Dragon Grass.
The group arrived at the riverbank, stopping near a low-lying meadow close to the water source.
"Ed, have the men lay out the Earth-Dragon Grass on that downstream meadow. Space them out, don't cluster them too tightly," Leylo whispered, observing the wind and terrain.
Earth-Dragon Grass emitted a unique scent that was irresistibly attractive to certain herbivorous magic beasts, and Pegasi were among them. The six Pegasi captured previously had been lured by it, and Leylo was confident this fleeing herd wouldn't resist the temptation either.
"Yes, My Lord!" Ed led several knights to carefully scatter bundles of dried grass across the designated zone, making it look as natural as possible. Under Ed's direction, the remaining knights skillfully hid snares within the thick grass, securing the ends to stakes driven deep into the ground.
Once the preparations were complete, Leylo and the knights retreated to a small grove downwind. Ed and five of the best riders hid on the other side of the grove, standing by with the already-tamed Pegasi.
As the mist dissipated and the sun climbed halfway up the mountain, white dots appeared on the horizon. The silhouettes grew clearer—it was the target: the Pegasus herd! There were roughly thirty of them, their bodies sleek and their wings snow-white, shimmering under the sun. They circled a few times to ensure safety before landing gracefully to drink and graze.
Soon, several Pegasi caught the scent of the Earth-Dragon Grass and wandered into the trap zone.
Thump! Crash!
Sudden muffled sounds echoed! The lead Pegasi suddenly felt their legs tighten as the hidden snares snapped shut, bringing them crashing to the ground. The herd erupted into chaos. Panicked neighs filled the air as the creatures collided with one another, some failing to take flight in the confusion while others ran blindly into more snares.
"Now! Charge!" Leylo's eyes flashed as he gave the order.
The knights burst from the grove like arrows from a bow, galloping toward the chaotic herd with nets and ropes in hand. While Pegasi can glide, they require a running start to take flight; trapped and harried by charging knights, they couldn't organize an escape.
The knights worked in pairs with practiced coordination—one looping a rope around a Pegasus's neck while the other moved in to restrain the struggling beast. A few unlucky knights were kicked from their mounts, but the operation remained orderly.
While about a dozen of the luckier or quicker Pegasi managed to scramble into the sky, they found Ed and his aerial squad already waiting for them. By the time the last trapped Pegasus on the ground was bound and panting, the meadow had returned to a messy silence.
Ed and his riders returned from the sky, each leading a captured Pegasus—Ed himself had snared two.
The final count: Eighteen Pegasi captured! Combined with the existing six, Blackstone Territory now had enough to mount almost its entire knight force of twenty-odd men.
The return journey was boisterous. The knights were ecstatic; they had been competing secretly for the original six mounts, but now, there were enough for everyone. Though the new Pegasi were bound and rebellious, frequently bucking or trying to wrench their necks away, the high spirits of the men couldn't be dampened.
Leylo watched the slightly messy but high-morale column from his horse, a smile playing on his lips.