Sorry Ludens. This one is going quick, to get to the action.
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Pan Solobowski struck the saddle pommel. Three days of hard riding had sent the banners outside Ventspils, where a couple Swedish ships were at port. The Swedish had denied the city from the riders, leaving the riders stranded outside the city. A couple Swedish were captured a few days ago. They were quickly killed after failing to reveal any information that would be useful.

Scouting with his riders, he watched the ships slowly leave the port, two heading for Sweden.
"Colonel!" came a cry from behind him. Turning to look back, he saw a Cossack rider who reined in hard beside him.
"Tartar scouts report the Hetman has captured Ryga! Whatis better is that the Swedish have landed an army before Novograd! They have abandoned all hope of victory with their allies!"
Pulling the bugle out, he sounded the recall. Riders turned to camp. Pan Solobowski rode hard to camp. When the riders were accounted for, he issued his orders.
"We ride to Ryga, then to Novograd! Long live the Commonwealth!"

Riding hard for five days, the banners appeared in Ryga. Here, the Hetman had assembled the forces for a march on Tallinn. The Swedes would need the Gulf of Finland port to ship supplies into Lake Ladoga and then to Novograd.
Two weeks later, the cannons thundered on the stoned walls of Tallinn. Some were Polish, others were Swedish cannons. Mercenaries assaulted the walls. After a few days of thunder and musketry, the city had fallen, with four warships in port.
Then the news that many sought.
The Swedes had captured Novograd. Even better, the Swedish navy had shipped men from Helsinki to Novograd, and on the ships was the King of Sweden. The Hetman turned his attention to Novograd.
A week later, the two armies were ready for battle. The King even joined the Hetman with his Royal Cossacks, and Royal Hussars.

The battle was about to begin.