In early February 865, taking advantage of Moorish inattention, Gunnar led five hundred men across the Cantabrian Mountains and swiftly captured León on the southern slope.
Beyond lay the broad Meseta Plateau, where the Duero River and its tributaries carved deep valleys into the land.
These valleys contained fertile soil and most of the settlements. Throughout the winter, Moorish forces had dispersed among them to quarter. Gunnar persuaded Crown Prince Alfonso to strike before the enemy could regroup.
After the surprise seizure of León, Gunnar and Alfonso led more than ten thousand troops south along the Esla River. The enemy units they encountered rarely exceeded two thousand men and were easily routed by Frankish knights.
Watching the tribal light cavalry scatter in all directions, Gunnar felt a sense of relief.
Light cavalry formations were loose and spread wide across the battlefield. Even a thousand riders could create the illusion of overwhelming numbers. But once the allied army withstood the first assault, the light cavalry had little else to offer.
When the Moorish horses grew exhausted, Gunnar unleashed the Frankish knights. They quickly overtook the riders and knocked them from their saddles one by one.
Each time a settlement was captured, Alfonso sent priests to preach door to door, offering land as an incentive to recruit impoverished Visigoth peasants.
As the campaign progressed, the army's numbers did not shrink—they grew.
Soon the allied force expanded to sixteen thousand men.
By mid-February, Gunnar reached the confluence of the Esla and Duero rivers and advanced east along the Duero. One week later, they encountered the hastily assembled main Moorish army.
Western Army (Allies):
3,000 cavalry — mostly Frankish knights and retainers
13,000 infantry — poorly trained and unreliable
With few good options, Gunnar deployed the infantry in a conservative "4–6–3" formation:
Front line: 4,000 troops
Middle line: 6,000 troops
Rear line: 3,000 troops
Units with combat experience were placed in the front and on the flanks. Newly recruited militia filled the center, serving mainly to bulk up the formation.
Eastern Army (Moors):
18,000 total troops
12,000 low-morale conscript militia3,000 tribal light cavalry2,000 Saqaliba heavy infantry1,000 armored heavy cavalry
Seeing the vast mass of enemy soldiers stretching across the horizon, Alfonso—fighting his first major battle—felt his mouth go dry and his heart pound.
He forced himself to stay calm and handed full command to Gunnar.
"Your Majesty," Gunnar said quietly, "prepare yourself. This battle may last until sunset. No matter what happens, your royal banner must not waver."
"I understand."
At 9 a.m., the Moorish army began its attack.
As usual, they relied on light cavalry harassment.
Waves of riders swept in from both flanks, raising clouds of dust.
Once within range, the cavalry drew bows from their saddles.
These were composite bows, crafted from horn, sinew, and fish-bladder glue. Iberia's dry climate prevented the adhesive from weakening.
At fifty meters, they began firing volleys at the Visigoth infantry.
When they noticed slight instability in the enemy formation, some riders closed to thirty or even twenty meters, greatly improving accuracy. Arrows slipped through gaps in shields, striking the militia behind them.
The allied archers tried to respond, but they were too few and poorly trained. Many arrows fell harmlessly into open ground, failing to drive off the persistent cavalry.
Under the royal banner, Alfonso watched the flanks falter and glanced anxiously at Gunnar.
Gunnar shook his head calmly.
Soon, the outermost infantry block on the left flank collapsed. Even then, Gunnar did not commit the cavalry. Instead, he ordered another infantry unit to fill the gap.
The harassment continued for more than an hour.
Then the Moorish army launched a full assault.
Gunnar seized the moment.
He ordered one thousand Frankish cavalry to strike the Moorish heavy cavalry from the flank.
The Moorish heavy cavalry carried curved swords and round shields. Their charge lacked the penetrating power of the Frankish lance charge.
When the two forces collided, Frankish lances pierced Moorish armor with ease.
The Moorish cavalry broke quickly.
"That's all?" Gunnar thought, spirits rising.
He divided the remaining cavalry into three groups:
Gunnar himself
Baron Charles de Potigny
Champion knight Maurice de Montpellier
Each commanded eight hundred riders.
They launched alternating charges against the enemy on the southern side of the battlefield.
During the charges, Gunnar ignored harassment from Moorish archers and focused on smashing the infantry.
After a period of intense fighting, once the horses began to tire, he withdrew to rest. Then Charles's unit charged. Soon after, Maurice's riders took their turn.
The rotation continued—
relentless, rhythmic—
like waves crashing against a shore.
The Moorish light cavalry lacked the courage for close combat. They remained at the edge of range, firing arrows rather than risking melee to buy time for their infantry.
In truth, they were tribal nomads hastily recruited for pay. Harassing the enemy with arrows was already enough to earn their wages.
After repeated charges, the Frankish cavalry shattered the Moorish infantry line, driving them northward and disrupting the formation of the Saqaliba heavy infantry.
Then the same pattern resumed:
Gunnar attacked.
Then Charles.
Then Maurice.
Wave after wave.
Until finally, the Saqaliba formation collapsed.
At their closest point, the heavy infantry came within one hundred meters of Alfonso's royal banner.
Victory looked close—
like a mirage on the horizon—
yet always just beyond reach.
Once the Saqaliba broke, the scattered light cavalry around the battlefield abandoned their allies and fled.
The Moorish army was defeated.
"We… we've won?"
Alfonso's face was pale, his lips cracked from thirst.
He had fulfilled Gunnar's instruction, remaining beneath the royal banner the entire time. During the battle, a stray arrow struck his left arm. His armor prevented serious injury, but the shock had terrified him.
Now, at the end of the day, only:
four intact infantry units
about three thousand disorganized survivors
remained with him.
The rest were dead or scattered.
Worst of all, his cousin Fruela had deserted at the most critical moment, taking a thousand men with him—nearly causing total collapse.
"That traitor," Alfonso muttered bitterly.
"I will never forgive him."
His hatred for his cousin burned even hotter than his hatred for the Moors.
As he spoke, the last organized Moorish infantry unit broke and fled.
The battle was over.
The next day, Alfonso appointed a noble to gather stragglers and treat the wounded. He and Gunnar led six thousand fit soldiers east along the Duero River.
News of the Moorish defeat spread rapidly across northern Iberia.
Resistance movements ignited everywhere—
like wildfire across dry grass.
Wherever the allied army marched, local people welcomed them enthusiastically.
They provided:
food
recruits
intelligence
inside assistance during sieges
By May, the allied army reached the major northern city of Zaragoza.
In Roman times, it had been called Caesaraugusta. Over centuries, the name evolved—
first to Saraqusta under Moorish rule,
and finally to Zaragoza.
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