Seeing ruin and grief envelope his army at Mount Gonabad, Piran of Viseh moved swiftly to restore morale. He gathered choice horses from the herds, mounted the foot soldiers with two steeds apiece, and flung open the doors of ancient treasuries to distribute gold among his disheartened men. In the quiet hours of the night, he selected an eloquent, courageous, and wise courier—a warrior skilled as both knight and scribe—to deliver a crucial message to King Afrasiab.
In his letter, Piran first offered deep homage to Afrasiab's supreme crown, humbly submitting himself as a devoted servant despite the king's past wrath regarding Prince Kay Khosrow, attributing all past turn of events to divine fate. He then unraveled the grim realities of the front: how the formidable Iranian army under Goudarz had fortified themselves upon the heights of Mount Zibad, refusing to descend to the plains; how his valiant brother Houman had ridden out in fury to challenge them, only to be slain by Bizhan, son of Giv; and how at dawn, his other noble brother Nastihan had charged with ten thousand riders, only to meet the exact same fate under Bizhan's blade.
Piran recounted the desperate battle that ensued until nightfall, in which nine hundred Turanian chieftains were decapitated, leaving two-thirds of his forces wounded and crushed in spirit while the Iranians held complete mastery over the field. To worsen the terror, Piran revealed a dire intelligence report: King Kay Khosrow himself was marching with a massive royal host to reinforce Goudarz. Piran warned Afrasiab that unless the King of Turan led the main imperial army in person to wage total war, Turan would be utterly consumed, leaving no one alive to avenge their fallen warriors.
Upon hearing these words, the swift messenger mounted a champion steed and rode like the howling wind without a moment's rest or sleep until he reached Afrasiab's court. When the King of Turan heard Piran's tragic report, his face turned pale and his heart bled for Houman, Nastihan, and the nine hundred fallen nobles. He realized with horror that the claw of the enemy was tightening around his realm like a stalking leopard, casting his kingdom into deep shadow.