with 14,000 cavalry to prevent another Albanian incursion. After learning of this, Skanderbeg prepared to march against Şeremet. The pasha's men, however, were stationed both inside and outside the city, making it difficult to defeat them. Before marching, Skanderbeg received news that Pius had arrived in Ancona and died upon seeing the crusader fleet. He left Cimarosto with an Italian force in Valikardhë (near modern-day Bulqizë in eastern Albania). Skanderbeg then decided to march against Şeremet anyway and set off with 12,000 cavalry three hours after dusk. After one day of marching, Skanderbeg reached Macedonia and began pillaging the land. Battle Once he reached Ohrid, Skanderbeg gave a speech to his men, encouraging them for the coming battle. He then assigned Pekë Emmanuali and Peter Engjëlli, Pal Engjëlli's brother, as commanders of a 500-man troop of cavalry where they were to approach the gates of Ohrid and provoke the Ottomans to attack. They were to throw smoke and dust into the air to irritate the garrison. Then they were to feign retreat where the pursuing Ottoman cavalry would be ambushed by the main Albanian force. On 14 or 15 September, everything went as planned and the trap was sprung. Skanderbeg's assault came out and killed 10,000 Ottoman men and captured twelve Ottoman units, among them Şeremet's son. The Ottoman forces were pursued by the Venetian forces alongside the Albanians. The Albanian-Venetian losses were few. Aftermath According to legend, Skanderbeg celebrated the event by dining off letnica (Ohrid trout), a fish found in Lake Ohrid that was sent to the Byzantine emperors every Friday for their supper meal. The twelve captured officers were ransomed for 40,000 ducats. Skanderbeg distributed this amount through his force, with every man receiving his fair share. He then besieged Ohrid for a short time before returning to Albania; the Venetian Senate hailed the campaign as a victory despite not being able to take Ohrid. The crusade seemed to have gone well for the Christian side but, after Pius' death, the remaining cardinals lost their hope and handed the money raised for the crusade to the Venetians. Mehmed saw Skanderbeg's vulnerability and sent Ballaban Badera, an Albanian janissary, to Albania where they met at Vaikal and he was defeated. Ballaban had replaced Şeremet as the commander in Ohrid after the latter fell out of favor with the sultan. Ballaban would meet Skanderbeg several more times in battle