▁of ▁the ▁region , ▁fol kl ore ▁suggests ▁that ▁O pp as ▁attempted ▁to ▁bro ker ▁the ▁surrender ▁of ▁his ▁fellow ▁Christians , ▁but ▁he ▁failed ▁in ▁the ▁effort . ▁Pel ag ius ▁and ▁his ▁force ▁retre ated ▁deep ▁into ▁the ▁mountains ▁of ▁Ast ur ias , ▁eventually ▁ret iring ▁into ▁a ▁narrow ▁valley ▁fl ank ed ▁by ▁mountains , ▁which ▁was ▁easily ▁def ens ible ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁impos s ibility ▁of ▁launch ing ▁a ▁broad - front ed ▁attack . ▁Pel ag ius ▁may ▁have ▁had ▁as ▁few ▁as ▁three ▁hundred ▁men ▁with ▁him . ▁ ▁Al ▁Q ama ▁eventually ▁arrived ▁at ▁Cov ad ong a , ▁and ▁sent ▁forward ▁an ▁en voy ▁to ▁conv ince ▁Pel ag ius ▁to ▁surrender . ▁He ▁refused , ▁so ▁Al ▁Q ama ▁ordered ▁his ▁best ▁troops ▁into ▁the ▁valley ▁to ▁fight . ▁The ▁Ast uri ans ▁shot ▁ar rows ▁and ▁stones ▁from ▁the ▁s lop es ▁of ▁the ▁mountains , ▁and ▁then , ▁at ▁the ▁clim actic ▁moment , ▁Pel ag ius ▁personally ▁led ▁some ▁of ▁his ▁soldiers ▁out ▁into ▁the ▁valley . ▁They ▁had ▁been ▁hiding ▁in ▁a ▁cave , ▁un seen ▁by ▁the ▁Muslim s . ▁The ▁Christian ▁accounts ▁of ▁the ▁battle ▁claim ▁that ▁the ▁sla ugh ter ▁among ▁the ▁Muslim s ▁was ▁hor r ific , ▁while ▁Um ay y ad ▁accounts ▁describe ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁mere ▁sk irm ish . ▁Al ▁Q ama ▁himself ▁fell ▁in ▁the ▁battle , ▁and ▁his ▁soldiers ▁with d rew ▁from ▁the ▁battle field .