Rise of Rurik

Latest website: From Rurik's point of view, adopting "Blackbird" Theresia as an adopted daughter is a good choice for both you and me.

Although Blue Fox was surprised by the king's decision, he was smart enough to agree with the result after some thought.

There is no strict "seniority theory" in the Nordic world. Even if Blackbird becomes Rurik's adopted daughter, theoretically Blue Fox will eventually become a prince-consort, but it does not mean that Blue Fox will become the equivalent of a king's son.

Blackbird has a new identity, and in the eyes of Blue Fox, his position in the kingdom is more stable.

But what he didn't expect was that King Rurik of Rus would really elevate her to the status of his own daughter. This girl would even be eligible to participate in military meetings...

On the day of his return, Rurik felt that he had experienced a magical day. The next day, he just wanted to stay in the palace and sleep.

The sound sleep lasted until noon. After a full rest, the king woke up after looking for the aroma of the food.

But this night, the tattooed Blackbird experienced a strong mental stimulation at the end. After her first night in the Kingdom of Ross, even though she was always accompanied by her former master, Verica, she also experienced a lot. It took a lot of patience to fall asleep.

The next day, lunch time.

Rurik used soap to wash his hairy face, and then used a walrus ivory comb to tidy up the scattered hair and beard.

There was almost no way to clean his teeth during the battle and march. Now that he was back in the palace, he was able to use a simple bristle toothbrush dipped in coarse sea salt and rub it up and down on his teeth.

Compared to the Frankish nobles he knew, he was the most particular about hygiene. As for other

The northern chiefs, now it seems that those people live in a pigsty. It seems that they like to be clean and tidy, but it just seems like that.

Rurik tried his best to maintain what he considered "modern life" in his personal daily life. Washing his face and brushing his teeth was a must. If he didn't maintain his iconic image and the posture of a strong warrior, with the golden ponytail and golden beard on the back of his head, the earth would be ruined. I had to shave quickly, leaving only a small, fresh patch of hair.

He put on a pair of loose casual clothes, tightened the waistband of his new underwear, and then put on a pair of thin plain white linen shorts, which exposed his hairy legs and looked a little funny.

A pair of casual leather-padded flip-flops replaced the high-cut Ma Xue. After all, there is no need to dress formally at home.

The small restaurant on the third floor of the palace was already filled with the aroma of Rurik's favorite braised noodles with venison sauce, as well as a thick soup made with some fresh vegetables. It was thickened with flour, making it a unique meal.

This meal is mainly vegetarian. Rurik deliberately requested it because the exquisite pasta with vegetables is very nourishing to the stomach. On the eve of the actual expedition, as the king, he must adjust his body and mind to meet the challenge.

The army that arrived in the capital entered a state of vacation. This was the last rest before the army set off for the expedition. As for whether it would be appropriate to rest in the future, it is unknown.

No one knows what they will encounter in the Frankish world. After all, the banner of this expedition is to "fulfill treaty obligations and help the Duke of Bavaria." So this is a matter between the great nobles. The expedition does not seem to be critical to the subordinate officers and soldiers. Stakes.

If the whole army has hatred, they can definitely share the same hatred.

There is a hint of reason for becoming a teacher

Far-fetched, but as long as there is even a far-fetched reason, the young warriors will convince themselves that they must participate.

Because, when the wealth gained from plundering is very likely to be better than fishing and farming, even if you pay some casualties, it is worth it. Besides, true northerners are obsessed with fishing and stay away from good things like fighting. This will be laughed at by others as cowards.

Most of the boys in the new four flag teams are in the so-called middle and late stages of adolescence.

There is no concept of children in this era. People are people. Ordinary people have to work while they are alive. The only difference is whether they can do it and how much they can do. The people have regarded the four new flag corps as beings equivalent to veterans, and they are younger and more aggressive. They are also spending generously in the capital for the new expedition.

The army is in the capital, and they will receive a large amount of weapons and equipment that Rurik has reserved for them. Based on personal considerations for a long-term war, they are now willing to spend the last silver coin they brought from their hometown.

A warrior would never complain about carrying too much supplies. Whenever there is an opportunity, he should naturally make more reserves, and should not put all the supplies on lucky plunder. Robbery must be done, so always keeping your body in a state of complete victory will surely enable you to rob better.

They don't have to worry about the large amount of equipment and materials they purchased privately, which is difficult to carry on the march.

Just look at the fleet anchored in the port, the Sea Monarch, which is as big as a hill. I am afraid that only this giant ship can solve the entire army's material transportation problem.

In fact, the work of loading food into the hold of the battleship had already begun when the entire Gulf of Finland was still frozen. battleship

It became a "sea grain depot" floating at the mooring. A batch of weapons, especially arrows, was also shipped at that time. If Rurik personally observed it up close, you would notice that the draft of this large ship had become much deeper.

If Rurik micromanages too many things, he will not be able to fully control everything even if he is exhausted.

The heads of each branch must have brought their own performance reports and expected to present these reports personally at the meeting site gathered in the name of a dinner party.

Rurik was not in a hurry now. He needed to give those guys some time to organize their language, and he also needed to take a day off to spend time with his first woman, the high priest Rumia, as well as his daughter and adopted daughter in the palace.

"How are you doing now, Gisla? Oh no, blackbird." Rurik happened to see his adopted daughter walking out of the boudoir accompanied by his daughter Verika. "Are you still used to it?"

When asked this question, Blackbird reflexively pulled up her knees slightly and half-squatted to pick up her new dress.

"Oh? Is this Frank's court etiquette?"

For a moment, the girl looked shy: "Yes... yes. King Ross."

"Silly boy, call me Papa. It's true that I am the king, and here I am your father. We are all family, you don't need to be formal."

"That's right." Verica snatched her father's words away from him and taught Blackbird again with such a smile: "Daddy is the best man, and you will also be the daughter he loves."

"There's no need to linger. Blackbird!" Rurik waved his hand: "Put down all your restraints and come over to eat."

Blackbird nodded and approached the dining table under the pull of Verika.

two chopsticks

Rurik inserted the noodles and took a big bite. "It's so cool!"

His eyes saw Rumia chewing slowly: "You haven't gone to the temple today? Have all the affairs there been arranged?"

"I went once in the early morning."

"how?"

"There is an endless stream of people coming to worship the statue. Verika is not on site to supervise. I just need to replace someone to do this work. Rurik." Her voice suddenly became heavier, and her tender eyes looked directly at her man. , her heart was still immersed in the entanglement of last night, recalling the love she owed her for a full year. "A large temple does not require a lot of money. Those silver coins are your military expenses."

"I know. People believe that if they do this, the gods will bless them. In my opinion, it is true. I use this money to add equipment and reserve military rations. Only then can the soldiers win the battle more easily, and the people's prayers can turn into our victory. .”

"So. How long do you plan to stay in the capital?" she asked.

"What?" Rurik turned his face slightly and stared at Rumia's trembling black eyes: "Do you want me to stay a little longer, or do you want me to go out quickly?"

"Of course I'll stay longer. Because..." Rumia suddenly fell silent and rubbed her belly with her little hands. A hint was worth a thousand words.

"It depends on the arrangements of the gods. If you give me another son, I will be very happy."

"Okay." Rumia nodded tenderly: "I will pray in front of Freya's statue."

In the eyes of the powerful male nobles, a noble woman should try her best to have children, especially to give birth to sons so that she can inherit the power of her father's generation and not let others interfere with it.

blackbird picked up in frank

Such was the palace education she received. She was educated to be mentally prepared and must be extremely clean and self-loving. She was not allowed to be too close to women of the same gender. Once she married a big noble, she must immediately fulfill her obligations as a wife. A mother's duty is to give birth to a boy whenever possible.

As if this is the only value of a woman's existence.

A canary escaped from a cage and flew north to become a free blackbird, resilient in the cold.

Can King Rus and the High Priest openly discuss children at the dinner table? It really shocked Blackbird's mind.

Suddenly, his name was also asked by King Ross.

"Blackbird, let me take a good look at your hands!" Rurik ordered.

"yes."

The girl was originally avoiding the tattoos on the back of her hands. Although it was a decision she had to make, now that she calms down, she actually regrets it - if she had known this, she would not have tattooed her forehead and the back of her hands.

Blackbird showed his hands, and Rurik and Rumia stared at it. Now the wooden window is open, and the combined sunlight illuminates the room clearly, and the blackbird's hands are displayed at a glance.

"Very good, the swelling has subsided a lot. Your skin will recover in two days at most."

"Thank you dad for your kind words." Blackbird was still very reserved.

"It may still hurt a little now, Rumia. Let's prepare some swelling medicine (meaning isatis root juice) for your adopted daughter."

"OK."

In the final analysis, Blackbird still appears in the form of a tool, but Rurik pays more attention to her, hoping that this seemingly weak figure can cause Frank to cause trouble in the future so that Rose can fish in troubled waters. Even if it doesn't work, I still have one more daughter, so I can use it as a job

It serves as reinsurance for the expanding power of the "Fox Family".

Rurik was happy that the blackbird was getting along with Verika.

Enjoy the warmth of youth! Even if you are blood sisters, you have your own lives and must be separated from each other in the future!

Rurik would not say such hurtful words now. On the contrary, he would seize the time to strengthen the friendship between the two sisters.

Rurik calmed down and said frankly to his family: "Maybe I will spend the winter in Nassau with my army. Blue Fox mentioned a place called Coblenz. It is in a good location in the hinterland of Frankland and can park a large number of ships. It is flat. The land is convenient for the garrison of the army. The Black Fox's report is definitely correct, and the hostility of the locals towards us has been eliminated. I will spend this winter in Frank. My dear Rumia, you still need to take care of all the affairs this winter. "

"This is my duty."

"Velika, Blackbird." Rurik looked at his two daughters: "You will have a long adventure with this king. Velika, please don't whisper that I don't love you enough. Silly. Girl, you are my eldest daughter."

"Ah? Dad, you even know what I'm saying, who said it?" On the surface, Verica was angry, but her feet under the desk were already dangling with ecstasy.

"Keep quiet. I am not taking you here for fun. You are going to participate in the war and lead battlefield sacrifices! Moreover, if you are captured by the enemy, you will definitely be killed. You must be like the Valkyrie in the world, I All priestesses participating in the expedition will be armed, and a dagger will be prepared. If there is a risk of being captured, she will use her own

I'm done. This is not shameful. "

The words suddenly became heavy, and Verika's restless little feet suddenly relaxed, and then became tense with tension.

"Dad, it's not like that."

"Keep calm. More than ten years ago, your mother was the battlefield priest, Verika, and you inherited the name of High Priest Vilya! At that time, Vilya stayed in Roseburg, and your mother went out with the army. Today is the reappearance of history. , this is your destiny."

Although Verica had already had psychological expectations, she didn't expect that this was fate.

Suddenly a strong sense of responsibility came to my mind, which surpassed all fears and exalted joy.

Seeing that his daughter's spirit was lifted, Rurik added: "That's why we need a grand sacrifice before setting off for the expedition." As he spoke, his face glanced at Rumia.

"I see, a hundred deer."

"No. One hundred and eleven reindeer. This number is very important. We must slaughter the deer at the Stone Ship Altar, and let the deer blood flow into the ocean, so that the foreheads of all the soldiers participating in the war are stained with a trace of ritual blood. Still the same old According to tradition, if you decide the success of the expedition, let my two daughters execute all the sacrificial deer with their own hands."

Rurik's words undoubtedly immediately aroused the overly exciting memories in Blackbird's heart.

The sudden change in the girl's expression immediately aroused Rurik's idea: "Blackbird, are you afraid? Or is it that you may not be able to complete the task given to you?"

"I...killed a deer. I dare you!"

She obviously gritted her teeth and said this. Now that she had agreed, Rurik thought of something just to make the sacrificial event more grand.

"Blackbird, when the official military meeting is held tomorrow, I will bring you into the meeting.

Please give a solemn introduction to others, including your special status as a descendant of Charlemagne. When our army goes out to offer sacrifices, I will make you wear special clothes and display the runes on your back. Everyone will see the huge runes, and Odin, who is above you, will also have insight. "

"This..." Blackbird felt uncomfortable at the thought of showing her back in public.

But women in the north are quite unrestrained. They shave half of their hair and tattoo their faces. There are many such women. Since it was the king's order, Blackbird had no choice but to lower his head and obey honestly.

"Child, you can rest assured that as your adoptive father, I will not let you lose your dignity. I just want to show them that the priest I selected has the rune of life protection, and it is up to you to execute the sacrificial deer with a sword. Truly sacred.”

"I will do it well, father..."

Blackbird agreed. She felt that her past life could only emerge in her dreams. Now that she was reborn, she had to live her life in a new way.

Then again, Rumia felt a little distressed when more than a hundred deer were sacrificed.

"Rurik, I heard that you have already performed a big sacrifice in Novgorod. I absolutely support coming to the capital to do it again. What will happen to these more than a hundred deer in the future? The fresh meat will be made into military rations and taken away directly. ?”

"No. The venison is divided and supplied to the whole city. The capital has been preparing for the expedition for almost a year, and they have to wait another year to see the results. Let them share the joy of getting the sacrificial meat first. I believe them You will feel at ease. Especially those families who are sent to the war. They need comfort. Such families at least give them a free gift.

Only deer legs. "

Rumia nodded: "I understand."

"No. I'm not done yet."

"Is there anything else I can do? I will do it well."

"Of course." Rurik smiled: "Your relatives who are deer farmers, I will give them a chance, a chance to shine."

"Ah?" Rumia didn't understand now. She lowered her face and asked softly, "What do you mean?"

"I know that all of you are actually relatives. All the deer herders are my slaves. Although they are slaves, their lives are getting better and better under my rule. The deer herd belonging to the royal family also increases in value every year. We Taking out some as sacrifices will not affect the prosperity of the deer herd at all. I allowed them to raise deer privately, but these guys must be seizing the opportunity to fatten themselves..."

Rurik's words contained a hint of a wry smile. Those deer farmers, or Sami people, are all human beings who are not deaf, blind or stupid. As for the reason why the deer farmers are lagging behind in all aspects, they are born with insufficient supplies. Once some small clans have excellent means of production, the clan's strength will skyrocket.

He knew that the Karelian Tribal Alliance, whose backbone was completely broken by him, was essentially a large group of powerful family clan alliances. There is no fundamental difference between the deer herder clan and those guys, it's just that the former are too weak.

I'm afraid that the majority of Russians and Swedish ministries just look down on those guys and cannot openly discriminate against them due to the law. As a king, Rurik doesn't think they are a group of pure weaklings from the standpoint of a monarch. Deer farmers have their own special ability - raising deer.

It seems that this is a very nonsensical answer. Their superb level of deer raising is now

Just what Rurik needed.

"I know you can even roam freely on deer. In my opinion, horse riding and deer riding have a lot in common." Rurik reminded.

Rumia hurriedly answered with a smile: "They all bought saddles and rode tall stags like horses. Rurik, are you..."

"She is indeed my woman. You have such a good understanding." Rurik patted the table excitedly, causing the pottery jar filled with thick soup to tremble.

"Reindeer are of course not as good as horses. Their powerful sleigh-pulling skills have helped me win the Winter War, and now I have to use them! A deer is not as good as a horse. What if it is a headless reindeer? I know that now the reindeer has passed During the breeding season, when the male deer has not yet become manic, the female and male deer are docile and easy to control.

I will take the cavalry directly along the coast to Saxony. There are not enough horses. My cavalry also needs some horses to use as temporary pack mules. I have mobilized all the available riding horses in the kingdom. I have no choice but to mobilize Some reindeer did instead. "

"Ah? Are you planning to let warriors fight on deer?" Rumia had some deviations in her understanding.

"How is that possible? Your fantastic ideas made me laugh. During the march, the tall stags installed saddles, and the soldiers rode on them lightly. There are more reindeer, they are just equipment for carrying weapons and armor, and camping in the open air. And the most important military rations. I want to keep the horses in the most relaxed condition!"

"So, what exactly am I going to do?"

Rurik finally emphasized: "In the afternoon, go to the city to gather as many deer herders as possible and ask them to provide their best deer tamers.

deer. "

"How many deer do you want?" Rumia asked directly.

This matter was not Rurik's whim. He had already made a calculation about Xu Ya's deer: "Including the cavalry I placed in Riga, I finally dispatched four cavalry flag corps, plus Beyasher's steppe cavalry. , I have 1,300 cavalry. One cavalryman loses five deer. If there are fewer deer herders, then we still need 200 people. It would be better if they have more."

"So many?!" Rumia was undoubtedly surprised.

"It doesn't matter, I know you can definitely do it."

"Of course it can be done. But..." Rumia had a trace of doubt in her heart. Since this was Rurik's arrangement, and the army had indeed summoned nearly 10,000 reindeer to participate in the expedition just past.

There is no problem in gathering a large number of reindeer auxiliary cavalry for action. However, the cavalry and the deer herd are mixed together to go on an overland expedition to Frank. This really exceeds Rumia's understanding of the world.

She no longer thought about it and decided to implement the order this afternoon.