Rise of Rurik

Remember [new] in one second! Finally, the people of Mezotny started an armed alert, but how prepared should the army be to resist those Varyag bandits?

The war came very suddenly, and it is still doubtful whether it was related to the war.

Many people still stubbornly believe that the red-hot sky is the coming of a great god. They are unwilling to cooperate or have a very negative attitude. Even though the villagers who fled overnight from Gawa Village have been clamoring about the enemy attack, the news will not spread throughout the country overnight because the living environment of the people surrounding the settlement in Mezotne can be described as "spreading the pie". settlement and surrounding areas.

If they were given another whole day, perhaps everyone would be sure that an enemy was indeed attacking because of the testimony of the witnesses.

But there is no need for the Ross Army to linger any longer.

Because he had fought with the Varangians, although he did not know that the enemy's name was Ross, based on his own knowledge, Luo Keluo believed that the enemy would move very quickly. The enemy could suddenly appear and destroy Gawa Village, and then reach Mei in one night. The possibility of Zotner is really not small.

Is there any need to sleep this night?

The leader Roquero couldn't sleep at all. He summoned his guards all night, and then summoned all the militiamen who were armed and loyal to him and believed that the war was real.

In a short period of time, about four hundred people had gathered near the leader's mansion.

At this moment, the priests who had lost the sacred fire also came over one after another cursing.

"You! How dare you destroy the altar?! Destroy the sacred fire?! The gods will be angry, and we will all die." The bald priest's face was as hideous as a skull, and his trembling appearance attracted the attention of all viewers. anger, or incompetence

furious.

What I did just now was indeed a bit rough, but if I didn't do this, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to complete the most basic militia gathering.

Luo Keluo, who was busy lecturing, originally intended not to pay attention to the priests, but this group of people was getting more and more crazy now.

The priests gradually became chattering, apparently because the leader had no obvious reaction, and their mouths became unclean, finally irritating Roquero.

Suddenly, a gust of sword wind buzzed.

A broad-bladed Frank sword was pointed directly at the highest priest in Mezot, the bald old man with a wrinkled face. "Shut up! I usually give you very high courtesy, but I don't want you to scold me in this dangerous period."

"But! The God is angry! You will be struck by thunder! Just because you desecrated the altar and the people's worship of the God!" The old man was still talking about that.

Of course, Rocklo believes in the gods, especially the greatest in their hearts, Dievas.

Is it really up to these priests to decide whether their actions really angered the gods?

Having been forced to this point, Luo Keluo, who was holding the sword, shouted directly: "Shut up! Bald old man, if you can really communicate with the gods, how can you explain the defeat ten years ago? It's you who said so Our army will definitely win, but the celestial phenomena that day are so similar to tonight. Have you forgotten?"

Many lower-level priests indeed knew very little about what happened ten years ago, but this bald old priest was an eyewitness to the war that year.

"So, God came ten years ago. But at that time, someone must have blasphemed God, which led to our defeat..."

"So you are admitting that there is really a Varangian attack? And you are

do what? I just destroyed your sacred fire so that the people can wake up and follow me to fight against the Varyags. Ten years ago, God did not help us. What do you think this time? Will God help us? "

"If you don't destroy the altar, the gods will help us. You are a sinner!" The old priest was still stubborn.

Roquero had been trying to convince the priests that he did not want to break the rules, but the defeat ten years ago was a pain that could never be erased from his heart. He had been suffering from strong cautious stimulation and finally killed him.

"Amicable!" In anger, Luo Keluo roared and sealed his throat with his sword.

In full view of everyone, the old priest was bleeding profusely. He stared at the leader's face with wide eyes and collapsed.

The unexpected situation shocked all the surrounding militiamen and people at a loss. The other priests suddenly screamed and ran away.

The old priest fell to the ground and vomited blood. His lips trembled unconsciously as if he wanted to say something, but he soon spit out blood bubbles.

The leader Roquero shook the blood off his sword vigorously. The killing of the priest exceeded everyone's expectations. When he calmed down, he felt that he had gone too far.

Now that things have happened, there is no way out for him.

He now desperately hopes that the Varyag army will show up and fight with him, so that he can explain the killing of the priests.

If Mezotny blocked or defeated the Varangians' attack, all the evil deeds would no longer be vicious, and the real bad guy would become the old man lying in a pool of blood.

Roklo took the opportunity to raise his iron sword and preached: "The Varangians are coming! God did not help us! Now we can only rely on ourselves."

I have defended my homeland! "

He wishfully believed that the people would be merciful to reality. However, the fact that the leader killed the priests had begun to spread with the fleeing lower-level priests, and was intertwined with the horrific descriptions of the refugees from Gawa Village, making the nationwide mobilization that Roquero hoped to be impossible. Not realized.

At least overnight mobilization is unrealistic.

In other words, Rocklo's claim that there is no retreat is absurd. The people in Mezot have a retreat, which is to move upstream along the Lielupe River until they reach Pasvalis, the current core city of Semigalia. (already in present-day Lithuania).

The people within Mezot made three choices.

Some preferred to listen to their leaders and took up arms to form militias.

Some people could take up arms, but they did not do so or flee. They just watched the situation change before deciding whether to fight.

A group of people chose to flee. It didn't matter whether the killing of the priest was the trigger for the escape. It was just because the people were instinctively avoiding the war. Even if the escapees were called cowards, they would not hesitate to do so, not to mention that they had already made preparations for escape. Argument of defense - The chief murdered the priest, we no longer support the tyrant.

They were free and did not settle in Mezot, and there was no harm in going to Pasvalis to support the paramount chief.

However, any choice made by Mezotne and the other Semigalians... has anything to do with the advancing Ross?

The Russian army slept overnight in the village of Gava, and they woke up in the thick morning fog.

The damp environment in the lowlands is regrettable, but fortunately the soldiers have experienced more severe situations. They have overcome the cold, and now they are

Can overcome moisture.

After waking up, Fisk held the hilt of his sword and patrolled the village. As he walked, he shouted: "Warriors, wake up immediately! Those who dare to sleep in will be fined!"

All cavalry soldiers are paid salaries. As a standing army, they are most afraid of fines. Because that is not only a fine, but also the loss of the right to share the spoils after victory.

Fisk was scaring them. The young soldiers got up one after another, and everyone who saw the boss walking by stood at attention and saluted.

Taking this opportunity, Fisk continued to preach: "Feed the war horses some wheat and have a good meal yourself. There is a big battle today. All of you should maintain your best energy to fight."

The war horses were fed some captured grain one after another, mixed with some salt. The soldiers then let the horses eat some green grass to ensure that the most critical mounts on the day of war are energetic enough to adapt to high-intensity battles.

Ross's cavalry tactics emphasized flexible movement.

If Ross's war horse is Frank's Roman horse, then it will be possible to directly use impact combat to knock down the enemy's formation in one go. But if this is the case, it will be difficult for the Ross cavalry to conduct long-distance attacks.

Each cavalryman put on plate armor, plate armor skirt, arm guards and greaves.

They put decorative feathers on the iron helmets in advance. As for the short spears that were more important for ceremonial purposes than actual combat, most of them were now given directly to the rowing brothers.

The cavalry completely restored their posture as steppe cavalry, and the Pecheneg warriors in each flag team were also full of interest in the next battle.

In terms of environment, this place is relatively similar to the area where the steppe people settled at the mouth of the Volga River. Now the cavalry are one step ahead.

Under the leadership of General Fisk, they ran along the Lielupe River towards the destined battlefield.

Can 1,400 men occupy the inner city of Mezotte?

Based on Osten's confession, it was a city without a wooden wall barrier, which was equivalent to being undefended for the Russian army.

However, if the cavalry really enters the area with chaotic houses, its tactical advantage will be greatly weakened. Fiske still hopes to fight with the locals in the open farmland outside the city, and determine the final victory by massacres of the enemy's active forces.

So he gave the soldiers an order, this time it was no longer a tacit consent, but a real order: You kill wantonly and let the enemy see our terror.

Fisk's battle tactics were very pure. As soon as the army arrived, they killed and looted, forcing the enemy to flee frantically out of fear, so that the entire city fell into the reach of Rus.

The Russian army still has to march thirty kilometers and then immediately go into battle, which is a certain test for the war horses.

The man is already a veteran, and the war horse is also experienced.

These war horses have been in combat mode for a long time since the army was launched in September last year. After a long rest in Riga, their energy that had been severely damaged was finally greatly restored.

The cavalry were able to maintain a high mental state, and 900 cavalrymen from three banners reached the gates of Mezotne in the equivalent of three hours.

"It seems that that's our target." Fisk tilted his head and squinted his eyes. The sun was shining brightly at noon, the fog had completely dissipated, and the outline of a large settlement sitting on a low hill was fully visible.

"Boss, attack immediately?" Flag Captain "Pig Nose" Swain was already impatient.

Fisk looked left and right again, and then stared at the huge fixed

At first glance, it looks like it is completely undefended.

"Fighting is necessary. Let the horse rest first. I want to think of the best strategy to win. Everything must be done according to my orders."

"Yes!" the two flag captains said in unison, although they were still anxious.

Precisely because he saw the scale of the enemy's city with his own eyes, Fisk was no longer in a hurry. He did not want the cavalry to enter large residential areas due to excessive killing. In this way, the enemy who was actively resisting might suddenly emerge from the dark corners, even with the use of weapons. A wooden stick can also trip the leg of a war horse. Once the horse is injured, it means that the entire cavalry loses its meaning of existence.

If the enemy destroys the Ross cavalry at a low cost, how can they deliver orders to the king?

After all, this operation is considered a military adventure in which I directly participated in the command. If something goes wrong, it will cause huge losses...

Fisk didn't dare to think about it anymore. Now the large settlement that was really like spreading a pie among the Semigalians suddenly became conservative.

The soldiers dismounted as required, which also gave the horses time to rest. They sat cross-legged on the oat field, drank some water and ate some biscuits and dried fish.

The suddenness of the cavalry's attack will be lost as a result, Fisk did this deliberately.

From the perspective of the people of Mezotne, a strange blue-white color suddenly appeared in the north of the city, forming a huge contrast with the colors of the surrounding world, as if a dense cloud had fallen on the ground.

Many people stayed up all night without sleeping, and those who did sleep only took a nap.

"Chief, the Varangians on horseback have appeared!" The guard disturbed the leader Roklo's nap.

He wears a piece of armor and a set of chain mail bought from the Frankish world.

Upper body, this time he separated his two wives and concubines, and rested with his sword in his arms.

Roquero's sons all joined the army and became its leaders. His first wife died early, but his two young wives and concubines were forcibly incorporated into the army.

The Semigalians and many tribes in this era had a consistent attitude towards war. War always threatened the survival of the entire tribe, rather than a struggle for power among a few nobles. The war in Northeastern Europe exists in a very simple way. It concerns everyone in the community, so young women also have the obligation to take up arms to surround the community and tribe.

Everyone in the Rocklo family who could afford weapons was in the militia. The leader's family's resolute attitude influenced many people. Before dawn, he had already assembled a militia of as many as a thousand people.

As day broke, a few wavers followed the crowd and joined the militia.

There were more and more militiamen in Mezot, until people finally saw a group of weirdos appearing in the north of the city at noon.

Luo Luoluo stood up and said to the left and right: "The war has begun. How many people are there?"

"I can't see clearly. Chief, should we fight them decisively? It seems that the Varyags have too many troops."

"Damn it! But there is nothing we can do about it." Luo Keluo could only bite the bullet. After all, as the leader, he had the obligation to protect the family property and the large settlement. Last night, he recklessly killed the priest, which was even more ruined. found his own retreat.

It's best to win, and to die in battle is to die in a worthy way, but you can't retreat.

Thinking of this, he became more open-minded and calm.

"Let's go! Beat the drum, we will go out of the city and fight them." He whispered like a hungry wolf.

Now, because Varyag

The existence of human beings is no longer a legend. A large number of horse-riding bandits are watching eagerly in the north of the city. All those who are hesitant have made their choices. Only a small number of people fled with the reputation of cowards, while the rest picked up various farm tools and became militiamen.

In a very short period of time, more than 3,000 militiamen were thrown out of the inner city of Mezotte.

Harpoons, pitchforks, short spears for hunting animals, flails for tamping grain, large wooden hammers... a mess of tools were used as weapons, and some people even used wooden sticks as weapons.

After all, they were militiamen. The only real elite armed men were Roquero's guards, which numbered less than a hundred.

Roquero and his guards formed the ruling group within Mezot. They were relatively well-equipped. Facing the Ross cavalry, these so-called elites were still weak.

But the Varangians that Roquero knew were indeed better equipped. If we relied on enough manpower to press them up, we could crush them. After all, even if it is a big wooden hammer, even if the enemy is wearing an iron helmet, the powerful hammer can hit the head directly and break the neck.

"Boss, look over there." Flag Captain "Pig Nose" Swain, who noticed that the situation was changing, hurriedly came to Fisk.

"I've seen it all, they actually dare to fight us in the wild?!"

"Hehe, this is really stupid." Swain's words were obviously full of happiness and contempt.

Youdao is that Fisk has always fought against strong enemies under the banner of Ross for more than ten years. He subconsciously believes that the enemies are also relatively strong and will never make some stupid mistakes.

Obviously he overestimated them.

Is the Mezzotne side really stupid? Luo Keluo didn't even realize that street fighting was his chance of winning. He didn't even think about it.

Not many, but based on their own understanding, they believe that war is about two groups of people rushing together to fight in groups, relying on the number of people and the brute force of the soldiers to win the battle.

Mezzotny didn't even care about the basic infantry tactics of "shield wall". As for fighting the cavalry, this was the first time, or most of the militiamen didn't know the details of the war ten years ago.

Even if they knew it, it would be meaningless. No one had actually fought against the cavalry. No one knew how to restrain the cavalry. They just had to use the old method to gather as many people as possible to "fight in groups."

From Fisk's perspective, he was satisfied with the enemy's "smart" cooperation.

The entire army was on horseback. Fisk looked to his left and right. The soldiers of the three flag teams were all lined up in long queues.

"Let's go!" With an order, the cavalry no longer waited for the slow-moving fleet, and the nine hundred cavalry began to advance slowly.