Rise of Rurik

By now, the purpose of the Rus has been transformed into complete conquest.

The Rus lived in the homes of the gray squirrel tribesmen, and the real tribesmen had to build temporary shacks outdoors. Otto decided to do this to reward his hard-working warriors, and secondly, he wanted to surrender to the new recruits. , declaring what the master-servant relationship is.

Including the warriors of the Salmonlord tribe, who were servants to the war, also had to build a shack.

"Grey Squirrel" and "Lord of Salmon", two tribes with economic conflicts in fishing and hunting, now meet in such an awkward way.

Mechasta and Kaihas, the two tribal leaders no longer have any hatred for each other.

Because the two tribes that belonged to the same group of Kewen people have been set by the conquerors with completely different fates.

Hatred is meaningless, and the two even sat by the bonfire in the cold night, discussing their respective futures.

The flames were burning under the night, and the clan who built the shacks had all fallen asleep.

Mechasta threw wooden sticks into the fire boredly: "In the end, you still won."

"No. I failed, you failed, we all failed." Kaihas sighed secretly.

"We can't beat them, and we all have to accept their rule. It's unbelievable that our hunters who have hunted squirrels for generations will leave their homeland. In the future, this will be your territory."

Kaihas forced a wry smile: "Are you flattering me? Where are you going?"

Mechasta pointed first to the west and then to the north. "Everything is fate, if I hadn't sent that damn expedition, how could we have had such a bad luck. I was complacent about the discovery of iron ore, but I didn't expect it to be the treasure of the Rus. Now it's good, we ashes The squirrel tribe will eventually become miners, and the entire tribe will only migrate. In the future, you and I will no longer be enemies."

"Perhaps, it's not a bad thing for you." Kaihas pointed to the occupied mountain fort, "You contributed your son and daughter, and you dedicated your child to that Rurik. You are very smart."

"It's stupid. You know, there's nothing I can do about it," Mechasta said regretfully.

"We are all helpless, and I also gave away my daughter. Maybe, just because my daughter is not beautiful, she can't be that boy's wife and concubine. You are lucky, because that boy will be the leader of the Rus."

"Who knows?" Mechasta shrugged.

"I've been ordered to send all the messengers out, and the leaders from the upper reaches of the river will definitely come. If they don't come, the Rus will send more people to crusade next year. Anyway, after we leave, you will be in charge. The rest of the Cowens. You're the leader of the group now."

Kaihas did not respond immediately, his empty eyes stared at the flames, thinking a lot in his heart.

Dominate all the Kovin tribes? What can you do yourself?

Obviously, the Salmon Lord tribe was never strong enough to swallow all the tribes, and Kaihas never thought of this possibility in his life. The Rus came, and the tribal politics in the Oulu River Basin was forced to completely reshuffle.

The future Salmon Lord tribe will be under the supervision of the Rus and control all the Kovins on behalf of the Rus.

If the Rus are principled, such a future seems fine.

In fact, in the first morning after the battle, several messengers drove the reindeer sleigh to the other three tribes.

The other surviving tribesmen, under the supervision of the Rus, began to clean up the headless bodies of the war dead, which had been frozen into ice.

Dead corpses in different places, their souls will not be able to return to the sea of ​​souls, and the sad souls can only wander in the snow-covered forest.

Believing these claims, the Cowens gathered up the corpse spontaneously, then struggled to dig a hole under the pine tree and threw the corpse and the head into it. The shaman, who was good at imitating birdsong, performed a strange dance in front of every mass grave.

Yes, it seemed to Rurik that it was a strange dance, coupled with the unique chirping of the dance, which seemed to connect them with the sea of ​​souls they believed in.

This is their belief, and Rurik is only a bystander.

At least they are struggling to bury the dead, and finally have a peaceful ending.

When the long-awaited spring, when the ice and snow melted, Rurik knew that the Grey Squirrel Hill Fort would be empty, and the traces of the war had been completely washed away by the Oulu River, which was rushing through the ice-melting flood.

The Rus will also stay in Grey Squirrel Hill for a while, because the Rus must make a sacred agreement with the leader of all the Kewen people to determine the master's power over the servant and the servant's obligation to the master.

Otto arranged for the surviving tribesmen to act as messengers for the first time, giving the messengers only three days to deliver the message.

It can be said that Otto gave the three tribes that had not yet appeared a little time to prepare.

The Rus people will wait up to four more days. If the three tribal leaders did not come in person on the fourth day, it would be equivalent to declaring that they were declaring war on the Rus people, and the Rus’ crusade would definitely come next year.

During the three-day waiting period, all the Rusian warriors had to do was rest. Some young warriors are eyeing the women of the gray squirrel tribe who have lost their husbands, women who are completely helpless, and have sex with the Rus in order to survive or passively accept them without thinking.

But these survivors have become slaves of Rurik, and in order to appease the tribal warriors who did not get slaves after the war, Rurik said that after returning to Rosburg, all the warriors will be given a special reward of ten silver coins. In fact, it is to buy out the ownership of the slaves by their own people.

As a result, the situation developed rapidly, and many tribal warriors and conquered women became dew couples. They broke the rules, but neither Otto nor Rurik wanted to interfere.

For the past two years, the Rus have been absorbing foreign women, a policy that has given rise to a new normal in the development of the Rus tribal population. There are a large number of women who are not actually married, and Rurik is now the leader, and he will try to introduce them to marriage, and women in this time and space need to rely on a man to survive.

This is the norm of life in northern Europe in this time and space, and women never thought that polygamy was inappropriate in the past.

Otto and Rurik had only two demands: Warriors with women, no bonuses. When a relationship occurs, the relationship must be established forever.

Although it lacked a sense of ritual, as many as twenty Ross warriors immediately had a Kewen wife recognized by the chief family.

The young warriors feel that they have made a lot of money, and they have a chance to marry more women in the future.

A perfect example is here - Rurik.

Since the future leader was only a child, he was destined to have as many as four wives when he was in his hometown, and now he has conquered the fifth. A warrior is naturally inferior to a leader, so if you seize the opportunity, you will have to marry two or three in your life.

Without the participation of a large number of foreign women, the situation of more men than women in Roseburg would be quite serious. Somehow, it was the excessive number of young men that forced the Rus people to go out collectively and conquer the new world of Rus people with their swords. The best way to solve the marriage problems of the majority of young people is to forcefully marry foreign women.

Rurik was very happy that his own tribesmen had no requirements for his wife's ethnicity, and they were particularly tolerant on this issue. A national fusion is taking place, and the strength of the Rus is expanding.

Finally, within the agreed time, the three leaders who had suffered a great defeat arrived at the vanquished gray squirrel tribe by sleigh.

Eight hundred men set out on the expedition, hoping that this army could completely wipe out the invading Varangians, but only a few escaped.

It can be said that after this battle, the three tribes who lived near Lake Oulu, upstream of the river, had their backbones broken by a crushing defeat.

Originally, the population of these tribes was only five or six hundred people. After they tried their best to go on a fiasco, they even lost their fishermen.

What kind of concept is this?

After a war, the three tribes now, there are only 300 women left, and there are only 50 or 60 men of all ages. Among them, there are only a handful of prime-age men. All three tribes were in a similar situation, their demographics changed completely after the war!

So when the messenger brought the ultimatum from the conquerors of Rus, the three tribal leaders discussed it.

In theory, they could flee with their families to build new settlements. However, how can a tribe that has lost the vast majority of its males be motivated to build new settlements?

Besides, if the Rus people are rejected now, they will find out in the future, and the result will be a dead end.

The three chiefs followed the messenger's advice, and they brought a batch of tribute, hoping that the Russ would accept the gift and be kind to their tribe.

The gloomy days finally turned into snowfall, the sky was fluttering with tiny snowflakes, the fresh snow covered the bloodstains frozen after the war, and the earth wrapped in silver light covered all traces of war.

At noon on the third day, some sledges suddenly appeared above the glacier, and their appearance immediately attracted the attention of the Rus who were logging for firewood.

Otto hurriedly led a group of warriors to stand on the frozen river, watching a team approaching him.

In a moment, three men dressed in very furry clothes, accompanied by a small group of followers who were obviously children, approached the mighty team of the Ross people.

Those who came were the three rivals who had never met but sent troops to fight.

The image of Otto, wearing a chainmail, a beard, and holding a steel sword, gave the three chiefs great fear. Look at these Rus again, they are indeed Varyags, exactly like the legendary image!

"Kneel down!" Yevlo, who was acting as a translator, ordered on behalf of Otto.

The three of them, together with their entourage, knelt down to explain their intentions.

Hearing the translation, Otto looked at the reindeer sleds pulling some leather, and couldn't help feeling that the three tribes were very smart.

All this Rurik was waiting to watch, and by his side stood the brothers and sisters Telavis and Seporava.

"Who are the three? The three leaders?" Rurik asked.

"Yes masters. They are Bakan (Arctic), Terjo (Acorn) and Ojedo (Bear)."

Some strange names.

Rurik shrugged and asked, "You know them all?"

"Just heard from my father. We're friends with them, so..."

"How?" Rurik demanded.

"That's why they sent troops to help us fight. Master, I hope you don't resent them."

"Then it depends on what they do. They'd better be loyal servants," Rurik said no more, he turned around and left with a flick of his neck: "You two don't stay outside any longer, and follow me into the house."

Now, Rurik naturally arranged for this pair of brothers and sisters to be his sidekicks. Because of the cooperation between the two, Rurik felt in a trance, as if he had known each other for a long time.

Rurik heard the names of the three chiefs for the first time, and he didn't think it made any sense. Rurik knew exactly what would happen next, so he took his valet back to the warm semi-crypt house, the home that once belonged to the Terravis brothers and sisters, and the shabby mansion of the leader of the Grey Squirrel tribe. .

After a while, the three leaders and their servants entered the preset meeting room under the "escort" of Ross warriors holding swords and shields.

Otto, who was sitting on the animal skin cushion, was arrogant, and there were more than 20 warriors in chain armor standing in the room, which further showed the greatness of the Rus people.

Today, it is extremely rare for all the tribal leaders of the Kewen people to gather together. At this moment, even though everyone has many grievances and grievances on weekdays, everyone has become the slaves of the Rus people.

Otto has no intention or reason to talk to these failed slaves with polite and false and condescending words.

He directly stated his requirements as the chief of Ross, while Yevlo tried his best to translate at the same time.

"You Kewens are now the slaves of our Rus! For those who submit, they will be sheltered by us. For traitors, they will be killed."

"You three leaders actually sent an army to attack us. You are guilty, and since your attitude of confessing your guilt is good, I can give you leniency."

"We Rus are the masters of all of you, but I don't intend to control you directly. The Grey Squirrel tribe will be taken away, and the four tribes under it will continue to stay on your existing land."

"I recognize the Salmon Lord tribe as the leader of all the remaining tribes. Kaihas, rule you on our behalf."

"Except for the gray squirrel tribe, the remaining four tribes of you must fulfill the obligations of servants. Each tribe of you must pay us two thousand squirrel skins every year. If you can't do this, you will be attacked by us. You There is no right to refuse! You must pay tribute to us, not even one piece of squirrel skin."

"In exchange, if outsiders attack any of your tribes, they will fight against us Rus. It is said that there are Tavastians. If these people attack you, we Rus will take the initiative to attack them."

Otto said so, and the leaders were really on pins and needles.

"Do you have any ideas?" Otto asked deliberately.

The scene was eerily calm for a while, and finally a tribal leader said weakly: "The great...great Rus. Because of the war, almost all the men in my tribe died. You ordered us to take out 2,000 copies every year. Tribute of squirrel skin. Really, it's a little difficult."

Otto suddenly drew his sword, and the humming sound of the metal startled Rurik, who was sitting and watching, and almost scared the five leaders.

Otto's sword was pointed directly at the talking leader, and the man was almost paralyzed on the ground.

"What trouble do you have? Is it because we killed your man?"

The leader lying on the ground stammered: "The great... Rus. We... have lost too many men. My entourage is all boys, and my people even lack fishermen. Two thousand squirrel skins a year... …”

Otto immediately scolded: "Shut up! This is your reason? Why don't we lead someone to kill all of you, so that you don't have to pay tribute in the future, because you are all dead."

The leader struggled to get up, he knew that bargaining was pointless.

At this moment, Rurik could feel his father's domineering. Although his father's request was obviously unreasonable, his father's actions were all for the benefit of the Rus people.

Rurik felt that his father's decision was too harsh. After all, there was no war, and the combined population of the five Kewen tribes was only 4,000. After a series of wars, Rurik estimates that the population of all the dead Kovins has exceeded a thousand. Among the remaining population, a group of people will leave this place permanently.

The rest of the Kowens, according to Otto's request, must pay four squirrel skins each year, no matter how old or young.

Does Rurik even think that there are so many squirrels in this area for the Kovins to catch?

Although it felt a little inappropriate, Rurik didn't say anything. After all, the Russ needed to show the authority of their masters, and these conquered guys needed unconditional obedience. Completing a demanding tribute obligation is a long-term bloodletting of their strength, avoiding a theoretical counter-offensive, and forcing them to show loyalty through a demanding task.

Otto finally reiterated his only reason for worrying about all the tribal leaders: "You four tribes must pay us 8,000 squirrel skins every year in the autumn. If you don't finish, you will be hit by us."

No one dared to question or refute, and any reason with practical significance became meaningless here in Otto.

But Otto's demands were not over.

This time, Otto was targeting the three tribes that had sent reinforcements and were almost wiped out by the Rus army.

"I heard that your three tribes raised some reindeer, is there such a thing?! Ah, you don't have to say, I know you must have. Now I order you to pay a tribute of a hundred reindeer, as well as the hay you have stored. . I also want you to provide twenty reindeer sleighs. If you can't accomplish this, you will surely encounter our crusade."

The thing about the deer is actually what Mechasta said. Up to now, Mechasta has been unable to care about the relatively harmonious relationship with the three neighboring tribes. In order to work hard to bring security to his tribe in front of the new master, he desperately shakes out what he knows. Everything, it can be said that he sold his friends very thoroughly.

Most of the reindeer of the Kewen people were snatched from the northern deer breeders.

Wild reindeer also need means of domestication, rather than catching wild reindeer, it is better to loot other reindeer. Looting and conquest, these concepts are clear to the Kowen people. It's just that they haven't imagined that they will one day be conquered by the Varyags in the west of the sea, and what is even more unexpected is that those deer farmers have already defected to the Varyags.

This is what the various Kewen tribes have learned.

It is equivalent to saying that when the Rus announced their conquest of all the Kovins, the northern part of Finland, until the seaside of the Arctic Ocean, became the territory of the Rus.

Otto, as the head of the Rus, declared himself the master of all the deer breeders and all the Kovins.

And Rurik, will inherit all this.

Rurik couldn't help but think, to the Ross tribe, Otto was clearly a hero and a profound pioneer. On the other hand, perhaps because of this small body, the whole person is still too conservative.

"No. I have to be stronger than Otto, I have to take the Rus' army and lay down a huge territory. All of Finland, all of Lapland, all of Murmansk is mine! It must be mine! Oh, Then there will be Karelia."

In fact, after Rurik knew that Otto made such a claim, the Lapland region, the Murmansk region, and the Oulu River Basin, because the limited inhabitants of these regions were either sparsely populated and poorly equipped war scum, Either a servant, the Rus claim has a very real meaning.

The three leaders left in dejection. They did not have any bargaining power. They could only take the savage orders of the Rus, driving the reindeer carriage that unloaded all the gifts to their tribe, and were forced to collect the tribute that Rus needed. and returned within three days.

If the deadline is delayed, it is a betrayal of the Rus people, and Otto threatens his own punishment.

The three leaders did not dare to disobey, because they had completely lost the capital to resist.