Rise of Rurik

The cargo ship towed the small boat of the Balmerks and established a landing point camp at the mouth of the Oulu River.

The beaches here are full of fine sand, and there are even some sand bars popping out of the sea. Cargo ships with deeper drafts are best to take advantage of the north wind and rush directly to the east-west river. The people wearing the clothes set up tents and lit bonfires on the shore. The thick hemp ropes were removed from the clothes and tied to some big trees nearby, and the iron spears on the boat were also thrown into the river.

Mordogen landed, and he stood on the Land of the East.

This place was unfamiliar to him and his brothers, not to some of the explorers in the tribe. It is a pity that those predecessors did not leave a map engraved on a wooden board, so that he knew nothing about this place.

The only thing he knew was that the Corvin lived upriver and that the Rus had become their masters.

I have lived in the camp at the mouth of the river for more than two days, and the days are getting colder every day. The thin linen tent is by no means a treasure to keep out the cold. Sleeping in this kind of place is really a test.

"Damn it, I really need to leave this wild place sooner."

The only thing that comforted him was that the Ross brought a little ale. Alcohol temporarily warmed his body, but it couldn't change the cold essence of the north wind like a knife. Until one morning, he suddenly saw that some small pools by the river that had stored water started to freeze, so is it still far from the freezing of the entire sea area?

The surrounding scenery was desolate, and the Balmerks didn't care what happened to the big island not far away.

That's Hailuoto, and it really doesn't have much to develop. It does have a spectacle that happens occasionally, that is, in autumn and winter, when the sea ice is still condensed, a large number of "ice eggs" will be born on its beaches. When the sea ice is completely frozen, not to mention the existence of ice roads from the islands to the mouth of the river, the entire Gulf of Bothnia north of the Åland Islands will be frozen by thick sea ice, especially in the northernmost sea area. It is not uncommon to squeeze out a ten-meter-high ice lump.

Everyone wanted to get out of this chilling place as soon as possible, and finally, after three full days, the five long boats collecting tribute returned.

Hearing that the people of Ross collected as much as 10,000 pieces of squirrel skins as a huge tribute, Modgen's view of wealth was completely overturned.

Those sacks filled with leather were thrown directly into the cargo ship, and Mordegen just couldn't figure out that they didn't take strict care of such a valuable thing.

An idea of ​​owning them arises spontaneously!

After all, reason took over Mordegen's head, and he dared not commit theft,

Just because I and my fellows are on the boat of the Ross people, besides, I have a mission. If the business between the Ross people and the Balmok tribe is stabilized in the future, it is self-evident who will be the big contributor.

The sea water was already freezing cold, and both Otto and Rurik noticed that the river was beginning to freeze.

Facing the increasingly severe north wind, the fleet headed north along the coastline on the east side of the bay. Otto, who had a new and deep understanding of the local geography, gave important instructions to all his anxious subordinates: "You don't need anything. Worry, when we see a big estuary, that's Fort Airon Orawa."

The north wind allowed the ship to move fast against the wind, but it was also like a knife, forcing Rurik to curl up in the warm buckskin. Saiporava, who was destined to be his woman, was very happy that she was going to see her father and the clansmen during this trip, and now it was reasonable to hug Rurik to keep warm.

Even Otto did not dare to resist the cold with his body, and almost everyone wore blankets, only the sailors who manipulated the sails. After drinking ale, they put on leather waistcoats and moved the Range Rover through different movements to ensure their own safety. the warmth.

From the estuary of the Oulu River to the estuary of the Kemi River in Ailonburg, the straight-line distance between the two places is only 70 kilometers. Due to the principle that headwinds must travel more, the fleet forms a broken line at a speed of about five knots per hour. Going forward, I rested on the shore at night, and drifted on the sea for another two days.

The further north, the colder the climate, and the more Rurik understood the importance of repairing the poop of cargo ships. To put it bluntly, it is trying to ensure that the navigator will not be frozen to death.

"Once my Aurora is launched, I can stay in the cabin and even have some charcoal to keep warm."

The cold made Rurik drowsy, and he suddenly got out of the buckskin. Shocked by the cold air, he regained his energy.

The journey is finally coming to an end?

He found that the people on the cargo ship were restless, and the sailors were also cheering.

Putting on his thick leather hat, Rurik squinted his eyes on the side of the boat and saw the bay in the distance.

Taking a closer look, something different from the natural landscape appeared on the coast.

"Haha! Saibo Lava, come and see!"

The girl endured the cold and huddled beside Rurik: "Are you at your destination?"

"Look! That's Fort Eron Orava, where all your people are." Rurik pointed to the wooden wall, and Seborava, who had a deep understanding of the castle, recognized it at a glance The architectural style is based on what the tribe did.

It was just one thing that surprised her. The wooden wall of the mountain castle was too long, right? !

Otto was also surprised, his old eyes still retaining a good power. He had already learned from his son that Fort Elrond had a wall that was comparable in length to Fort New Rose, and seeing it today, it really lived up to its reputation. He also couldn't help thinking about how much effort the people of the gray squirrel tribe had put in to build this wall.

More importantly, Otto sensed a hint of danger almost instinctively.

Yes, if this group of Kewen people really rebelled, what a terrible price the Ross people would have to pay for breaking this giant mountain fortress. Is it still like Arik said, holding a big log and knocking the wall away? I'm afraid it's not that simple.

Fortunately, Otto thought of another thing, that is, some tribesmen moved here as early as the summer, and the Ross people and the Cowen people were in a mixed state. I hope that under the supervision of the Ross people, that Mechasta will remain Respectfully.

Otto's associations are completely unfounded. The canonized city lord Mechasta has essentially entered the power core of the Ross tribe.

Today, Roseburg has a tendency to be promoted to a city-state, but in the process of upgrading, a number of colonial points have risen. The power organization of the Ross tribe is already very loose and vague. Except for a tribal leader with the highest authority, the second authority is the "war chief", who is only in charge of the duties of the battlefield commander. Inventing the concept of a castellan, the so-called "settlement leader," was already a huge innovation.

Even so, the relationship between the settlements and the mother city of Roseburg is still very vague.

What Otto saw at the beginning was a huge wall. However, when the fleet rushed into the Ailon Orava River (that is, the Kemi River), he suddenly discovered that there are not only permanent docks where supply ships can berth, but also Not far away, there are actually some things that are blown by the north wind and rotate rapidly.

The Elon Orava Fort he saw close up not only had tall wooden walls, but also raised towers at intervals, all of which were indeed the work of the Cowen people.

Could it be that in the construction of settlements, the Ross people were actually compared to the weak Kewen people?

Do not! It's not easy!

A fleet of Ross people suddenly arrived at Fort Elrond in the early winter. Mechasta, who stayed in the fort and only wanted to survive the winter safely, clearly realized that the moment of his destiny was now.

The Rus came, or Rurik came with Thorgon's army.

He has nothing to worry about, because the task entrusted by Rurik has not only been successfully completed, the clansmen, regardless of men, women, old and young, have joined the battle. Until now, the work of smelting and blacksmithing is still going on, and even the previous rain has not had any impact on the work. .

Is the severe cold a hindrance? The big ax dug a path leading to the mine in the forest, and a small mountain fortress built at the foot of the mountain was also erected. The wooden wall of the mountain castle is relatively short, it only provides a place for mining people to sleep peacefully at night, and beware of polar bears or wolves attacking.

A log cabin was full of finished axes and spearheads, especially the axes, which they had fitted with pine handles. Neither the ax nor the spearhead is actually carburized, the essence is that this process is not time-consuming to meet the deadline. Even so, relying on the fact that ferrochrome is naturally hard, it is even harder with the surface hardening process of quenching. Although it is hard, the finished tool is not brittle. Those ordinary wrought iron products will naturally have dents when they are chopped by a chrome-iron axe, and the damage of the chrome-iron axe itself is minimal.

Just like this, for the Iron Squirrel Tribe, it is already a magical weapon that was never imagined.

Is there anything else to worry about now?

The river shows signs of freezing, and the water flow has weakened. The hydraulic forging has been affected to some extent, and it can continue to work for a while.

In fact, living in such a place where it is cold all year round, the most worrying thing is the lack of food.

Originally, Mechasta was worried that the whole family would live in this territory. If they really did not rely on the material resources of the Ross people, the future wintering would be a severe test.

The food problem is solved by fishing? There is indeed a lake upstream, and the Ross people who migrated here caught some, but they were not willing to share it with the Cowen people. By means of hunting, the Iron Squirrel Tribe hunted beasts large and small, and any meat after skinning was key food.

When Mechasta planned to endure the winter and complain to Rurik, their food crisis ended because of an incredible good thing.

"It's really a huge mountain castle!" Otto on the boat opened his mouth wide. He saw that some people had gathered on the shore, and it was obvious that his previous worries were completely stupid.

Rurik took it for granted that his father's exclamation was a question to himself, so he leaned over and asked, "What do you think of my achievements? I ordered them to build the wall, and I think they did a good job."

"Is it you? Of course it's you. Only you can do such a great thing, but you don't know what's going on inside the wooden wall?"

"Haha, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Because, mom... she's been here."

"Niya? Her?" If his son didn't tell him, Otto would never know about it. Since my wife said that this place is wonderful, it must be true.

Otto quickly saw clearly that there were some roads that were probably paved with wooden boards, extending from the open wooden door not far away to the trestle of the pier, and some people were coming out of the mountain fort.

A man who is in a hurry is Mechasta, even though he is wearing thick clothes, he is still recognized by his woman from a distance.

At this moment, the disembarkation boards on the cargo ship have already been put on the trestle. It was certainly not the first time for the sailors of the cargo ship to visit, and they knew best how the settlement came to be. They were once involved in the task of transporting personnel and escorting supplies, and this time it was obviously a revisit of the old place during the cold period. Of course, they really wanted to finish loading and unloading everything, and return to Roseburg to survive the winter in peace at the last moment before the sea freezes.

Otto and the others started to disembark. He stepped on the hard trestle bridge and jumped a few times subconsciously.

"Dad, don't you think you're funny?" Rurik complained deliberately.

Otto jumped a few more times like a child: "Hey, this trestle is very strong."

"Of course it's strong, you can tell by looking at its stakes."

"It's really thick." Otto straightened his twisted neck, and quickly stepped on the boardwalk on the bank.

The last time he came here was almost a year ago. The former campsite had turned into a solid settlement. Standing so close to the wooden wall, he felt that Rurik was going to build Fort Elrond like Fort New Rose. that huge.

A very familiar figure hurried over and took off his hat in front of Otto.

"Boss, you're here?!" Mechasta hurriedly looked at Rurik again, and said, "I've finished all those axes and spearheads."

"Good job." A stone fell from Rurik's heart.

Mechasta was canonized as the lord of Elronburg. This matter was directly authorized by Otto. Otto was in a great mood. Just as he was about to ask some questions, a girl couldn't bear her temper and rushed up.

It was Sepporava, who screamed at her father in the language of the Kewen people, threw herself into Mechasta's arms, and then, like a little squirrel of her relatives, twisted her little head and acted like a baby.

"You... you actually came."

The sudden appearance of the youngest daughter subconsciously made Mechasta feel that his son Telavis was also visiting relatives, and his inquiry was immediately denied by Rurik.

Mechasta let go of her happy daughter and formally greeted her master who came from afar.

"Boss, and Rurik, welcome to Fort Eron Orava."

There was nothing threatening about this person's compliment, Otto nodded: "It's too cold outside, take me inside the wooden wall to have a look. My brother and I are staying here tonight, you must provide excellent accommodation."

What Otto gave was an order, but this order can be executed very well in an instant.

Mechasta smiled without saying a word, and continued to cup his hands: "Please come with me, chief, you will be satisfied."

Everyone gathered together and walked under the wooden wall, and approached the inside of the wooden wall curiously.

For a moment, including Otto, all the people who have just arrived here feel that they are in another world.

Perhaps this analogy is too far-fetched, but the fact is that all the styles of wooden buildings within the wooden walls were instructed by Rurik himself. They are all Novgorod-style woodcuts, and there are some differences between the houses, but if you look at them from a distance, you will be shocked by their neat arrangement.

After all, Rurik instructed his subordinates to build a circular town with a diameter of more than 100 meters. The civil engineering construction has continued to this day, and some carpenters are still carving and chiseling the accessories of the house inside the wooden walls.

Even if their technological level is backward, as long as they have the ability to pursue the pursuit of beauty, they must continue. Carpenters were working on some ornate woodwork, either for house decoration or simply for tableware and drinking ware.

Otto didn't tremble with surprise at this scene, he felt that all the houses were so familiar.

"It's really unexpected that you are actually studying the architecture of the Novgorod people in such a cold place. No! You are obviously Kewen people, where did you learn it?"

Mechasta smiled proudly: "This is all the achievements of Rurik. He and his men taught us to build houses and smelt iron. Please look over there, big boss." Mechasta pointed to the settlement. An area, especially pointing to a house: "Those wooden houses are vacant, they were built by Rurik's order, and now they are finally coming in handy."

"Huh? Let my men live?" As he said, Otto slapped the ferret hat on Rurik's head with a slap: "You guys are really thoughtful."

Rurik was not excited about his identity, he said calmly: "This is the role of Fort Eron Orava. In my opinion, when new clansmen move here, they can live in the spare wooden houses, but the condition for them to live is to pay A tax, because those cabins are my property."

Rurik quietly proposed the basic concept of real estate, he said it casually, and did not arouse Otto's major interest. After all, the subordinates brought this time have a warm shelter, so what about myself?

Otto immediately got a very satisfactory answer, and saw Mechasta pointing to the largest wooden house with a beautiful structure: "That is the chief's house, the great chief, and now you are its master."

Finally, Otto's beard began to tremble. He felt that Mechasta really deserved to be a good hound, the level of flattery was really high, and he was really happy.

At this moment, Rurik broke the mystery and asked deliberately: "Dad, that is our home in Elronburg. I designed the house they built. What do you think? Mom lived here for at least a while, and she said it feels like home." .”

"Niya? Huh? Rurik, it's still you. Hey, I just thought that Kewen people shouldn't be so witty, but it's still you. You really know how to please your father." Otto pinched happily Rurik's neck, he felt that standing in a town full of order and quite tidy, he was the most noble person, and what he saw now must be actively replicated in New Roseburg. Oh, there is no need to reproduce it.

Otto thought about it, Rurik planned this mountain fort, and he also made a detailed plan for the layout of New Rose Fort. Fort Elrond is an orderly place rising from the barren land, presumably the "Harp City" will be even more wonderful.

He went straight to the leader's residence, and he wanted to sit down and rest, drink some wine and eat some people, and then took his son non-stop, so as to chat with Mechasta. It was already getting late, and Otto made a calculation in his heart, and the time to collect the tribute was put on tomorrow.

Seeing that the building here is so solid and clean, isn't the previous construction plan of "Northern Assembly Point for Winter Catch" successfully completed?

Fort Eron Orava, it can now serve as the best rallying point. Large-scale hunting in the north is just about to happen. Otto had already planned not to lead the team himself this year. Unexpectedly, Fort Elrond is so graceful, and he is growing old and strong. With this fort as a strong backing, why not come again?

He intends to talk about this matter with Mechasta, and Mechasta also has many good things, and he wants to find a good opportunity to tell his master.