Rise of Rurik

The mild south wind swept across the Gulf of Bothnia, and a large ship hoisted her unique jib.

Look at this sail, its maximum length is abruptly more than twenty stikas, which is nearly twenty meters. The slanted beams do have such a length that even if they are slanted, the maximum height of the ship is much higher than the mast.

Compared to the size of the ship, it was her sails that stood out the most. From a distance, the sail is gray as a whole, but from a closer look, it can be seen that it is stitched together by many small sails. Fan's loyal center position, and two very obvious staggered stripes, thus proving her identity.

The south wind blows the giant sail, which is inclined to the central axis of the ship, and it forms a quite perfect wing shape, which makes it easy for the large ship to make a folded line against the wind.

She is Avlora, the chief flagship of the Ross clan fleet. Only her stocky and powerful body can unquestionably be competent for this duty.

It was already April, and after the grand sacrificial event was over, more than one thousand large and small fleets, carrying as many as three thousand people, and even a wide variety of goods of astonishing weight, rushed to their respective goals.

A small fleet, with the purpose of obtaining ore, ran to Elrond Castle in the north.

A large fleet, with Sorgon's troops and a group of cargo ships, headed east for Novgorod and Novgorod.

Here, the largest fleet, all ships led by the huge jib of the Avlora, went straight to Lake Mälaren along the coastline.

As usual, Otto stood at the bow.

This time he didn't bother holding the bow relief, because he couldn't hold anything at all.

Avrolla has a special foremast, which is a wooden pole that is inclined to point straight ahead. Now a group of wooden pulleys and ropes are installed on it, and the ropes pulled diagonally from the mast are tightly tied here. So if you count the stay ropes of the mast, the whole ship can be said to surround the keel and mast, forming a mechanically entangled stable structure, plus the most critical material of hard oak, the whole ship is not indestructible, at least There is also no need to worry about the existence of seawater erosion for many years.

Otto was simply holding on to the wooden railing on the side of the ship. He sometimes paid attention to the torsion slingshot covered with sackcloth soaked in seal oil. His main energy was actually looking at the hazy coast in the distance and the sea in front of him.

He had to be vigilant, even immersed in the sea breeze himself, as a navigator, for behind him was a gigantic fleet of thousands of ships.

He is enjoying a new sailing experience,

For example, you can stand in a very high position and see a lot of water splashing out of the bow. The keel of the bow protruded a part forward, and it seemed to arch the sea water and dial it to both sides. Why is this ship so designed? Otto didn't think much of it.

Because the Avlora does have a bulbous bow, it is probably the only ship with a bulbous bow among the ships cruising in the entire Baltic Sea.

It is a finely polished protruding oak, a special existence of tenon and tenon on the keel, which means that it can be dismantled.

However, the existence of this bulbous bow is not only to reduce the disturbance of wave-making resistance to the navigation of the ship, but also to the front end of which is riveted with some rough-made chrome bars with certain anti-corrosion ability. The bulbous head became more rigid, which is what Rurik wanted.

Rurik knew one thing about the development of the navy, that is, even if the world entered the existence of ironclad ships, because the artillery shell and artillery technology at the time could not catch up with the armor technology of ships, it was quite unrealistic to expect shelling to sink enemy ships quickly. Under such circumstances, resurrecting the collision tactics of the Roman era had a very realistic and necessary role. They have realized the importance of the bulbous bow, so they can strengthen the hardness of the bulbous bow, so that the collision tactics have the powerful ability to break the enemy ship in the middle without damage to themselves.

Rurik's philosophy is actually the same. It is unrealistic to expect the six torsion slingshots on the ship to sink the enemy ship quickly. It is better to collide directly.

He has this confidence that even if the Avlora is not designed with human oars, its spinnaker has the ability to use any wind direction, and the speed is still amazing. The big ship can rely on its iron head to knock down the enemy.

However, the wave-making resistance was greatly reduced, and because of her sturdy body, Otto, who was standing on the bow, saw the high speed of the ship, and the feeling of turbulence was extremely weak.

The big ship can rush ahead at six knots, even with her belly full of cargo!

A large amount of leather was bundled, soap was packed into a box made of pine wood, and a large number of weapons to be sold directly to the leader were all stuffed into the cabin.

The Avlora did not reach her full load displacement, and even so, her displacement was over a hundred tons. Now everyone has to face a gratifying reality. Only this ship is really used as a cargo ship. She is better than three cargo ships, and its speed is faster than that of cargo ships.

The happiest person is probably the great businessman Gould. He never thought that the Avlora would be so powerful. Presumably the future Gouldot should be stronger.

The Avlora is truly the flagship, and she is faster than all the ships in the fleet, even the heaviest. This made her often have to slow down by slackening the sails to accommodate the entire fleet.

On the first night, the fleet docked near the shore, and huge bonfires were lit on the deserted beach.

Only those cargo ships, and the largest of them, the Avrora, were left riveted and drifted offshore.

The entire huge fleet basically set sail at the same time. They formed a huge team. After leaving the fjord and entering the sea, they gradually formed a team of six nautical miles.

The Avlora led the entire fleet and was at sea for at least fourteen hours.

At the current time node, the sunshine time enjoyed by ancient Sweden has climbed to 15 hours. In addition to the time of Buddha's dawn and the scattering of sunlight in the evening atmosphere, it can enjoy up to 16 hours of light, and this time is still increase rapidly. Until June 28 of the Julian calendar, there was not even a second of darkness in Rosberg.

During these fourteen hours, all the ships sailed against the wind at an average speed of four knots.

Of course, when the wind is down, traditional longboats can rely on the paddling assistant to directly soar to a high speed of ten knots, but unfortunately that usually does not last long. The Avlora is completely against the wind and still has amazing speed. Only the leader is worthy of this magical ship. Those ordinary people control their own ships, and they can't catch up with the leader's flagship, and their dignity is also reflected here.

If the boats continued to move forward at night, some ships rushed to the mouth of Lake Mälaren in just three days.

It is a pity that a large number of merchant ships are mixed in this mixed fleet. What the merchants hope for is the smooth sailing of the sea, and they will never risk their own property, which forces Otto even with a fast ship. Quickly, it took five days abruptly, and finally entered the Mälaren Lake, which is composed of pure fresh water.

A strange big ship lights up its magical giant sails, leading an astonishing number of ships into the big lake, as if it has always been a powerful crusade.

They were first spotted by fishermen from Merlaren, and even some Ross fishermen from Tombstone Island.

As they approached the Åland Islands, the fleet split. Those Sorgon fleets that were going to the east, under the leadership of Aric, would first visit Tombstone Island in the name of the leader Otto, and stay here after the correction. Continue east.

The Melalen warriors stationed at the mouth of the Great Lakes saw a fleet of unprecedented scale, and their eyes were fixed on the largest ship.

They can't help but start to speculate about who is the owner of the big ship.

Speculation is probably superfluous, because the fleet comes from the northern seas, and this year coincides with the second visit of the leader of Ross to Melalen for more than ten years. The first glimpse into the face of the elite forces of the Rus.

As both Rurik and Otto had hoped, the Avlora's huge sails, and the interlaced blue stripes on them, were just enough to give the Rus enough face to witness the Melarons ignorant. overwhelmed.

Otto, who was still like a god statue on the bow of the boat, put his big hand lightly against his eyes, and asked Rurik and Carlotta who were standing beside him.

"You two are familiar with this place. After those damn island groups, we finally reached Lake Mälaren?"

Rurik was quite surprised; "Dad, haven't you been here? Did you forget?"

"Me? Haha! It was all ten years ago, and I have long forgotten. You didn't exist ten years ago, and Carlota didn't exist either. Too many things have really happened in these years..." Otto

I don't want to continue to reminisce, because more than ten years ago, my second son hadn't died unexpectedly, my younger brother was still alive, and my nephew Arik was as old as Rurik.

Otto saw that there were a large number of small boats floating on the wide lake, and upon a careful look he could conclude that they were all fishing boats.

"Wuhu! Are they still good at fishing?"

"They?" Rurik deliberately sneered: "How can they have our fishing ability."

"Hey, compared to us, at least they face a large calm lake and never have to worry about wind and waves when fishing."

"Yeah, but the fish they caught had a bit too many bones."

Otto shrugged, he knew this was the truth, after all, herring would break into freshwater areas when they were crazy, and he learned that there were not many Mellarens who entered the sea to fish for fish. In recent years, due to the tensions of the war, the Mellarens have become more conservative.

Rurik did criticize the Meralen tribe, mainly from Olegin, the leader of the tribe. There are clearly visible rifts within this powerful tribe, and their society is quietly torn apart. Unlike the Rus, although the "broadcasting net"-style settlements began to flourish, and although the tribe had a tendency to split, Rurik can say that it was a series of operations of his own, just by strengthening the power of the leader, The cohesion of the clan is gradually improving.

If the Ross tribe is a rising sun, then the sun of the Melalen tribe may have a tendency to set.

There are indeed a large number of fishing boats cruising on the lake, and most of the residents are forced to live under the pressure of survival, which is why they operate their old jobs as fishermen. In fact, they have sown the seeds of spring oats, which they have cherished for a winter, and would rather starve than eat.

Ordinary tribesmen's rations are about to bottom out. Everything stems from last year's severe harvest failure and the exploitation of their leaders. They must rely entirely on fishing for the next four months.

If they used to worry about entering the sea and being attacked by Gotland fishermen, they were active farmers in Pian An and the Great Lakes. Now, under the domination of starvation, once the harvest of the Great Lakes is no longer good, they rush into the sea and compete for fish resources with the Gotland people and even the Rus people on Tombstone Island, even if they use force.

At present, there is no sign of an extreme situation. The ordinary Melalen people and other tribes living around the lake can only say that their lives are more difficult than before.

The huge fleet actually began to part ways after entering Lake Mälaren.

Uppsala merchants headed back to their home port on a river that led to the northern waters.

The Yermalen merchants headed straight south, found the pebble-filled river channel, and entered their Yermalen lake. Oh, and they'll first meet the Granites who make their new home on the banks of the Stone River.

The main merchant ships came from the Melalon tribe, and this tribe was the only one with a large number of merchants with wealthy and powerful families. These people are actually the masters of the market, and of course the Gould family is one of them.

The Gould family is still considered by business circles not only as a representative of the Ross tribe, but also closely related to the Anglath tribe from which it originated. See, the few Ankrath merchants who are still with Gould, even their merchant ships are allowed to carry out a supply repair on Gould Island.

During this trip, the Gould family was authorized by the Ross leader and under direct supervision. Rurik really didn't need other Ruth merchants to have to sail for many days to do business in Melalen. Originally, their business was just to exchange some furs and then exchange them for some daily necessities. This year's situation is very special, because Rosberg has rapidly formed a restrained market, and the work of various craftsmen has made the main daily necessities self-produced and sold, so there is no need for individuals to take risks.

The Gould family and the chief family are all-round strategic alliances, so that the fleet has an absolutely official character.

This year's situation is really special, because the big chief of the Rus, he not only entered the Meralen, but also visited Gould Island, which has been turned into a wooden fortress on the lake.

In a sense, Gould Island is the enclave of the Ross tribe in the Melalon-controlled area. Here, everything is decided by the Ross people. When the big leader comes here, the islanders all cheer and hope to pay their respects. The majesty of the leader!

However, the arrival of the giant ship, the hull and mast of the Avlora, the overall height is higher than the wall. The garrisoned mercenaries standing on the wooden wall accepted this reality in a thrilling way.

The port slot that could have squeezed out two cargo ships can now only be squeezed into one large ship barely.

Otto, Rurik, and everyone on board, holding huge excitement, stomping and cheering, watching the boat slowly enter the slot, and the dullness brought by the bulbous bow hitting the mud on the shore. With a loud noise and violent shaking, the ship came to a stop.

"Completely furling! The winch is activated." The sailors raised by the Gould family immediately acted under the captain's order.

The huge sail was closed by the rope mechanism, and finally wrapped around the sloping beam, and finally the beam changed from rolling to standing. At first glance, the Avlora only had a sky mast but no sail. .

The cable held the ship firmly, and at this moment, other cargo ships also came to the port.

The once deserted Gould Island has now resumed its liveliness. No, all the sailors, even Rurik's mercenaries and soldiers carefully selected by Otto, they all turned into porters, and began to nervously and Important unloading work.

Coming to Melalen again, he set foot on the road controlled by the Rus for the first time. Looking at the wooden walls and towers erected on the island, Otto felt a dream.

He hesitated, but Rurik decisively took his father's rough hand: "Dad, let's go, here you can enjoy everything you can enjoy in Roseburg?"

"Huh? Really?" Otto was interested, and his beard trembled.

Gould hurriedly complimented: "Lord Rurik said it well. My island has undergone some renovations, and I think the chief will be satisfied."

"Really?" After walking away from the trestle, Otto deliberately stopped: "I want spirits, I want barbecue, I want to take a comfortable bath, I want..."

Gould continued his efforts: "Big Chief, when the wooden door opens, all your requests will be fulfilled. If you want, I can even find a beautiful woman to satisfy you."

Just when Gould said this, Rurik suddenly frowned, and he used his color to make Gould realize that the words were inappropriate.

Otto didn't notice this. In fact, his heart was itching, and reason was firmly occupying his mind: "Hehe, you are very intentional. If I want, I can enjoy the service of a hundred young women in Novgorod, But I didn't. I'm getting old, and it doesn't mean anything to me, let's talk business."

"Ah! Yes!" Gould let out a long breath and hurriedly put on a businessman's professional smile: "I would like to serve you."

Otto waved his hand: "Let me warn you first, I will send a messenger to see Olekin soon, you are familiar with Melalen, and you can do it well."

"Yes. However, big chief. Olegin has a secret contract with us Rus people, maybe it's okay for you to go directly."

"Ridiculous!" Otto gave Gould a look. "Ten years ago I didn't think of him as a hero, and I still do. We expedition, we expand, we kill Gotland's enemies, who are Merlarens huddled in the lake. , like a coward. Maybe he should see me in person, not me right away!"

Sure enough, the father and son of the leader of Ross have criticized the Melalen people, and they are also full of fighting spirit, arrogance and ambition. Gould regretted his talk and remedied: "I will do it well."

"It's good to know. Let's go and let your men open the wooden door."