Rise of Rurik

Those merchants who were waiting for the opportunity seized the opportunity. No, the second day Otto arrived, the pier on Gould Island became a noisy water market.

The island is so small that it is impossible for it to form a market on the shore. The trade with each other is that ships meet each other, and then they take money and goods in one hand.

Those merchants happily bought the important goods of the Rus, especially the various leathers, which were always the hard currency in the trade. The merchants got a lot of squirrel skins, snow rabbit skins and mink skins, and a lot of silver coins fell into the pockets of the Rus with a thud.

They really feasted their eyes. For the first time in their lives, they stood under a huge sailboat and could paddle a small boat to touch the thick board of the big boat, but there was no way to board it directly.

Even with a standard displacement of 50 tons, the Avrora is so high that no one can climb it by hand. The transportation of materials and people relies on wooden boards extending from the deck, and even rope ladders are thrown down for people to climb.

Such a structure naturally also caused her to hardly worry about any form of jump gang battle after she entered the battlefield. The enemy's inability to climb the floating fort, her current tactical advantage, was unnoticed except by Rurik.

Otto was awakened by the noise. He came here yesterday and fell asleep after taking a comfortable hot bath. Now he stood on the wooden fence full of energy and saw the lively scene.

"Not bad, the money is being recovered quickly..."

Gould's work has been satisfactory so far, and a boat has sailed to the not-too-distant Mellaron Pier.

There are a large number of houses by the lake in the north. Otto, who is standing at a high place, can see the general outline, and can roughly estimate their huge size. Even if the settlement is caught in the smoke, he can't see the details. Even so, Otto can estimate that Mellarenburg is indeed much larger than Roseburg.

"If they are big, they may appear bloated and not very strong. No! There are many of them, and a large number of people is the guarantee of strength."

In most cases, the bigger the body size, the more obvious the advantage.

Otto envied Melalen's population, and he couldn't help feeling fear and awe in his heart.

The messenger had already set off, and Otto just dispatched a little-known but brave warrior.

His plan was that, if it was not necessary, he would not go to the Melalen Market. Only after receiving the official invitation letter from the leader of the alliance and being asked to enter the scene of the alliance, did he bring Rurik to land.

What is this called? This is called a deck.

But some things always develop beyond each other's expectations.

The envoy of the Rus succeeded in delivering Otto's letter to Olegin. Who would have thought that the envoy's ship would pass by Origen's envoy.

A thin man with a velvet cap and beautiful feathers, this man looks like a businessman, but in fact he carries Olegin's handwritten letter.

Gould Island was still very lively. Inside the wooden walls of the island, in a secluded wooden house, Otto, Rurik, Carlotta and others sat quietly on leather cushions. The messenger didn't talk nonsense, and immediately offered his letter.

Otto glanced at the letter, which was small but very important. The leader of the alliance, Olegin, did not use any honorific words. He completely demanded the three important people to arrive at a deserted island in the lake tomorrow morning and discuss some things in secret.

Things got really nice.

Otto frowned, as did Rurik, the conspiracy implied that even Carlotta was aware of it.

"What's the matter? Are we going to have a secret talk?"

The messenger didn't change his face, the serious attitude of this person really made Otto feel that this person was a warrior. "Boss Ross, my master issued this order. According to the covenant, you must attend the meeting."

"Really? Since it's his order, of course I'll go. It's just..."

"What are you worried about?"

Otto felt that there was something wrong with this matter, and Rurik suddenly felt a sense of feasting. No, it won't be so bad.

Otto did not dare to suddenly express his fear of the most extreme situation. He asked: "What about the other chiefs? Can they arrive?"

The messenger shook his head and seemed to give a negative answer, but it wasn't. "Boss Ross, this is not my job. I don't know, and even if I do, I have no right to answer."

"Huh?" Otto suddenly tactically leaned back: "Then what else is there to say? You can go back and tell the leader and let him hold the meeting openly. The leader of Ostara and I will attend the meeting openly, no need So mysterious."

"Are you worried that the leader has a secret contract with other leaders? This is impossible!"

The messenger doesn't seem to be laughing or shocked. It seems that this person can still put on such a serious face by punching him now. A liar is guilty, and Otto doesn't think he's lying.

"So it's really a secret contract?"

The messenger immediately looked around vigilantly, making sure that he was not eavesdropping before laughing: "Yes, my master said that the Rus people are his most respected allies. This meeting will deepen the friendship. We will conclude A deeper covenant, certain things should not be known to other tribes."

The atmosphere became more tense, Otto stretched out his hand to put away the wooden board, and muttered: "Food, weapons and silver coins. You can go back, you can tell your master in advance, we Rus people have brought everything about the weapons. Tomorrow We'll go to that deserted island, and hopefully he can make sure no idlers notice it."

The messenger got up, and he knelt down neatly on one knee and hooked his head, completely proving that this person is actually a savage warrior.

Well now, the Rus will be conspiring with the Mellarens before the official alliance. Is it just more in-depth official bilateral cooperation, things must not be so simple.

The so-called deserted island, after Gould's guidance, both Rurik and Otto knew its name - the Island of Lamb Legs.

What a strange and funny name, it has such a name, of course, it is not that there are shepherds on the island, on the contrary, the island is full of whitish sand and small trees, and its overall shape is like a roasted piece The leg of lamb is nothing more than that.

Is there anything special about this island?

Or Gould, who knew the hydrology and climate of the place well, gave the advice.

It does have something special, the so-called special is that it is far from the main trade route of the lake. The island is deep in the west of Lake Mälaren, and it is a half-day boat trip from Mälaren Castle.

See, in the letter Olegin asked the Rus to keep a low profile, and he himself would keep a low profile. The letter did not say any restrictions on the carrying of guards, and the biggest restriction was that the ships of both sides could not display obvious flags.

Are you going to a meeting?

The messenger left, and at night, several people still gathered together to communicate quietly.

Otto and Rurik immediately agreed, and the two undoubtedly saw this as an opportunity.

Rurik reminded his father: "I think that man just can't save face. He wants to be honored, but he is old. His son Carl is not a smart man. I always feel that this secret talk, Olekin wants to get Our public support.\\u001e"

"Support what?" Otto felt that his son realized something.

"Just to support him, and even his son to do..."

"As what?"

"The new leader, or the king. He wants Carl to inherit all the power, even if I don't think the man is qualified."

"That's why you need to find us quietly for support? Why? Oh! I see..." Otto laughed, and he deliberately asked Rurik: "So, are you willing to surrender to that idiot?"

"Pooh!"

Rurik's answer was unequivocal, but Otto estimated that his son's temperament would definitely not be that simple. He smiled deliberately: "We can publicly support, as long as we can get benefits, there is no problem in supporting them as the leader of the alliance. In my opinion, your kid is not so enthusiastic about the entire alliance. Tell you, do you think so?"

Speaking of this, Rurik had no intention of deceiving his relatives. He raised his head: "I am a fish in the sea, not in a lake. We Rus, now the actual leader of Novgorod, the Kovins. The actual leader of the Sveia Alliance. When we are stronger, it will be fine to leave. Dad, those wooden documents record very clearly. It was the ancestors of these people who expelled us seventy years ago, especially Uppsa. The Las and the Mellarens. Now we can't be angry about these things, because we conquered the East, and these guys are still fishing in this lake area for seventy years."

"Okay, you are very good at talking, let's prepare, if there is any major event tomorrow, I authorize you to speak for me. Haha!" Otto rubbed his son's head intimately, quite a lot; "You can use the leader It's best to keep Olegin speechless."

If the Rus people no longer value the Svia Tribal Alliance so much, as long as the decisions of the alliance will not hurt the economy of the Rus people, those things that are not there, the conditional raising of hands is obviously beneficial to the Rus people.

It was a new day, when the sky had just turned blue, and two longboats quietly left Gould Island.

The phantom of the Avlora is just a dark shadow in the lake and mountains. She stands in the port more like a symbol of the leader of Ross, proving to the merchants that the mysterious Otto has not left.

Actually? Wearing mail and leather armor, Otto sat on the boat in the form of an old soldier. He wrapped his body in a burlap burqa, and at first glance he looked like a fisherman returning home from a night fishing.

Rurik and Carlotta were also named. The two were wrapped in thick deerskins, and the resisters could distinguish the cold lake wind at dawn.

On this trip, the chubby Gould actually worked as a navigator. He sat on the bow, relying on his body like a seal, and he did not participate in such things as paddling.

There were nearly 50 people on the two ships. Except for the important people who were on the appointment, there were as many as 40 armed men who had participated in many wars, especially Yevluo, the Finn who was sent by Gould to do errands. The mercenary captain is the commander of the guards used on this trip.

Their numbers are small, and there is no doubt about their extremely strong combat effectiveness.

Thinking of what happened yesterday, Otto and Rurik didn't feel that there was any risk in this trip, so the significance of carrying a large number of guards was probably to show the other side that the strength of the Rus people should not be underestimated.

Lamb Island, the name is indeed a bit funny.

There are many islands in Lake Mälaren, most of which are mainly small sandbars, but the larger islands actually have strange names. There are only a few people living on these islands. For the sake of safety, the residents of the lakeside spontaneously form large and small tribes. The Melalen tribe with the best geographical location naturally absorbs the most population. Therefore, except for the main settlements, other areas are essentially no-man’s land.

"The Island of Lamb Legs is in front." Gould's stubby hands reached the front.

Otto squinted his eyes and took a closer look. He noticed that there were indeed some people swaying on the sandy beach of the distant island. After a closer look, there were more than ten people there, all of them carrying a spear or a wooden stick. There are some white cloth strips tied to it like some kind of signal.

Otto, an old soldier, has an instinctive vigilance for any sharp object. He twists his body and orders the people who have rowed for a long time to cheer up: "Brothers, get ready! Check your weapons and make sure there are Ability to handle any contingencies. Row faster now!"

At this moment, Olegin, with his 100-strong bodyguard, landed on the island before dawn.

For this secret meeting, he attached great importance to it, because the Russ messengers always conveyed the kindness of the Russ, which relieved his nervous heart a lot. Olegin does have something to ask of the Rus people. As he noticed when he came to see him, some things Olegin valued quite a lot. For example, he braved the cold in the early morning and arrived at the Leg of Lamb Island in the dark. The picture is a "Welcome guests like a host".

Finally, the guests are here!

A little embarrassed, Olegin took a swig of the Russ spirit. Not to mention, it is said that the name of the wine is printed on this precious glass bottle, which makes it much nobler than ordinary ale, and the feeling of sluggishness is swept away when you take a sip.

Olegin was dressed as a warrior, but his gold-encrusted belt, more than ten pieces of amber and sapphire chainmail, and even a golden crown like a headband on the top of his head, fully proved his nobility.

More and more Meralen warriors came out of the woods, which made Otto, who was preparing to wash the beach, instinctively vigilant.

Otto understood the necessity of being defensive. Although he didn't know what was going on, he immediately gave Yevlo an order: "Get off the boat and get ready, just like you practiced."

"Dad?" Rurik asked in confusion.

"Rurik, you see, Origen has a lot of fighters. What do they want?"

Rurik narrowed his eyes and saw that those people were mainly dressed in black: "They seem to be Olegin's private soldiers."

"The enemies?"

"Probably not. At least not now."

Otto gritted his teeth and decided not to change his order.

The two ships washed ashore, and at this moment the armed men were standing behind Olegin. They stood in a dense formation, but the team seemed a little scattered. Their tomahawks and swords were still hanging on their belts, and some warriors carrying spears were more casual.

In this situation, Yevlo, who has been in battle for a long time, sees a group of lambs waiting to be slaughtered. They have no fighting spirit, and they don't want to fight at all.

On the other hand, here in the Rus, Yevluo responded with a very high on-the-spot reaction. He did not ask the soldiers to draw out their steel swords (it only took a second or two to draw the swords), but arranged two rows of curved human walls to benefit the bow of the ship. Shields painted with various patterns are facing the Meralans, Otto and Rurik and other nobles are closely guarded by the warriors.

Look at this well-trained formation, it changed in an instant Olegin's perceptions of the Rus. He never thought that the warriors of the Russ would be uniform! On the other hand, looking at his own people, it is said that he is still a man who dares to fight.

Olegin gritted his teeth hard, he felt that he had brought many people with him, and he was still crushed by the Rus people in his aura.

"Otto! My brother, are you in the crowd?" Olegin roared suddenly.

At this moment, Otto would never have dreamed that the so-called "great alliance leader" who he had not seen in ten years would actually be close to him in such a tone? Otto never felt any warmth, he thought it was absurd. Rurik and Carlotta, both of them had goosebumps all over in shock.

Because in this world, apart from his own brother Ogier, there is no second person who would call Otto a "brother" affectionately. Unfortunately, Ogier died almost ten years ago.

"Yevro, let the brothers collect their shields."

No, Otto gave an order. All Ross warriors put their shields on their backs and showed the neat chain mail on their chests to each other. The movements of their shields were as neat as they were, and again, Musha Olegin.

The Ross warrior made way for a gap, and an old guy with golden and white hair with a huge beard, tall and strong body, and extremely deep eyes walked out with that arrogant pace.

He is Otto. Seeing this person, Olegin took a step back subconsciously. After realizing Luqing, he hurriedly took a step forward, but he was still a little nervous.

After more than ten years, Origen almost forgot what Otto looked like. Take a good look at this person, this look even has the feeling of the legendary "Odin".

you do not say! Next to the old guy was Rurik, a handsome and wise boy with a calm temperament. At least since Rurik was born, a legend has spread throughout the league. Orekin didn't want to pay attention to those legends at all, but Rurik was really a magical child. He wished that this was his son, so as to completely stabilize the hegemony of the Melalen people. Unfortunately, it backfired...

"You...are you really Otto?"

"Exactly!" Otto stood like a sculpture.

Olegin, who used to be his own master, actually put down his body and walked over with his arms outstretched. He even said with a smile: "My old friend, my good brother, it has been ten years! We will meet again."

He wants to show etiquette, and Otto shouldn't be rude here.

The two old men hug each other and slap each other on the back. Olekin felt Otto's hardness, and Otto felt Olekin's strength on the outside and strong on the inside. Humans are different, Olegin is indeed a little older than Otto, and the difference in age can explain very limited things. Olegin was born weaker than Otto, which was manifested when the two were young.

In those days, Olekin of Melalen was considered to be the leader and even the leader of the alliance by means of power and maneuver. Although Otto had wisdom, he actually mainly relied on swords and fists to obtain his status.

The hug between the two was considered to have eliminated mutual suspicion to a great extent.

Olegin let go of his hand and looked proudly at Rurik and Carlotta, who were also visiting: "It's a good thing that you all attended the meeting. Come on, let the soldiers guard the island, and I won't let anything interfere with us. And we..." Olegin looked at Gould again, he didn't actually want a businessman to visit, so he said very nervously: "I just want to have a secret talk with you, and then it's just me and you. The secret conversation of the three."

Otto looked left and right, and pointed to the edge of the sand and woods: "Right there. Lay out some leather blankets and we talk things out as chiefs. Listen, I need to see that my warriors are indeed keeping us safe. Safety."

"Alright. As you wish."