Rise of Rurik

The wars of the Middle Ages in Europe often occurred in the summer, which was never a deliberate agreement between the warring parties, and was completely worthy of nature.

The latitudes of all countries are very high, so only the summer days are very long and the climate is warm. Such climatic conditions are suitable for military operations. Wars are often stopped or suspended with the approach of winter. After all, in winter, the army cannot persist in fighting when the daytime is often less than six hours and the temperature is below freezing.

Even if it must fight in winter, a faction can only organize a small force to carry out military operations.

Olegin disclosed the decision of the war to the Rus in advance, and Rurik decided that the date of expedition would be at least a month later.

Rurik did not have foresight, and his decision even overestimated Origen.

This is in the Middle Ages! Even if each tribe has the convenience of sailing, they organize troops, prepare weapons, and adjust personnel. Even if they generally do not pay special attention to logistical issues, the above preparation issues will inevitably consume too much time for them.

Compared with other forces, Rurik felt that his Ross tribe was a little better than them in terms of organization and execution. However, he couldn't think too highly of his Ross clan. He could only say that at this stage, everyone was still half-hearted. The Rus people will continue to strengthen their internal affairs, and they will have a stronger organizational mobilization force in a few years.

The two longships were ordered to leave Lake Mälaren urgently, and the boaters rushed to their respective destinations with letters from Chief Ross.

The fleet set off early in the morning, and they arrived at Tombstone Island in the afternoon of the second day only by taking advantage of the warm south wind.

The leader's war order instantly spread throughout the settlement, and a group of warriors with rich combat experience held their battle axes high and responded to the leader's call. According to the opportunity, thirty of them, with their heavy weapons and equipment, planned to quickly go to Lake Mälaren and land on Gould Island to report.

The fleet continued northward, and they were riding the waves on the broad sea with the help of the strong south wind. In a short period of time, they soared out of the high speed of ten nautical miles, and soon encountered Ross fishermen who were fishing daily.

They sailed day and night at risk, and in just two days, they rushed to the gate of Roseburg Fjord. Here two ships parted ways, one heading north to Fort Elrond and the other returning home.

As far away as Otto on Gould Island, he was extremely confident that his subordinates would properly complete the task, and now he was just waiting for the day of the alliance to come.

That day is not far away.

However, before the agreed date of the alliance, that is, before May 1 of the Julian calendar, the Rus and the Melarons will take the lead in completing the negotiated preliminary agreement.

Olegin also didn't want to overly publicize his wanton import of Ross weapons,

He dispatched a capable mercenary squad leader named Swald, who carried Olekin's latest "certificate" to do it well. On the evening of the 29th of April in the Julian calendar, ten long ships left the port of Melalen in a low-key manner under the banner of doing business.

They did not encounter any accidents. When all the other merchant ships left, the fleet arrived at Gould Island quite unexpectedly.

As usual, the night patrol, that is, around Gould Island, which is only a little bigger than two football fields, is under the orders of Ross mercenaries, and found these uninvited guests who suddenly broke in. As warriors, they resolutely pulled out their steel swords with strong humming, which really attracted the idea of ​​​​Swald, who was also a mercenary.

"Don't get me wrong, we are the leader of the alliance! We fulfill the contract on behalf of the leader!"

Hearing these words, the vigilant Ross mercenary took up the weapon.

After a while, the mercenary captain Yevluo arrived.

"What's the matter with you?"

Swald pointed to the ship that was docked: "My master asked me to accept those goods, please let us meet the leader of Ross."

"That's it?"

"Yes."

Yevluo thought for a while: "Let your men stay here, you can cook around the bonfire, but you must temporarily remove all weapons. Especially you, remove your weapons, and I will take you to meet my master alone. ."

Since Otto used Gould Island as his "palace", all management was actually stricter under Rurik's behest. For example, the patrolling personnel turned into mercenaries or simply Ross warriors. They were organized into small groups and changed groups every five laps around the island at night, a kind of outpost.

Rurik also set up secret whistle-blowers, that is, the people who were ordered to stand on the wooden wall. They were also regularly rotated, and their task was to keep their eyes and ears open to detect all abnormalities.

Even the Avlora, hoisted up and lashed with ropes, had sentries to protect the largest ship of the Rus.

At this moment, Otto, Rurik, and others are enjoying their sumptuous dinner—the sizzling roast lamb leg.

Otto's own appetite is quite a lot, not to mention that the Gould family's dining custom is to "fatten the boy", and the roasted lamb dish with whole wheat bread is really good.

It took Otto and his party three or four days to arrive at Gould Island. In fact, he was a guest in the "base" that the Gould family had been running for decades. , every day is more fulfilling than ever.

Rurik, on the other hand, played a new trick in eating. He used a knife to cut off a leg of lamb for use, and two slices of bread. The lamb was sandwiched between the buns, and he sprinkled a little salt and a little slice of cheese on the meat. The name may seem odd, and Rurik could have called it a "hamburger." However, considering that this kind of "Western Roujiamo" was originally a special dish in the Hamburg region and thus got the name "Hamburger", since the inventor of this time and space has become a Russian, it should be called "Rosburg".

Being able to eat several products together reasonably, Otto tasted his son's masterpiece, and he couldn't stop it. It was really more complex and diverse than when it was separated.

Otto is thinking about the future alliance. When the leaders of the various tribes gather together, will it be awkward for everyone to meet?

Otto needed political assistance from Gould to make him understand the political ecology of the region.

Yevro's hasty arrangement disturbed Otto's delicious meal.

He put down the third "Rosburg" that was half eaten, and ordered his son and Carlotta not to continue making it.

"What's the matter, has something happened?"

Yevlo, who was kneeling on one knee, solemnly reported: "Big Chief, the messenger of Melalen is here, he is here to pick up the goods."

"Goods?" Rurik looked up suddenly, "Dad, those weapons."

"Oh, it turned out to be a pickup? Well, where's the messenger?"

"The man was waiting outside. He was alone."

"Then let him in."

Melalen's mercenary squad leader, Swald, had never met Otto, but Rurik. At a glance last year, a boy with a blond ponytail caught his attention, and he had no idea that the boy was indeed noble.

Swalder, who entered the restaurant, glanced at Rurik involuntarily. He was moved by the aroma in the room, and he was also a little unhappy. The Ross leader looked so wily and actually received himself in the restaurant. Does it represent disrespect to the messenger and Melalen?

Swalder still complimented: "The great Ross is the leader. In Lower Swald, I am under the order of the master, that is, the order of the great and glorious king, to obtain that batch of weapons and transport them away tonight."

This man is already calling Olegin a king! Otto's expression did not change, his deep eyes showed ferocity, "You raise your head and let me see your face."

Seeing the face of this messenger, Otto can judge that this man is a warrior, and he must have killed someone.

Since many things that are kept secret from others are not secrets to the Rus, Otto asks bluntly: "When the war begins, do you follow your master to the battlefield?"

"Yes! That is my destiny and my responsibility."

"Very good." Otto stood up and said to Gould on the other side of the table: "I'm full, and now I'm going to solve a big business. Come with me..."

As an old soldier, Otto didn't want to have any dawdlings now, so the council hall on the island quickly became a place to fulfill the contract, and it was also here that Otto officially received the messenger.

A large number of wooden boxes were carried into the council hall by the Ross warriors in chainmail. They were all boxes made of pine wood, fitted with tenon and mortise and tied with hemp rope.

All the weapons were there, and a batch of boxes was opened with wooden lids and inspected by the messenger Swalder.

Swald was in high spirits at first, but when he saw the goods, especially the axes, he couldn't help frowning.

Why? None of these hand axes are very large.

For a moment, he felt that the Russ might have joined the Mellarens.

"Great leader of Ross, are these all the weapons?"

Swalder's frown was a protest, and Otto asked deliberately, "You have an opinion? Say it immediately. You are a soldier, not a businessman."

"Yes! These axes are different from what my master envisioned. They are rather small."

"Huh? Is it?"

"Maybe the axe should be bigger, so that it can effectively kill the enemy. And there is no hole in the middle of the axe that can pass through the wooden handle..."

Otto didn't want to listen anymore, he stomped his foot hard: "Can't I be young enough to satisfy Olegin?"

"Ah! I didn't mean that."

"Does he think only giant weapons can kill? You know, our weapons aren't anything like Gran's rubbish."

Rurik, who was standing on the side, estimated that the emissary must think that the Russ were potential profiteers, and the power of the father was more like covering up his guilty conscience. To be fair, Rurik himself is not very satisfied with these axes and spearheads. They are all made by the gray squirrel tribe of Kewen. The locals have to make a large batch in a limited time, and naturally they cannot move too many materials.

However, even just quenched ferrochrome is far beyond ordinary wrought iron.

Rurik stood up and said deliberately: "Please don't look at our weapons with the eyes of mortals. These axes are designed like this, and they are all purposeful. We Russ in the north have the most terrible bears, mysterious giants, and also There are unspeakable monsters fighting, and these weapons are used. Do you think they are not good? You can try it, any weapon here can directly cut your iron sword. Oh, if you have a sword."

test? Must try! Swald, who was ordered to pick up the goods, didn't want himself to return with a pile of garbage, and he didn't want himself to be the object of the owner's anger.

His iron sword was temporarily kept by the Rus, so he simply used it as a "sacrifice".

No, Swald casually carried a hand axe, and in front of his brother who was roasting fire, he waved his arm vigorously, and his sword was rammed into a deep dent. After all, he is an old soldier, not only good at chopping, but also good at paddling, but this fencing has been scrapped, and he is completely broken into two pieces with one more move.

Just a random axe to complete such a crit? Could it be that only fifty silver coins can be exchanged for this treasure? In an instant, Swald's three views were subverted.

Swald left quietly with all his weapons, as quietly as he had come.

Olegin was at his mansion, and he refused to sleep in order to wait for the shipment.

When the goods finally came back, facing these unremarkable hand axes and spearheads, for a moment he felt as if he had been brushed by the Rus people. However, when Swald easily destroyed a pile of iron, these blackened special Ruth iron completely conquered Olegin.

How big are they?

Olegin called it "dark iron" according to its color, and black iron weapons were regarded as the possession of the elite.

The next day he assembled all the mercenaries, that is, a team of up to 800 people! With so many people gathered, several leaders who arrived in Melalen ahead of schedule and stayed at a large local family were taken aback. It's not that they don't know the rumors of the war, it's just that the news hasn't been confirmed and they can't believe it.

It's good now, Olegin is assembling the team, and it is unknown what he is going to do.

Olegin is actually completing the team's dressing up. No, all the mercenaries, that is, his personal guards, are all equipped with imported Ross weapons. He didn't find the blackened iron, which was 26 percent chromium, a metal the Mellarens hadn't seen in hundreds of years, and that was why it was black as a whole. He only knew that these weapons could turn ordinary iron into rubbish, and its price was not very expensive.

In this way, he felt that the short sword he spent two hundred gold coins to buy was the most profitable business.

Olegin's personal guards were changed. In addition to a standard round shield and an iron sword with a long sword, these warriors also added a black iron handaxe and a black iron short spear.

The Guards also generally held carbon-smoked cowhide armor, and blackened cowhide helmets with copper or iron sheets. Only the most elite, less than a hundred people, had chain armor.

The black cowhide armor accompanied the black weapons and even the black cowhide boots. At first glance, the entire team was quite neat, but the neatness was shocking. It can be found only by close observation that their dresses are only similar in color, and in other respects, they are varied.

The Vikings appeared in the "Ma Run" attitude. They jumped off the ship to fight directly, or jumped to fight on the sea. In such a special environment, they tended to use swords and axes. But spears became very important when large armies were organized into land combat mode.

They quickly came with a long-handled battle axe, so-called based on the support of the brothers arranged in a shield wall, let the axe fall from the sky and crush the enemy's head.

Well now, the black iron spearhead of the Rus is essentially a sheet, and the prefabricated grooves allow it to be quickly bundled on a wooden stick.

This time, a group of mixed weapons of spear and axe appeared in Olegin's personal guard, that is, a halberd with a length of two stikas, and the black spearhead deepened its sense of terror.

Everyone knows that as long as there is a war involving the Melalen people, the guards of the chief family will be the core force.

After completing the dress change, Olegin's self-confidence exploded. He ordered his team to line up in a column and tour the entire Melalen under his leadership. He swaggered through the main streets, especially the long stretch of street in the market, in order to show everyone his might.

After all, he must rely on his military strength to consolidate his position. He must deter the big family in the tribe, and hint them in this form: When I lead the army to fight, those of you who stay in your homeland, don't expect to have the strength to challenge me. power.

He also showed his strength to the leader of the other clan who arrived earlier, hinting: Seeing my army, you can only believe that we will win.

Olegin needs to further demonstrate his strength. The agreed day of the alliance will be tomorrow. Of course, that is also the first day of the initial alliance, and it will be a grand sacrifice until May 2 of the Julian calendar.

A group of capable generals are already dealing with all matters related to the alliance and sacrifice, including his son Carl, who was ordered to take care of the slaves needed for the sacrifice, and finally result in these special sacrifices in the sacrifice.

Because war requires blood sacrifice, it must not be the snow of cattle and sheep, it must be the blood of the captives of the enemy chieftains.

This batch of fighters who have changed clothes will be assembled again tomorrow. Olekin is to let all the leaders in the alliance, especially the stronger Yermalen, Ankras, and Uppsala, see Melalen. Humans are truly the strongest.

Of course, with the exception of the Rus, who will meet tomorrow, the Rus' Avrora will also be docked at the port of Melalen, thus formally showing that "Origen can only match this big ship", of course, this is a bit self-inflicted Amorous.