Rise of Rurik

The thick morning mist was filled with a chilling air, and beneath the mist was a huge fleet assembled by the kingdom of Sweden, which was suddenly born in this time and space.

There are more than 600 ships of various types, of which 400 are typical Viking longships with high bows.

One side of the round shield painted with various colors is placed on the side of the boat, and the other side of the paddle sticks out from under the round shield and hangs in the water. Almost all the people on the ship wore leather armor, and at least the soldiers wore leather helmets on their heads.

A large ship, towed by two longships, left the pier of the Mellarens, she was the Avlora. She came with an empty stomach, and now she was stuffed with enough food to last ten days for all the soldiers of the Melalen Army, and even some support staff, and even a lot of fresh water in oak barrels.

Arguably, the nascent Swedish kingdom behaved like a feudal kingdom, at least in some ways.

As a king, Origen only needs to consider the logistics of his troops, as for others, he needn't worry too much.

The dukes obeyed the king's orders, and they formed a coalition to attack the enemy, and after winning the battle, they distributed the spoils. It seems that the loot is to be distributed after the war, but isn't it actually based on ability?

The troops dispatched by the dukes were uneven, with more than 500 troops and as few as 50 troops. In short, there were as many as 3,500 soldiers hidden in the fog, and with all kinds of auxiliary personnel, the number easily exceeded 4,000. They can be described as the elite assembled in the entire kingdom, and their overall combat effectiveness should not be underestimated.

It's just that Olekin didn't know that the Rus people secretly assembled an army of amazing size not too far away, ready to go into the battlefield at any time.

The morning fog gradually dissipated under the breeze of the lake in the early morning, and the sun shone on the entire lake.

The Avlora hoisted her magnificent jib, with its staggered blue stripes striking.

She steered the lake wind and soon rounded up with the five cargo ships of the Rus. A total of six large ships, they all raised their jibs, and their tall stature naturally became the core of the entire Swedish fleet.

The ships of the various dukes terrified and the Rus people were not dulled by their huge size. They did not need to paddle at all, and they could move quickly on the lake against the wind.

In this battle, the Avlora transported food for the Melalen people, and the Rus's own food, fresh water, and a batch of weapons and ammunition were all transported by the modified cargo ship.

Three hundred people shared these six large ships, each of which was very large, so that the cabins were not overcrowded.

Below the deck is the warehouse, which naturally became a shelter for soldiers and sailors. So don't see that there are not many people standing on the deck, and more people are staying in the cabin.

When the fog completely dissipated,

The fleets of all parties are still assembled. They naturally left the biggest Avrora, and even subconsciously thought that it was the king's flagship.

What about the substance? The huge longboat team of the Melalen Army gathered in front of the Ross fleet.

King Olegin put on his armor, the so-called chain mail covering his whole body, and his iron helmet inlaid with gold and his golden crown. Dressed in their most flamboyant attire, all the senior officers at the show are here to show the enemy a brave warrior standing here on the battlefield of the future.

Origen, old age is never a loss of courage. Holding the steel sword this time, he felt that he was at least thirty years younger and could fight against the enemy's generals.

Will it die? how is this possible!

Look at this huge fleet assembled, who dares to say that there will be setbacks?

It is obvious that this pieced together fleet is extremely backward in means of communication with each other.

The dukes only show their own totems on the sails of their flagships, and the troops they belong to can chase after their flagships.

In addition, any two ships can only approach each other, and the crew members call each other to confirm their identities and exchange information.

They don't have semaphores, they don't have signal flags, and the only thing that can be called high-end stuff is some bullhorns.

Origen wanted to give another eloquent speech to the coalition forces to inspire fighting spirit. He didn't have the conditions in this regard. Seeing that the fleet was almost assembled, he kept pulling out his saber and saying, "Let's sail! Let's go. !"

At this moment, Otto and Rurik, who were standing on the bow of the Avlora, had been waiting for Origen's departure signal.

The signal came very suddenly, that is, the large sails of the Melalen people smeared with black totem patterns were raised, and the expedition voyage suddenly began.

"Damn, I thought someone would announce another mobilization." Rurik muttered while leaning on the side of the boat.

Otto twisted his son's neck hard: "Let's go too. Boy, we're on the battlefield, I hope your oilcloth-wrapped weapons are really useful."

"Of course." Rurik turned his head and gave orders to the man who controlled the sail.

The Goulds raised sailors destined to do great things in this war, and they steered sails better than the oars of the Ruth warriors.

Behold! The Mellarens roared their horns and rowed as fast as they could. They also showed their sails, and the wind increased their speed gradually.

The Russ fleet also did its part. The larger sails brought more power. The Avrora, which was stuffed with supplies and personnel, was full of speed at all, and the fleet was close to the Melalen Army.

In comparison, the speed of other dukes' fleets paled in comparison. They had to work hard to keep up with the fleet in front, but the gap in strength was here.

The Ankras Army, the Uppsala Army, and the Yermalen Army, the three armies are also considered strong teams. However, for them, the days of peace have lasted for a long time, and they are completely inferior to the physical fitness of rowing.

Of course, there are also lesser people, those smaller clans, and the duke titles held by their leaders are no different from playing a family. The quality of their personnel is poor, and when the fleet has not left the Lake Mälaren area, it has become a complete crane tail.

It was supposed to present a fleet of elliptical formations centered on "transport ships" such as the Avlora, but when they arrived at the estuary of the lake, that is, Stockholm in the future, it became a teardrop shape.

The fleet finally entered the Gulf of Bothnia along a deep waterway. The entire fleet began to turn around and sailed against the south wind. Each ship sailed in the offshore waters full of islands. Due to factors such as the large differences in the quality of each ship, the fleet was still in the shape of a teardrop at the estuary, and now it has been completely stretched into a line. snake.

In any era, efficient and accurate communication is the key to the success of a combined force.

Origen doesn't really rule every ship, not to mention that many of these ships are small boats that are purely used to transport spoils of war. He plans to contact his own fleet through some communication ships, and contact the various dukes, so as to indirectly coordinate the entire army.

After leaving Lake Mälaren, the fleet rushed for 90 kilometers on the first day.

The fleet docked on an unnamed deserted island, and a large number of ships docked one after another. The tired people quickly set up fires, or ate the dried fish they brought, or directly grilled the fish on the fire, and even faced the leather water. Bag swig.

The Avlora also began to perform her duties, that is, her stocky stature was no longer suitable for casually approaching the island. Some small boats left with wheat and wooden barrels filled with fresh water. The small island not far away was really bright with stars. People on the boat could hear the noise over there, and the air was obviously filled with a faint smell of boiled wheat. .

Rurik's spirits were worn down by the turbulence of the day at sea. He ate the wheat cakes and bacon, and sat on the side of the boat and looked into the distance, letting the sea breeze blow on his face.

At this moment, the sky had just dimmed, and Carlotta walked over with an uneasy heart.

"Maybe tomorrow, the battle will begin."

Rurik turned his head: "Battle? I don't know anything about the situation in this area, you should know."

"Yes, this time, to take back my hometown." Carlotta clenched her fists, but relaxed. "Hey, everything has changed. Even if I take it down, my dead people will not be resurrected. The living people prefer to move to the safe New Roseburg."

Rurik clicked his tongue: "Your words sound so sad."

"Isn't it?" The last rays of the sun shone on Carlota's face, and her eyes had already left a trace of tears: "There is no need to go back. Rurik, do you know what I think? ?"

"how to think?"

"Destroy them! All the enemies who occupy my homeland, all of them! I'm going to retaliate, destroy some, and burn everything. Only this is true revenge!"

She bared her teeth in grief and anger like a wolf, although she was just a girl, Rurik really felt a chill on his back.

"You...you are swayed by anger. Killing is a man's business, Carlotta, you are a woman after all, so don't go crazy about it. I will avenge you, you don't need to do it yourself."

Carlotta did not appreciate it, and her grief and anger did not change: "Are you comforting me? When I am a weak woman? No! I will kill the enemy. Let the enemy attack, and I will shoot them with arrows, without any Show mercy."

Rurik didn't want to say anything about it. Although he always hoped that Carlotta could calm down, even as a female warrior, he must be a calm female warrior. But he knew that he had no right to order her to suppress hatred. Look, a major banner of this battle was to avenge the thousands of Ostara dead!

Before long, a longship approached the Rus' fleet again, and the messenger conveyed Olegin's order to convene a pre-war meeting of all the dukes for tomorrow's battle.

"It's finally going to be a war! Let's go to the appointment." Otto, who was standing on the side of the boat, patted his son on the back, and then he patted Carlotta on the back.

The anchored Avrora stood firmly on the sea. At this moment, most of the people ate dry food and hid in the cabin to sleep. As for war, why would Ross's battle-hardened warriors be worried?

Otto took the two children and entered the long boat along the rope ladder lowered by the side of the boat, and then the elite guard Yevlo climbed down.

Soon, a large bonfire on the beach became the scene of a pre-war meeting.

As the battle was approaching, the attitudes of the dukes were all excited, as for the attitudes of their subordinates, who would care.

Olegin put his sword on the gray sand, and he had already made a plan and gave orders at random.

"It was my spies who learned that the Gotlanders had established a new stronghold in the old Ostara fort, called Norrkoping, where at least five hundred people lived, or more. The Gotlandians, after all, were also on the sea Guys, you can't deny their bravery. Therefore, to completely destroy this group of enemies, my troops will do my part. My Melalen army will launch the main attack, and your troops just need to follow me!"

After that, Origen nodded slightly, this attitude really shows that this matter is not negotiable.

Is this guy calling everyone to announce this?

Oak, Duke of Gran, reacted extremely excitedly: "Why? Don't they occupy my homeland?"

"You?" Origen glanced at him: "You have too few people! This is a war, and you cannot afford too much loss. You have lost fifty men, and your power is about to collapse. "

"You!" Orc the Gran was angry, and he forced himself to calm down in the face of the fact, "Even so, I will join the main attack."

"Then I'll go too!" The Yermalen people now live with the Granites, and their Duke Wenderson threatened: "I also have five hundred people, and I have enough troops."

"And I!"

"So do we."

The two who spoke were the Duke of Onkras and the Duke of Uppsala. If the former were added, the total strength of the three teams would be the same as that of the Melalen Army.

Things got tricky, and Olegin saw that the tribal armies didn't want to strictly follow their own decisions.

He is the king in name, and he has also done a ceremony to call him king, but the so-called Kingdom of Sweden is still a big alliance of tribes. Which idiot would really sit and watch the Melalonians take the lead in attacking, and loot a lot after a devastating victory?

Origen gritted his teeth and suddenly saw Otto and Carlotta, the two dukes said nothing.

"You don't earn it! Why don't you learn from the Rus, and the silent Carlota from Ostara. We are avenging the two dead Ostars this time! You see, they didn't fight. ."

A pair of eyes focused on Carlotta, and Rurik also glanced at her, and couldn't help but be worried.

"I...I don't care."

She must pass through a class of women, and she has no soldiers to speak of. In the eyes of many dukes, Carlotta is currently just a symbol.

The key is also the attitude of the Rus to whom the girl clings.

Are the Rus people with the largest ships willing to follow the trend?

All the dukes hoped that Otto, Duke of Ross, would be as greedy as himself, and this would break the conspiracy of the Mellarens.

Otto's mood was not moved, he said flatly: "According to your agreement, we Rus people are only responsible for transporting supplies. If you are unable to take all the spoils, we Rus people can carry it for you according to the agreement, as long as you Happy to pay."

"Stop talking nonsense! Your decision!" Duke Angrave of Anklas asked bluntly.

Otto instantly flashed a sharp look and threatened with his eyes: "My decision? I support the king's decision! Since you all admit that Origen is the king, you should support him. You are like a pack of wolves competing for food, we The Rus will not be involved, we'd rather watch from a distance, for possible enemy reinforcements."

"What a coward! Do you still want to guard against the enemy's sneak attack? The enemy who has been cut off by us can sneak attack on you?" Ungriff laughed wildly, and when he saw that others were unhappy, he became quiet. ,

He cursed in his heart that Carlotta was stupid, Otto was stupid, and Olegin was a very greedy guy.

So, can it be said that Otto is really stupid? In this case, the Rus seem to be standing on Origen's position to maintain the so-called "kingship", which is the first layer. Other dukes guessed that the Rus people were cowardly. The existence of the Rus people was simply a transport team, and this was the second layer.

Origen himself is not a fool. He knows that Otto's loyalty and Carlotta's do not matter, both are because of the secret agreement between the two parties on the Leg of Lamb Island. Otto is still in the maintainer's agreement.

But strictly speaking, the Rus are on the fourth floor.

Because Otto has since realized that his only son is favored by God. In order to be able to enter the Hall of Valor 100%, he has become more and more Rurik's "servant" in the past year or two. Rurik became the highest decision-maker behind the scenes. According to Rurik, these guys were all idiots, and joining them was just a current expedient measure.

Throwing the attitude of the Rus, Origen had to face an embarrassing situation, and the attitudes of the dukes of each tribe were exactly the same. Why is the Melaron army the main attack in this battle? None of us are cowards, we should rush forward in this battle regardless of priority, and then use our ability to grab the spoils.

Could it be that Olegen could suppress their ambitions in the name of the king? He knew that public anger should not be committed, so he had no choice but to compromise.

He scolded inwardly, "Your soldiers are exhausted. In the end, it was my people who landed first. It must be my people who looted the most."

Once settled, Olegin no longer struggles with who should attack first.

"Now I only have one last request! Don't worry, you won't be angry." Olekin waved his hands in excitement: "We must fight back in this battle! We kill, we burn, and we must completely destroy the Linkoping they built! Then, Expand the war and continue with revenge!"

Everyone's faces quickly showed obvious smiles, and then someone laughed.

Their eyes reflected the beating flames of the bonfire, as if their hearts were burning with a huge thirst for wealth.

And Rurik, Otto, and Carlotta were looking at all this calmly, and even had a little fun in their hearts. After all, the Melarens will take risks for the Rus in this battle. In theory, the Rus will get a lot of wealth without spending any money. Is there still a slap in the face here to compete with a group of outlaws for who will attack first?

Because the tactics they have developed are "no tactics". There is no main attack or feint, and the messy pigs are advancing by leaps and bounds. Even if there is no secret agreement, Rurik does not intend to fish in such hot muddy waters.