Rise of Rurik

The war has expanded, and the Rus are to declare war on the whole of Gotland alone.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Gotland has been completely isolated strategically like never before. When will this matter not be fought?

When the time came, there was no qualification for hesitation. Rurik looked at everyone's faces and said solemnly: "For decades, our war with the Gotlanders has never been interrupted. They attacked our fleet and attacked fishing boats. , killed our people, even killed my uncle, killed my wife Carlota's people. It's true that our revenge against the Gotlanders has been stronger each year than before, but!

This intermittent revenge ends here! I just want to use a total war to completely subdue the Gotlanders and end everything with their surrender. "

"Oh? Didn't you want to destroy them all?" Arik stretched out his head and couldn't help shaking his head: "You are still too kind."

"This has nothing to do with benevolence." Rurik rolled his cousin's eyes: "The purpose of my war is not simply to kill. I want them to surrender, and let them give us wool, wheat, salt and dried fish every year, Give us a steady stream of their daughters. They must be tamed into a flock of sheep that will give us wool forever."

"Oh, I see, maybe it means slave?"

"No! Conquer them and be controlled by our Rus Principality. In the future, these Gotlanders must also fight for me."

"But you have to defeat them first, these guys who once rebelled against the alliance, I am against them..." Arik couldn't help shaking his head.

Rurik had his own reasons: "In a war, our army will naturally kill the brave among the enemies, and the rest are sheep. You never believe that meek sheep will also betray?"

"That's true."

Rurik cleared his throat vigorously, and finally said the formal decision he had thought about for a long time:

First, men from fifteen to forty years old of the entire Rus tribe were called to join the army, a group of warriors from Kovin and Novgorod, and a group of people who were interested in participating in the war were recruited, so that the number of troops could reach 3,000. .

Second, order the blacksmiths to build new weapons immediately, especially to build a batch of iron armor to strengthen the protection of a few extremely elite soldiers.

Third, the big businessman Gould was ordered to organize a fleet of troops and grain ships.

Fourth, Tombstone Island and the nearby islands will serve as a gathering place for the army. The day of the army's expedition was set for the first day of August.

Rurik's decision was only four, but the listeners were all shocked and deafened.

"Three thousand people! Is this possible?" Otto couldn't help but feel guilty. He believed that Rurik was aiming at Olegin's army, so he could organize an army of the same size.

"How is this impossible?"

While speaking, Rurik saw even the arrogant Arik, and his face became embarrassed when he heard the decision of the "three thousand army".

"I didn't say 3,000 people casually." Rurik then pinched his finger: "It is normal for us Rus to dispatch 1,000 elite soldiers. There are also 500 Slavic soldiers on Tombstone Island, and they must participate in the war. My first A group of mercenaries, along with some Ross archery masters and all Kewen archers, would have no problem in organizing 500 archers. Some young and elderly people of the tribe may not be suitable for front-line combat and participate in the war as a Replenishment is a must. I have those kids who have been training for two years, and they should be in the war too…”

Rurik was talking to himself, and Otto heard that this was indeed an explanation of the ability of the Russ to gather 3,000 warriors.

"We really... assembled an army of 3,000 people?!" Otto didn't want to listen to Rurik's nonsense, he asked loudly and seriously: "You have to swear to the gods and tell me if you can do it?!"

Everyone's eyes were fixed on him, and Rurik simply stood up to show his determination. He suddenly drew his sword and pointed at the beam of the council house: "I can! This is my order, which is equivalent to the Duke's. Order! The Principality of Rus must gather three thousand troops, and then set off on August 1, we will take the initiative to engage the main force of the Gotlanders and defeat them, and solve this war forever."

There was nothing more to say, the atmosphere of the big battle aroused the blood of the people present.

Will the Duchy of Ross miraculously gather an army of 3,000 people this year?

Over the years, Otto knew that the strength of his tribe was expanding rapidly, but he never imagined that it could expand to such a strong level. With such a military force, do the Rus people still need to respect the Melalen people? Now the situation has changed. The five hundred capable warriors who maintained the strength of the Melalen people all died on the battlefield in the south overnight. Without this batch of standing soldiers, what is Olekin's trump card?

What Rurik issued was the "Edict of the Duke", and Otto expressed his full support on the spot. Therefore, the terms of the decree were set by Rurik. From a legal point of view, this decree was issued by Duke Otto.

In the small discussion room on Tombstone Island, the people present completely unified their thoughts. Immediately after that, with a day off at most, the fleet will immediately set off back to Roseburg to formally issue this edict. Other ships should rush to Novgorod, and even Novgorod, carrying planks engraved with the edicts, to recruit more soldiers and forage.

The meeting in the council room soon ended, and Otto, who had been floating at sea for many days, could not wait to take a comfortable bath on the island and then take a good night's sleep.

But for those who got off the boat, they were forced to be vigilant before. When they landed on the island, their vigilance was lost, and their whole body was paralyzed. They all lay down in vacant wooden houses, lay down in any corner and fell asleep.

Although Rurik was sleepy, he was the direct person in charge of the edict, the planner of the war, and the commander of the war.

The rise and fall of Ross will fight again. After all, this is a gamble on everything!

Rurik put 120,000 energy into his hands, and the first time he supervised the carpenters on the island, he carved the full text of the edict in rune letters against two old pine trees.

He wanted to use the Roman alphabet to write the Norse language, but he had to consider the audience. Only those children in the tribe received the initial education of Rurik's Roman alphabet, and there were not many children who really studied well. However, the rune alphabet is familiar to many clansmen. The edict should be publicly displayed so that the scattered clansmen can see and understand it. The rune script will take some time to be used.

It wasn't until almost evening when two wooden boards engraved with words and coated with toner were finished.

This is the original text of the edict, and the Russ only need to execute the command according to its terms.

Of course, Rurik also thought of a very simple reality. Promising favors can be regarded as the most important thing to get the clansmen to do things seriously. Issuing "war bonds" in the duke's credit? This operation is too advanced to be out of date!

But the Duke must give a clear promise of material rewards, "swear to the gods" to ensure his credibility.

Therefore, in terms of terms, Rurik made such a vague promise that everyone who contributed to the decisive battle was directly involved in the combatant, and he and his family had a great benefit, even if it was to provide weapons and food. who will also be rewarded after the war.

The terms are marked as follows: If the war is won, there will be at least fifty pounds of wheat.

Everyone loves wheat, and there really is nothing more pragmatic than rewarding wheat. Rurik didn't dare to make a real promise. The so-called "fifty pounds of wheat" was a guarantee, and to reward each Russ with so much wheat, Rurik was able to take it out.

Rurik stayed on Tombstone Island until the morning of June 25th, and the two days he spent there were more than just repairs.

He made a big decision!

Were the drafted Slavs really trained to fight as planned?

A refreshing southerly wind blows the frontal sea, and vegetation grows wildly throughout the Åland Islands. The water has also become warm enough that many locals even go swimming, venturing out to the reef to knock out edible mussels with iron chisels.

On an offshore meadow on the island, Rurik saw a group of Slavic warriors with spears, and even military exercises.

Most of them have unkempt heads, and they often use a strip of cloth to tie their foreheads to prevent their hair from being scattered.

They were still wearing gray and khaki linen gowns with exposed calves and simple leather shoes.

At the moment they have no defensive measures, not even a small shield, not to mention leather armor or high-grade chain mail.

Under Medvitt's order, these people aimed their spearheads about three meters long in front of them, and then shouted their horns, advancing relatively neatly as a whole.

Rurik on this day was reviewing this "Slavic spear phalanx". According to Arik, those guys in Novgorod always rushed up and killed in a mess when fighting. It would be fine if they were real Berserkers, but unfortunately they are terrible in every way.

Rurik's eyes widened, listening to the introduction of his cousin.

"You see, these people at least form a wall with their spearheads, and they must be able to pierce the enemy with holes in the middle of the war."

"Is this a phalanx of infantry?" Rurik said to himself.

"What did you say?"

"They...the formation is still chaotic."

Arik shrugged: "I've tried my best. Rurik, you can't expect a group of peasants from the east to become elite warriors in a month, even if you think they're malleable."

"That's true."

Any phalanx of spears has obvious tactical advantages and obvious disadvantages. Rurik clearly saw that its disadvantage lay in its flanks, and if it was outflanked by the enemy, the result would be a disaster.

Just when Rurik was fascinated, Arik patted his brother's little head: "We'll have to test their effects next time."

"Um?"

Arik held his fingers, and after a whistle, a group of idle Ross warriors gathered.

Rurik originally thought that those people were tired from training and rested for the time being, but unexpectedly, they rushed towards the Slavs' spear formation screaming, and at first glance they were about to fight together.

Seeing this scene, Rurik's scalp went numb with shock, but the spears of the Slavs stood up one after another, and many people even started to flee.

The charging Rus stopped abruptly, then pointed at some frightened guys who threw their spears and sat on the ground, laughing.

"You understand!" Arik shook his head helplessly, "It's really hard to let these people attack the guys on Gotland."

The problem suddenly became thorny. The Rus warriors didn't even put up the shield wall, but they used their momentum to frighten the Slavic spear formation.

Arik felt helpless. Otto, who was watching, felt that he was still brave of his own clan, but he really couldn't have any confidence in this group of Slavs from Novgorod.

Rurik held his hairless chin lightly and thoughtfully: "They are still weak. However, being weak also has its advantages."

"Weakness is also a benefit?"

"Yes! I've already thought of a tactic." Rurik looked up at his cousin, "I'm about to go back and give orders, and you'll be training them on the island with new rules."

"New rules? What are your thoughts?"

Rurik did think of some means of forcing people to become brave, and although that seemed barbaric at first glance, it was probably the quickest way to turn a peasant into a warrior.

Medvitt, who felt embarrassed, stood in front of Rurik, his brother-in-law was still a handsome boy, but what he said was embarrassing.

"Medvette, your people are now on the battlefield, only to be killed by the enemy and finally become slaves. Your people don't know how to fight at all, and they simply lack courage."

Medvitt nodded noncommittally.

"There is only one way, punishment! For the cowardly guy, hit him in the back with a stick! For the one who took the initiative to throw the weapon and run away, behead him directly! Now..."

When he said these words, Rurik felt a little ashamed in his heart, and he never thought that he would be able to say such cruel words.

Speaking is like this, the key is how to do it.

Rurik straightened his back and approached the panting Slavs under the escort of the mercenaries. Although they had such a favorable impression of Rurik himself, now seeing the boy's stern face, they all felt a little bit of ignorance.

Rurik stood in front of them, with his hands on his waist, raised his head and shouted in Cyrillic: "People of Novgorod, you all know that I am going to attack the Gotlanders. You don't know that Gotland also It doesn't matter, as long as you know that they are also Varyags. I want to take you to conquer the tough and tough, but you are acting like shit!

Now let's make a rule! We have to continue the drill, and those who retreat again will kneel down and be beaten! Those who dare to throw their weapons and run away will be beheaded on the spot!

Keep practicing now! "

Is a lesson effective? Rurik didn't want to kill the killer, but unfortunately, he has long since faded out of his former fantasies when it comes to the issue of war.

The Ross warriors continued to perform a berserker-like charge. Of course, they only showed a monster-like momentum, and they would not kill them until they really hit a spearhead.

However, some Slavic warriors were still frightened by this momentum, and the people at the back of the team threw their spears and fled, and more than 100 people who were infected by fear also ran away, and the entire formation quickly collapsed...

"Damn it! Forcing me to kill! Or provoking me? Yevro, take your people and hold up those who run the furthest." Rurik's head blushed with anger.

After he finished speaking, Yevluo took a group of mercenaries and made a decisive move.

Before long, ten captured Slav "warriors" knelt on the ground in horror, their arms tied, and behind them were a group of Rus warriors.

Duke Otto of Ross and General Aric, they never imagined that this kid Rurik was not telling lies at all, he just wanted to immediately implement the order just issued.

In the end is his own race ah! Medved hurriedly knelt down on one knee in front of Rurik: "Rurik, do you really want to do it? They are all farmers of White Tree Manor, please forgive their cowardice!"

For a moment, Rurik really softened his heart. He did have the power of life and death now. However, the Lord's kindness towards cowards was to encourage the entire army to be deserters.

Those who were kneeling were crying and begging for mercy, but Rurik's head was red with anger. He stretched out his right arm and suddenly fell, and the Ross warrior behind the kneeling person, without hesitation, raised his axe and finished the beheading!

The grass became silent, the Slavic warrior was completely stunned, and Medvitt sat on the ground, really speechless.

Rurik, holding a shiny dagger in his hand, approached the frightened Slavs, and pointed at the corpse on the ground: "You all saw it! Fight us Russ, and that's what cowards end up with. Remember, then If anyone dares to run away, run one and kill one, and run one hundred and one hundred. If you all run away, you are not worthy of living!

If you are brave it is completely different. In future wars, you will be rewarded for killing the enemy. For example, you don't need to pay tribute, and you can even get loot.

But a coward on the battlefield will be beheaded after the war, and his wife and children will all be slaves. "

Otto looked stunned. He recovered a little bit of emotion. He really admired that this kid was ruthless and manly.

Killing ten cowards immediately achieved amazing results. When the rehearsal took place, the Slavs' spear formation was as stable as a rock. Instead, it was some Rusian warriors who "couldn't get rid of the car", and they were forced to hold their shields. It really collided with the spear wall, and the oak shield was stabbed with a lot of deep marks.

So what kind of military training is this Rurik?

This move is not surprising. After the military reform in Morris, the Netherlands, the military's emphasis on military discipline has risen to a very high level since the end of the Rhone era. Even in the Kingdom of Prussia, soldiers were trained not to be afraid of death in battle. What they feared most was the punishment for making mistakes during training.

Wu Qi also beheaded the two concubines who did not obey the military orders, and was so shocked that the remaining concubines and palace maids were quickly trained into a neat lineup.

Rurik knew this knowledge, and he knew it himself.

Fear and bravery seem to be contradictory, but when attacking the mountain fortress of the Kewen people, Rurik felt that the incident that he was almost killed by the arrow of Kewen made him see the reality in an instant - this is not a game !

The Slavs didn't want to be executed for their cowardice. Instead, they huddled together tightly, roaring with their mouths open, and spears pointed firmly in the direction of the Rus.

Just as they were screaming, they could not have imagined that they could successfully stop the collision of the Ross people.

At this point, Rurik proudly announced to his father and brother: "Some cowards died, and the rest were forced to be brave. Now they are qualified to land on Gotland and fight the enemy."

There are 1,000 soldiers stationed on Tombstone Island, and soon, the force on the island is expected to expand dramatically to 3,000!

To maintain such a huge army to fight, Rurik knew that he had to consider many things, and even compared to weapons and equipment, food supply was the most critical.

For this battle, the entire Ross clan must fight against the enemy.

Rurik, who has boarded the Avlora again, can't wait to return to his hometown to announce his order for the general mobilization of the war.

The big ship left Tombstone Island in the southwesterly wind in the morning, and another cargo ship, carrying messengers and edicts, headed for New Roseburg in the east.

In Rurik's plan, he sailed non-stop and was bound to return to Roseburg around the evening of the 26th of June in the Julian calendar. In this way, he can give orders in front of everyone on the "night without night", when the whole tribe gathers to sacrifice to the summer solstice.