Rise of Rurik

Those gray-white corpses were facing the new rising sun, and the Vikings had swept the battlefield, and everything they thought was valuable was plundered.

Poverty aroused the strong predatory desire of the Balmerk Vikings, and now the brothers are on board one after another, targeting Bamburgh in the south.

A longship carried Rurik to the Avrora, which was anchored at sea.

Several sets of rope ladders were dropped from the big boat, and the group began to climb.

A rope was thrown down, and Rurik's elite mercenaries skillfully tied the captured king. Ernred was like a fat sheep, and was transported by the ship's crew to the huge ship.

Although it was humiliation, Ernred was really shocked when he was really sitting on a huge boat.

Think about your own kingdom, the huge country is obviously located on the island, and there is no decent ship.

Even when I was young when I went to Frank, or even went to the Holy See for a pilgrimage, I used a sampan to stop at the nearest European coast, and then I walked the whole journey by land.

He saw that the Vikings had many ships, and the one he was building was sailing entirely by sails, and this hill-like ship had no oars!

After all, Ernred is the king of a kingdom, and Rurik doesn't really want to take his life, of course, provided that this person will cooperate with his decision.

The king was tied to the main mast, so that the man could see the structure of the ship and feel the charm of the Avlora.

The sailor let out a long roar, and the rope that bound the sail was pulled down violently, and the big sail was instantly raised, causing Ernred to get goosebumps, and the wound on his left arm immediately oozes blood due to emotional tension.

He endured the pain and raised his head, losing his crown like a slave, looking up at the Vikings like this, no, it was the giant sail of the Rus, the huge blue interlaced stripes on the sail made him quickly sprout in fear. some intimacy.

"That savage boy named Rurik actually regards the Gospels as treasures? Can these diagonal blue stripes be turned into blue crosses? Can they, after reading the Gospels, become the Lord's Lamb? Can you stop the looting of our country?"

The beautiful fantasy was instantly shattered, and Ernred did not dare to continue thinking about it.

His current situation is no different from that of a slave, so he still remains absolutely silent and bears it until he is released.

Nor did he want to think of the savage Vikings converting to their absurd gods,

To accept the call of the Lord.

Those northern Picts, all covered in indigo tattoos, dare to call themselves lambs.

The kings of Mercia, Kent, and Wessex in the south are all willing to go to Rome for a pilgrimage and spend money to "buy" a pope's award, but they are no more merciful to the kingdom of common faith than these barbarians.

The Viking fleet resumed sailing, with many fewer brothers and a large trophy.

Is the expedition really worth it now?

Of course it's worth it!

The vast number of young men in Balmerk, due to the extremely backward productivity, even if the Narvik Fjord is large enough, they cannot support a tribe as large as 20,000.

People believe in fate. When a soldier dies on the battlefield, people's regret may only last for two or three days, so they pack up their weapons and run to another battlefield.

Balmerks and Shetlanders, everyone still maintains their fighting spirit, thinking that they will run to Bamburgh to get the ransom for the king, and every brother can make a fortune!

Even when they were paddling, they were already discussing how many silver coins they could get and whether they could take a pure woman as a wife.

They have not evolved to a situation where the family leader who leads the army on the expedition can take it all. The so-called trophy, the family leader naturally has great merit, they have the right to eat the fattest meat, and the rest of the meat is swept away by the brothers. There is no situation where whoever eats meat can only drink soup.

From Lindisfarne Abbey to the coastal cove where Bamburgh is located, it is the road in the woods, and a strong traveler who is ready to pack can make this journey in as little as a day.

Due to the twists and turns of the forest road, the land distance between the two places is actually close to 40 kilometers.

The British Isle of this plane is still sparsely populated, and Northumbria, ravaged by civil strife, is even worse. During this journey, the lone traveler must be armed to guard against wolf attacks. However, in the current situation, the Timberwolves can only stay alert and avoid.

The defeated Northumbrian army, whether they were regular kingdom warriors or armed farmers, most of the fugitives lost their weapons and had to find suitable wooden sticks in the woods, the most crutches ever, and came here for self-defense. spear.

They still had some fighting power, but they were terrified by the death of the king, the murder of the priest, and the destruction of the Holy Land.

They frantically went straight to Bamburgh and, unfortunately, lost too much physical strength. When the first group of people arrived under the wooden city wall of Bamburgh, there were still a group of people struggling to move in the forest.

It was not until after this death that the dormant Timberwolves attacked the lonely soldiers and farmers at night.

What does the escape of this group have to do with the Vikings?

There is an advantage to their escape. When the defeated army appeared, the people of Bamburg who were waiting for the good news only felt that the sky was falling.

The cavalry warrior named John escorted the king's golden crown and helmet, and the cavalry came together and vowed not to let anyone else defile the king's golden crown.

His Majesty's noble cavalry! They are right under the city!

Bamburgh's few defenders immediately lowered the drawbridge and the cavalry entered.

John and the others had just entered the city, and the people waiting for the news immediately surrounded.

"You all get out of the way! I'm looking for the queen! Where is the queen? Where is the prince Ella?" John held up the king's golden crown helmet, and people looked at this noble thing, and instantly had an ominous premonition.

It was unspeakable, and no one shouted that they were defeated.

After a short while, the crowd gave way. Queen Anna, who felt that something was wrong, brought her ignorant young son, escorted by several maids, and approached the proud cavalry under her husband tremblingly.

Seeing Her Majesty the Queen, a group of cavalrymen knelt on one knee one after another.

Only John walked forward with a sullen face, holding the golden crown helmet very boldly.

"What happened to the king? You have battle marks on you!"

"Could it be true that the king..."

John knew that he was risking disrespect, but he did not die with his brothers, did not rescue the king, he even hoped that he would be sentenced to death afterwards.

He refused to answer the queen's words, and rather rudely took off Ella's velvet cap, and buckled the heavy golden crown helmet representing the king's military power on the little prince Ella's head.

At this point, he suddenly knelt down on one knee. Although he still did not answer the queen's question, in this tragic scene, even if the queen Anna was a simple woman, she could tell that the king had died in battle.

The news of the king's death was confirmed at the mansion of the Earl of Bamburgh. Although the king's body was not obtained, the queen was very suspicious, but her son had already put on his father's golden crown!

As a king's woman, she is destined to not have the sorrow that an ordinary peasant woman should have. As the kingdom's top noble, Queen Anna instantly understood her responsibility.

His own son Ella is the official heir to the throne of Northumbria!

Even if Ernred had multiple sons, another Elbert family had the right to compete for the throne of Northumbria (two small kingdoms merged after all). Now all this is a thing of the past, and the new king is Ella!

She is not happy because her son is the king, the serious situation will drive her mind crazy, but Ella, who is ignorant, is still asking where her mother and father have gone?

There was no need for someone to spread the news. Behind the fleeing cavalry, a group of despairing infantrymen began to enter the city. These infantrymen with good physical fitness escaped and arrived at Bamburg overnight under extreme panic. It was a miracle that they were forced out by intimidation.

Any suspicions of the former residents are now true, and the situation is noticeably more horrific.

The monastery was burnt down! Holy Land Desecrated! The news from Edinburgh has also been confirmed, and the town was burned!

The armies of the kingdom have suffered a crushing defeat against the mighty barbarians!

They were more terrifying savages than the Picts. They had iron heads and extremely hard shields. Their arrows could easily knock people's heads off, and even the invincible kingdom cavalry were defeated.

Those wolves who can't get enough to eat must be killing Bamburgh!

But the king, the earl of Bamburgh, the captain of the cavalry and all the elite warriors, the bishop of Bamburgh who mastered the holy artifact, and a large number of young priests. They all died on that battlefield!

Bamburgh actually entered a state of leaderless dragons, and Bamburgh fell into inevitable chaos.

At night, the hungry soldiers forcibly opened the warehouse, took the wheat and began to feast on their stomachs.

Taking advantage of the chaos, a group of farmers who fished in troubled waters also began to loot the wheat.

The chaotic scene could not be ended by a few guard soldiers and the few remaining priests of Bamburgh Abbey.

Finally, the kingdom's cavalry is on the move again!

The man named John Stockwood was immediately pardoned by Queen Anna for his sin against saving the king.

The kingdom encountered a major crisis, and it was at a time when the main country was in doubt. The so-called power without an army to defend it was completely empty talk on this chaotic island.

The ignorant Ella was finally scared to cry by the chaotic years. The weight of the golden crown made him uncomfortable, but his mother ordered him to wear it.

The queen urgently appointed John Stockwood as the temporary cavalry captain, leading the warriors who still firmly defend the king's power to suppress those chaos makers! Especially for those who took advantage of the chaos to destroy and loot, and were no different from the barbarians, they would be executed according to the study of infiltrating the city.

Perhaps, allegiance to the new king and serving the queen who is already the queen mother is the greatest loyalty to the dead king.

Thirty cavalrymen appeared with more than a hundred infantry warriors in chainmail. They went straight to the granary and charged directly at the people who were still looting food.

The horses smashed the snatchers, and the sword began to stab them.

The infantry behind the cavalry were still persistent, and even though the panic-stricken "grain army" was already fleeing, the chase went on for a while.

A bloody suppression was quickly completed, and the young John felt himself better than his predecessor Aston. He even thanked Aston for his death and gave himself a chance to make a fortune.

It was all too sudden. He arrived at Bamburgh with a sense of frustration and self-reproach. It was only half a day. The flames in the night illuminated his face. John stood among the mass of corpses, his bloody face Filled with a desire for power.

In this blood, a man who is loyal to the king and patriotic, intends to personally seize the supreme power.

"Maybe, I can still be the minister of the palace. Queen Anna is a young widow, and Ella is a widow. Can I possess her by virtue of military power and merit? I personally took over the golden helmet from Ernred. It can be worn on the top of my head! I can be a king. In the future, I will control the cavalry, which nobles dare to disobey me? Those who disobey will be trampled to death by my iron hoofs.”

Maybe a cavalry soldier shouldn't have such an unreasonable thought, but as a cavalry captain, why can't he?

In the past, Northumbria did not know how many kings had been changed, and the royal power had changed hands in the hands of how many families.

The premise of being a king is not military power! Now, there are family members of the former king in Bamburgh City, and he is the captain of the cavalry. In Northumbria, this position is equivalent to the second military authority after the king.

John's idea is not delusional, he does have a chance to become king.

Immediately, he gathered his blood-stained brethren, and told them all: "Brothers! King Ernred has led us into defeat, and he has brought shame to the kingdom! He is a tyrant! Even more powerless to defeat the barbarians. Now You follow me and choose me to be the palace minister. Now the army of barbarians is about to be killed. We will stabilize our hearts and arm ourselves. With this city, we will defeat the enemy. You recommend me as the palace minister. After the enemy is defeated , the lowest warriors can be infantry captains! You can all become nobles, and you can all be served by slaves. Only I can give you these! Please support me."

Some people were suspicious at first, but after some shouted their support, all the soldiers cheered.

After all, it is impossible for King Ein Reid to give people who are destined to be soldiers all their lives a chance to develop. It is said that everyone has their own destiny, and it is still low for a lowly person to be a soldier of the kingdom.

Everyone has just experienced nine deaths and a lifetime, is there anything to be afraid of?

John Stockwood, the son of a small local lord, was indeed the lowest nobleman in the kingdom. For such a soldier who thought he was willing to give the poor and humble, the brothers took risks one after another.

He decided to organize the city defense work immediately, but that would be a matter of tomorrow and daylight.

He wiped off the blood-stained sword, and led more than a dozen like-minded men to the mansion of the Earl of Bamburgh to meet the Queen Mother Anna and the new King Ella.

However, Ella has not been crowned yet, and Anna is still the queen.

The earl's mansion, Anna anxiously awaits the good news to calm the chaos in the city.

Seeing the triumph of her canonized cavalry captain, she stood up excitedly, not caring about her decency to meet him.

She had expected John to kneel naturally and salute, but the man was still standing upright with the hilt in his hand.

Anna couldn't care less: "Is the matter resolved? I can't hear the noise, it seems that you succeeded."

"It was indeed a success."

"Oh! That's great." Anna's face was forced to smile, and she noticed that the situation was a little weird. Under the soft light of the chandelier, he saw the greed in the eyes of John and his entourage.

"There's nothing to do now. You go out for now. Too many things have happened, I have to calm down. I also have to accompany the Countess of Bamburgh." Anna ordered an expulsion.

John still had no intention of retreating, he made his entourage to avoid, and invited Anna to the hall to discuss the matter secretly.

[Reading to receive cash] Follow the vx public account [Book Friends Base Camp], and you can also receive cash for reading!

Anna was startled for a moment, and suddenly felt that the situation was very complicated, so she changed her face and asked sharply, "What else is going on."

From the corner of John's eyes, he saw that his work was avoided, and even the maid felt that something was wrong and hid.

He dared to reach out to his chest, but was immediately pushed aside by the angry Anna.

"presumptuous!"

But John didn't stop, and now he directly grabbed her by the neck, and in front of young Ella, pulled her to the hidden maid's dressing room.

The oil lamp was lit, and Queen Anna was pressed down on a low table. She was yelling and kicking, but her skirt was still pulled up by John. Immediately afterwards, there was another burst of pain, and Anna burst into tears...

John fully knew the identity of this Anna, but she was the daughter of a lower-ranking noble, valued by Ernred because of her beauty, and favored because she gave birth to a boy.

She was still young, but in her early twenties, and that's why John prided himself on timing.

While working on errands, John moved closer to Anna's face, and said sharply to the suffering woman: "Your power is all given by the previous king, who would admit that a child is a king? Now I'm the captain of the cavalry, and I'll be yours. Man, you will naturally be protected. I want to be the palace minister."

Anna murmured in tears: "Why are you doing this to me. You want to be a palace minister, you don't need such a thing. You are humiliating me, you might as well kill me."

"No! I'm protecting you. I'm older than you, and I'm young. How can that old Ernred man give you the joy of being a woman? Be my woman, and I'll be Northumbria's. King! I will treat Ella as my own son! I will lead the people of Bamburg to defeat the barbarians! Listen, if I don't stand up, this city will be destroyed in a few days and your son will be destroyed by them Cut off your head and you'll be taken by them, stripped of your robes and tattooed, tied up and sold as a fat sheep. They're more vicious than the Picts."

After such intimidation, Anna hooked her head. She didn't say much, she could only accept her fate.

Suddenly, she felt a burning sensation in her stomach, and she felt that she could not go back.

It's a joke that the new king is Ella. It seems that this John Stockwood is the biggest threat to the kingship. She feels sorry for her dead husband, and has guarded against the threat of neighbors all her life. Today, she was defeated in the hands of the sea barbarians. What is even more terrifying is that the real threat to the kingship Come to the surface!

The threat is not outside, but inside! In the cavalry team with great martial arts!

After all, Anna is a woman who knows how to compromise. She immediately knelt down on her knees and looked up at John with pleading eyes: "I support you as king, and I will marry you. Just please, you are as promised. , treat Ella as your son."

Seeing the woman's tearful prayer, John felt refreshed and exhausted.

He stroked Anna's neck and said proudly, "Of course, I will confer the title of Earl Ella. And your child and I are the real prince."

At this moment, Anna's tears wet John's hand, causing John to regain his fighting spirit.

He pulled Anna straight to the bedroom.

After the appointed Anna made her son Ella evade, she finally took the initiative to throw away the robe and serve her new man, just like serving the previous king. She is so active and knowledgeable, all she wants is that she and her son can still live as nobles of the kingdom.