Rise of Rurik

Rurik was disappointed by the situation of Lindsay City, which was not a city, but a large countryside surrounded by low stone walls.

Only a few noble houses have wooden floors, and the rest are all kinds of grass huts.

Especially in the rain, the whole city was muddy, and the soldiers couldn't help but get water stains on their bodies, and black mud all over their boots.

The only thing that made Rurik happy were the granaries in the city, and the locals weren't stupid enough to get the wheat wet.

But when he personally inspected the granary, especially when he reached out to grab the bottom sack, and the sword poked in it, he was surprised when he reached out.

"This is wheat? It's wet! The grain officer here is an idiot."

Rurik stomped his feet in anger, but Arik didn't care.

"Brother, you came to Britain simply to plunder wheat? Why don't you look for gold and silver from Balmers?"

Rurik still staggered, looking up and said: "This place is terrible, and I can't find any treasures. At least there is still some wheat to eat, but this damn weather..."

"Next, we still have to attack their royal city."

"Yes! Tamworth, we'll act now."

Rurik really didn't want to linger in Lindsay City, and the rainy weather made it difficult to start a fire, and the plundered oats couldn't be used.

Fortunately, the local residents still have some bread, which is clearly made of wheat semolina, although it is at least enough to satisfy the hunger.

The army, unsatisfied at all, vented against the captured woman, or beat the other captives.

At least Rurik restrained his subordinates, and he allowed Balmerk allies to misbehave, and he couldn't control it.

In the end, only the old priest and the five young priests who were caught were sheltered.

They were outraged by the tragedy, but real martyrs were extremely rare, and they could not have killed themselves without provoking Rurik to get one killed.

Rurik stayed in a relatively dry monastery to continue his interrogation of the distraught old priest.

"Soon, we'll be leaving.

I'm going to attack Tamworth for the treasure. Now tell me why there are hardly any men in town. You foolish lords think a group of women can guard the city? "

The old priest explained helplessly: "Because the earl took the men to attack the north, all the blacksmiths in the city were taken away. The women here are the wives of those men."

"Oh? Is that so? I can tell you that those men were all killed by us, and maybe even your lords were beheaded."

"Ah!" The old priest could really hear the young man's Latin explanation, and the news revealed by his words was amazing.

The old pastor asked tremblingly, "Could it be that our king has really been defeated?"

"Yes, even killed. You know the Vikings? We are the Vikings, and this is Viking land now. You natives must accept our rule if you want to survive."

"..."

"What? Patra, you're silent. Hate?"

"..." The old pastor turned his head to one side, noncommittal.

"It doesn't matter, we are about to attack Tamworth, and we have allied with Northumbria. The coalition will destroy Mercia, and we will leave tomorrow."

The old pastor turned his head and immediately asked, "What do you want me to do. I also want to know why you know the sacred language."

"Latin? You don't need to know. Now, I command you to lead me."

Rurik didn't expect this person to cooperate immediately, so he added: "This is a war that has been destroyed by the country, not a robbery at all. Northumbria allied with us last year, and Mercia attacked Northumbria. Leah, war on us. I'm afraid you never cared about these things, but the bishop of Northumbria is dead, and the Ernred man is in a hurry. How do you feel about yourself? Be the bishop of Northumbria , you have this qualification."

The old priest, who was originally hesitant and frightened, miraculously changed his attitude.

"I will, as long as you don't destroy the holy faith."

"This is willing to cooperate? Very good."

Rurik believed in the man's cooperative attitude, and the priest who was spared was trapped in the army.

They were no more than priests and monks, and their daily life was almost ascetic, and it turned out that there were indeed no treasures in Lindsay Abbey.

The priests don't care about Earl Lindsay's relationship with the Mercia royal family and other earls. They only care about how the priests stationed in the monasteries preach and how many lambs they save.

This old priest has only one request, that the combined forces of Viking and Northumbria attack Tamworth or other places, and must not kill recklessly.

This humble request, Rurik promised only verbally.

Even if the Balmers are going to rule the Lindsay region, it's not a matter of now. Magnut didn't even plan to stay a soldier or a pawn, nor was he interested in taking prisoners.

After the city was broken, the army rested for a day and started a new journey the next day.

The bodies of those killed in battle were simply thrown outside the city, all the women and children under control were released, and even Lindsay City was directly abandoned.

Rurik took a batch of wheat from here, the Balmers took a little soft, and those who were released watched the terrible army tear down the only wooden bridge, and they continued upstream in their boats, waiting for it to go away. Just run away.

The population of the entire Lindsay County is not much, but it is only 30,000 people. They are scattered in more than 200 large and small villages in the earldom with an area of ​​more than 7,000 square kilometers. Seriously diluted, its war potential also becomes weak.

The population of Mercia is three times larger than that of Northumbria, which seems to be a lot, but it is only four or five million people. The population is distributed in the jurisdictions of various lords. The "Middle Mercia" area under the direct rule of the king is naturally the most populous, but it is not overwhelming at all. After decades of chaos, the lords from all over the world are scheming, and after the restoration of Wigraf, the power is unstable. The huge Mercia is not monolithic at all. The lords will follow the appropriate king based on the principle of maximizing interests.

Rurik knew this only from the attitude of the people in the Lindsay area. The prisoners were completely indifferent to the Viking army attacking their capital. They only cared about their own lives and did not care about the safety of the capital.

It is understandable to think about it, what is the situation in Tamworth, and what does it have to do with Lindsay's farmer. If there was no war, these farmers would be able to live their entire lives on one-third of an acre as far as the eye can see! Even from Lindsay to Tamworth, sailing against the current is only a day's voyage. What they care most about is the grain harvest and how much tax they should pay to the Count this year.

The rain continued, and Rurik was fortunate that he and his allies were in good physical condition, and there were no signs of plague in the army.

Could this late summer and early autumn rain last for half a month?

The rain caused trouble for the army, and dialectically it also severely limited the military strength of the Mercians.

It was about evening, and the Viking army had rushed to Tamworth.

"That's your capital?" Rurik asked the old priest.

What it was like to be on a barbarian's ship, he thought of Noah's ark. Carrying the drizzle, the old pastor said, "It is indeed Tamworth. It is the largest city in Mercia."

"It's really a big city." Rurik squinted, he couldn't see the details of the city in the drizzle, and it did have a York-like scale or even bigger in terms of outline.

He saw that this city built by the water had a circle of stone walls, and there were even taller stone fortresses, which should be the inner city of the king.

The old priest revealed more information that the king's fortress was on the mound in the city, and the monastery was also built there.

"Are there any treasures of gold and silver in the castle?" Rurik asked knowingly.

"Yes, treasure. Don't hurt the people after you have taken the gold and silver."

"I will try my best to restrain my subordinates, but I need wheat, as long as I get enough wheat, I will be satisfied."

Rurik had no intention of talking nonsense with this man, and immediately commanded his Rus army to start disembarking.

They landed in the rain, and a team carried axes again to destroy all the wooden bridges that had used the Trent River.

Attack now? Clearly out of date.

Magnut and Biyonni couldn't wait. When they saw the big city, they wanted to loot immediately. Rurik was surprised that they were so impatient, and immediately expressed their refusal to cooperate with their own soldiers. This move also forced the two to suspend the offensive. .

The Rus were busy unloading torsion slingshots and catapults from ships and busy mounting them on carts to become mobile weapons.

They unloaded a large number of arrows, checked the long ladders used in the siege, and even unloaded the log battering rams that were tied to the sides of the ships for ramming doors.

[Reading Benefits] Send you a cash red envelope! Follow vx public [Book Friends Base Camp] to get it!

Rurik was even setting up a tent, so Magnut said step by step that this was a waste of opportunity, and he was also full of anger. The bad rainy weather made this anger even worse.

The tents were still erected, and the army set up camps in the groves by the river.

A large group of armed men suddenly appeared, and villagers living near Tamworth discovered the situation.

The villagers fled into the city. The residents of Wangcheng, who had been tormented by the rain, learned the news. They first ran to the top of the city to find out, and then they were overwhelmed by fright and instinctively closed the city gate.

who are they? This is what Wang Cheng wants to know most.

Is it the Wessex Army? I'm afraid this is the greatest possibility.

The kingdom had only been freed from Wessex for three years, when the man who loved the baths arrived in Tamworth to force the king to submit.

Today's king is a tough guy, but the great king Wigraf has taken his elite troops to the north. Could it be that the king of Wessex feels that the opportunity has come again? If Wessex attacked, why didn't the lords and earls in the south report to the capital?

The first heir to the throne, Prince Bottwoolf, was originally appointed by his father to represent the state, and now the young prince is facing the biggest test in his life.

The interior of the national capital immediately fell into chaos, and for a while, rumors spread, and people nearby were pouring into the city, further aggravating the chaos!

"Head of the guard! Lead troops to arrest those who spread rumors and escort them to the city square!"

"Grain officer, open the granary to distribute some food!"

"Guardian of the city gate, immediately close all four gates, and everyone is not allowed to leave or enter."

"Centurions, gather your soldiers, and if the number is not enough, they will be arrested from the people. Pass my order that men under fifteen years old must take up arms, and you will control them."

"Sir Bishop, parade with the Holy Artifact, to appease the people, and reassure them that Tamworth is safe."

It has to be said that in terms of issuing the decree, the "Prince of the State Supervision" Bertwoolf made a smart and correct choice.

However, it will take time to implement these decrees, but the most important thing is to stabilize people's hearts, especially one thing must be done - to kill those who spread the failure to speak.

Soon a group of "traitors" who spread unfavorable remarks were captured. Even if someone complained, their solution would be to hang them in the city square tomorrow.

Under the tense atmosphere, Bottomwoolf couldn't sleep at all. When the soldiers reported that they had caught a group of people spreading messages, and there was no chaos in the city continuing to ferment, his nervousness was relieved a little.

He silently prayed that the sudden armed crowd and the strange big ship would not attack suddenly. As long as he gave himself a little time, he would be able to arm the people in the city and form a defending army.

Suddenly, a bell rang in my ears.

"Stupid priest, you can only calm the hearts of the people by praying with the people, and you can ask God to destroy the enemy. You actually do mass at night!"

Bottomwoolf is more pragmatic than his father, and he was opposed to his father Wigraf going to the border to provoke neighboring countries, even if he established royal authority. However, he does not deny that a strange army is approaching the city. If he leads the city defenders to defend the city, his prestige will be greatly increased, and the authority of the royal family will naturally be elevated.

Crisis and opportunity always accompany him, and Bottomwoolf slept in consternation. He put on his chainmail and personally took his attendants to supervise the recruitment of soldiers.

That night, the rain finally stopped!

The world was still wet, and the Ross and Balmer army hurriedly attacked a nearby village that was empty, and set the dry wood on fire, so that everyone who was wet finally had a chance to dry their clothes.

The coalition was busy cooking wheat, and the soldiers discussed with each other the next plans of the big men. On the other hand, the fighters who destroyed the two bridges also returned.

Rurik's big tent was gone, and Magnut was still complaining, and his words inevitably carried a hint of anger.

"My son, are you going to attack tomorrow?"

"Do not!"

"Huh? Did I hear it wrong?" Magnut was taken aback again.

"We're not firmly on our feet now. Seeing that the world around us is still muddy. This environment is not suitable for combat. I'm worried about something, and I'm not going to take risks."

"What's so scary? Is it raining or snowing to declare no war? Real warriors don't do that. I understand you say we've just arrived on a shaky footing and a sudden attack isn't appropriate. Don't we take a night's rest? Is it okay to launch an attack again?" Biyongni looked like he was sharpening his knife, "I took my brother and carried a ladder to attack, and I won quickly."

"It's best if we win quickly. But I have a bad feeling that we will be in danger if we force the siege."

"There's nothing to fear," even Arik said now.

Rurik shook his head and looked left and right. It seemed that the tent was full of impatient quick-fighting factions. He patted his chest and raised his voice: "I am the commander-in-chief, listen to me! If I destroy the bridge, I will cut off the possible support of the enemy. If we attack the city rashly, once the enemy is prepared, we may die hundreds of people! I feel that the situation is not right, and the capital of Mercia must be prepared."

Rurik suddenly became cautious, and everyone was puzzled. When he talked about the possible casualties, everyone had to think about it. There is a reason for his caution, because the old priest claimed that the royal city had always been guarded against Wessex's crusade. The success of attacking Lindsay before was actually because there was almost no city defense in that city. Now facing Tamworth, who has always been on guard, it is not wise to attack with arrogant soldiers.

"We still have to wait! When the Northumbrian army arrives, we will join forces to attack the city."

"Is it necessary? Those cowards! If they had the strength, they would have attacked a long time ago." Arik continued to disdain.

"It is very necessary. Once the attack is strong, let them attack, and we can help from the rear. Let the Northumbrians and Mercians fight to the death and the net is broken, and the best interests are all for us."

Rurik felt that his arrangement was the best, but the people present were still eager to fight. Some even felt that giving up the chance of the death battle to the idiots of Northumbria would be a disgrace to the true warriors of Odin.

Arik shouted: "My dear brother, please recognize the reality. Not only our friends in Balmerk, but our own people are eager to fight. What oil and water have you caught in Lindsay City? Everyone wants to eat meat! Eat wheat! Gold and silver treasures are also needed. Everyone follows you because you can bring victory and wealth after victory. We are now strong enough to wait for those guys? Even if you have a point, in my opinion, I still bring Attack with the first flag team, and I can kick open the wooden door of Tamworth with one foot."

The cousin's words are really a headache, and it is equivalent to saying that his own brother is also expressing his objection to his decision.

storm? At the moment when the enemy's situation is unknown, there is a high probability of courting death.

Looking at the current situation, it is obvious that some people will act without authorization if they do not launch an attack. For example, the Balmer army, a large group of them only obeyed Magnut's orders, and if the old guy wanted, they would attack.

Keeping the troops stationary and setting up the army formation, while frightening the Mercia people with a large army, the battle will be smooth when the army of one's own army makes the necessary preparations before the siege of the city.

This wishful thinking seems to be adjusted, because the old guy Magnute has spoken, and he even put on the air of "King of York Kingdom" to speak on behalf of all Balmerk friendly troops.

"Rurik! My child, your caution is superfluous. I have decided that tomorrow I will attack the city with an army. I have sufficient experience in how to attack the city. You Russ better support us, if not. It doesn't matter."

"But father... I am the commander-in-chief, you should continue to obey my decision."

Hearing it, Magnute laughed outright, showing his missing teeth, and smiling very unrestrainedly.

"There is nothing to be cautious of, if a warrior dies, it is his fate. Rurik, I am the king, am I not? Crusade Northumbria, brothers support you as commander. We are now crusade against Mercia , I went to crusade them as the Kingdom of York, you should actually follow my command. Maybe your decision is correct, everyone's attitude is very sure. You better use tonight to prepare, we Balmers will act tomorrow, Your arrows must be well supported."

Rurik gritted his teeth. He had always served as a military commander all these years, but this time he felt isolated for the first time.

A headstrong white-bearded old man stood in front of him, even if he was his father-in-law.

Rurik was furious and stomped his feet in anger.

Once a man has gained power and achieved success, is it inevitable that he will get carried away because of his pride? Today's Magnut is clearly such a person.

Rurik was rather cautious, but he didn't want to be controlled by others.

"Father." He was righteous, "I dare say that if you act tomorrow, you will inevitably encounter setbacks. We don't even know how the enemy's city defense is, so why not launch a tentative attack? You want to attack, can you afford to lose?"

Magnut was also angry, and it was the first time he lost his temper at his son-in-law: "You? Are you cursing me for failure? We are an alliance, so you are not afraid to hope for my good?"

"Because it is the Alliance, you should follow my commands as you used to. Ask yourself, father, which of the Balmers' victories in Britain was not under my command?"

This is indeed the case, and Magnut cannot deny it.

It seems that two people, one big and one small, are arguing, but they are actually the same age.

A lot of times, Rurik would ignore the "old" soul in his young body. He now sees through the coldness of the world, and it is natural to be cautious and orderly, but he lacks the impulse after rage.

Rurik was powerless to convince Magnut that the old man, eager for wealth and power, had his own difficulties, because he regarded the conquest of the Mercian capital of Tamworth as the greatest achievement in the final stage of his life, What's wrong with paying the price of a lot of people's lives to fulfill yourself? Besides, the Balmer warriors who landed in Britain all pointed to the looting of Tamworth to make a fortune.

Magnut simply shouted: "Tomorrow, I will take my army to a pure victory at Balmerk. Rurik, you are too cautious. You can help without troops, but if you do that, according to Our tradition, you have no right to enter the city to plunder."

Convincing an old stubborn might be too hard, and Rurik had to bow his head this time, considering that the pact between the two sides would be necessary for at least the next ten years.

Arrived at Tamworth Castle in the evening, and launched a storm the next morning.

Then hit it! Magnut would rather kill more people for glory, and let him do it. Truly benevolent, Rurik just wanted to provide remote support in the rear.