Rise of Rurik

The Karlbrand expedition provided new path possibilities, which was exactly what Rurik so desperately needed.

Based on the current human resources, the project of digging the canal may be a severe test, but after calculation, if you want to quickly complete the second road from the capital to the agricultural area, the canal can be navigable to connect the two water systems, Ross is accustomed to Ship shipping became operational immediately, and ships were far more capable than land transport.

Rurik's original plan was indeed to determine a straight line between New Roseburg and Nov and Rhodes, and then use an ax saw to forcibly develop a land passage.

Maybe the plan to build roads should not be given up. More roads means more choices.

The top priority is to quickly go to the swamp for an on-site inspection to determine whether the local geographical conditions are conducive to building the canal.

He thought that even if the terrain of the swamp was not good, it would be a good thing to build a rammed earth road along the edge of the swamp area. So the worst result is to set up two settlements on each of the two rivers closest to each other, like a way station, to ensure that the inland waterway can operate.

Rurik did not want to wait and even ordered to set off the next day.

Carl and Brand made contributions, and because they were the organizers of their expedition, all the credit was shared equally between them.

"You have done a great job! For the time being, I will reward you each with a pound of silver coins, and then give you some barbecue and scones. I will arrange accommodation for all of you tonight, and tomorrow all the men in the expedition will follow me back to have a look."

Even two pounds of silver were enough for both of them.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to hold a small meeting at night, they hurriedly took out the proceeds of their expedition.

The huge feathers and the extremely long and straight bird bones were really huge treasures in Rurik's opinion. Here they are, amply proving that everything described is true. Dying feathers and inserting them into hats is a way for the rich to decorate themselves. Nowadays, it is even more of a strategic material. Ross, who is very fond of arrows, always needs feathers as big as possible.

As for the bird leg bone, it is a good material for making flutes. In principle, there is no problem in making bone arrow clusters from leg bones, but doing so now is a waste of resources. All the bird bones will be given to Nolen. This music-loving noble will make Ross's military band have better quality flutes.

All the supplies for sale by the expedition were essentially what Rurik needed, so he bought them all on the spot.

The entire expedition team and even the ten Savok children were placed in an empty warehouse by Rurik. The environment is not a good one, but it does have a flat wooden floor, making it easier for everyone to sleep on the ground.

They feasted on wheat cakes and grilled fish, and even drank some ale. The women in the expedition team already had money to spend, and based on the principle of coming as they come, they took advantage of the stalls in the evening market to buy some daily necessities at the market. To be fair, prices in Novgorod are cheaper than in the capital. Selling large and small wooden utensils is one of the ways for local Slavs to make profits. Originally, they had to be transported to the capital by second-rate dealers and then sold. If someone could go to the place of production to buy them , naturally pay less.

Although they were building a shop on the floor, the women who returned from shopping bought some homespun cloth and even the latest woolen blankets on sale.

The core of the blanket is felt, and its raw materials come from war seizures. The processed wool is rolled and ironed into felt, and then covered with a layer of fine linen and sewn with hemp thread. This is a wool blanket that can be used as a mattress. . Although its price is a bit expensive, the old Russians can afford it with their financial resources.

That night, Rurik immediately sent guards to report the news to the cavalry camp outside the city.

The messenger walked straight forward, not caring about the sound sleep of the cavalry soldiers who were tired from training for a day. He shouted at the top of his voice outside the camp: "The king is coming! Urgent gathering!"

The noise immediately caused Captain Brody to jump up, put on his coat and stepped on his boots quickly, without even bothering to put on the foot wrap.

He hurriedly rushed to the door of the barracks against the men who were ahead.

"Hey! What's going on? Why are you disturbing us?"

The messenger was out of breath, but his attitude was quite kind: "The king has something important to do, and he will be here soon. You...get dressed quickly and raise the torch to meet the king."

"This is happening?!" Brody was shocked. Looking at everything he had, he was really a sloppy guy who slept in a lake.

"Absolutely true."

"Okay." Brody gritted his teeth, turned around and shouted: "Brothers! Get dressed and line up! Light all the torches in the camp."

An open area outside the city was designated as a cavalry training base early on and was also a venue for cavalry demonstrations. There were old barracks in the area. Since the Pechenegs had returned to their hometown, Kagan sold his own residence to Rurik so that the cavalry stationed here would have a better living space. The wider the venue, the better the training will be, and it will be easier to do some rigorous and cruel training.

Wearing deerskin gloves and clasping polished bronze thumbs on their thumbs, the cavalry soldiers frequently dismounted and practiced archery.

They trained with short wooden bows, which later became a composite bow. Just like the strange-looking Japanese bow, although it does not use horns and only uses beef tendons to enhance its toughness and elasticity, it is still a make-shift compound bow, at least much better than a piece of wood. The short wooden bow made of oak material has wider arms cut out, and the adhesive made of isinglass and pine gum makes the deer tendons stick together, and its performance is indeed much better than that of ordinary short wooden bows.

The best is naturally the recurve bow imported from Pecheneg. It is light, has a large saw, and has a high poundage. It is really the best tool for mounted archery. Actual combat has fully proved that using it to shoot armor-piercing arrows with pointed cones can give Frankish heavy cavalry suffered heavy losses. It is really destructive to deal with those lightly armored or unarmored units like this.

However, the price of such a good bow is high, and the production speed of the Pecheneg people is not fast.

Only one-fifth of the newly formed Second Standard Cavalry had steppe recurve bows, and the rest had these makeshift short wooden bows.

After they were formed, Captain Brody was ordered to train their devils. The chosen child had already proven to have a talent for riding horses, and so it was. In just four days of intensive training, the children's riding skills were adequate, but their riding and shooting skills were at a loss.

You can't always ride a horse for horseback shooting training. This would be torture for the war horse. They were forced by Brody to perform running archery, simulating a riding and shooting environment with violent shaking.

They were ordered to practice high-intensity archery, and when the bow exploded, they would switch to another one and continue. Of course, the training bow is the most common short wooden bow made of a wooden stick. It won't hurt if it becomes useless after being refined.

Their arms are always sore. Brody knows how to train Rurik like this, and even knows what these children need most now.

Of course being a cavalryman was noble, and their diet contained a high proportion of red meat! Especially now is the time to practice skills. The sore arms come from constantly shooting bows and arrows, and everyone is in urgent need of supplements. They ate venison, deer blood sausage, and plenty of grilled fish. Exercise and a high-protein diet cause each child's muscles to expand day by day. Although it does not appear at first, after a period of time, everyone has noticed that their arms are as hard as iron and are expanding.

Rurik hurried over on horseback with a small number of guards.

When he arrived at the military camp, he saw that the young soldiers had lined up in two teams, and the torches in the camp were brightly lit, illuminating the faces of the soldiers.

Brody hurriedly went to fetch the king's horse, and Rurik came down immediately.

"Your Majesty, what exactly is..."

"A big thing." Rurik sighed lightly and patted Brody on the shoulder with satisfaction: "You are indeed a war chief, and the title given to you is correct. It has not been five days, I think the second The cavalry is ready to go to the battlefield to kill the enemy."

"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty. We are not ready yet and still need a lot of training."

"That's humility. Humility is a good thing, but it's a shame I don't have more time for you. Brody!"

"exist."

"Isn't it boring to stay at this training ground all the time? I am determined to go to the west of the lake tomorrow to see for myself, and your cavalry team will accompany me! This is a special exercise. After a few more days, you all have to go New Roseburg followed me through town.”

"As ordered." Brody didn't dare to ask any more questions.

"Tomorrow, you should get up as early as possible to eat. Prepare your war horses and wait here. Put on your jerseys and pick up weapons. Remember, this is a drill. Treat it as if we are marching to attack the enemy."

"As commanded."

Brody knew nothing about the specific situation. He was smart enough to know better than to ask questions. The king came and went in such a hurry that people were confused, and the king's last words were caused by his random thoughts. "Isn't it really a case of attacking the enemy?"

Rurik, who returned in a hurry, was still in a rage, which made the queen embarrassed.

The so-called palace is actually a large-scale expansion of the main residence of White Tree Manor. Queen Svetlana is actually staying in her natal family, which is a good thing. She couldn't sleep, so she stayed in the palace chatting and laughing with Noren, who had received multiple crane leg bones. She also invited Beyathil with her, and wanted to hear stories about the battle.

They have a good relationship with each other, at least for now.

As Rurik returned, the three women immediately surrounded him with smiles and chatter. With Yingying Yanyan by his side, Rurik's heart instantly softened.

"Lana, I thought you were just waiting for me. Why...you actually called them both here?"

Queen Lanna chuckled and said, "It's just to relieve boredom."

"Where's Osborne?"

"The children are all asleep. Don't worry, our joking will not disturb them." Lanna said.

Nolen was very sensible when he saw this: "Since the king is here, Beyahil and I should also avoid it." After that, she was about to leave.

"Wait a minute. Since the three of you are here, I will just arrange things for you."

So, Ryuri ordered the three women to sit down obediently, and as if on a whim, he ordered the three of them to change into their shirts early tomorrow morning and mount their horses as female warriors. He made some explanations, especially telling his great dreams to the women he loved.

"Huh. Is it really feasible to dig swamps and create rivers?" Nolen muttered involuntarily.

"You don't think so?"

"If it's you, you can." Her reply was a bit perfunctory.

"I support it." Lana twisted her neck, "Oh, I have to take Osborne with me for such a good thing. I want to go out for a walk, and it would be great if I go hiking on horseback."

"Actually, you would rather ride a horse and gallop!" he said. Rurik glanced at the smiling Beyahil: "I knew it..."

Svetalana has never been a canary content to stay in the birdcage, she is lively by nature. Just because Old Otto chose Rurik as his first wife when she was six years old, a lively and naughty little girl was forced by her parents to be a lady. Who can really restrain her behavior now? As a daughter of the prairie, Beyah Hill took advantage of the opportunity of chatting to introduce the customs and customs of the prairie people to her. The joy and freedom of galloping!

None of them are ordinary noble women, each of them has actually participated in battles and killed enemies.

Lana just lacked opportunities.

The next day, Rurik put on his jersey again. Since this operation is just for inspection, the load-bearing chain mail and scale armor will not be worn. Since it was the peak of the warm period, he wore cooler clothes without being dignified.

He put on a large-brimmed hat made of felt, which could be described as a "Fanyang Li" in style, with dyed feathers stuck on the top of the hat. He put on wooden-framed sunglasses, hung a sword from his waist, held the reins with both hands, clamped the horse with his legs, and set off with his entourage.

The queen and her two concubines were none other than Lanna, Noren and Bejasil. They dressed up to look like male warriors. The leather helmets were hanging down on the saddles, and the three women were also wearing large-brimmed hats to protect them from the sun, and they were carrying bows and swords. They were really heroic.

The queen was his biological sister, and Governor Medved never saw her riding a horse again after she gave birth to the prince. After all, my sister likes exciting things. She couldn't stop smiling while holding the reins, which shows that riding a horse is really a joy.

Medved also had the task of escorting the carriage behind him on horseback. Karl, Brand and the other three, all five old Russians really don't know how to ride a horse. It was really eye-opening to see the king, queen and even the prince riding together today.

The attendants on horseback held high the Russian flag, and Rurik swaggered towards the cavalry camp.

At this moment, Brody gathered all the troops to line up and wait for the king's review. They had all headed outside the camp and lined up neatly according to each team.

From time to time, some war horses lowered their heads to nibble on some grass roots, and some horses moved their hooves as if they were impatient.

Rurik saw them from a distance and quickly joined them.

"Is this the style of a cavalry?! It's so majestic. Ah? Why do they all have children's faces?" Karl was surprised.

Brand, who was riding in the same carriage, teased him: "Brother, this is the King's newly trained Second Flag Team. Look at that man, Brody. You should recognize him."

"Him? His father's name is Harald or Harald, oops. I knew his father broke a front tooth."

"I know too. This guy is a member of our tribe and he is doing well now."

The five old guys from Old Ross commented and lamented that the younger generation was terrible, and lamented that they were getting old.

Times have indeed changed! Karl can deeply feel that Rose today and Rose ten years ago are completely different concepts. It seems that the only thing that remains unchanged is everyone's respect for Odin and the old leader Otto who is still alive. Oh no, now the old guys have to affectionately call the big brother of the tribe "the Supreme King".

The cavalry team has a heroic appearance. Although the riders are young, everyone is dressed exactly the same. It was a waistcoat made of white bearskin, with strips of blue cloth sewn on it. Everyone had a summer hat with a big brim and blue feathers on each top. They also had helmets hung on the saddles, and they all carried quivers and bows, as well as swords on their waists.

The cavalry spear is different from the infantry spear. It is much shorter, with a spike at the top and a weight at the end. The spear shaft is entirely made of soft wood, and there is no operation of painting and soaking it with rosin to harden it. The so-called spear head will break if it hits the enemy with too much force. The purpose is actually to protect the cavalry from being taken off their horses.

The spears stand upright like a forest, and each spear is hung with a blue and white cloth strip.

As far as ritual is concerned, they are very good at it, but it has not been tested in actual combat. Rurik will not let the 2nd Cavalry participate in actual combat in the short term. Outsiders think that their brilliance means strong combat effectiveness. This is an illusion. They were actually a group of flashy new recruits now. It was absolutely impossible for them to fight, so it was only appropriate to follow them on a parade.

Rurik simply carried Prince Osborne into his saddle. The child's eyes were completely attracted by the gorgeous cavalry.

It was a blessing that the King and the Prince reviewed the Second Cavalry together.

"I saw a powerful cavalry! I know you will make great achievements for me and Ross in the future. Prove yourself now! Follow me! I will take you on a cruise!"

"Ula~Ula~Ula~"

They made three special Viking war cries in a row. Only the elite elite troops of close confidants were allowed to shout "Ula". But everyone didn't know its deeper meaning. It probably meant "glory" or something like that.

This is just Rurik's bad taste, but once you get familiar with it, you won't feel embarrassed at all.

After finishing his final lecture, Rurik suddenly pulled out his sword. The sound of the sword buzzed in the prince's ears. The young Osborne was not afraid and subconsciously extended his right hand to imitate. or father.

Rurik tilted his head slightly and couldn't help but smile knowingly when he saw this scene.

You said: "Second Cavalry! Follow me! Go to Balotavo on the western swamp and see our new western territory!"

Balotawo is an unfamiliar term. After all, the king mentioned the "new western territory", and the rising enthusiasm of the young warriors became even stronger.

A mighty cavalry team, with warriors riding in their saddles, the whole looked like a marching forest. The flag of Rus fluttered in the south wind, and the banners of the riding spears were blown away. They rushed towards Niu Calf Manor, and immediately attracted the people of the manor to come out to watch the show, including the ten people who had drifted back from the smear campaign last night...