Rise of Rurik

Vitebsk has a historical necessity in its current geographical location. The West Dvina River flows through this place very gently and has many tributaries. The river forms a huge S, allowing the river water to infiltrate a larger area of ​​land. It is a good place for developing planting or animal husbandry.

The most critical thing is its geographical strategic value.

There was a direct dirt road between Vitebsk and Smolensk during the Russian era. During the Napoleonic Wars, the Russian Marshal Barclay de Tolly's troops were stationed in Vitebsk and participated in the Battle of Smolensk via a direct dry road. Roads did not appear out of thin air. Tsarist Russia also widened and strengthened roads that had been trodden by countless feet before them.

Who established this road can be said to be the travelers of the Viking Age.

In this time and space, the Danish explorers who immigrated to Riga determined the road from the West Dvina River to the Luchasa River to the Dry Road to the Dnieper River to Smolensk, which is part of the Khiva Road.

The era is still 841. At this time, the "Road to Shiva" still exists intermittently, and a powerful force is needed to integrate it.

The historical responsibility lies with Russia. At present, the real purpose of Russia's expansion in Eastern Europe is to develop and stabilize trade routes. Any non-alliance forces that block the trade routes will be hit.

It’s just that people deep in the great era don’t know that they are the trendsetters of history. They are using ships and iron hooves to literally create the path to Shiva.

The Riga people were going to Smolensk, and the trade line ran east-west. The Russians want to trade with Kiev and the grasslands, and the trade line runs north to south.

At the beginning, Rurik intended to use Lukiholm (Veliki Luki) as a crossroads of transportation lines, but history gave the crossroads position to Vitebsk.

Of course, Fisk, who was directing the cavalry to cut wood and build houses on the river beach, didn't quite understand how critical the geographical location where he stood was.

The soldiers cut down pine trees arbitrarily, first selected some large trees, and built some special scaffolding first. After digging some large pits, the large tree trunks tied with cables were inserted into the water-seeking pits with the help of everyone on the scaffolding in a manner equivalent to installing masts on large ships.

As the saying goes, a big tree trunk can be preserved for a long time if it is buried in a wet pit. This is how the core pillars of the fortress wall were built.

After the fort frame was completed, a large number of small tree trunks were used to fill it.

They built the outer wall first, enclosing a large circle, and then built the inner buildings.

All the work was quite complicated, but fortunately the people of Ostara who participated in it had almost all participated in the construction of the new city of Ostara before, and even built a stable pass building at the entrance of the Lovaj River to the lake. They improved their skills in practice, and although they were very tiring, the construction was proceeding in an orderly manner.

Big trees fell one after another, and the forest continued to make loud noises. Ross's Viking logging technique was frequently used. A strong man could cut down a red pine tree over fifty years old in a direction with an axe. More small trees could be cut through with a two-man saw in a short time.

There was no fighting, and the war horses transformed into draft horses. The horses dragged the big tree through the ford, followed by many warriors holding axes and scrapers to serve the big tree.

There was always a strong scent of rosin in the air, and it was so refreshing.

However, the cavalry still inevitably entered a state of slackness, and the workers were exhausted. Everyone had been keeping vigilance, but found that there had been no one around for many days, and the sent scouts found no trace of anyone alive, so slackness was inevitable.

Even so, a minimum sentry was still set up, and the bow-wielding warrior standing on the wooden wall scaffolding that had just been built was looking at the downstream area with vigilant eyes. It is said that if there is an enemy attack, the attack can only come from the Polotsk people in that direction.

What on earth are the people of Polotsk doing?

It would be absurd to say that the community of Polotsk knew nothing about a large group of horsemen who had been carrying out construction work on the upper reaches of the river for many days.

What they are currently showing cannot be said to be a high degree of concern, it can only be said to be that they haven't even farted at all.

Because they have always been worried that horse bandits will make a sneak attack, there is even a rumor among the people that when the wheat matures, the horse bandits will appear again and seize the opportunity to steal the wheat and arrest people. At first, it was just speculation. They were already frightened and had to believe in the probability of this happening. Very big.

In order to avoid disasters, or so that the militia can quickly go into battle when disasters occur, it is necessary to send more scouts to conduct distant reconnaissance.

From the standpoint of the Polotsk people, it was not long before they were attacked by horse bandits. After discussions between the big leader and all the village leaders, it was decided to send the reconnaissance team established by surprise to a larger task.

The hunters of the entire community were entrusted with important tasks. After they arrived at the ruins of Duka Village, they used this as a starting point to continue their reconnaissance upstream.

The scouts' faces were smeared with black river mud, their bodies were deliberately dressed in brown burlap, and their hats were hung with twigs of bushes. They wandered in the forest and tried their best to hide their location. This set of tricks is used by hunters to hunt large game, especially leopards, wild boars and bears.

The scouts actually hoped that the horse bandits would disappear without a trace. Even if Polotsk suffered a loss, it would be terrible if the horse bandits really came to cause trouble during the autumn harvest. It’s not that everyone has lost their courage. In fact, the autumn harvest is by no means a period of fierce fighting. Once the most critical work of harvesting, threshing, drying, and storage is delayed, it means hunger or even famine next year.

The Polotsk community still adheres to rugged agriculture. Their grain yield per acre is too low, and their agricultural foundation is very fragile. They cannot withstand the hardships.

However, whatever you fear most will come, and the disaster will clearly come in a more terrifying form!

The scouts hiding in the dark had good eyesight, and they watched helplessly as the horseman turned into a builder.

A fortress suddenly appeared in the swamp ahead. It was stronger than the big leader's stronghold. Near the fort are a large number of people working, and the number of horses is even more amazing.

It's like an ax hanging over your head, it could come down at any time and open your head.

The scouts gathered together, and some continued to use the cover of the forest to observe from a distance but did not dare to come close to explore, while more retreated.

"Horse bandits! They appear!"

The scouts returned to the village community one after another, and along the Polota River, a tributary of the great river, they announced their findings to the various manor houses arranged in a chain. They thought they were doing a good deed by sounding the alarm, but the result was that the entire community was panicked. Suddenly, people thought that the horse bandits had arrived at the city. Men and women gathered with a variety of weapons including short spears, bows, grass cutting sickles, pitchforks, threshing flails, and even wooden hammers.

Even a woman could see clearly that it would be better to die if she fell into the hands of the bandits.

The people cursed the horse bandits to death with the most vicious words. They gathered together and marched towards the big leader's village. The young men and women of the entire community took action to defend their homeland. This was the first nationwide mobilization in the history of the entire community. It was not a call from the big leader or village leaders, but was actually a spontaneous action by the villagers.

Their numbers are overwhelming, and individuals caught in the vast crowd realize how small they are. In other words, how powerful is the entire group? They were no longer afraid of the horse bandits, and the people were so powerful that even the most cowardly people became angry due to this situation.

The people's shouts shocked the big leader Proclaw and didn't know what was happening.

Finally, the returning scouts squeezed out of the crowd and stood in front of the leader to report their horrific findings.

Proclaw had sweat on his face and was completely baffled by the large gathering of people.

"Tell me? What did you see? It seems that you are the ones who stirred up the people's emotions."

The leader was not afraid of the harsh criticism from the big leader. His expression was extremely solemn, and he was slightly gritting his teeth. "It's a horse bandit," he said.

"Horse bandit? Sure enough, he showed up again?!" The big leader trembled instantly.

"More than just showing up." Another scout said in a loud voice, eagerly: "Sir! We are in danger! They suddenly built a fortress upstream of the ruins of Duka Village. It is even...even stronger than your fortress."

"Yes. They also have a lot of horses, I estimate there may be five hundred. So the horse bandits may have five hundred people. Yes! There must be five hundred people. They have such a large number of troops, and everyone is very cruel."

"Yes. I noticed that the forest was shaking, and many giant trees suddenly collapsed. When I wanted to venture over to see what was going on, I saw the horse bandits dragging the giant trees out of the forest. They... were a group of monster."

The scouts were all talking, and what they said was outrageous.

The big leader frowned and listened for a long time, then suddenly cleared his throat: "That's enough. Are they gods? What you said is too bizarre."

The scouts looked at each other again, and each solemnly stated that they had not made a mistake.

Someone patted their chest: "Everything is absolutely true. There is no point in lying to you. Our homeland is now a matter of life and death. Sir, we must be ready for battle!"

"Prepare for battle?!"

Looking into the speaker's pleading eyes, the big leader Proclaw hesitated to speak. He calmed down, thought about it and gave a serious order: "It's not your turn to help me decide whether to start a war. This matter must be discussed at a meeting of the leaders. You all go down."

It was obvious that the scouts were a little disappointed with the big leader's reply, and there was a strong public voice outside the village asking for a fight. Could it be that the big leader wanted to pour cold water on everyone?

However, the chaos would not last long. At night, people from various farms had to go home to sleep. Proclaw did not show up, because he was afraid that when he faced the public, his ears would be filled with calls for war. In the end, he was really coerced by public opinion and launched a hasty attack.

If he were a reckless man, he would not be able to become a big leader. His power was recognized by the leaders of each village. Becoming a big leader means greater responsibility. The more critical you are, the more calm you must be.

He had to consider very practical things. If the odds of a victory were gathered, and if he won, what would be the upper limit of his side's losses? What was different from the boiling public opinion was that he knew very well that in the last sneak attack, he killed three horse bandits, but at the cost of it, as many as forty people were killed on the spot and seriously injured. Such an outrageous exchange ratio forced Polotsk's elite to remain calm.

It was impossible for the indignant people to spend the night in the largest settlement. The chiefs of each village received the news from the big chief. They advised their people to go home, and finally they participated in the military meeting that decided whether to go to war.

Because the big leader Proclaw is not a dictator, and the Polotsk community is in the transition period from a village alliance to a city-state, he is a bit like the elected "Dictado". He is indeed very powerful but also has a lot of power. limit. The big leader is first and foremost the leader of the largest settlement. Although the ruling family is hereditary, if the family wants to ensure the support of the allied villages, it must ensure that everyone's interests are not harmed. The reality is that Duka Village, an allied village, has suffered a devastating blow. Each village is worried that disaster will befall them. Naturally, they pay close attention to the attitude of the big leader.

"If I appear cowardly, they will question me. I could be pushed out of my position."

Proclaw was under great pressure and held a military meeting overnight, attended by village chiefs and some powerful and ruthless men known to the community.

The participants completely inherited the public's anger during the day. Everyone supported the war, at least on the surface, no one was timid.

The big leader saw clearly. He was stared at by dozens of pairs of eyes, and the flames of the oil lamp matrix on the ceiling were dancing, adding to the tension in the atmosphere.

"The scouts have found out a lot of things! A fortress appeared upriver, with a large number of horses and flags flying openly. The flags were exactly the same as those on the horse bandits we killed. According to the intelligence we received , that is the unique heraldry of the Russian people. We can basically confirm that the horse bandits are the Russian people from the north, a very dangerous Varyag people. They built the fortress, obviously targeting us..." He recounted some facts .

"There's nothing to say. Organize an army and fight there! Let's gather all our strength and destroy that fortress in one fell swoop." One person was so passionate that everyone immediately cheered.

The speaker was an elderly village leader, and the leader was somewhat surprised when the words came out of his mouth.

"My old uncle. It seems that your spirit is at least thirty years younger than your body." The implication is that the old man does not care about his body and his own strength.

"It doesn't matter." The old guy had already blushed with anger: "Let my son take Jianyong from my village to fight. I also advise the leaders not to hide it. This is a major matter related to our survival, and we must take it. Use all your strength."

The old guy said it very honestly, and everyone cheered again.

But at this juncture, the big leader Proclaw mercilessly poured cold water on everyone.

"But...have you ever thought about what would happen if our attack failed? The horse bandits probably had five hundred riders! The last time we attacked them, we only killed three of them even though we were preemptive, and forty of us died. Brother, now the enemy has 500 cavalry, what should we do? We first have a force of 1,000 people. If we gather all our strength, can we assemble a team of 2,000 people?"

This is a question that goes deep into the bones. The ordinary people do not know much about the specific casualties, but the elites are very clear.

Someone counted on their fingers: "Including women, we can gather four thousand people."

Others shouted: "Count the young boys. And me! Even if the old man has a handful of old bones, his life will not be in vain if he dies on the battlefield."

Is it necessary for both of them to be so reckless? The big leader patted his face hard and said: "I'm afraid we can't avoid the battle, but... we still lack understanding of their situation. Even if we gather everyone together to organize 4,000 people, based on the last experience, could it be that Do we have to fight all our soldiers to win? Even if we win, what do we have left? Even if our homeland is not killed by horse bandits, it will be easily defeated by people from Riga. Remember, we plunder the goods of Riga merchants every year Money, they resent us.”

"You? What do you mean?" Another old man said indignantly: "Don't fight because you are afraid of heavy losses? Proclaw, at this time of life and death, we need a brave commander. Are you... brave? Are you still qualified to be our chief?"

"At least he's not a reckless commander." The big leader retorted righteously.

Suddenly, like thunder on the ground, a young man came out of the room and shouted: "Uncle! Maybe you are really not suitable!"

"You?" Proclaw suddenly turned around: "Boy, are you crazy?"

The young man took a step forward: "I'm not crazy. You are already old, have your brain become stiff? You'd better go for a walk in the village! Now every household is polishing axes, spearheads and scythes, and everyone is holding back a feeling of excitement. We are so angry that we want to fight. But you advise us to calm down?"

The speaker's name is Lambart, the nephew of the great leader Proclaw. His biological father led his men to shoot a European leopard in the forest. He carried the leopard carcass back to the village and was delighted to hear that his pregnant wife had successfully given birth to a boy, so the boy was named after the leopard, Lampat ( Leopard).

Maybe it's because of the name. To control this name, he must live like a beast.

Lambart is indeed a young brave man in the chief's family. The chief liked this nephew so he brought him to this military meeting. He never expected that his nephew would actually challenge his uncle who was the chief, especially in this situation. In a delicate situation.

"You are too reckless!" Proclaw shook his cold old face, shut up his nephew, and continued his assertion.

Because Proclaw was also extremely fierce when he was young and never lost a fight. Lambart had seen the tragedy of his uncle beating someone until his face was covered in blood and all his teeth were lost, and he was in awe of him from the bottom of his heart. But faced with the life-and-death crisis of the entire community, Lambart felt that he must make a major meritorious performance to be worthy of his status.