Rise of Rurik

The cavalry directly showed Ross's flag, and at the same time, Lambart also took out the prepared token.

It was Rose's shirt that was stained with blood. It was not easy to clean the blood stains without detergent like soap. The clothes were badly damaged and the blood stains were clearly visible.

The cavalry were shocked, and the captain at the head suddenly became angry. He suddenly drew his bow and shot the arrow as soon as he let go. Finally he could bear it.

"You...are you?! Guys from Polotsk?"

"It's us." Rabat was even a little proud: "I am ordered by our leader to negotiate with your leader."

"Negotiation? Is it necessary?"

"If you think it's not necessary, then choose war. Maybe we can go home now." Well, Lambart did have the intention to evacuate.

He felt that the negotiation had been stalled halfway and there was no need to wait any longer. Unexpectedly, his escape route was blocked.

At this moment, more cavalry came over, some of them holding Ross flags. The majestic cavalry looked down at the six soldiers on foot. Now only Lambart was left holding back his emotions and not letting his timidity show.

Really brave and fearless? That's because Lambert has never been involved in the world.

The sense of coercion from the dense formation of as many as fifty cavalry was too strong!

"Throw away your weapons! Otherwise I will trample you to death!" A cavalryman threatened domineeringly.

Hearing this, the five people completely lost their courage. The vows they made when setting off became a joke at this moment, and all the weapons in their hands were dropped.

Even though Lambart originally planned the assassination, under the circumstances, he really felt that the assassination was a stupid move. It was not that he couldn't do it, but that the enemy was too strong and lacked a chance. How many cavalry did the Ross gangsters have? With just the cavalry in front of them, even if Polotsk dispatched 200 soldiers, they might not be able to defeat them.

But Lambart retained his bottom line as a warrior. He inserted the short blade and hand ax back into his waistband, and opened his hands to show that he had no ill intentions.

This move was not considered cooperative, and the cavalry urged again: "I told you to throw away your weapon, what are you doing?!"

Lambart was like this. He straightened his leather hat and twisted his neck from side to side. He was so angry that he no longer cared about life or death. He said boldly: "I am a warrior! A warrior cannot throw away his weapon, otherwise he will be a fool."

It is precisely these words that are really admirable. As a member of the Vikings, Ross has always been particular about keeping his weapons in his hands until he died in battle. The more warriors cherish their weapons the most.

This young Polotsk man is really a talent. Perhaps if he is forced to put down his arms, the negotiations will collapse. This goes against the wishes of Boss Fisk.

Let’s consider this person a special case.

"Okay. Are you envoys? Do you want to talk to us?" The leading cavalry finally changed the subject.

"Yes, I want to talk to your leader."

"Okay, you can come with us with your weapons. You just have to put down your weapons when you meet our boss."

"You! Is your leader scared?" Lambart deliberately spoke quickly, with a smile on his face.

Of course, the cavalry were worried that Fisk or other brothers would be attacked by a sneak attack, but such unseemly worries should not be explained. The leading cavalry prevaricates: "I'm afraid that if you propose a duel, you will die miserably. But you are obviously envoys! I I can promise that we will not kill the messenger who sent the message. It just so happens that our boss also wants to talk to you Polotsk people, maybe you can."

"Oh? You actually know our identities?" Lambart was still a little surprised.

"There's nothing to hide, we know everything about you!"

The cavalry was bluffing. Almost all the Russians knew about Polotsk came from old Harold's description and the encounter with Ureko's team. Relying solely on this information, Ross made a basic judgment - they were weak. Based on this understanding, the cavalry stationed in Vitebsk had deep contempt for Polotsk from top to bottom.

Although the army is weak, it does not mean that the Russian army should invade in a large scale, just because anyone who starts a war without authorization violates the king's order, unless the other party attacks first.

Fisk, as a military commander, showed strong determination on this issue. He restrained his restless subordinates, and only then did the cavalry escort the envoys to the Vitebsk fortress peacefully.

At the beginning, it was a large shallow swamp with many shoals through which water could flow directly. The Polotsk people in this area are very aware of the potential for agricultural development. However, their population is not large. Based on the principle of staying together for warmth, no one is willing to leave the Polota River Basin, a tributary of the West Dvina River. Far.

In the past, Polotsk hunters were active in this area, and wild boar could occasionally be hunted. In recent years, hunters in Polotsk are no longer willing to go east to hunt because they have heard about the armed raging that is attacking Smolensk.

Lambart visited here many years ago, and his memory of the local area is still "a muddy swamp". Even if you walk on foot, it only takes four days to get here, but there is no need to come here. It is too wild and it will take time to transform this watery land into oat fields.

It happened that a fortress rose from the ground in the swamp area.

Surrounded by menacing cavalry, Lambart and his followers were like dwarves.

Now the group faced the tall pine city wall again, and had to look up at the soldiers guarding the wall.

More cavalry gathered around them, as if they were looking for small beasts that could not be hunted. They were walking around them in a playful manner, and their ears were filled with the neighing of horses and the strange shouts of the cavalry.

"These people actually all wear iron helmets?!"

Lambart carefully observed these cavalry, paying attention to their weapons, equipment and armor. The more carefully he observed, the more his arrogance when he set off was wearing away. "Don't they all have armor? They can't be pierced by a spear or broken by an axe. Is the only way to crush them to death with a sledgehammer?"

A group of cavalrymen dismounted and pushed the envoys into the open wooden door.

At first, outside the city wall, Lambart could only notice that this was a tightly wrapped settlement. Perhaps the city gate was the weak point. If the Polotsk people launched an attack with all their military strength, they would inevitably break through the gate and enter. What's in the city? Now he finally stood within the city walls.

He looked left and right, and saw that this was a small wooden castle. The buildings inside were very simple, and the ground was full of black soil. A large number of traces of reeds that had not been removed could also be seen, and there was also a large amount of wood on the ground. It was obvious that this was a small wooden castle. The fort is still under construction.

He was silently remembering what he had seen, glancing at the gate and the high platform from the corner of his eyes, thinking about how to escape if he was detained.

The wooden door was suddenly closed. Looking from behind, it can be judged that it is just a simple "fence door". If Polotsk launches a siege, these guys will definitely pile dirt at the door so that the army cannot break through the door with brute force. At that time, they will have to rely more on long ladders to climb.

Just when Lambart was thinking wildly, Fisk and Svalgard appeared together amidst the booing of the cavalry. The two generals put on their best uniforms and hung bear head decorations on their iron helmets.

Remove the mandible from the bear's head and then dig out the brain. From the inside, it looks like a huge scoop, which can be buckled almost perfectly on the iron helmet. This is the case for Ross's version of the Berserker, or the "Berser Bear Warrior" is more appropriate. The bear head is purely a decoration, and of course wearing it can frighten the courage of a considerable number of enemies.

Fisk took some time to use these special decorations, including several of the strongest men he selected in the army, all wearing gorgeous and domineering clothes with bear heads on their heads.

The atmosphere of the appearance of more than ten people was extremely enthusiastic. After all, Lambart was considered a ruthless man in Polotsk and was not frightened. However, when he saw the five followers, they either wet their pants, sat down, or their legs were shaking.

Is this what the messenger is like? Seeing a group of cowards trembling, the densely packed cavalry gathered in the fortress burst into laughter again.

Fisk was very satisfied with how enthusiastic the brothers were, and he was even more satisfied when he saw the messenger standing here intact, or sitting on the ground trembling.

He raised his hand to signal, and all the soldiers paused their taunting.

Based on this ability to respond to a hundred responses at once, do you think this tall and strong man with a bear's head is the leader of the Rus people? Seeing this man, Lambart suddenly became furious. Now that his sharp blade was hanging on his belt, he took advantage of the enemy's negligence and rushed forward to assassinate him.

This was my original idea, but my uncle prohibited me from acting so recklessly.

An opportunity does lie ahead. yes! a chance……

Lambart became cowardly and found that even the thought of assassination had disappeared. The leader in front of him was like a monster, walking towards him with a ferocious look.

Suddenly, the leader actually spoke Slavic.

"You!" Fisk pointed at the only man standing firmly, "It seems that you are all cowards, only you are a little better. Are you the messenger?"

"Yes." Being ridiculed as a coward again, Lambart felt angry but could only hold it in.

Unexpectedly, the leader continued to mock: "It seems that you are from Polotsk? I have never heard of your name. You should be as humble as mice. Indeed, you are very weak."

"..." Lambart was still holding back his words, but his eyes finally showed murderous intent.

Fisk noticed this murderous intention and couldn't help but raise the corner of his mouth, looking at the unruly cavalry soldiers on the left and right, and then deliberately pointed his chin at the helpless envoy, still arrogant: "You are indeed a coward. It is really easy to conquer you. Relax, maybe I don't need to listen to what you say at all. Let's do this!" Fisk suddenly looked down at the messenger: "You. Kneel down like the others and bark like a puppy. This way I can consider conquering you and granting A decent future life for you.”

The verbal humiliation became worse and worse. Lambart's followers didn't know what to do and were all watching his performance.

"It seems that the negotiation was wrong from the beginning. Uncle, you are so stupid!"

Lambart silently cursed his uncle who was the leader, and now he was angry. In the rage, he made up his mind, pulled out the ax and dagger hanging on his clothes, and pointed them at the strong man who was swearing. Rush away.

But Fisk didn't even bother to look at him.

What is a veteran of hundreds of battles? What is called a brave (reckless) man?

Fisk raised his leg high and kicked Lambart's chest with his right leg, easily neutralizing his assassination attempt.

Forget it, the dismounted cavalry swarmed forward. They ignored the frightened guy sitting on the ground, and steel swords looked like they were about to pierce the heart of Lambart, who was chewing mud in pain.

"Stop! Spare this man's life!"

If it weren't for Fisk's order, Lambart, who couldn't hold on to the humiliation and was suddenly assassinated, but was easily broken, would really have died.

Fisk stepped forward with his entourage and kicked away the scattered daggers and axes with his boots. He was very worried that his strong kick would break the man's ribs, but he saw the man blushing and coughing violently, and he actually spit out some blood from his mouth.

"Are your bones broken? It seems that it is inappropriate for me to call you a coward. You are the only one who is not a coward. You... are qualified to tell me your name."

"Lambart." Lambart, who kept wiping the blood from the corners of his mouth, replied angrily while biting his bloody teeth.

"Okay. Messenger Rambat, stand up now."

Seeing that it didn't look like he could get up on his own, Fisk flicked his neck, and two people lifted him up, one on the left and the other on the right. "Take it away. I'll go inside and talk to this guy."

In a sense, this is a killing stick, but its power is a bit too powerful.

After receiving a strong kick, although Lambart's ribs were not broken, his lungs were severely choked and a lot of blood accumulated. It took a period of coughing up blood to spray out the accumulated blood.

The room is relatively dark, and the air is filled with a strong scent of pine. Although there is a floor, it is made of logs and needs further polishing. It is really hard to sit on it now.

Lambart subconsciously covered his chest, facing the two leaders of the Ross people. In his understanding, this land was the supreme ruler of Ross.

"Say it." Fisk urged: "Since you are the envoy, tell me the requirements of you Polotsk people."

So Rambat cheered up and endured the pain as much as possible to maintain his dignity, "Our leader requires you to take responsibility for destroying the village and killing people. You must pay a sum of silver coins and hand over the murderer to us. Stop... stop building this fortress. , leave our territory.”

"Is that all?" Fisk, who was sitting cross-legged, asked contemptuously.

"I'm not done yet. If you don't do this, it's war."

Hearing this, Svalgard laughed silently. He turned his head and looked at the old man: "This guy talks like farts, he's so stupid."

Fisk shook his head, not laughing at this guy's overestimation, and deliberately said: "You want us to compensate? Why. On the contrary, you killed three of my soldiers. I am very angry! I ask you to pay a sum of silver coins , hand over the murderer, we will tie the murderer to a big tree, pile up firewood and set him on fire."

This was a deliberate act of arrogance. Lambart was so angry that he spat out a mouthful of blood, his face looking charred and terrifying. "You...you...are all evil people."

"Evil people? No. I want you to hand over the bodies of the three people who were killed on our side. Hand them over to me first, and I will reduce your punishment as appropriate."

Even though it was a mouthful of blood, Lambart didn't want to lose any more momentum. He raised his head, imitating the other party's example, and taunted: "I know you are Russians! Russians, the bodies of the three people you killed have been chopped into burnt lakes by us. The three heads were hung high, and they were killed by countless people. People spit. Hahaha..."

"You! Are you irritating us?!"

"Are you anxious? But this is the fact. We can give you three persecuted heads."

"You are actively choosing to destroy!" Fisk originally just wanted to keep taunting him. After all, these days are really boring, and taunting the enemy can relieve his boredom. As a result, I didn't mock him enough, but I was humiliated by this guy who vomited blood. Originally, King Rurik issued a "large-scale war ban". How can it be humiliated and not go to war?

"You took the initiative and chose war." Lambart retorted.

"Aren't you... afraid that I will kill you now?"

"Then come on!" Lambart's stubborn temper finally returned. He was even a little older than Fisk, but his physical disadvantage was quite obvious. "To tell you the truth! We will have an army of thousands. We will tear down your forts, kill all your people, and seize your horses for my use. You will all die."

"Really? How many thousand of you are there?" For a moment, Fisk's reason took over. After all, it involved a serious military confrontation.

Fisk is not clear about how many people Polotsk can muster, and Old Harold’s description is not clear enough. He only heard Lambert in front of him threaten: "We can produce five thousand people. Haha, I scared you." Come on! Now I give you the last chance, leave your belongings and ride away forever, otherwise you will die."

There are only three hundred cavalry reaching out of Vitebsk now. If the ratio is three hundred to five thousand, the Ross side seems to be at a disadvantage, but it only seems to be a disadvantage.

Ross's standing cavalry has faced more difficult situations. I have an advantage of more than 300 to 5,000. Besides, who said we have to defend the Vitebsk Fortress? It is unthinkable to let the cavalry defend the fortress. It is just a huge wooden building, and it has no qualifications to force the soldiers to fight for it. Even if it is really destroyed, you can just choose a good place to build a new one in the future.

Fisk was actually too lazy to talk nonsense with the messenger anymore and asked impatiently: "Do you have anything else to say?"

"Yes! You can kill me, but as long as I don't come back for ten days...oh." Lambart pinched his fingers and calculated: "As long as I don't go back after seven days, it means the war breaks out. Then after ten days, our side will The army will be able to reach here. You must stay here and don’t leave, waiting for us to chop your neck like a tree."

"Kill this guy. Torture him slowly." Svalgard has urged Fisk to torture him. Indeed, killing him quickly is not enough to relieve his anger.

Fisk did not want to be so hasty. Punishments such as being skinned alive, burned alive, and made a blood eagle were indeed enjoyable, but he had no preference in this regard. To deal with an enemy that must be killed, stabbing the vital point with one sword was a pleasure, not to mention that he didn't want to solve the problem so easily.

"I will not kill you, nor will I kill your followers."

Lambert, who was prepared to die, suddenly raised his head: "What do you mean?"

"Since you intend to attack our Vitebsk Fortress, then come! Take a good look at how our cavalry can easily kill five thousand of your people. You will see corpses scattered everywhere. Because this is yours. The choice is what you want!”

Lambart didn't take it seriously at all: "It's just your tongue! Leader of Ross! It will be you who will die when the time comes, and we will win."

"Really? We'll see."