Rise of Rurik

The Russian troops who withdrew from Aachen finally returned to the camp. Of course, major events in Maastricht had kept them on high alert.

The army returned to the riverside camp wearing heavy armor and learned about the war immediately.

"What happened? Can anyone give me an explanation?"

In the riverside camp with a complicated atmosphere, the blue fox was seen roaring while looking left and right. His roar soon attracted Bjorn, who looked embarrassed as if he had been constipated for seven days.

"Bjorn? Why are you here? You... where is your camp?" Although the blue fox had already guessed a lot, he still needed an answer from the person involved.

And forcing him to explain is like rubbing salt into the wound.

Duke Bjorn of Mellaren was in a low spirit. He lost more than half of his warriors. He only found out when he reached the other side and withdrew a mere one hundred and fifty brothers. As for the others, they must have been killed by the cavalry.

This was the fact, and he couldn't hide anything. After all, as long as the Maylaren Army was gathered together, the severely reduced strength proved everything.

He was not afraid of ridicule, since his abdication was already very embarrassing.

What they encountered now was also a loss of face. Although they occupied the city and were negligent in defense, the reason for the defeat should not be attributed to this alone. The Malaren army only had 500 men, but the Frank cavalry felt like they were everywhere! With absolute force suppression and a powerful sneak attack, it was a blessing that he managed to escape.

He clearly explained this situation to Blue Fox, and then looked up to see the Ross army who attacked Aachen returning with the spoils of war, and it seemed that their troops had almost no loss, and he couldn't help but feel jealous.

I have no right to be jealous. After all, I gave up attacking Aachen. Who can I blame if I can't get the spoils?

The current Blue Fox has no intention of mocking this loser, nor does he offer any comfort.

Blue Fox was always worried that his actions would be too public and cause a full-scale counterattack by the Frank army. He never expected that the counterattack would be launched in this way.

In any case, the army returned to the riverside camp on the other side of Maastricht, across the river from the Franks. The tired soldiers urgently needed to rest in the camp, and the war-weariness of many soldiers also made Blue Fox very worried.

So if the Frank army successfully crosses the river through some method, will the Ross coalition still maintain strong morale to fight it?

As the supreme commander, Blue Fox has major choices.

But he is not Rurik himself. If King Rus was here, all parties would support any action, even a direct withdrawal of troops.

The drums were beating loudly, and all the trumpeters blew the horns. All actions were directed by Blue Fox, just to prove their existence to the Frank army on the other side of the river.

Then, in General Tristan's view, the Norman army suspected of attacking Aachen suddenly appeared. They had a large number of troops, and suddenly felt that their absolute strength advantage was lost. He originally planned to use fishing tactics to annihilate the Normans, who seemed to have a small number of people, in one fell swoop, but now he felt that the chance of winning his strategy was not 100%.

It will be dark soon. He organized the dismounted warriors to climb onto the thick walls of the inner city and gave instructions: "Watch the enemy's movements, prick up your ears, and beware of them launching a night attack."

On the other hand, now that the action plan has been decided and a huge enemy army has appeared on the banks of the Maas River, such an army of evildoers cannot be left alone.

No nobleman, not even the king, could imagine that an extremely large Norman army would appear on the Meuse River. Not exterminating them would not only be a great disgrace to the empire, these scourges would burn, kill, loot, and commit all kinds of evil, and their very existence would be like an ever-worsening sore on a healthy person.

Across the Meuse River, both the Russian and Frankish armies were shocked by the other's presence.

No, both sides took advantage of the night window to urgently organize nobles to hold a military meeting.

In the city of Maastricht, the cavalry regiment moved all their camps to the east of the city. They obtained the granary and felt that the food was safe. The war horses stopped chewing grass! In order to succeed in the operation tomorrow, the riders and horses will feast on the city's food tonight.

A spacious private house was used by Tristan as a temporary command post. All three flag captains, including himself, were gathered in the house, as well as the subordinate centurions of each flag team. As an important nobleman and the king's son-in-law, Gilbert not only had to participate in meetings, but also became a ruthless player in the battle.

Seeing that all the personnel had expired, a group of armored warriors gathered in the building. Their helmets shimmered under the dim oil lamp, and the light shone on their faces, but there was a hint of gloominess on their faces.

"The enemy's strength suddenly increased. Even so, the plan I made cannot be moved." Tristan put his hand on his chest: "Don't forget our oath to be loyal to the king and defend our faith. No one can sit idly by and watch against the large group of Norman robbers, even if There are so many of them, we must persist in our attack."

"Roar!"

The officers demonstrated their courage with low roars.

Tristan continued: "Tomorrow we will continue to act according to the established plan, and the prisoners will have their stomachs cut open in front of the Normans. I really want to see the bad intentions of these evil people."

"Are you so sure that doing this can really anger them?" Gilbert couldn't help but interjected.

"Otherwise? Of course, I can't completely count on this, but our army can vent its anger."

"Hard to say."

"How? You have a new surprise attack plan."

Although he doubted it, Gilbert really couldn't think of a better objection.

Tristan asked, "How about allowing the army to pass through the bridge in your fiefdom?"

"Forget it. In my opinion, your disgust can still anger them." Gilbert smiled awkwardly, unable to explain anything.

"There is really no better choice now." Tristan looked around again: "We are field cavalry, not a city-defending army. Lord Count Ramengau, your infantry is still collecting the bodies of the dead in Liege. I'm afraid we We won’t be able to wait for them any longer.”

Gilbert nodded in confirmation, and he really did not want his infantry to wade into this muddy water. Those were farmers. If a large number of strong farmers died in a fierce battle with the Normans, it would be a serious damage to his own wealth.

"I am willing to attack with the whole army." Tristan said solemnly: "Maybe our army cannot complete the total annihilation. As long as we severely injure the Normans in large numbers and force them to withdraw, we will truly regain the city. Attacking here is the best option. Good defense. How about it? Lord Earl, are you willing to take the lead as you did in the beginning?"

Tristan stared at Gilbert's face, as if he was questioning his personal ability. The displeased Gilbert hammered his chest, causing his armor to jingle: "I dare! My army will take the lead, and we will Rush in front of you and kill the enemy first."

"Very good. Tomorrow we will all ambush in the north of the city, leaving a small number of people in sheep costumes to defend the city. This is an adventure, and I can't guarantee victory. Now our army can only win by taking risks."

The Frankish army was completely unified in their thinking. They were betting that the Norman army would land on a large scale out of rage.

On the other side of the Maas River, the Ross coalition camp.

It was here that the returning army held a military meeting intensively throughout the night.

The nobles still need to hear what Bjorn himself has to say, but this seems to him to be adding salt to the wound for the second time.

He was already holding back his anger, and even though he was shameless, he couldn't stand being humiliated over and over again. Of course, he still had to make amends for his failure. When describing the battle situation, he particularly emphasized the strength of the Frank cavalry. As for his description of being busy eating, drinking and being lazy, there was no description at all. It is true that Melalen's army has been performing normally, and 70% of the losses were due to the enemy's strength.

All the nobles listened attentively, but Bjorn's claim that the Frankish army was powerful seemed extremely ridiculous to most Russians.

"What do you think? The Frankish army is on the other side. What do you think?" Blue Fox deliberately asked everyone for their opinions.

Askard is delighted to find his obedient wife, and she is now in a state of great joy.

He spoke arrogantly and directly: "The Franks are nothing. Their capital has been destroyed by us. Killing some enemy troops before returning will make our army more glorious. I think our army should take the initiative to attack and sacrifice Austria with blood." Man!"

The young man was in a heroic mood, but Askard didn't notice that the attitude of the entire army had quietly changed inadvertently.

Veteran Grund has a high status in the army, and his attitude is extremely critical.

"It is not appropriate to risk an attack." He said: "Attention! These enemies are all cavalry. Do we have the ability to go ashore and actively attack the cavalry? In my opinion, not necessarily."

"We can!" Askard was immediately dissatisfied: "Our army won the battle on the Elbe River?"

"So, what's the price?"

"Didn't it mean that some brothers died in the battle? Because of their heroic performance, their souls have gone to the Hall of Valor and received eternal glory."

"you……"

Askard had a serious face, and his still childish face had the courage and fortitude similar to that of his father Eric, but in the eyes of Grund now, he was just mindless and reckless. "Do you think sacrifice at any time is glorious?"

"The greatest honor for every man is to die on the battlefield. Only in this way can he go to the Hall of Valor."

"Okay. Of course I believe so, but I would rather die in battle with a gray beard. And you!" Grund knew that the boy had to sleep with his captive servant in his arms every night, so he had an idea to use his words. Provoking him: "If you die in the battle, what will happen to your Alicia? Could it be that she will kill herself and be buried for you?"

"This...you actually said that?"

"Or leave it to your brother Gil?"

Askard was too young, and was completely choked by the old guy Grund's words. He simply said angrily: "Are you afraid that you are going to be a coward? Everyone will die, and so will I. I still have a long life. Yes, my Alicia will give me a lot of boys."

"Good boy. Ambitious." Grund quickly calmed down the atmosphere and mentioned the Elbe War two years ago again: "As far as I know, the Duke of Saxony said after the war that he lost more than a thousand soldiers. Just that. In an instant, after experiencing the impact of the cavalry, he suffered such huge losses. And our Russian army also suffered hundreds of casualties. Askard, it’s not like you have never participated in the war. In good conscience, do you think our army Was it easy to win back then?"

"I think..." After a slight hesitation, the young man stamped his feet: "It's easy! I think it's easy."

"You. You're just tough-talking."

"No! My father said that he and his men met Ragnar, the father of the Yinvar brothers, and their coalition defeated a cavalry in Bremen."

Grund had heard about this. In essence, Rurik arranged for his eldest brother to attack Bremen. The chance encounter with Ragnar who was being hunted was indeed a fateful encounter.

Askard deliberately changed the subject since Ragnar was mentioned, and Yinvar was a witness to the incident at that time.

"I support you. My Danish army fully supports you." The firm support from Yinvar the Boneless really pleased Askard.

The two boys were almost the same age and had lived together for some time in Novgorod. Their friendship with each other was indeed deep. These two boys can unite an army of a thousand people by gathering the troops they can control. If the two of them decide to act recklessly, they do have the capital to be reckless.

Blue Fox was very torn on this issue. He could not just sit idly by and ignore the Franks on the other side of the river, nor could he really put aside all his thoughts and take the initiative to lead the entire army to fight to the death with the cavalry regiment.

He also wanted to listen to other people's opinions, but all the nobles began to hesitate.

Grund did not deny launching an attack. After all, he did not believe that the Franks could watch the Russian army carry the loot onto the ship step by step. The entire army is most vulnerable when transferring goods. If they were to save others, the Frankish army could set up a pontoon bridge somewhere in the river and directly cross the river before launching an attack.

The views of Grund and Askard were not tit for tat. When no one else came up with a third view, the blue fox interrupted everyone's free speech.

"The Franks will interfere with our evacuation. They are entrenched in the city, and our operations face the possibility of being attacked. But I can't see how we can fight them with all our strength. With a large amount of loot, the soldiers are more interested in bringing it back safely. Home, it would be too tragic if you die in battle before setting off."

"Uncle, aren't you just supporting Grund with your nonsense?" Askard pouted and looked dissatisfied.

"Boy, don't talk yet. In my opinion, we have to find a way to drive away the enemy. We can fight, but the scale must be small. All of you should not think that you can defeat the cavalry on the flat ground. If we really fight hard, we will definitely win. But the price is unbearable for us. Since the Duke of Malaren said that the enemies are stationed in the city, can we set fire to it?"

"You should have set fire to it a long time ago!" Askard's disdainful attitude continued: "I think it would be stupid for you not to set fire to Aachen and return an intact city to them."

"What do you know?! Do you know the price of arson in Aachen?" Blue Fox scolded.

"Why do I care so much? I just want to see the fire. Anyway, my father here will burn every city."

】

Arik is indeed bound to burn every city, and the Blue Fox has no doubts about this. He didn't want to mention the Aachen incident anymore, he just wanted to solve the immediate problem. Arson? certainly! Even become very necessary.

"Arson is a tactic, not a way to vent anger." Blue Fox emphasized again.

"What do you think now? I think Maastricht must be burned down, just like we did in Liège." Askard shouted rudely, completely ignoring the presence of the Duke of Malaren: " Anyway, the Mellaren people in the city were killed, and there are no living companions of ours there. Let the Frank cavalry be buried in the sea of ​​​​fire, I think it will work. Burning a group of cavalry is to bury the brothers who died in the battle. Force the living cavalry out, We'll kill them all after we land."

"In my opinion, that's true. They won't fight us to the death again." Blue Fox was quite satisfied that everyone supported the arson tactic at this moment. "You can set fire, and the Franks will not be willing to be burned to death. They will retreat far away, so that my goal is achieved. The soldiers are too tired. Everyone has a good rest tonight. Tomorrow morning we will organize the manpower to forcefully cross the river. When the arrows were out of cover, they started to set fire on the spot. Their houses were connected together, and eventually the flames could ignite the entire city. In this way, we can also avenge the killed Melalen people."

Some people are satisfied with fighting like this, while others can only hold their noses and admit it.

Askard's mind was still filled with thoughts of the entire Russian army beating up the Frankish heavy cavalry on the banks of the Meuse River. He had a strong desire for victory and glory, and was worthy of his status as Aric's eldest son. There are people who agree with his idea, and Yin Val fully supports it. After all, if he has such a victory, even if he is a cripple, he will have to impress others.

Duke Bjorn of Malaren, who did not have too many extravagant expectations, was very satisfied with this tactical arrangement.

Bjorn also thought of arson after retreating to the other side. He had no reason to set fire to the city while he was in the city. Now that the loot was lost in large quantities, he had no scruples to set fire to the city to vent his anger. It's just that his own army suffered heavy losses, and even the arson plan would be forced to give up because there were too few combat-ready troops.

He was not qualified to teach Blue Fox and other Ross people how to do things, so he was very satisfied with the result.

No, Bjorn beat his chest: "Then do it. I am willing to personally lead people to join in the arson. Now the wind direction is in our favor, and because of the Maas River, the fire that reaches the sky cannot burn us."

"Yes." Blue Fox nodded: "The warm southeast wind now is the gods helping us. Let's light more bonfires tonight and prepare more torches tomorrow! Also, it is used to lubricate the slingshot slide and maintain it. Take out the grease from the cables and soak the cloth strips to make high-quality torches. You all go and arrange for some warriors who are in good spirits to do it separately."