Rise of Rurik

There was a commotion in Novgorod. The road-clearing cavalry ordered the people setting up stalls on both sides of the road to avoid immediately, so the bustling snow-covered trade road quickly made room.

What happened? Soon after, the whispering people saw the king himself galloping past on horseback, with the Ostara cavalry behind him.

The cavalrymen wore similar-style leather hats and carried abstract-patterned bull-head flags to prove their identity.

It was the first time for Carlotta and her entourage to enter the city in this way, and it was the first time for little Carl, an only son, to ride behind his parents on horseback.

The group of people reined in their horses in the open space outside the palace gate. Rurik dismounted quickly and was about to pick up Carlotta.

"Don't worry about me. I'm here for Valkyrie, hehe." She declined the king's kindness politely.

"Okay." Rurik gently took his hand back.

"Why don't you take Carl down? That kid is still the first to ride a horse and gallop. Moreover, there is a girl sitting next to him."

"Girl? I've noticed it a long time ago. A maid you captured for Karl from the south?"

"Yes and no. Rurik...you should be able to guess it." Carlotta pretended to be mysterious. She didn't have to say it clearly. Rurik could guess nine out of ten.

He turned his head sharply and paid careful attention to the girl whose presence was not very high. But I saw that the child was still hugging little Karl's waist. Obviously, a simple slave was not qualified to do this.

The majestic giant stood on the trampled porcelain-hard snow, King Rurik of Rus too. Although he was his son, Carl did not receive full fatherly love.

My father was as tall as a giant, and it seemed that he could knock off the enemy's head with just one punch. In order to make his father think highly of him, Karl always wanted to express himself, and occasionally behaved arrogantly.

It is because of the education of mother Carlotta that the so-called

"Your father already commanded an army of three thousand men on an expedition when he was nine years old." Karl was deeply stimulated, even though his concept of war is still limited.

The little boy twisted hard, angry that his little woman Sorkina was afraid of riding a horse? Maybe she was really timid, but this little girl's arms were really strong.

After breaking free, Karl wanted to dismount quickly alone, but his center of gravity was unstable. His left foot got stuck in the iron stirrup and he was about to fall down.

At the critical moment, a pair of big hands perfectly supported his back and placed him intact on the snow.

"Dad?! I...I have no problem." Thinking that he had ruined something big, Karl didn't want to explain more, so he hung his head and refused to say any more.

Rurik said lifelessly: "In the future, you should practice more frequently and learn more from people who are good at riding horses."

"yes."

"So." Rurik composed himself, patted Karl's immature shoulder first, raised his head and faced the little girl who was still riding on the horse and was obviously a little uneasy: "Who are you? Are you my son's servant?"

"She! She is..." Karl wanted to explain.

"Don't say anything yet, let her speak for herself." Rurik interrupted his son directly, his deep blue eyes continuing to stare at the girl's frightened face.

The girl was obviously frightened, and it happened that Rurik was able to get a good look at her face. In fact, at this moment, it seemed like history was repeating itself.

More than ten years ago, his father Otto chose a bride for him. Now, would he go the same way as Otto and choose a bride for Karl?

Perhaps his attitude was too old-fashioned. Rurik adjusted his mood slightly and smiled.

"Child, where do you come from? Do you have a name? If so, what is your name? Don't worry, I'm not a bad person. I! I am Carl's father. Obviously you and Carl have a very close relationship." The words were in Norse. The girl could hardly understand what was being said.

Karl tugged hard on his father's arm and whispered: "She is a Polotsk girl."

"Polotsk?" Rurik finally came to his senses and hurriedly repeated what he had just said in Slavic.

The girl hesitated for a while and her eyes trembled before she spoke.

"Sorkina..." Although the girl understood and answered, she still remained timid.

"A wonderful name. What else?"

"Solkina Vyacheslavina. Oh no...it's Carlo Dot. I am the adopted daughter of Duke Ostara."

"Carlotta's adopted daughter?!" Rurik was startled and quickly turned around to look for Carlotta, only to see the woman standing there holding her waist and giggling.

"Well, you are her adopted daughter, that is, the adopted daughter of this king. I! I am your father! You Polotsk girl, since you have a name, it means you are very special. What is your old identity? "The chat box has been opened, and Sorkina doesn't think the person in front of her is a villain.

He claimed

"I am your father" must not harm anyone. So, Sorkina bluntly explained her old identity in front of Rurik - the granddaughter of the former Polotsk chief.

She is also the direct granddaughter of the leader.

"I'll tell you what!" Rurik clapped his hands and turned to look at Carlotta's face: "You will never find a wife from a random village girl for my son."

"You understand. Even though she made her own decision, I think she's pretty good." Carlotta smiled but didn't respond.

"That's one good thing I learned during the crisis."

"That's right. A good thing." Carlotta immediately lost her temper: "Rurik, the war broke out at this damn time. I didn't want to fight, but your enemy deliberately made trouble..."

"You don't need to say anything." Rurik shook his head.

"What are you worried about, what are you longing for? I understand everything. Don't worry. Because this is my war." Apparently Carlotta has proven with actual actions that she has completely ruled Polotsk, and she has returned the favor of marriage. To win over the local people.

It was as if Ross completely ruled White Tree Manor back then, but the Polotsk people did gather all the strength of the tribe to fight but were defeated. Rurik was a little worried about whether the Kingdom of Ross would authorize the Principality of Ostara to completely rule those people.

The effect of a simple noble marriage may be limited. The local villagers have already proved their rebelliousness with practical actions, and they have the possibility of re-sentencing.

After all, it was Polotsk. Rurik couldn't help but think of a lot. He simply carried Sorkina off the horse with his own hands. The girl was now very obedient.

As soon as her feet landed on the ground, she very consciously moved closer to Karl. Such actions were obviously spontaneous, and when Rurik noticed this from the corner of his eye, he just smiled with pleasure.

The Royal Palace of Novgorod is a small complex of mainly wooden buildings. It was the result of a large-scale expansion on the basis of the palace of the chief of the White Tree Manor, and today it has become the retirement home of the Ottos.

Queen Svetlana's childhood boudoir is still here, but it was naturally transformed into Rurik's residence.

It was natural for the king and the queen to live together. For Rurik, he had completely changed from a guest to a host.

In this city, no resident will struggle with their identity, because every citizen of White Tree Manor, the most populous, can shout in Slavic.

"I'm from Russia". The old owner of the manor, Rigus, was much younger than Otto. However, people were different. Rigus was as old-fashioned as he was. Sometimes he would chat with Otto about household matters, but most of the time he would just stay quietly.

Not used by Rigus, Otto spent his whole life. Perhaps the greatest sorrow of a warrior is that his knees have been worn down by time - Otto can only stand with a wooden stick, just because his legs have atrophied due to aging. It was already difficult to support his huge body.

Occasionally he would ask his guards to bring a human-powered sedan or carriage, wearing a thick bearskin coat and a special gold-plated helmet on his head, and then put his

"The Destroyer" hugged him apologetically and toured the city of Novgorod, not only to see the prosperous city life, but also to express to the people: Your Supreme King is still the king.

However, how long can such a life last? Everything is relative. When Otto announced his existence, the people also saw the aging old Otto.

People of a certain age remember that only ten years ago, this old guy was still dominating the scene, but how come he has aged like this in the past ten years.

As a guard urgently notified the king and Duchess of Ostara of their urgent visit, Otto, who had been fighting all his life, instantly realized that things were not simple.

"Come here! Bring me my golden armor and serve me to get dressed!" Otto ordered his servants in a hoarse voice, so he deliberately showed off Rurik until he was served to put on his clothes. gilded scales and gilded helmet.

Otto sat with his legs crossed, his legs covered by his gold-plated skirt. He was not worried that his aging shoulders would get tired from carrying the armor. The existence of the internal bracket allowed Otto to rely on the bracket to support the armor as long as he did not shake violently.

Of course, gilded armor is originally a ritual instrument. The Damascus steel sword was still held in his arms and carried on his shoulders.

At first glance, it seems that this thin old man with his silver beard also braided can rise up and draw his sword to kill the enemy once provoked.

In fact, everyone who knows him knows that the old man misses his former high-spirited self. No, when the old man clenched the hilt of his sword and came closer, he seemed to see himself in his youth.

Otto's slightly hoarse voice slowly heard the news: "Rurik, what is the big deal? Carlotta, what is the big deal that forces you to ask for help to me, an old man?"

"Father, it's war." As he said this, Rurik sat down first, and those who were allowed to enter the hall also sat cross-legged on the wooden floor.

Rurik gave his father a lot of respect, but Otto actually sat on the wooden platform. The wooden walls were decorated with the ferocious heads of polar bears, and the soft and comfortable cushions were also genuine bear skins, showing that he was an old Nordic warrior. The toughness.

In this way, Otto could look down at everyone in front of him, and he knew that all this was his son promoting himself as the supreme king.

But that's just respect. He has not been involved in political affairs for many years, and now Ross does not need the command of a dying old soldier.

Besides, the huge Rus Kingdom is now so big that Otto cannot imagine it. Even though he is thirty years younger and politically powerful, he is completely unable to control it.

He knew that his ability was only enough to manage a tribe.

"You can lead the army to win any war. Regarding the expedition to Frank, I fully support you. I even prayed to the gods, and your mother also prayed, and Ross can still win." Otto He said some nonsense to himself, but Rurik didn't refute, and simply followed his father's words and repeated another one.

"Our army will win." Then came a twist.

"Father. Do you remember Pine Needles Manor?"

"Pine Needles Manor?!" Otto's squinted eyes suddenly opened: "I will never forget it. Why do you mention this?"

"We all know that there is sufficient intelligence to prove that Vadim from Pine Needle Manor successfully escaped to Smolensk and is now the local leader."

"I have heard a little about it. The Smolensk slaves you captured all explained this strange thing. They all said so and it must be true. I also know that you intend to conquer Smolensk. Since the escaped Vadim Once you become the leader over there, you have a reason to send troops to fight. Why... why did you mention this past incident? Could it be that... you changed your mind? If you don't attack Frank, you want to attack Smolensk?!"

"My father is wise." Rurik raised his head and said, "You will never imagine that Vadim braved the cold to start a war. I didn't go to fight him, but he actually took the initiative to attack Ross."

"What did you say? I am old and my ears are old."

"Father!" Rurik increased his voice: "That reckless Vadim gathered an army of five thousand and launched an attack on our southern stronghold. That's an army of five thousand!"

"Five thousand?" Otto couldn't help but be surprised. What surprised the old man was definitely not

The most surprising thing about the number "five thousand soldiers" is that the Smolensk people are willing to obey the command of an exile.

No matter how you think about it, this is all too bizarre. Therefore, Carl Erikson, who came galloping from Vitebsk, briefly described what he saw and heard in this wooden hall.

He spoke vividly and couldn't help but add a lot of details to make the enemy appear very powerful. Otto had the ultimate spiritual resonance, and his body was trembling with excitement.

He obviously shouldn't do this, so the bracket supporting his golden scales relaxed. Suddenly a heavy force pressed on his shoulders, and Otto's tall body suddenly fell down.

The people present came and saw that Otto had clearly suffered from strong mental stimulation and collapsed. Rurik rushed forward and held his father in his arms.

"Are you OK!?"

"Silly boy, I can't die yet! Help me up and push the bracket back for me. Boy, you should make me a better armor and bracket." The stubby farce ended, and Otto suppressed his excitement. , he knew very little about the new terms Velikiy Luki, Vitebsk, and Polotsk. Since they were emerging cities established by the Kingdom of Rus in the inland expansion, and since the settlements had been established, they should not be abandoned unless necessary.

After all, the strongholds were not built randomly. They existed on the land and inland river communication lines between Ross and the south, and they were trade nodes in themselves.

Why did the enemy attack? Otto used his toes to figure out what Vadim wanted to do.

"Damn it! I should have kicked that kid to death back then. It was such a moment of kindness that ruined our big event."

"Father, why do you blame yourself so much?" Rurik comforted: "Carlotta and I came here to tell you this matter. You are qualified to know the inside story of this matter."

"Of course. I'm already old. If I were as young as you, I would lead an army to kill you! I can't give that Vadim another chance, I'm going to kill him. What a pity... Rurik, you are mine Son, I don’t know what you are thinking. I hope you will send troops immediately to kill him.”

"What my father said is absolutely true. I do think so, and I will take this opportunity to try out Ross's cavalry regiment."

"Then do it. If the action does not interfere with your expedition to Frank, then do it." Vadim's attack on Vitebsk was not only an attack on the Principality of Ostara, but also an attack on the Kingdom of Rus.

It is difficult to say whether the enemy really has 5,000 men, but it must be a fact that his force is huge. It's just that Vadim, a reckless man, launched an attack in winter. He was either well prepared and confident, or he was a fool.

However, Vitebsk is very close to the villages in Polotsk, and the military disaster is likely to affect the villages there. Although there is a small number of Ostara garrison in the local area, it is probably a drop in the bucket in the face of overwhelming enemies.

Fortunately, the four cavalry teams are training in Novgorod. The Principality of Ostara has entered a state of emergency and begun full mobilization. There are also Kiev horse riders and Pecheneg horse riders locally. These people are Russia's military allies. Moreover, military operations are actually related to the trade interests of these two companies.

What Vadim did was to cut off people's financial opportunities, so even though he had no grudge against him, now it has become as deep a hatred as the murderous parents.

The matter of sending troops was decided, and Carlotta didn't say a few words. She already had tears in her eyes. Because with a little calculation, she understood the weight of the cavalry that Ross could muster - maybe two thousand cavalry.

Even more than just cavalry, the environment of the earth is now enough for reindeer sleighs to run wildly in the snow, and the Novgorod area is one of the kingdom's deer breeding bases.

The army can assemble quickly and rush to Vitebsk in a short time. Rurik's attitude is also very clear - the reason for sending troops to conquer the country personally will definitely be cheered by the people. As a rebel, Vadim was originally an enemy of many local traditional farms.

And its current move to collude with the Smolensk people who were already plotting in the northern Great Lakes region naturally aroused public outrage.

The Slavic peoples in the north hated him, and the Russian immigrants hated him even more. There is even a possibility. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Rurik told his father: "Maybe Odin gave us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I killed him and annihilated his five thousand army. After such a loss, maybe the Smolensk people tried to Make peace. In this way, I can solve the Smolensk problem once and for all, and eliminate any worries for our army's expedition to Frank." Otto nodded in agreement, and what he is doing now is to put his

The "Destroyer" sword was handed over to his son.

"Father..." Rurik half-knelt and took the sword.

"This sword will be yours sooner or later. Now you take it to attack Vadim. You can capture him alive and bring him to me, and I will order his execution. Or you can kill him on the battlefield. Just kill it with this sword.”

The "Destroyer" sword is a patterned steel sword. Rurik estimated that it was a sword from the Eastern Roman Asia Minor region that passed through several hands and finally fell into Otto's hands. Its quality is not comparable to the current Ross steel sword.

Its symbolic meaning is greater than the battle, and Rurik, who took the sword, knew exactly what he should do.