Rise of Rurik

If the Russians resolutely stay in the fortress and attack the city by force, they may lose their troops and generals and still not be able to capture it.

Vadim knew that he seemed to have a large army, but in fact the morale of the army was far less courageous than before. The number of soldiers is still amazing, but if they encounter another setback, everything will be over! And even if he was alive, he might either die at the hands of his angry subordinates, or he might end up being betrayed and left in the snow to die.

His army completely occupied all the villages in Polotsk, and the food collected from the local area was indeed eaten by the army until the next spring.

He didn't care about the life or death of the locals. If it could ensure his victory, he would not hesitate to die if all the locals died.

Because Polotsk has become a geographical concept.

Who are the people of Polotsk? All the local villagers have died, but there are still a large number of houses left (albeit of poor quality) and a large area of ​​mature fields that have been reclaimed and cultivated for many years, which is enough for a group of new immigrants to settle in.

"The farmers who migrated to Smolensk settled here. They will definitely be grateful for my kindness, right? This way my position will be more stable. But... I must win the battle and gain a foothold here."

Vadim thought very well about the future, but he also felt a little like he was daydreaming.

Things seem simple, but are actually very difficult.

He learned from the locals that the Russian fortress on the other side of the Polota River was ordered to be "Novap".

"New Polotsk Castle? You even gave it an official name, just to stick to it as a settlement. Damn it...one more reason to pull out your stronghold."

Vadim disdains trying to communicate with the fortress defenders. He also estimates that once he captures the messenger, no matter what words the messenger conveys, even if it is a constructive language such as "We can talk", the messenger will eventually end up dead.

He also learned that there were not only special Rus people called "Ostarans" in the fortress, but also a group of genuine Danish Varyag people. It doesn’t matter their confusing identities, they are all hostile Varyags and deserve to die!

Because Vadim doesn't really hate the Varangians.

His late father maintained a small group of Varyag mercenaries, and he was even able to successfully escape to Smolensk, thanks to the help of a Danish man named Harold.

If the Danish Varyags are ordered to attack another wave of Varyags, can the Smolensk side sit back and watch the fight between tigers and tigers? Facts have proven that this realization is possible.

The Danish Varyags living in Smolensk seemed to have heard about the news, and they were not willing to get involved in the matter at all. Vadim had no power to force them to join the war. At most, he only gave them a sum of money to help him train an army. They were not even willing to participate in the war as advisors, so that the Smolensk army that expedition here was a purely Slavic army.

Is it enough to arm only five hundred local villagers?

After the snowfall ended, the soldiers who occupied the village began to enter each house. They pulled out the frozen zombie bodies, temporarily piled them together, then shoveled the white snow and compacted it to create snowdrifts, as if they were just ordinary snowdrifts...

Vadim is deliberately reducing the villagers' food rations, and the elderly and children are dying in large numbers. Even so, he is not sympathetic.

This is what he wants!

If the big leader acts like this, what can the Smolensk army, who are also farmers, do? Some people regretted what happened to these villagers, but considering their own situation, they just carried the corpses honestly.

Vadim himself was sitting calmly, with a pale face. On this sunny day, he sometimes looked at the fortress on the other side of the frozen Bolota River, and sometimes returned to his temporary residence to rest and think about how to fight next.

He had no staff, and a large army pointed at him to come up with clever plans.

On the other hand, at Novopolotsk Fort, the defenders could not hold on under the command of General Vesuend. "Anyway, I have plenty of food. Besides, even without this war, my people would not have blindly left the fortress this winter."

Vesuend still responded to all changes with the same attitude. At first, some Danish armed merchants called him a coward. However, this old boy was not able to get in, so everyone just stayed there and drank and danced. At most, the sentry continued. Take turns to observe the movements on the other side.

Because the ice in the river was thick enough for a large number of soldiers to run wild, the possibility of a general attack by the Smolensk Army gradually increased.

It was an ordinary winter day, with the sun shining all over the earth. Due to the constant north wind, the temperature was very cold. The sentry standing high up had to squint his eyes to watch due to the dazzling light of the entire world.

The continuous boring calm was finally broken by the tremor of the earth!

Even people sleeping in a warm house cannot ignore the strange vibration.

The sentry at a high place saw a big tree collapse. What did that mean? have no idea.

Visuende, whose dream was disturbed by the vibration, grabbed his fur coat and wrapped it around his body. He rushed out of the warm room in a slovenly manner and shouted to the sentry at the top: "What's going on?"

"Boss." A sentry pointed to the northeast: "Come and take a look! The big trees there are falling down!"

"Is there such a thing?"

As soon as he finished speaking, his feet felt vibrating again. Visuende is familiar with such vibrations. After a giant northern spruce tree is cut down, it can sometimes break itself when it falls, causing vibrations that can knock onlookers down.

The snow on the houses in the fortress was falling slowly with the shaking, and some ice flakes were indeed hitting the snowy ground where the feet were stepping like arrow clusters.

Visuend led a group of brothers to the city wall, and he squinted to observe the movement.

He was not unfamiliar with the woods where the big commotion occurred. It was a woodland near the village of Polotsk, where most of the firewood used by local villagers for cooking came from. The Polotsk people deliberately plant some trees so that they can be cut down and used when they are basically mature.

After all, many of the wood needed for daily life does not need to be obtained from towering trees. Villagers need wood that can be easily divided and processed. Pine with a thick mouth is often the most commonly used, and such pine trees are not easy to find in the virgin forest not far away.

Such tree planting behavior is not surprising, especially the birch forest outside Novgorod. It was deliberately planted by local people, causing a white tree trunk to suddenly appear in the sea of ​​pine forests.

"It's weird, the enemy is cutting down trees. What are they doing?"

"Boss." A sentry asked cautiously: "Could it be that they intend to attack the battering ram early?"

"Battering ram? Then you have to cut down big trees. It's just ridiculous to cut down small trees... Really." Vesuend shook his head with a sullen mouth: "It's so strange. But no matter how strange it is, damn Vadim must be He has a plot against us."

Vesuende did not need to understand the enemy's specific purpose. Now that the river was completely frozen, any strange movement on the other side would definitely mean that the enemy was preparing to attack the city.

He stood on the wooden city wall and shouted to the gathered people: "Smolensk is coming and we are going to take action! Brothers, prepare your weapons and prepare to fight!"

So, the brothers, who were simply holding back their nerves, looked up to the sky and roared their filial piety. Instigated by a Danish armed merchant, they began to sing a rhythmic Viking war cry. Even the Polotsk people in the fortress joined in the shouting.

Now everyone, regardless of race, stays in the fort as a fortress defender.

The women in the fortress are also mobilized. They will not directly participate in the battle, and many logistical tasks are arranged for them by Visuende. The most critical thing is cooking. Under Vesuend's order, all the food can be eaten.

There is no longer enough time to worry about it. Since the enemy intends to take action, the defenders must ensure their best physical fitness to fight.

The rhythmic shouting is no longer a catharsis of emotions. It is clearly a warning. They can ignore the interference of the howling north wind and make the Smolensk people entrenched in the village realize that the Russian people in the fortress are ready to meet the challenge.

At the same time, Vadim, who ordered the logging, was indeed making final preparations for the decisive battle.

Feeling that he could not boss around and yell at his subordinates, he personally carried the ax and led his brothers straight to the woods.

He was so hot that he didn't wear leather clothes, and only wore a simple upper body. Holding the captured Ross long-handled forest ax in his hand, he vented his anger towards the small pine forest.

Just three or five blows will make a small tree sway.

He didn't seem to be chopping down a tree. The woods in front of him looked like an enemy in formation, and he was chopping down the enemy.

With him personally leading the team, this forest is rapidly destroying. The branches of the felled pine trees were cut off, and the ropes on the back of the trunks were dragged to the largest village.

After plundering the wooden carts, tree trunks were piled on them one after another, and the two carts merged into one cart. They were piled thickly on purpose, so that the four-wheeled cart that resembled carrying wood was born.

They are weapons for siege! During the siege, all wooden carts were ignited in advance, and while the flames were strong, the army pushed them directly under the enemy's wooden wall.

According to Vadim's plan, at least ten such flaming wooden chariots would have to be prepared. The more, the better.

That’s not all!

All the cattle, sheep, and horses raised by the villagers were killed, and the stripped hides were nailed to the soldiers' wooden shields. The fresh animal hides quickly froze hard. This only strengthened the soldiers' defense. This move is not the main purpose.

Cattle and sheep are the Polotsk villagers' second most valuable asset after farmland, especially cattle, and they need dairy products to survive.

Even the calves were killed, allowing the Smolensk army to feast on beef before the big battle.

A large amount of butter was deliberately boiled out, and a large amount of solidified butter was accumulated in large pottery urns. They were preserved and used as a special fuel for fire attacks.

When it comes to fire attacks, fish oil is more effective, and the top grade is herring oil. Vadim knows this, but now he only has butter.

Blocks of butter were wrapped in cloth, and they were used as special projectiles to intensify the fire during battle.

Fire attack seems to have become the only magic weapon for the Smolensk army to win. They are willing to believe that the Slavic Vulcan stands on their side.

On this sunny day, the army was fully preparing for the decisive battle. Faced with the provocative shouts of the fortress defenders, Vadim's morale, which was not easy to mobilize, was mobilized by the fortress defenders.

"They will be burned to ashes by us."

"What did you say?"

"Chief! I mean." A soldier wiped the sweat from his forehead and chopped the ax directly into the tree trunk: "It's time to end all this! My fire attack will definitely win."

"Of course! The God of Fire will help our army win. And these villagers, they must join the battle."

Vadim had a sudden inspiration and thought of a "good strategy".

He originally wanted the battle to end successfully and the Polotsk villagers to be loyal to him. Now that combat has become the current situation, those people themselves have become a tool.

Vadim himself suspended his work, although the shouts of the fortress defenders could still be heard from time to time, and he walked back to the village aggressively with some of his followers.

He entered the buildings where the villagers were imprisoned one after another to see how many people inside could fight.

After checking it out, he found it shocking. "Am I too harsh on them? It doesn't matter, they are all tools."

Vadim made up his mind and said openly: "Men and women who can still move! Come out! Come out on your own. There will be food when you come out, enough for you to eat until you are full."

As soon as they heard that there was food, the cold and hungry people had to move outside even if they had the strength to crawl.

In this largest village, some villagers were organized into the so-called militia. They nearly starved to death, and Vadim did begin to fulfill his promise to feed them until they were full.

Ten Polotsk villages have long since died and a large number of people have fled. The largest village has the largest population. Now this village has already suffered heavy losses, and the current situation is even worse.

It has been two weeks since Vadim took control of the local area. The Polotsk community has suffered a devastating blow. The community exists in name only. Polotsk is simply a geographical concept.

Now, Vadim is determined to use the last villagers as tools for his victory.

All the male and female villagers were no longer desperate. The biological instinct to eat took over their minds. They lay on the ground like dogs and ate cooked wheat until their stomachs couldn't eat anymore.

It was this open space where the Duchess of Ostara gathered the villagers a few months ago, announced her occupation to the locals, and announced her "benevolent government".

Only four months have passed, and the newly arrived Smolensk army has actually killed the locals in the name of "giving you your freedom".

Life.

At that time, the villagers thought that the so-called benevolent government of the female noble was a lie, but now they think about it, she is really benevolent!

The outsider Vadim is the tyrant! Because there is a price to pay for a full meal!

The villagers who had eaten their fill were gathered together and driven to the bank of the frozen river, where they stood as defenders of the fortress. At this moment, as the sun set, an astonishing number of gray and black people suddenly appeared on the other side of the river.

The horn horns and leather drums immediately made a big noise, and the vigilant warriors climbed onto the city wall with their crossbows.

Visuend was gearing up and couldn't help but murmured: "Vadim, are you planning to raid in the evening? Do you think the night is good for you? Do you think we will not dare to fight because we are too sleepy?"

He thought for a while and ordered the defenders to immediately prepare for battle.

But evening is not the time for fighting.

A figure swayed back and forth in the crowd. He was either a big shot or a ghost.

"Boss, look!"

Vesuend looked in the direction of his subordinate's fingers, and when he took a closer look, he saw a well-dressed man jumping up and down: "Could it be Vadim himself?"

"Maybe. Boss, that's our biggest enemy..."

"Boy...is there something in your words?"

"Yes." The young warrior looked at Visuend with an excited face and an eager face: "Maybe our crossbow can shoot him?"

"No, it's too far."

"That's not true. If it is at a high elevation angle, it should be possible to complete a precise projectile."

Vesuend still shook his head: "It's still windy now, and the north wind will blow the arrow away. Besides..."

But his subordinates still gave him great inspiration.

The young warrior continued to suggest: "Gather all the brothers together and throw light arrows from the crossbow. Even if we can't shoot that Vadim, we can ruin their chances. I don't want to scare them with a war cry. In my opinion it's better Shoot back with arrows. Boss, we can do it!"

"Is it really possible?" He thought again, "Then let's do it!"

On the other side of the battlefield, Vadim gathered more than 700 local male and female villagers. Their bodies had just recovered. They stood unarmed by the river and stared blankly at the fortress with the flag of Ross on the other side.

Vadim was still filled with righteous indignation and gave orders to the so-called new army in front of him: "There is your enemy! It is also our enemy. You must take up arms and fight with us Smolensk people! Remember! All disasters are inevitable. It's because of the Russians that your families are torn apart and your families are torn apart. We will help you fight, but you must fight for yourselves.

I will attack with fire and sacrifice the Russians to the great God of Fire with fire! And you must bring a lot of firewood to strengthen the fire I created. You will attack together with us, and you will take the lead!

You must attack! My soldiers will supervise the battle from behind! If anyone dares to back down, both men and women will die..."

Vadim's order made them shudder. No one really regarded the Smolensk army as a savior. They became numb and did not know what would happen after the war. Is it still necessary to think about life after the war? To fight against the powerful Rus? That's not asking for death.

Maybe, fighting to the death across the glacier, death is already a wonderful relief.

There was no food rations and no food to grow. All the livestock died. Countless relatives and friends died this year. Polotsk was dead.

It was at this time that as many as thirty crossbowmen were assembled on the fortress.

After all, the main body of the defenders is the Ostara Army of the Kingdom of Rus, and the visiting troops are the Danish armed merchants.

The tendon compound bows from the steppes can have extremely long draw lengths, but prairie horse archers often do not use extreme draw lengths to shoot.

The situation is completely different when this bow is transformed into a crossbow. Its draw length reaches the limit and it can be in a charged state.

There are armor-piercing arrows with conical arrow clusters in the arrow trough. These are the light arrows standard in the Kingdom of Rus. They can be used to penetrate the enemy's leather armor and inferior chain armor at medium and short distances. They are also used for single-layer plate armor. Certain armor-breaking effect. As for dealing with unarmored or missing tribal warriors, it is more practical to use broad-bladed hunting arrow clusters.

.

But when it comes to range, tapered armor-piercing arrows can often achieve extreme ranges, but the accuracy is basically unsatisfactory.

Thirty soldiers raised their crossbows at a 45° angle, with their cheeks pressed against the wooden supports and the wooden supports touching their shoulders. The top of the so-called sight hole was in line with the front sight, so that the crossbows could achieve the maximum range. They stood. They stood in a row on the city wall, standing extremely stable.

The arrows were all light arrows inserted in the arrow trough. The arrow feathers were deliberately made with spiral feathers, just to offset the wind deflection by the arrow's loss of spin in windy environment. However, the enemy's distance was still too far, and the soldiers could only attack Accurate a general direction and pray that the arrow will hit the enemy after flying at a large angle.

"Prepare!"

"Sjotar!"

Vesuend ordered in the Norse dialect of Ostara, and his men pulled the triggers simultaneously.

With a slight shock, thirty light arrows flew towards the enemy's right side. From the perspective of the defenders' archers, considering the influence of wind deflection, the arrows were constantly blown away by the north wind on their way down, even if they were flying in circles.

The sound of the wind covered up the whoosh of the missing arrow, and even made a major effort.

Did it hit or not?

The eagerly awaited defenders finally saw the enemy in chaos in the distance, and they shouted like a mountain and a tsunami.

"Hehe, I really hit it!" Vesuend was very happy. It didn't matter whether he shot Vadim or not. It turned out that the defender's arrow could actually hit the village. No one had thought of this possibility before.

But in the village, only five arrows missed the target, and none of them caused fatal injuries, and that was enough. The villagers who were still passively listening to the instructions were hit, and arrows fell not far from Vadim's side.

Those nervous villagers had long known that Rose's arrows were sharp. After all, they had suffered a big loss last year. Completely out of instinct, the villagers began to flee in all directions, and Vadim, who was a little confused for a moment, suddenly realized what had happened.

He suddenly turned around and glanced viciously: "Damn Russians! How dare you sneak attack?! Wait until daylight tomorrow! I will cremate you!"

After saying these cruel words, Vadim had to cover his head and run towards the village in a hurry, for fear of being hit by the loss...