Rise of Rurik

Remember [new] in one second! Passing through the quiet village of Koshalin, the road ahead for the Ross Army remained quiet.

For Rurik, in addition to basically knowing the trend of the coastline ahead, he could only make guesses about the local ethnic groups and strength level.

Fortunately, the Ross Army has a guide.

He hoped to get some detailed information from the guide, but this was still a difficult question to answer for Casimir of Gdansk, even though he had experience in traveling far away.

The sun shines brightly on the white sails. Due to the return of the south wind, ships of all sizes tilt their mainmasts to catch the south wind and move westward quickly.

The largest battleship, the Sea Monarch, compared to other ships, her speed was always limited due to the extremely heavy cargo she carried, so that the entire fleet had to accommodate her.

In this way, the speed of the land cavalry and the navy can barely be consistent.

The whole army's movement speed is not very fast, but it is better to maintain a steady speed for a long time.

The sea breeze blew on his face, and Rurik, who was immersed in this enjoyment, rode at the head of the team. The soldiers who had survived the rain were dried out by the sea breeze in just one day after leaving Koszalin, but the army never calmed down. Come down and take a good bath. The soldiers at most wash their faces and hair with smelly soap during the rest period. Their clothes are exuding an unpleasant smell. As the saying goes, they have become accustomed to this and are relieved, but Now they feel more and more itchy.

If Rurik did not announce a major rest, the entire army would have to keep moving at a constant speed.

So, just keep heading west and you can reach Hamburg peacefully? At least the navy knew that when they started encountering Danish ships at sea and sighted the shores of Zealand and Jutland, it was time to say goodbye to their king.

Then we will go in a big circle to the mouth of the Rhine. As for when we will return again, it will take some time.

"This is my Odyssey. I personally measured the southern coastline of the Baltic Sea. Most of all the tribes that exist here should be under my rule." Rurik is full of confidence. It is said that if he continues to the west, he will meet Liuti The power of strange people.

It is said that it is a very powerful tribal group. Will they surrender without a fight like Gdansk, the largest force of the Kashuben clan?

Rurik summoned Casimir, who was in a somewhat uneasy mood.

Seeing King Rus, this young man tried his best to show that he was improving his horse riding skills, at least showing his ability to rein in his horse in front of the King.

"It seems that you are becoming more and more like a cavalryman." Rurik said with interest.

"Thank you for your good reputation, Your Majesty."

"Let's talk about business." Rurik raised his right hand and pointed due west: "Is the Liutich people you know...over there?"

Casimir hesitated: "Things are a little complicated."

"how?"

"Because they live in the inland area. We cannot say that our relationship with them is very good, at least we are not enemies of each other. Besides, they are divided into many forces, and each force has its own thoughts..."

This was not the answer Rurik wanted to hear, and he interrupted abruptly. "Let's get down to business. Tell me, can we encounter their forces if we go west along the coastline?"

"Hard to say."

"How can it be difficult to say?"

"I heard from my father that the West is already a Danish force. There is also a Rügen Island force. I don't know if they are Danes or something else. Maybe, we continue to go west.

Will bump into them. "

"Rügen Island?" Rurik pinched his beard and lowered his head to think.

"In most areas of the Baltic Sea, as long as there are settlements that exist now, their names will probably only have slight changes in pronunciation in a thousand years. Rügen Island? Is it the Rügen Island in Germany? It is indeed there. Near the mouth of the Oder River.”

After some thinking, Rurik felt that things were getting subtle.

What's the situation like on that island? Is there a local force? Is it the Danish power or the Llutich power? What is the local population like and what are the soldiers like? What about Rose's attitude? Does the city of Stralsund already exist? Our army wants to get through that strait!

Rurik asked Casimir a lot about practical issues, but unfortunately this twenty-year-old young man could only provide general talk and did not know any really important information.

"Alas." Rurik shook his head regretfully: "It seems you are not a very good guide."

The young man's heart felt like a stone was weighing on him, and he hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I live in a small and cramped place and know nothing about the outside world. I am guilty."

"Are you guilty? What are you guilty of? My expedition is also an adventure. Anyway, if we encounter any dangerous enemies, we just need to eliminate them. It seems that we are about to encounter the forces of Rügen Island." Rurik said. .

However, although there were very few settlements in this barbaric era, the vast area centered on the mouth of the Oder River was absolutely empty and pristine, and at the same time, local areas were also very lively.

It is precisely because the area is so empty that some small settlements are not visited by outsiders all year round.

The earth is cute, and it is too lazy to communicate with the outside world unless necessary.

Even among the Danes and Bornholm people who traveled across the ocean in the past, only a few went to the coast of Pomerania.

When the Rus army expedition to Denmark three years ago and talked with many Danish lords, Rurik had never heard of the word "Rügen" from them, and there were no Rügen nobles at the meeting.

But that island exists, and it should have its own influence in the southern Baltic Sea. Rurik knew of its existence precisely from a basic understanding of Stralsund—an important Hanseatic city.

"Is it the Rügen Island force? I don't care who you are. If the Danish force is the best, then I should pass peacefully. If you dare to obstruct me, I will destroy you."

Although Rurik did not want to fight on the march, if a certain force stood in the way, Ross would not hesitate to waste time to defeat it. After all, it is not easy to assemble a large army for an expedition. Those who are dissatisfied now can be defeated directly to avoid being disrupted in the future.

The whole army rested on the coast for another night. Now that the weather was clear at night, the navy resumed fishing and night fishing as usual.

If there were Danish fishing boats nearby, they had seen the Russians recruiting fishermen, and some smart people began to imitate them in order to catch more fat herrings. After all, nearly one-fifth of the small herring is oil, which is crucial for people who fish for a living to survive this winter.

As long as they are Danish forces, when they see a large number of light spots suddenly appearing on the sea, they should estimate that the Russian "fishing army" is coming.

In a new historical period, a large number of Danes simply rushed to the new settlement at the mouth of the Rhine, and the burned port of Durist and

Another aspect was reborn, and its scale became larger. It was a sea area that was warmer and richer in products. It was a good choice to spend the winter there.

Thanks to the clear air after the rain, even at night, people who have eaten a lot of cod liver and have excellent night vision can see obvious light spots thirty nautical miles away. Moreover, the scale of fishing fires made by the Russian Navy is very large. Existence has to make it easy for some people to see and yet remain tense.

The Ross Army is rushing towards the mouth of the Oder River, where there is indeed a force - a rather strange force.

At night, the fishing village was busy counting today's harvest, and they had to push the boat ashore to prevent it from being eroded by the tide.

The name of the fishing village is Dziwna.

Suddenly, people who were busy mending nets, twisting hemp ropes, and cutting open fish to make dried fish came out of the seaside wooden houses. They stood on the beach and looked northeast. They couldn't help but be surprised by what they saw.

However, even though they are fishermen, they are not ignorant of many important things.

A fishing village can be built arrogantly on the seaside without having to worry about sneak attacks from various pirates from Denmark. It has its own unique secret recipe for survival.

The village chief trembled, knowing exactly what it was.

Just as everyone was discussing the strange sight on the sea, the village chief shouted angrily in local Slavic: "Stop yelling. Let's go to Wolin quickly and tell the boss that the Russians are coming!"

As a result, the fishing village took action overnight, rowing their long boats against the extremely calm waterways...

They did get a proper Danish-style longship.

In this era, before the Oder River empties into the sea, it first faces a lagoon.

Thousands of years of sediment accumulation have created two extremely twisted rivers at the mouth of the river.

The large island is curved, thus forming three channels into the sea.

These waterways can be large or small. The waterway where Zifna Village is located is not only the easternmost one, but also the narrowest one. Even so, it is only a hundred meters wide.

The reason why the lagoon was formed here is that the terrain is peaceful. The sand and gravel carried by the sea waves and the sediment of the Oder River are constantly deposited. The two estuary islands are still slowly expanding.

But in the war three years ago, the Ross army became famous in the Danish world. Some Danish families moved their families eastward and decided to become Russians after arriving in New Rossburg. There were even more businessmen traveling between the two places, and news spread like wildfire that the Russian navy was powerful and that a huge ship like a mountain was being built.

Danish businessmen visited other areas and constantly disclosed the information they learned to the locals.

The Wolin force where Zifna Village is located is a very troubled existence in the area. Until now, she has been able to live alone, but she has always been open to welcoming peaceful merchants from all walks of life. The open attitude of this force has always attracted a group of Danish businessmen to stay, and all kinds of news spread in Wolin City.

In this way, the leader elected by the Wolin people can gain insight into the major events in the Baltic Sea without leaving home.

Even a prosperous port should be closed for rest at night, and the locals and all guests should have a good sleep.

It's not peaceful tonight!

A small fleet held torches and rowed desperately in the eastern waterway. They broke into Port Waring City and found a random place to stop the boat. Then they panted ashore while swimming in the lagoon water. They looked very sneaky and fast. He was spotted and captured by patrollers.

They were Danish mercenaries hired by all the Volin people and personally appointed by the leader of Volin.

Authorize yourself. These Danish warriors lived on commissions from the locals and used force to protect the safety of the free city of Wolin, especially to manage their fellow Danish residents and to combat any piracy.

And this is why Zifna Village can openly build a fishing village on the coastline.

The so-called pirates are mainly Danes, and Danish fishermen can suddenly show their fangs and initiate piracy at some times. But pirates are also looking to serve others. The city of Wolin is filled with the forces of many Danish tribes. Some brothers still work here and even live here for a long time. Although there is no large Danish community, at least they are in harmony with the Slavic residents here. , intermarriage is not uncommon.

Therefore, if Wolin City is deliberately destroyed by a Danish lord, it will harm the interests of other lords.

Moreover, the Danes who have gained a bargain in Wolin will spontaneously defend this place and will not allow others to take advantage of it.

That’s how smart the residents of Wallin are.

Of course the Danish night watchmen recognized the leader of Zifna Village, and the misunderstanding was immediately resolved.

"Brother, why are you here?!"

"Stop talking nonsense. We are not bad people, but the Russians may appear in large numbers. I want to see the leader and tell him that there are light spots everywhere on the sea!" the panting village leader urged, and then briefly stated what he had said. See.

Only the Ross Navy would do this! Once their huge fleet anchored near Zealand, the main Danish tribes were shocked that "the sea is burning". Later they learned that this was the Russians' bizarre but effective night fishing technique.

The story spread quickly and now most Danes are facing a "burning sea"

It’s no longer strange, because some families have started fishing with nets and fires at night.

And more things are spreading, about the Danish king sending his lame son and some elites to arrive in Frankland with Ross's first expedition a year ago. This incident attracted a number of Danish families to follow him. Take advantage.

In fact, many families were so happy to follow the warriors and take advantage of the chaos to get a lot of loot. From the Frankish supplies and slaves began to appear in the market in Denmark, some of the loot was transported all the way here. Free city of Wallin at the mouth of the Order.

The Danes also know that King Rus is preparing for the second round of expedition. According to the arrogant revelation from Götaland fishermen in Gothenburg on the other side of the strait, he said: "Our Earl said that the King of Rus will personally conquer Frank this year. Our uncle Also organize an army to make a fortune.”

Many Danes are interested in this matter. No matter how they think about it, this matter is more promising than a sneak attack on Britain.

But not all Danes are interested in this. Some people are just happy to stay in the small city of Wolin and live a quiet life. There is wheat, fish, cheese, amber, and the Oder River that leads to the deep interior. Whether you are living or doing business, Wolin City is a peaceful place that is open to everyone.

All the information was immediately correct. The night watchman fully believed that the village chief would not be blind, so he led a group of envoys to meet with the leader of Wolin.

The sweet dream was completely disrupted. Suddenly, the leader Woyzeck Bolevich, who was angry when he woke up, had to put on his robe and go to the meeting hall to talk to the village chief who suddenly arrived.

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The leader has actively learned a lot about the news from the Danes, especially the legend that the King of Rus will be on his way to the expedition this year. As for how the Russians will conduct an expedition? Hard to say. Maybe for the sake of safety, the large fleet can move along the coastline, and there is a slight possibility that it will pass through Wolin.

Based on the current information, my suspicion may come true.

The incident happened suddenly, and the population of all walks of life in the city of Wolin was nearly 2,000 or more. All the leading figures in the city were invited to the meeting court.

In this large longhouse built in Danish style, the Nordic system is running very wonderfully.

Although the vast majority of the local people are Slavs, the living habits brought by the Danes have been integrated here.

Tonight especially, under the dim light of the oil lamp, the Great Chief urgently needed the advice of all distinguished guests in Denmark on this unexpected event.

Woyzeck knew that he had no strength to resist the Russians, and had no reason to resist.

He asked: "I heard that the King of Rus also flaunted free trade, and for this reason he created the Northern Commercial Alliance with a treaty. You Danes can go to their ports freely, and what you see must be true. I'm afraid now King Rus is really here. Tell me! What is their attitude towards my Wolin...?"

Many businessmen yawned and looked at each other, all of them with peaceful expressions. Miraculously, no one regarded this matter as a threat at all.

"Tell me about it, my dear Karl," the leader asked of the captain of the night watch.

"At least there is absolutely no chance of fighting." Captain Karl shrugged, "My tribe has the title of Duke, so

It was conferred by the King of Denmark and recognized by the King of Rus. The same is true for the mother tribes of all of you sitting here. "

After he said this, everyone said that this was indeed the case.

Captain Karl said again: "We brothers are here to make some money and live a living. We also regard King Ross as a hero that we can follow. If he comes, I will not feel uncomfortable kneeling down to salute him. No discomfort at all.”

There is no need to talk about this anymore. The leader Woyzeck believes that if King Rus comes, all the Danes who are visiting will happily row their long boats to declare their welcome.

What should I do? Of course, we welcome King Ross.

Woyzeck's only worry is what if the King of Rus really demands tribute? We have never paid tribute to a certain force.

But...the current situation is that not paying tribute is not good either. UU Kanshu www.uukanshu.com

He then paid attention to the attitudes of all the Danes present. It was clear that the Danes were still fighting with the Swedes in the north more than ten years ago. The King of Rus was also said to be the King of Sweden and the King of Götaland. So the long war ended? Peace restored between the Danes and other northerners?

"No. The Danes must have received a lot of benefits from the Rus. They can do it, and so can I. If I lead the whole city and show a very proactive attitude, the Rus people will be happy to accept me. Maybe they can also give me a noble title? And they promised Protect me in the future.”

He fully believed that the Danes living there would organize their families after the meeting and row to the seaside tomorrow to meet the Russian army that "can make the ocean burn". Maybe someone would announce that they would immediately join the team to participate in the expedition organized by the King of Rus.

The people of Volin will not join Roushzi's expedition to Farland.

Grams, that's bizarre.

But Wolin can take this opportunity to find a better backer, not just relying on Danish mercenaries and the various and intricately related Danish tribes behind him.

The anger immediately disappeared, and Woyzeck burst into laughter: "I have decided! Let Wolin open his arms to welcome King Ross! If... the real King Ross comes."