Rise of Rurik

As for Rurik, he planned today that he would have to cause Olegin to admit the fact that Carlota was the leader.

He had an idea and decided to take out the polar bear skin he used to make amends. Since the other party is too lazy to pursue the misunderstanding a few days ago, the gift still has to be given, and the bear skin has a new role.

Rurik deliberately said: "Carlotta of Ostara has specially prepared a gift for you in order to wait for the approval of the leader of the alliance."

"Gifts? I know you brought gifts. What's that?" Olegin asked eagerly.

"It's a bear skin, a white bear skin, and a bear head that can be made into a helmet."

"Polar bear skin? Such a precious gift?" Olekin was taken aback. After all, in the Lake Merlaren area, this place is no longer the living area of ​​polar bears, and it has become difficult to obtain white bear leather.

Seeing that the other party was very interested in the bearskin, Rurik's mind turned quickly, he calculated his words and said, "As long as you can admit her identity, then the Ostarans will be very grateful for your actions, they More gifts will be offered to you, although they are very weak now."

"It doesn't matter." Olegin waved his hand to signal Rurik to be quiet for a while. He stared at Carlotta, whose head was hooked, and ordered, "Girl in Ostara, raise your head."

Carlotta raised his head weakly.

"Take off your hat."

The girl hesitated for a moment and did so.

In the end, she received excellent treatment in Roseburg. Her diet was always very good, and she was sitting in physical fitness and archery training on sunny days. Her clean and plump face showed her health. Carlotta is not the kind of girl with character beauty, but the noble temperament brought by this health is another kind of charm.

Olekin squeezed his beard full of praise, he turned his head slightly and said to his son: "Karl, my eldest grandson is already twelve years old, his bar mitzvah is over, and now, it is time to choose a wife for him. What do you think of this girl?"

As soon as this statement came out, Rurik, Arik, and especially Carlota, the party involved, were taken aback.

Just before Rurik was about to state another fact, Karl spoke first.

Carl gave Carlotta a lot, grinning and shaking his head.

"What? You don't like her?"

"Why should I like her?" Carl retorted,

"No matter how beautiful she is, I can't let my eldest son marry an unidentified woman."

"But she is obviously a noble of the Ostara people, and Amber has proved it."

"Forget it." Carl held his head in his hands, looking absent-minded.

Olegin gritted his teeth and immediately turned his head to look at Carlotta, ignoring his son's opinion. He said with a strong tone: "Listen! Girl! I can admit the fact that you are the leader of Ostara, but you have to promise me one condition."

"What conditions?"

"You must marry my eldest grandson. Then your clan will never be in danger again under the protection of our Melalonians."

It was still this damn condition, Carlotta panicked in the atmosphere, she trembled all over, and simply forgot to refuse such an order decisively. Just because she already has a heart.

She shook her head and looked at Rurik beside her, hoping for the help of her real fiancé.

Sure enough, in the face of such a principled question, Rurik doesn't care what the leader of the alliance is or not. Even the most rational person has to fight with the guy who offends him about this kind of thing, right? !

Rurik gritted his teeth and stood up abruptly, and said solemnly: "Respected leader, we refuse to agree to this condition."

"You? You rejected me on her behalf?" Olegin was both surprised and angry. In an instant, he was offended by what he had almost forgotten many days ago, and now he remembered it again.

Rurik didn't change his face: "Yes! I can represent her in this matter."

"Sit down, child. This is my order! If she can't accept it, why should I admit that the Ostarans still exist? Or do you think my eldest grandson is not worthy of this girl? Rurik, you don't want it Take you Rus people too seriously."

Encountered by his taunts and threats, Rurik saw that his cousin was going to explode again from the corner of his eyes. Fortunately, after a period of growth, my naive thoughts faded a lot, and now I am a rational old man.

Rurik's teeth were itching with anger, he just wanted to bluntly reject the leader.

He is by no means pure bravery. What supports this bravery is the strong hard power of the Ross tribe he represents.

"I just want to refuse! If the price of acknowledging her identity is this, then we no longer need your acknowledgment."

"You...you have no right to represent her."

Rurik retorted: "Then, you have no right to demand her marriage. If you do not withdraw the so-called conditions, our discussion today will end here! You can forbid us Russ to do business with you, if You think it's worth it."

For a moment, Olegin's mind fell into deep confusion. He was clearly talking about the question of whether the Ostara tribe would admit it or not.

Olegin calmed down and asked, "Tell me, what is the relationship between you and her?!"

Rurik simply took a step forward: "Because, she is my fiancee."

"Huh? Just you?!" Olegin burst out laughing, and he waved his hand: "You better sit down, you are only a nine-year-old child, the affairs of adults are still far away from you."

"No. I'll be twelve years old in three years, and I'll be an adult. I'll tell you, too, whether I object or not, Carlotta will object. Because at the altar of our Rus, she and I A marriage contract has been finalized."

"Never mind. Then break the engagement, my authority can do it."

Olegin's somewhat perfunctory attitude could not help Rurik to suspect that this guy was just entertaining himself. In short, the next leader of the dignified Ross tribe was deeply ignored by the leader. This kind of ignorance that borders on contempt is disgusting!

Rurik simply made a final statement: "I have a marriage contract with her, which is approved by my father, and now Carlota is my father's adopted daughter, all Ostarans are supported by us Rus people. Three years later, I will be her husband. If you forcefully deny this engagement, then we really don't have to talk anymore. In the future, there will be no more Ross merchants in Lake Mälaren. All enter Rossburg to do business The people of Melalen will also be expelled. I'm afraid my father will not tolerate your humiliation of his adopted daughter and only son... As for whether we will recognize you as the leader of the alliance in the future, who knows?"

"Then get out! If you want to fight, fight! Do you really think you Russ are strongmen?" Olekin couldn't help but speak first, and his eldest son Carl took the lead to speak arrogantly.

Such almost declaring war words directly angered Arik. He pulled out his own meat-cutting knife, pointed the tip of the knife at Carl and threatened: "Stupid guy, you are playing with fire! I cut six hundred Gotlanders. The head is not worse than you!"

As long as a warrior beheads an enemy, his eyes will be completely different when dealing with people. What's more, Arik really took the Rus army and worked together to kill more than 600 armed opponents.

Carl, he was shamefully deterred by Arik, who was twelve years younger than him.

Finally, Olekin couldn't bear it any longer. He shouted loudly, raised his feet suddenly, kicked the sitting Karl over, and continued to roar: "Shut up for me! Melarens and Rus are brothers! They are allies! You! An alliance destroyer, how to get the support of others? Do you want to destroy the alliance I have worked so hard to maintain?"

After venting, Olegin realized that the eldest son's crow's mouth really caused a catastrophe. He even wanted to find a place where no one was there, and slapped himself hard with his calloused hands. If he knew that his wishful thinking had led to the collapse of the alliance, he would have had enough to ask his eldest grandson for Carlotta. marriage.

It seemed that only Rurik was a rational man, and his anger only erupted when he was pressed. As for his older brother Arik, I am afraid that he is also a hot-tempered guy just like his own Carl.

Olegin reluctantly put on a soothing expression, "Rurik, please don't be angry. Well, I'll take back my decision. I really didn't know you had such a relationship. I'll ask you now, your father. , did you... officially recognize her identity and serve as the leader of Ostara?"

Realizing the compromise of the other party, Rurik sighed with relief, and his attitude softened: "Exactly. At least we Rus people, admit her identity."

"Okay then! Give me the gift, and I will accept her and acknowledge her identity."

After a while, the people waiting outdoors waiting for the good news handed over the gifts they controlled. Two of Olekin's private soldiers, reasonably holding a heavy wooden box, walked into the council room and left in a hurry.

The wooden box was opened, and Arik suddenly picked up one of the bear heads, and threw it directly to the leader with anger that could not be dissipated.

The moment Olegin pressed the bear's head, he was not only startled, but he couldn't help but wonder how the Russ killed such a terrifying beast.

The other bear head, Arik threw it at Carl with all his strength. As a result, the bear's maxillary fangs accidentally scratched a bloodstain on Carl's arm.

Carl instantly put on a murderous look, looking at his bruised right arm, and was finally attracted by the bear's head.

Anyone who is good at fighting, he wants to become more powerful.

Without being taught by anyone, Carl realized that the bear's head had been processed, such as the bear's skull completely turned into a helmet! Karl put the bear on his head and looked at his father with firm eyes.

"Yes, a bear warrior."

Olegin complimented, then turned his head again, only to see the tall and tall Arik holding up a whole heavy bear hide with both hands, and the hide was reflecting pale yellow light under the flames. This is the case with polar bear skin, its fur itself is colorless, the color of the light source is also the same, and the color of the leather is also the same.

The huge and neat bear hide attracted Olegin, he stood up and approached Arik, subconsciously stroking the soft and thick leather, and couldn't help laughing.

The leather was folded again, and the bear head was dropped.

Having received an extremely precious gift, Olegin's mood was much better.

He looked at Carlotta, whose tears had not been wiped away, and said solemnly; "Carlotta of Ostara! As the leader of the alliance, I represent the entire Melalen clan, and I admit that your Ostara tribe still admits it. , I recognize you as the chief of the tribe, even if you are a woman."

This is Carlotta's most hopeful result. Although she was once humiliated, she now knelt down on one knee and repeated the words taught by Gould: "Respected leader, I thank you for your recognition. In the future, we Melalen People will always recognize your status as the leader of the alliance. You must accept my call to participate in the council of leaders of the entire alliance next year."

"As ordered!"

"Haha! Sit down. The important thing today was never to admit that you are the leader of the alliance."

Olekin wanted to end this episode for a long time, and he didn't bother to stick to the matter of "recognizing women as leaders". The face is still the inside, or what kind of tradition, Olegin is just thinking about being pragmatic now.

Due to the unwise move just now, he intends to get to the point immediately and formally implement the trade agreement between Melalen and the Rus. Because he really offended the Rus, Olegin had to make a plan, so-called compromise in trade in exchange for further support from the Rus.

In order to maintain the stability of a huge clan and to maintain the rule of his own family, he was really heartbroken.

Especially during this critical period, the Melalonians could not afford the horrific loss of losing Ross' allies.

The topic returned to the bearskin, and based on this, Olegin formally discussed trade matters with the Rus.

In order to get close, but also to know more about the Rus, Olegin deliberately said: "I know very little about you Rus. All I know is that you have been trying to run to the far east for a long time, to a new Looking for furs in the world, and making some trades with the locals, collecting some tributes. Rurik, is there such a thing?"

In the voyage of Sorgon, Rurik, because he knew the counts engraved on the boards, learned that his tribe had been looting the Novgorods for forty years without interruption. The details of Sorgon should not be known to the allied tribes, but they must know the facts of Sorgon.

Rurik is not worried at all that they will try to get a piece of the pie now, times have changed after all, but any fleet of other tribes who intend to participate in the raid must first enter the Neva River before finally reaching Novgorod. . The mouth of the Neva is Novorossberg! She is an estuary fortress in the real sense, a geographical pass. If you want to get a piece of the pie, the Rus people will not agree.

Of course, if they explore another waterway, they will end up looting the various Baltic tribes along the coast, such as the Lietas (Latvians), the ancient Prussians, and even the Estonians, a branch of the Finns. If they explore deeper, it is possible to loot the Slavs in Pskov.

After thinking for a while, Rurik gave a clear answer: "Yes, we have been asking for tribute from those people."

"Oh? Could it be these bear skins, are they..."

Rurik directly denied it. In order to highlight the difficulty and risk of hunting bears, he deliberately said: "Our ancestors of the Rus migrated to the north in order to obtain better fur. In order to obtain better leather, we are almost looking for humans. The end of the world. Finally in the extreme north, in the cold, we hunted bears. Great ally, the bearskin you hold in your hands, behind it is the blood and tears of our Rus! To kill the terrible Bear, some warriors died in battle, and some warriors were frozen to ice."

"Ah! Actually, there is such a thing?!" For a moment, looking at the soft and thick leather in his hand, Olegin felt uneasy.