Rise of Rurik

There was a lot of delay along the way, and it was already November when Kagan's horse team arrived at Ross's southern border.

They walked in the vast world, carrying heavy loads in the cold.

The butter and cheese in wooden barrels were frozen as hard as rocks, and the clear water in the soldiers' stomach bags turned into ice lumps. All recurve bows prepared for trafficking have their strings removed, and the bows are curled up and wrapped in a large ball of wool to resist the damage caused by the extreme cold.

The Pecheneg-Kiev armed merchant group wasted a lot of time during the sneak attack on the Smolensk villages. Today, it snowed heavily and the temperature was very low. The bone-chilling cold made these sons of the steppe tremble.

The winter in the grassland is also very cold, but it is not as cold as in the north.

Of course, Kagan had already prepared countermeasures for this. His men specially changed into leather clothes and also wrapped wool felt on the key parts of the horses. Thanks to the fact that these Turkic horses grew manes that were exaggeratedly long in winter, and that they plundered a batch of oats to feed the horses on the way, the horse team could resist on the way north.

But among the slaves who were tied with ropes, twenty out of a hundred people froze to death!

Each slave could be sold for at least one pound of silver coins, so they froze to death, and Kagan was heartbroken. What else can be done? The remaining eighty people can still buy it for a lot of money.

The cavalry did arrive too late. The only advantage was that they could use the frozen Lovaj River as a thoroughfare. The mounts of the cavalry were all replaced by carbon steel horseshoes here in Ross. There are deliberately created grooves under the horseshoes. They have good grip and are most suitable for activities in ice and snow areas.

The horseshoe collapse of the river ice stirred up a large amount of ice debris, which also caused a lot of noise.

They were a mighty force, and as the cavalry could already see the gray-white wooden walls of New Fort Ross that had been eroded by the wind and snow, a Ross flag was suddenly erected.

Kagan used this to show his identity as an ally. However, before he set up the flag, the people hunting in the forest had long noticed this horse team.

On their last night camping in the snow by the river, a large number of fires revealed their location.

The Ostara mink hunter noticed this situation and hurriedly reported back to Duchess Carlotta.

At this time, all the Gran people have completed their immigration, and the ice and snow are not suitable for building settlements. It happens that there are a number of wooden sheds in New Ostara that serve as warehouses, or even spare stables. Duke Svar of Gran Although Gad felt that living in a stable was not very good, he was forced to settle the people in this way due to the situation.

The city's population suddenly increased. Since the two tribes have lived side by side since ancient times, they are now reunited and have a harmonious relationship.

The hunter's sudden report seriously interfered with the winter construction of the Ostara-Glan people, and the sudden appearance of a large number of fires was alarming.

The matter was left to Carlotta. She had only a few days to make a decision after her return.

The hunter half-knelt in front of him and reported something, but he couldn't explain it clearly.

"There are a lot of bonfires. They can't be those Pecheneg friends, right? It's December two days ago, and they are coming now? I'm very worried."

Svalgard knew nothing about Pecheneg. He was now a full-fledged general. If there was a war, he would be commanded by Carlotta. Recently I suddenly learned how to ride a horse (just gallop without falling off, although I often fell into snowdrifts during the learning period), and now I am eager to try it.

"You couldn't make up your mind and said it couldn't be an enemy attack. As you said, this is the southern territory of Russia, and there are enemies in the south."

"There are enemies, but Pecheneg and Kiev are both old business partners." Carlotta rubbed her hairless chin and fell into thought.

"Actually, this question is very simple. You just need to order the army to prepare in advance. Whether it is an enemy or a friend, we are prepared. We have hundreds of people combined now who can afford weapons. The enemy from the south is coming. Don’t be afraid.”

"I won't be afraid if the enemy really comes." Carlotta composed her thoughts, "Then be ready for war."

Ross's cavalry was stationed in different regions. The main force was stationed in Novgorod, the second largest city, and the secondary force was in Novoostara, the southernmost city of Lake Ilmen. The main cavalry is still undergoing training. Although there are only a hundred cavalry left in southern Xinjiang, half of them are veterans.

The cavalrymen wore polar bear skin jackets, helmets covered with polar bear skin, decorated with a large number of blue stripes, and wild goose feathers on the top.

The stationed cavalry are all standing troops, and their military pay and mount feed are in principle provided by the king. However, due to the special nature of the garrison, some supplies were supplied by the people of Ostara.

The Ostara and Gran people, who are good at animal husbandry, have transformed into horse herders. A batch of new foals have grown enough to be ridden. The two tribes are not far away from becoming full cavalry. It's just that these Vikings who ride on assault horses are not as gorgeously dressed as the country's standing cavalry.

The cavalry warriors who are busy raising horses are on standby at any time, and all available horses are in a battle-ready state.

Carlotta found this an opportunity. He estimated that the visitor was a late friend, but if the Smolensk people really invaded, he would not be unprepared. She viewed her gathering as a military exercise, and the speed with which people moved was heartwarming.

Regular cavalry plus people who could ride horses made up the number, and an army of more than 300 cavalry suddenly assembled.

The soldiers guarding the city wall stared at the frozen river and the specially set up roadblocks on the river - the cut down red pine.

For Kagan, he had no idea that he would encounter obstacles on his final road. The city of Ostara was ahead of him, but his cavalry stopped at a roadblock?

"What's going on? Do the Russians have some misunderstanding about us?" Sakhi muttered warily.

Kagan, who was wearing sunglasses, gritted his teeth and said, "Maybe it was that woman's private behavior."

"How can I see it?"

"Who knows? At least my brother Rurik doesn't do such tricks."

At this point, the misunderstanding is completely resolved. Just look at the faces of the visitors and you will know that they are Pechenegs. The people who held the roadblock went to see the culture, and then they pulled the ropes and pulled away all the pine trees blocking the road.

At the same time, the closed city gate opened, and a group of cavalry filed out. This scene really surprised the dusty cavalry.

There was only one short man without a hat. He had golden hair and a ponytail that flowed in the wind.

"It is indeed you, Ostara Khan." Kagan said to himself.

As expected, his words were heard by Beyah Hill, who was astonished: "Brother? Did you just say Khan? What Khan?"

"It's Ostara Khan. A woman. You'll see her soon."

It is not uncommon for a woman to be the leader of a tribe on the grasslands, especially if a khan dies suddenly and has no brothers, and the khan’s son is young. In this case, the khan’s first wife or concubine will be elected as the female leader, which can be called a khan. .

Kagan and his sister spoke mostly Turkic, and they also used the customary name of their own people to call the Duchess Carlotta Khan.

In terms of age, Carlotta is already over twenty. As a standard Viking woman, her body is in peak condition. She is a female warrior and a duchess. Although she has an old ailment in her legs, there is no problem at all when she rides on the horse.

She led all the cavalry towards Kagan in a violent fight, forcing all the prairie cavalry to subconsciously tighten their sword hilts and even tilt their spears forward.

She quickly stopped and ordered the cavalry to line up. Those gorgeously dressed regular cavalry lined up in a row, almost filling the frozen Lovati River.

Carlotta held the reins and paced in front of the formation. She saw Kagan's face clearly at a glance, even though the prairie man still wore sunglasses.

She rode forward and met the horse team from afar in person, and then stopped directly in front of Kagan.

Before Kagan could speak, she spoke first: "I thought it was the Smolensk people who made a stupid sneak attack, but I didn't expect it was you. Brother Kagan, you came too late."

With the right words to say, Kagan took off his sunglasses, first intimidated him with his sharp eyes, and then joked: "Indeed, we are late, but we are still here. Do you know the reason why we are late?"

"Of course the journey is too long. This world is covered with snow. It must be the blessing of the gods that you can reach Ross safely."

"No need to be polite. To tell you the truth, Smolensk, which you Ross is worried about, is not very powerful. We attacked them midway and captured many slaves." As he said that, Kagan twisted his neck back: "We caught a lot of slaves." Girl. How about it? Sister Carlotta, we can make a deal."

"Hey? You actually called me sister?"

"What's wrong? Rurik and I are brothers, and you are one of her wives, so we are also relatives. You are the Khan of Ostara, and I am the Khan of Pecheneg. We are equally noble, Business should be done well.”

Kagan's trick almost made Carlotta want to laugh. He didn't really want to promote Carlotta to a high standard, but Carlotta was actually short of men and horses. It was just because his horse team was carrying a group of dying captives, and now they could be found. Of course, you have to sell the first vest quickly to avoid freezing to death and losing money. Even if you get this opportunity, you have to sell it quickly at a low price to make money.

At that moment, a short girl came forward holding the reins. She was Beyathil, who had been baptized by blood and finally became a female warrior. When she saw her elder brother talking to other beautiful women, she couldn't help but feel some weird feelings in her heart.

Carlotta looked directly at these prairie girls, and the two women seemed to be having a conversation.

"Oh, let me introduce you. This is my sister Beyah Hill."

That's all, Kagan introduced Carlotta's noble status in Turkic language.

"She? A female khan?"

"At least the same level as Rose Khan. Also one of Rose Khan's wives."

The blond woman has a dual identity. It is obvious that after she married Ross Khan Rurik, the woman in front of her became her sister. Bejahir tried to explain his identity in Turkic language, but unfortunately, Carlotta couldn't understand it at all.

Carlotta looked at Kagan: "She is your sister? A very nice girl. You came too late. It is very cold now. Please follow me into the city. You... can rest in my castle."

The only advantage of being a city in southern Xinjiang is that it can be the first to contact merchants from the south. Carlota saw clearly the size of this year's Pecheneg-Kiev joint business group. It was visibly smaller than last year.

Although the business group is small, the goods on it are too tempting.

woman! Lots of women!

Although Carlotta is also a woman, she treats these female captives as a strategic resource to expand the strength of Ostara Gran.

The female prisoners who were shivering with cold were "rescued". The ropes on their bodies were replaced by metal shackles. They were packed into a warm stable and thrown into the thatch like horses.

The female prisoners, regardless of their age, were all rewarded with hot oatmeal porridge. They were so exhausted that they didn't care about anything. Looking at the thick oatmeal porridge, they stuffed themselves with the opportunity to have a full meal. The belly is round. They were also given leather blankets. Although they were shackled with iron rings and couldn't escape, they could eat and drink well and sleep in the blankets, which was a rare enjoyment during this period.

They still don't know their fate.

Those Pechenegs and Kievs who finally entered the city of Rus after a long expedition settled in this border city and received "good hospitality" from the local hosts.

Because they are also a resource, the so-called bypassing Kagan and doing small transactions directly with these Pechenegs.

Carlotta provided hot meals and warm shelter to the armed merchant group, as well as feeding fodder and oats to the horses. Of course, these materials are not free. Kagan and his party need the coins or materials to exchange them.

But for the Kagan brothers and sisters and their old acquaintance Maksakye, they were simply entertaining distinguished guests.

The wooden loft was warmed by the fireplace, where the Duchess Carlotta prepared a surprise feast.

They cut roasted meat, feasted on it, and drank ale. Although Carlotta was a female, her performance was no less than that of a heroic male hero.

She was slightly drunk and talked casually: "I have good news for you. Rurik is no longer a duke. He is first the king of Russia and the king of Sweden."

The concept of "Sweden" sounded unfamiliar to Kagan but he did not understand it. "I know, it's the hometown of you Rus people."

"Yes, we are also from Ostara. And..." She pointed at Duke Svalgard of Grant, who was present but was transparent: "He is Duke of Grant, and now he belongs to Rurik. My lord. The west is our homeland."

Kagan glanced away and didn't think much of the so-called Duke of Glen. He knew Carlotta's pitiful past very well, and now that this woman had become the leader, he had to admire her. This reminds me of my sister Beyahil, who is obviously still too far away from Carlotta.

With everyone now in a happy mood, Kagan finally introduced the major events coming this year besides normal business.

He helped Carlotta recall the past a year ago, something that all the Ross nobles knew.

"My sister will marry Rurik. She is my biological sister and the youngest sister. She is the youngest daughter doted on by my father. This marriage is supported by all our Pecheneg nobles. I hope..."

Carlotta smiled: "Do you want me to do something for you?"

"There is one." Kagan became so courageous under the influence of alcohol that he actually cried out when he spoke the truth: "We still have to leave, my sister is alone in Rus. I know that you are Rurik's wife. She is also her sister. I just hope you treat my sister as your sister. She admires warriors, especially female warriors like you. She wants to be a cavalry, just like you..."

"That's it? Why are you crying?" Carlotta felt that Kagan's performance was too funny, so she had to smile awkwardly: "I thought so, there is no problem. You should know very well that Rurik is the king now, and his There are seventeen wives and concubines, plus your sister, the number is eighteen. It is unrealistic for eighteen women to share the love of one man, but I can be her sister. That is..." Carlotta stared straight at her. Looking at Beyathil, "I want to hear what she means."

Bejahir didn't know Norse, and he didn't know anything about Slavic. He just learned a few Slavic words unexpectedly.

She listened to her elder brother's translation and stumbled out a phrase, emphasizing one word "Valkyrie".

"Are you Valkyrie?"

Carlotta laughed after understanding the translation, but Ross only had the soul of the old priest Vilia upgraded to the new Valkyrie to be worshiped by the people, so what qualifications did he have to overstep it? She did understand the meaning of Beyathil's words. The heroines in the North are all Valkyries. This understanding is funny and cute.

Looking at Beyahil again, her face is reminiscent of the current high priest Rumia, who is also a woman with a flat face and black hair, but this face is more harmonious and comfortable with a fat face. Beyathil is not young anymore, her figure is much shorter than that of Viking women, and her face has a strong sense of childishness. She looks like a child, but she is clearly not a child.

Since his biological sister Ella is no longer around, there will be less gatherings and more separations in the future. If he has a little sister by his side, life will be more fun. On the other hand, it is also because the Ostara people's strength is animal husbandry, which is exactly the same as the Pecheneg people's economic model. People with the same production and lifestyle have an affinity with each other.

Kagan promoted herself, and Carlotta really floated. She promised to treat Carlotta well, and even claimed: "In Rus, only wives and concubines who have given birth to sons can get real status. I am a traditional nobleman and don't have to stick to this. But I still have a son, and no one can question my noble status. Bayahir must give birth to a son for Rurik as soon as possible, so that his words can have weight in the huge kingdom of Rus, and only then can he entrust a territory in the future."

Although Carlotta spoke while drunk, her statement was the truth.

Kagan is not a drunkard. When he heard that last sentence, the hairs all over his body stood up. Although a sister who marries a Russian is considered a Russian, the children she gives birth to are half Pecheneg blood. If a Rus' noble in the north was of such blood, he should be closely related to his cousin in the south. In the final analysis, this is a political marriage. The sister's personal happiness is nothing to the interests of the Pecheneg Khanate. All she has to do is give birth to mixed-race children and consolidate the relationship between the two countries.

If Duchess Carlotta can fulfill her responsibilities as a sister, her sister will also be happy in the future!

Kagan was trying to get close this time, and Sakhi was also trying to get close. They held Carlotta up very high, so according to the original roadbed, Carlotta could also get close in the opposite direction.

Carlotta knocked on the table to attract the attention of the slightly drunk Kagan: "I like the slave girls you sent. Rurik is in New Roseburg now. You know, if you go to him directly, you have to go through Novo. Fugorod, Ladoga Town (fishing village), and then Novorosberg at the mouth of the Neva River. The fastest time to get there is half a month. If you don't have enough time, why not stay here with me. You can rest assured that Rurik will return after Hanukkah and find Shuyuanｗｗw.ｇhaoshuyuan.com to discuss some major events with you then.”

When Kagan heard what the big deal was, she stopped talking.

"So, you want to sell all the female slaves, that's good! How about this, you sell them all to me, and I exchange them for you with leather, linen, silver coins and grain. How many people do you have?" Carlotta asked.

"Eighty."

"I want them all."

She promised to treat her little sister well in the days to come. This promise was worthy of belief. In addition, the city of Ostara provided a large amount of supplies to the business groups coming from afar. The short-tongued Kagan did not want to owe a favor. In the final analysis, the slave trade was not as profitable as selling good horses. Kagan made a package price for all the female slaves according to the payment finalized with Rurik last year. The money earned could probably cover the normal consumption of his subordinates and war horses in Rus.

"Just give me fifty pounds of silver coins or goods of equivalent value."

In this way, Carlotta didn't even think about closing the deal decisively. She was afraid that Kagan would raise the price again after he sobered up...

Please remember the first domain name of this book: . :