Rise of Rurik

A large number of dragon-headed longships formed a lake fleet. They guarded a group of cargo ships and gradually drifted westward on the narrow and winding Lake Mälaren.

Many years have passed, and the thirty-year-old Arik once again sat on the long boat and rowed the big oar himself.

Those cargo ships carried war horses and large amounts of supplies, and the warriors sitting in the longships also carried their own supplies themselves.

The fleet was hoisted with Ross flags everywhere, and the mighty army seemed to be drifting away from the real attack target.

The soldiers were quite curious whether their marching path could really reach their target, because the inland areas of southern Scandinavia were extremely unfamiliar to everyone. Even for people who had immigrated for a long time, everything about their hometown became unfamiliar to them. .

A humble-looking longship was transformed into a flagship. Here, Aric, the commander of the land portion of the Rus' army, and Longstall, Duke of Hjärmalen, were on the same boat. The former is the commander-in-chief and the latter is the guide.

News about Arik spread like wildfire. He was King Rurik's cousin and had theoretical inheritance rights to the kingdom. If King Rurik is known as the "Butcher of Gotland" or other "butcher" nicknames, among the many generals who can contribute to the king's prestige, Arik is the largest one.

Longstall believed it, and he did not hesitate to believe that Aric would massacre the Götalan villages if he got the chance. Of course, this is what he is very happy to see. Any outsider who invades or threatens the territory of the Yelmalens must die!

But look at this Rus’ army!

If Arik, who holds an elite army, suddenly goes berserk, his Yermalen people will be unable to resist at all, because even the entire tribe of men over ten years old cannot make up a thousand men.

He showed great humility to Arik, even though Arik has not yet had any title.

The king did not give his cousin a title. Not only was this not contempt, but it was probably inappropriate to give him any title now. Would it be insulting for a person who is also capable of becoming a king to only have the title of duke?

"As long as the army arrives at Hjärmalen, I will mobilize the supplies to reward your army. Then we will make a good plan on how to move south quickly." Longstall, who was paddling, said.

Aric sat next to Longstall. Unlike the latter, he didn't have many tricks.

As a self-proclaimed pure warrior, he is decisive and ruthless in killing the enemy, which is the true nature of a warrior.

The two swords can't wait to drink blood. Since the Duke of the alliance intends to support them, it's really a good thing.

"After I went to Yermalen, I didn't need you to provide much supplies. Your tribe has a maximum population of three thousand people. When my people arrive, the rich can be eaten into poverty. Are you... really willing? "

"Why are you reluctant?" Longstall smiled helplessly: "After all, the king is supporting us to drive away the invading Jotalans, and you are the war chief who directly supports us. It is my duty to provide support as much as possible."

"Since you insist..."

This is Arik's acquiescence.

The principle of cannibalism is the same in Northern Europe. By providing a batch of food, this land-based Russian army owes a favor. The more people like Arik value the "warrior principle", the more so. Longstall I think so.

Sailing in the inner lake was more boring than marching on the ocean. Longstall deliberately chatted a lot with Arick, talking about trivial matters in life and his attitude towards his wives and concubines. His words became more and more vulgar, and everyone on the ship later felt that Laughing at some off-color jokes.

Longstall said with emotion: "Sigh! If the Ostara and Gran people are involved in this battle, the war will be more meaningful. Carlotta has grown up?"

"Yes, they live well in the East. She gave birth to a boy for my brother, a boy with great potential."

"That's great. I heard that she is also a rebellious female warrior. If she can personally lead the army into Old Ostara or serve as a guide for our army, the king's march will be smoother."

"She is one of the wives of my king's brother, and she still has an important mission." Aric shrugged. Deep down in his heart, he really hoped that Carlotta could come to the west.

"If you don't mind telling me, what is that mission?"

"It's a warning. Ross also has brand-new enemies in the east. This world is very big. Just like we fought against the Jotalans this year, we will soon fight against an enemy called Smolensk in the east. Carlotta and her Austrian Starla was on guard in the east on horseback, and Ross also mobilized 10,000 men in the east to guard against enemy sneak attacks. Some outstanding warriors did not come, and this year's war is really a pity for them."

Longstall had some knowledge of "the enemy in the east facing Ross". He sent his own messenger to the East, and the messenger brought back a large amount of first-hand information, which greatly broadened the Yelmalon people's understanding of the unknown world in the East. Even so, it is not as good as the Ross nobles coming out to speak out, or even going to the eastern hinterland of Ross to have a good look at it in person.

Arik's words were filled with a huge amount of information. Longstall asked again and again to make sure that his friend Arik was not bragging.

Ross has mobilized 10,000 people to Sweden (so-called), and there are still 10,000 troops in the Eastern world! Three hundred cavalry are not all their cavalry, there are another thousand cavalry in the east commanded by Carlotta! ? With the Russians mobilizing on such a large scale, how powerful is the eastern enemy they face?

The cavalry as a branch of arms was extremely unfamiliar to the Yermalen people, and they were both frightened and curious because of the unfamiliarity. Thanks to Arik, who was bored on the journey and explained in detail, Longstall's fear was relieved by envy.

Because cavalry are "long ships on land" and can move as fast as ships, which brings unparalleled advantages.

Is this really the case? This battle is about to be decided.

As the Duke of Hjärmalen, Longstall was the leader elected by his hometown elders. He was born unable to enjoy himself. His goal in life was to make his people live a better life. If he suddenly lost such ambition and reality, Action, the people will also organize a NODIC meeting to elect a new duke.

Today, the settlement of the Hjärmalen tribe coincides with the advanced city of Eskilstuna.

Due to many reasons, the wheel of history has moved to this era, and some things have shifted. Eskilstuna, close to Lake Hjermalen, is destined not to exist, at least not as the "cemetery of Saint Eskil of the North."

Poor Eskil had already been expelled from Rus. He was originally ordered to be the Archbishop of Bremen. However, due to the crazy revenge of the Danish barbarians (essentially the Rus-Ragnar coalition), the wooden Peter Cathedral of Bremen was destroyed. After a fire broke out, he lost his place of work and was depressed. Considering the turmoil in the north, he simply lived a life of asceticism in Reims, waiting for a change in fate. At least in recent years, he has not had the courage to cross the Schleswig Great Wall and go to the Viking world.

Eskilstuna does not exist, but the area is suitable for settlement.

The Glan people who originally fled the war were squeezed out by the Hjärmalen people who were worried about their farmland being invaded. After all, since both sides were of the same ethnic group as Svealan, the Glan people did not go too far, and the settlements of both sides bordered each other. Now the Granites have left, and this time they went directly to a place in the far east that is said to be called Lake Ilmen, and completely became servants of the Ross Principality part of the kingdom.

Before leaving, the Granites sold off all their houses at low prices, even throwing away the iron-smelting workshop.

Their departure greatly enriched the Hjärmalen people, and all the properties left behind were taken over. Although a large sum of money was paid at the time, it now seems that this was a very smart investment by the Hjärmalen people.

There is no other reason than iron.

In terms of iron smelting, the Hjelmalen people are far inferior to the Russians. They occupy the small riverside iron mines opened by the Gran people. At best, they use the oldest traditional craft to burn sponge iron and then make iron blocks, and then make agricultural tools and arms.

However, the Rus Kingdom dumps a variety of iron tools ranging from cheap to extremely expensive in the loyal Stockholm shops. The cost-effectiveness of purchasing iron tools is much higher than that of the Hjelmalen people making their own. The latter is not a fool. Since he owns a small iron mine and can build a batch of decent iron tools nearby, why bother to take a boat to Stockholm?

Arik's Neihu fleet entered the settlement of the Yelmalun tribe against the Zhangshui River.

The flagship washed up directly on the beach, and its hard keel carved deep marks on the soft lakeside.

Aric caressed the ship and jumped into the air, standing on the land of the Yelmalens for the first time in his life.

He ignored the mud on his boots until he stood on the hard ground and stamped his feet vigorously.

At this time Longstall came up to meet him, and the same large number of people who had already started spring plowing operations also stopped their work and came to watch the excitement with a mixture of vigilance and curiosity.

"We're here, this is my territory. You see, the people coming around are all my people."

Arik nodded and glanced at the sun again to determine the correct directions. "I heard that there are no suitable rivers leading to the south anymore?"

"Exactly. From now on, if we go south, we can only go by land. As long as we continue to go south, we will encounter the pioneering villages of the Yotalan people that give us a headache. Brother Arik, we..."

"In this case, all my troops have landed. I don't want to stay in your territory any longer. I will rest for a day at most, and then our troops will set off immediately."

"Good!"

Longstall was extremely happy with Aric's decisiveness. He did intend to reward this army, and he also wanted them to rush into the war. Just as Arik said during the voyage, if the army stays too long, the huge appetites of the strong men can eat up the locals.

To a large extent, the old cargo ship is an enlarged and improved version of the long ship. Its side is built very high and relies on the sail of a main mast to sail. For cramped places, it needs to be towed by a traditional rowing long ship.

There are movable planks on the side of the ship that can be removed. After the planks are removed, the planks are erected as a plank road. A large number of horses get off the ship with their neighing, leaving only a large amount of horse manure in the cabin.

The horses that had been overcrowded for a while were jumping happily as soon as they stepped on the hard ground. Thanks to the personal control of the cavalry owners, their restless hearts were calmed down.

All the troops have landed, and these ships will not be needed for the subsequent march. No matter whether the ship belongs to Rus or Hjälmalen, it is now parked on the shore, and the local people helped to look after it as ship managers during the war.

Now Arik is bent on fighting, and he formed his team as soon as he landed.

The two flag teams formed a square formation on the deserted beach, and the cavalry were all mounted, showing their majestic nature.

This also includes Pecheneg Princess Beyakhir. Although she has learned some Norse phrases now, it is still impossible to talk and laugh with the various Varyags such as Rus or Sweden. But among the cavalry, there are the king's cavalry slaves. These cavalry slaves were originally the slaves of his elder brother Kagan, and now they have become the captains of the Ross cavalry. These junior officers still spoke Pecheneg, and thanks to them being the translation medium, Beyakhir did not feel embarrassed.

Arik ignored the crowds of people from Hjärmalen who came to watch. He mounted his horse and lectured at the top of his voice.

"Brothers! The war has begun! As long as we go south, we will encounter the enemy. Any village you see, the people there are enemies! I want you to plunder them, kill the resisters, and take their women , and took away their wealth. You will get slaves in this battle, whether you will continue to be slaves or become new wives, it all depends on your personal wishes. What you have to do now is to follow the command of my double sword Arik to attack! "

Arik said a lot more, actually repeating the claims of his brother the king.

Killing is necessary, and Ross should follow the ancient strategy of raiding the enemy. This so-called strategy is also full of barbaric cruelty.

"They want to kill the men and keep the women, like me, kill all the men who are taller than a wheel?" Bejahir couldn't help but sigh after listening to the translation of the riding slaves of the same race.

The cavalry slaves who were junior officers maintained deep respect for the little princess. One person explained: "The Russians will do it crazier than us."

"how?"

"They don't want any men. No men..."

Qinu didn't say any more. Bayahir already understood completely, "Ah. Their strategy is to eradicate the grass and roots. They are all very tall. Are all battles in the Western world like this?"

With emotion, Bayahir learned that she could only stay in the village chief at the southernmost point in the west of the Kingdom of Ross for one day. What she needed to focus on was arranging her weapons and equipment, and then attacking with the army.

Tonight, Longstall fulfilled his promise and gave a batch of oats, several slaughtered old cattle, and newly caught seabass to the Ross army as a reward. And his own army was feasting and preparing for the upcoming campaign.

After landing, the entire army rested the next day.

The Russian army arrived, and the Hjelmalen people, who were worried about the harassment, were happy to find that those people were camping outside the village honestly, and they did not even interfere with the normal spring plowing.

The barren land became unusual. A large amount of green grass came out with great effort, and the horses liked to nibble on the tender and delicious grass buds.

The horses were well fed, and the Hjermalen people were amazed. The Russians not only rode horses, but also gave the horses a lot of cooked oats sprinkled with salt.

The camp of Ross soldiers looked very orderly. They were busy eating and recuperating, and seemed to have no intention of paying attention to the village. Because Ross maintained the most basic discipline, no one wanted to harm the Allies, but they were worried about the king's sanctions. Discipline is one thing. There is no need to harass the local Hjelmalen people because of supply issues. The Russian army has brought enough supplies and eats and drinks better than the locals.

That evening, the generals held a military meeting around a bonfire.

As the commander-in-chief of the army, Arik decided to divide the land forces again.

"I have made up my mind. If I go south on two legs, I will definitely be slower than the king. I will personally lead the cavalry south and win the first victory against an enemy."

Longstall was shocked: "Brother, if you...are so determined, what will happen to your infantry?"

"Isn't this still you? My infantry has its own commander. They can be self-contained, but they are simply too slow. You take your army, and my two flag troops go with you. . You can even temporarily lead my people, which is a very honorable thing."

glory? Where is the glory. Longstall was self-aware that he could not really lead two Ross Banner Troops. At best, he and his troops were the guide of the Ross Banner Troops.

He had to lament that Arik was really a reckless man, but he also had to admit that the strength of the cavalry alone surpassed the strength of Yermalen. Arik had the capital to be reckless.

"So you have to give me a few guides to help me advance quickly." Arik ordered.

"Okay. Since you're so determined."

It's a new day, the morning dew has not disappeared, and Lake Hjärmalen is filled with moist mist.

The soldiers felt wet all over, and Arik's hair was soaked with the dew. The humidity in the western world really made Beyathil a little uncomfortable, but considering that today was the cavalry expedition day, her mind was completely focused on the march.

There was no time for another parade, the cavalry began to assemble, and the commotion they caused woke the whole army.

The soldiers were ready last night, and now they only need to eat another meal before attacking.

Still finishing, Aric made some internal arrangements. He appointed a centurion from the two flags to temporarily lead the flag captain, and then accepted Longstall, Duke of Hjälmalen, as his guide to march.

Arik's actions reminded some old guys of the past on Gotland ten years ago. At that time, Arik was only twenty years old. He led an armed expedition with fifty people as a scout, but in the end he was so reckless that he broke into Gotland. Lan's army fought with him with revenge, but ended up being defeated. At that time, Arik's frustration was that he had too few troops. Now this guy has 300 cavalry, and even more Pechenegs who are experts in cavalry to help out, so he can be reckless all the way to the end.

The soldiers of the First Flag Team all trusted their boss, and the soldiers of the Sixth Flag Team were all young boys, and no one questioned Arik.

Of course, it was a reckless man's mentality. No one thought that Arik was reckless, but they all praised this as a heroic act.

The cavalry had finished reorganizing, and the golden light of the sun made the world holy. Accompanied by the morning fog, the lake area was like a mythical sanctuary, as if elves were about to walk out of the forest and lake.

As a result, a group of cavalrymen carrying lances and carrying a large amount of supplies walked toward the forest area with high spirits.

Arik officially launched the attack in the early morning. He personally led the cavalry and began to push south quickly along the flat ground at the junction of the group forests. Under the guidance of the Hjälmalen herdsmen's guide, he rushed towards Lake Wettern.

The cavalry march is destined to be short-lived. After all, several small Swedish tribes settled on the shores of Lake Vättern ten years ago. Now they have all moved north to Lake Mälaren for refuge. The refuge behavior has evolved into permanent settlement, and the survival they have freed up The space was immediately occupied by the Jotalans rowing boats. The cavalry marched in the opposite direction along the road that the small tribe took to move north. This road was not far or tortuous. The distance traveled was only equivalent to walking from Novgorod along the shores of Lake Ilmen to Ostara, which took only two full days. Just a journey.

In this regard, the Ghotalan villages on the north shore of Lake Wettern were completely unaware of the approaching danger.

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