There has been no contact for decades, and Otto's description of the deer herders is limited to the priest Vilia.
He really didn't know that those deer farmers who were sitting on a lot of wealth were actually a group of guys who were good at using stone spears and bone arrows.
Otto believed that those deer herders must be brave and good at fighting because of some encounters with the Danes.
Otherwise, how could they survive in this world of ice and snow?
Otto saw not only the potential for great wealth, but also the risks of plundering it.
If the deer herder encountered is strong, he would not dare to attack easily.
He called everyone to explain the situation, and twenty people took action immediately.
In an instant, everyone's goal was no longer to find snow eagles and foxes, nor to hunt lone reindeer.
Now, it is necessary to gather the strength of the tribe to discover the deer herder's herd and then catch them all.
The warriors of the Ross tribe turned into a pack of hungry wolves. They were eager to eat meat and eager to eat large pieces of meat under the leadership of the alpha wolf.
Otto's twenty men immediately broke into pieces, and they acted separately, just like casting a big net to catch potential big fish.
They initially served as scouts, and fifteen people participated in this large-scale "map scan."
They started with a camp sheltered from the wind, and then built a search network with a width of more than ten kilometers.
They used the deer's footprints as a reference to move in the right direction with a high probability.
There is no doubt that Otto is a member of this search team. As the leader, he must bear huge responsibilities in collective hunting matters.
Ordinary hunters don't need to think too much, because their leader Otto is a very good hunter, and individuals only need to follow him.
Because whether it is hunting or fighting, following the leader for so many years, the tribe has not failed.
Of course, following comes at a price. According to tradition, most of the harvest belongs to the leader. Followers get a small share. In fact, according to past experience, they are just "drinking soup", and each individual receives quite a lot.
Only two people stayed at the forward camp, and the other three immediately rushed to the main camp, just to gather the scattered people for a large-scale hunt that was inevitable.
Regarding this matter, everyone knew that the leader was gambling.
The situation has changed dramatically. Don't expect to complete the hunt in ten days. It will be possible for everyone to gain a lot.
If you want huge wealth, you must take huge risks. Otto has to bear huge psychological pressure. If the search fails or the prey escapes, although he will not lose his position as leader, his personal prestige will also be great. fall.
"Herds! Odin, if you love me well, let me find them."
Otto had to strengthen his belief, and he also believed that his men would obey orders honestly.
The person who reported the news could only return to the main camp around dark the next day at the earliest. When a large number of people arrived at the so-called advanced camp with weapons and chainmail, it would be three days at the earliest.
If no prey can be found in these three days, all efforts will be in vain.
The snow is obviously not a good place to fight, even if it is for those deer, risks must be taken.
Thanks to his still strong body given by long-term exercise, Otto can endure extreme cold and exhaustion that ordinary people cannot bear, and most of his subordinates are also like this.
They followed the trace, and the overall direction was towards due north again.
The weather during these days was quite clear, and the stars in the night sky echoed the ever-present Aurora. The dim light shines on the snowfield, and the whole world looks very bright. Therefore, even in the polar night, as long as there are no dark clouds, there will be no pure darkness, and even hunters are very adaptable to this low-brightness world.
Compared with humans, the reindeer are more adapted to life under the polar night. They still use their thick beaks to push aside the snow in the gaps between the trees and eat the grass roots below. Around them, some Sami herders are always monitoring their own deer, and also monitoring every move around them, in case the deer are attacked by Arctic wolves.
The herdsmen were all hikers, wearing thick deerskin coats and always holding wooden poles in their hands, the ends of which were hard and sharp spearheads made from polished deer antlers.
This look was like that of a Stone Age warrior. They could never have imagined that thousands of kilometers away in the south, the heavy cavalry of Eastern Rome were already fully armored.
After walking throughout the day, Otto and his party walked very far under the glow of Aurora.
The search line was about ten kilometers long, and every unit that made up it had their eyes widened.
Humans are not a race with very good night vision, but fortunately, it is always enough under normal circumstances.
Ordinary people in the Ross tribe have no chance or intention to come into contact with any books, especially the men of the tribe. Apart from resting in the longhouse, they prefer to stay outdoors on weekdays. Everyone has excellent eyesight. Even if the light is poor at night, they can still detect abnormal changes in the distant woods.
They are particularly alert to strange bright spots on the snowfield.
"Sure enough, there is a wolf!"
Otto saw some bright green spots in the distance, and he knew very well that they were the fluorescence reflected from the wolf's eyes. Thinking of the possibility of fighting the wolf, he couldn't help but grab his sword.
The people walking forward noticed the presence of the wolf, and everyone remained on basic alert. After all, everyone put on their own chainmail armor under their leather jackets, with swords or axes on their waists, and slings on their backs. Wearing a round shield.
The only one who didn't wear a metal helmet was that it was too cold!
Perhaps the wolves were smart. They were watching from afar in groups of twos and threes and did not disturb the progress of the strangers. They seemed to have sensed the danger.
The wolf finally left. It stands to reason that if the wolf can be hunted, the wolf skin is also a good protection against the cold, and the wolf head can be used as a symbol of personal strength.
After all, Otto's prey is not a wolf.
When everyone got tired, people began to gather together and dig holes in the snow. Use the various supplies carried on the dragged sled to build a small nest to keep out the cold.
Everyone was convinced that their actions were in the right direction, because the footprints of the deer had not disappeared.
Because there is a hilly area ahead, a large number of footprints extend in that direction, and there are woods everywhere in that area.
If deer farmers clearly existed, they would have made their homes in the woods.
After all, the wind and snow in this area are like knives, and everyone needs a shield from the wind and snow.
At Roseburg, the settlement is located in a fjord, and the hills on both sides can largely offset the erosion of the north wind.
If the deer herders were not fools, they would make their home in the woods.
Otto had a premonition that he would soon encounter those deer herders. To be precise, he should witness them from a distance.
Late at night, he gathered all fifteen people around him, first encouraged everyone for their hard work over the past few days, and then drew another big pie in time.
Because Otto didn't know whether he could run into those deer farmers in the next two days, and he didn't know where the people who reported the news had gone.
A group of people first gathered in a small forest. Otto ordered everyone not to light a fire, but to eat cold dried meat.
Such a harsh order would inevitably make people question it, but his words made the doubters feel warm.
"I have a strong premonition that we will definitely find the deer herder tomorrow. So we have to take a good rest and continue to hibernate when it gets light. When night falls again, we continue to act."
There are still doubts. At this time, we are tired, and everyone is willing to bury the doubts in their hearts.
I have to say that this desperate exploration towards the northeast was fruitful!
In this unknown place, people did encounter some wolves, and the presence of ferocious predators fully illustrates one thing - this is by no means a barren place in appearance.
As long as they silently load the furry ferret pelts hanging on their waist belts, the hunters who have harvested such a harvest can't wait to skin the fur from the arctic wolves they encounter alive until the spring. Sell it for a good price.
This exploration is of great value. After everyone returns, they can tell the clansmen that there are still a large number of wild beasts in the northeastern inland that need to be captured. They are walking wealth.
