Rurik sat calmly on the fallen tree trunk, and so did Jevro.
It seemed like an older brother was giving a lesson to his younger brother. Of course it wasn't like that, but Rurik was indeed a younger brother in some respects.
"Rurik, you want me to train you? Of course I can. However, I won't show mercy just because you are my master. I hope..." Jevro paused, but he was actually a little surprised that he said Say something like this. "I hope you don't have any misunderstandings."
"I understand. I understand everything! Get hurt now just to avoid bleeding in the future."
Rurik raised his head slightly, thinking about his future. In his heart, there is also the hope of becoming a warrior.
Will it be cool?
But it will definitely convince the tribesmen further.
Yevluo said sincerely: "Since you agree, when will you decide to receive training?"
"Today is over. Let's start tomorrow morning. You have taught my people a lesson. Tomorrow, I will join them and accept your training."
Hearing this, Yevlo jumped down from the tree trunk and half-knelt in front of Rurik, "I will show no mercy. This is what you want."
"Yes! If I can't stand the training, I can't be a real leader. Get up, and don't be too formal."
Jevro was ordered to sit next to Rurik again and listen to his wishes.
"Jevlo, what do you think of my people?" Rurik pointed at the boys who were continuing to scuffle not far away.
"They are very brave, but they still lack training."
"Is it still training to fight alone?"
"Yes." Yevluo said sincerely: "The tactics you invented may be effective. If they can all become masters of fighting alone, your people will be more powerful."
Rurik nodded, Yevro's words made sense and were in line with his own feelings.
Because of what Rurik knew about the battle that took place this year, the front lines of the Rus' army overturned the enemy's lines, and what followed almost became a personal battle for each Rus' warrior. Formation does have tactical effects, but the battlefield always changes suddenly. A warrior has many skills but is not overwhelmed.
Rurik was in a good mood and continued to point to the girls on the other side who were being trained to walk in line.
"What do you think about me training these girls?"
"Them?" Jevro frowned instantly: "Are you planning to let them go to the battlefield?"
"Isn't that bad? I won't despise them just because they are women." Rurik said proudly.
However, his wishes were strongly questioned by Jevlo.
"It's better to give up. It's better for women not to go to the battlefield. Even if you set up the Valkyrie Legion, they are mortals, not real Valkyries. They are just a group of weak women."
weak? Not necessarily. Rurik wanted to use Carlotta's example to refute, but thinking about it carefully, his quarrel was really meaningless.
A senior mercenary captain and a personal bodyguard who was highly trusted by Gould, he would definitely be able to offer some wise insights.
Rurik emphasized: “I have always had a dream, which is to organize all the women of our tribe. We Rus’s population is not large. If women can become warriors when necessary, our strength will be enhanced. Listen, I hire you to ultimately enhance the combat effectiveness of us Russians."
Jevro nodded: "Rurik, my master. You are indeed smarter than other tribal leaders I know. You are worthy of being a god blessed by Odin."
"Flattery again?" Rurik deliberately clasped his ears with his little finger: "I'm not happy at all. I've heard these words too many times and almost blocked my ears. Tell me, what do you think?"
Yevluo smiled slightly: "Maybe a small number of girls can become female warriors. When most girls grow up, their best job is to give birth to more boys for you Rus people. You know, some boys can grow into The legendary giant, standing here with a huge figure, can scare many enemies into silence. Female warriors? They will definitely attract the enemy's attention. Oh, maybe you don't understand it well."
"I understand! I understand everything. However, I must train them. At least they must learn to pick up weapons to protect themselves."
"If this is the case, then give up the idea of letting them hold swords and shields as soon as possible. It will be difficult for them to have the strength to pick up the sword and participate in fierce battles. They will even go crazy when they see bleeding wounds."
"So, what kind of weapons should they be equipped with?" Rurik asked.
Jevro said righteously without hesitation: "Of course it's a bow. Is there anything better besides this?"
As he spoke, Yevluo looked at the sky and made a gesture of drawing a bow and shooting an arrow with both hands. Rurik noticed that the fingering of this man's right hand was not at all the Mediterranean style commonly used in Europe. Instead, the thumb and index finger formed a special angle, which seemed very strange.
"You... can also shoot arrows?" Rurik asked in surprise.
"Of course." Jevro didn't care. "I know this skill, but I'm not perfect. If it's to shoot a rabbit or a turtle dove, I can still do it."
"So, you suggest that I train all the girls in my Valkyrie army to be marksmen?"
Jevro shrugged: "Of course. If they learn archery, even if they can't go to the battlefield, they can still shoot a rabbit and take it home. If they can shoot a ferret, they can make a lot of money by peeling off the leather."
"But, I don't think my tribe likes bows and arrows. Many hunters set traps. There are less than thirty bow-wielding hunters in our tribe."
"Really? That's too bad. Over the years, I have discovered that the tribes in the entire Siiya Alliance don't seem to like to use bows. This is a bit different from my hometown."
"Your hometown?" Rurik immediately turned his head and looked at Jevlo's glasses: "Yes, you are a Finn."
"Yes! I am a Finn. Do you want to know more about me? I am happy to share my story with you. But now, I must tell you about the bow."
"Okay. Do the people in your hometown love to use bows?"
"Of course. We are different from you. The people in our hometown don't know how to smelt metal tools. In order to hunt animals, we must make bows and arrows."
Jevlo's words illustrate a reality.
The Finns, specifically the Finn-Ugl people, crossed the Ural Mountains from Asia into Europe.
Perhaps since the beginning of civilization, the East has naturally had a strong archery culture, and the Fenugl ethnic group from Siberia also naturally possess this ability.
To this day, as the attacking Slavs continue to squeeze out their living space, the Finns who have escaped to modern Finland, and even the Sami people who have fled further north, still have to make wooden bows and arrows for hunting and protection. Security of territory.
But they really lacked metal tools, and it was really not enough to rely on obsidian and bone-polished arrow clusters to kill Varyag attackers wearing leather armor or even chain mail.
In a sense, the weapons and equipment of the Finns are naturally inferior. Even though there are many warriors among them who dare to fight, they are still constantly harassed by Slavs and Varyag attackers, and their space for movement continues to shrink.
Jevro's words were a good reminder to Rurik, because in his plan, the Ross tribe must be equipped with a large number of bows.
bow? More than just a bow! A crossbow is also required.
After all, Rurik has an Eastern mind, and the Eastern archery traditions cannot be discarded!
What is very real is that the era of relying solely on brute force to fight will eventually come to an end. Even if it is a battle of brute force, both sides pay attention to the killing move when they meet, and they must protect themselves to the maximum extent and eliminate the enemy. If you can use a certain weapon to achieve the goal of victory, why bother to fight in person?
Bows, crossbows, and even gunpowder weapons were created for this purpose.
Thanks to them, the intensity of the war continued to increase.
Rurik asked strongly: "Yevluo, you mean, you can make a bow?"
"Of course, it's not difficult."
"That's great!" Rurik slapped his thighs happily: "I want you to make me a bow, and I want you to teach my girls archery. No! And my boys."
For a while, Yevlo was confused by Rurik's whim.
"My master, didn't I agree to train you in swordsmanship tomorrow?"
Rurik smiled awkwardly: "Of course you need to train. Do you have a bow in your hand? It's a pity that all the bow-holding hunters in our tribe were taken away by my father."
"Of course there are. Gould's family owns bows. You know, as mercenaries, we are not berserkers who only know how to fight with brute force. We all have other combat skills. Some are good at throwing spears, Some are good at throwing axes, and most can shoot arrows.”
"Okay! What about my other mercenaries? Are they as powerful as you said? Why do I think they are more suitable to be lumberjacks?"
Yevluo's expression was immediately awkward: "My master, because of Gould, it is impossible for him to transfer the entire mercenary team to you. Many of your mercenaries still need time to train. In my opinion, their current situation is no better than yours." How clever is this boy?"
When he said this, Rurik somewhat understood the intention of his father's actions. There is certainly an element of distrust here, and my father Otto must have also read the order. Those so-called mercenaries are not real warriors. There are many benefits to using an ax to cut trees. For example, the tribe's current large-scale construction projects require a large amount of wood. While they cut trees to provide building materials, they also exercise their own physical fitness.
Rurik basically understood: "Very good, bring me five bows tomorrow and give me some arrows. Or, I will go to Gould with you in person later and ask for some wooden bows."
A group of fair-skinned girls with blond hair and blue eyes, holding wooden bows and shooting arrows continuously.
Rurik thought it would be even more dreamy if they had pointed ears.
Maybe the Valkyrie Legion can be fully arched. Of course, they must also learn some hand-to-hand combat techniques. Archers who cannot fight at close range are not good archers.
This is true for girls and even more so for boys.
In the afternoon, Rurik Zhen and Jevro arrived at Gould's residence somewhat unexpectedly. Gould has already undertaken a lot of large-scale civil engineering work for the Ross tribe, and he is also expanding his "mansion". Now that the chief's family was living in a special longhouse with wooden floors, modeled after Novgorod's architectural style, Gould began building in the same way.
Rurik also saw a large number of his maids here, that is, a large group of former beggars of Melalen who had to live together.
His appearance was somewhat sudden, but even so, Gould still hosted a banquet to entertain his big benefactor.
In the living room, as usual, some dried meat, pieces of bread, and even some dried plums were placed in front of Rurik's low table.
And the former mercenary captain Yevluo has now become a guest. Gould felt the strangeness very strongly.
"My little master, do you have any orders? I will try my best to complete them." Gould said politely.
"I have only one purpose. I want a bow."
"Bow? You...you want to hunt?"
"Of course. If the enemy is considered prey. I don't want to talk nonsense. Give me five bows and fifty arrows. I know you have these things."
Gould didn't say much. He nodded with all his strength with his neckless head: "Okay, I can provide it now, as long as you are satisfied."
Seeing how cooperative Gould was, Rurik couldn't help but think more.
"Okay, so can you make more bows and arrows?"
"This..." Gould, who had no doubts at first, now had to ask what happened. "My master, what do you want to do?"
"Then I will tell you clearly. Gould, I want to train an army that is good at holding bows and archery, but I am very lacking in bows and arrows. I will be very happy if you can wish me to fulfill this long-cherished wish."
"That's it?" To be honest, the wily Gould almost laughed out loud. He felt that what this child said was too ridiculous. Do you expect these people to kill the enemy for a purely bow-wielding team? Is there any stranger decision than this?
Gould did not refute immediately, and sent someone to bring a bow with a wave of his hand. He held it in his hand and stood in front of Rurik.
As for this bow, it is made from the core of a small oak wood.
It was cut into a rough cylinder, and then went through bow training to form a curved arc.
The bowstring is a twisted hemp rope with pockets at both ends, which is hung on the so-called bow tip.
Is this thing really a bow?
Rurik frowned when he saw it. It looked like a toy.
"Gould, are you kidding me? Is this also a bow?"
Gould, who was about to explain, exclaimed in confusion: "My master, I dare not expire at all. This is our bow."
"But, this thing is too crude."
At this moment, Yevluo hurriedly interjected: "Master, Master Gould is indeed not deceiving. This is our most common bow. Even your Ross tribe has such a bow. A bow is a bow. If you think it is simple, you can maybe inlaid it. Some gold, some gems.”
Hearing this, Rurik was dumbfounded.
Just like this, how can the Eastern tendon-angle compound bow be interesting?
Gould was very happy that Jevro continued to call himself "Sir". He placed the bow on the table in front of Rurik: "It is not a sharp weapon for killing enemies, but it is definitely a good tool for hunting. As long as you practice diligently, Shooting precious ferrets is not a problem.”
"Then can it shoot a bear?" Rurik asked.
"Forget it." Gould shrugged, pointing to the bear skin hanging on the wooden wall of his home: "Listen, don't be afraid of bears, face them bravely. The best weapon to deal with bears is a spear, everyone. As soon as it came out, the dangerous bear became a decoration in my house. Counting on a bow? Those arrows couldn't even penetrate the bear's hide."
Gould's words seemed a bit exaggerated, but looking at the style of the bow, Rurik no longer thought it was nonsense.
Rurik stared at the bow. The total length of the bow arms seemed to be only one meter.
This object is obviously a single short bow, which looks almost like a toy.
Rurik stood up, grabbed the bow with his left hand, and began to strum the bowstring with his right hand.
"Strange! I didn't seem to use much effort to pull the bow open?! Is this really a bow?"
At the same time, Yevlo's eyes lit up when he saw his master Rurik's movements. It was his thumb that plucked the bowstring!
Jevro couldn't help but ask: "My master, are you... born to be able to shoot arrows?"
"Maybe." Rurik shrugged: "I don't know how powerful this bow is. Just let me go out and try it, and you can find something for me to use as a target. Go!"
Gould was very active in this matter. After a few greetings, a group of people began to set up the so-called shooting range in order to let his Rurik sponsor have a good time.
The fact is such a reality. Gould didn't say it. He felt that Rurik just came to play with him as a "bow-wielding hunter" today.
As for organizing a team mainly composed of archers, Gould still found it ridiculous. Because the reality lies here. The wooden bow used by mercenaries as an auxiliary weapon for hunting and killing enemies is an object that a little boy can draw. How powerful can it be?
Gould thought to himself: "Rurik, you should just treat it like a toy."
