Cargo ships towed Balmok boats and established a landing camp at the mouth of the Oulu River.
The beach here is full of fine sand and gravel, and there are even some sandbars that suddenly emerge from the sea. Cargo ships with a deeper draft can take advantage of the north wind and rush directly to the east-west river channel. The people in the suit set up tents and lit bonfires on the shore. Thick hemp ropes were removed from the suit and tied to some nearby big trees. The iron spears on the boat were also thrown into the river.
Mordgen landed, and he stood in the "Eastern Lands."
This place was unfamiliar to him and his brothers, not even to some of the adventurous seniors in the tribe. It was a pity that those predecessors did not leave a map engraved on the wooden board, so he knew nothing about this place.
The only thing he learned was that the Kovin people lived upstream of the river and that the Rus had become their masters.
I have been living in the camp at the mouth of the river for more than two days. The days are getting colder day by day. The thin linen tent is by no means a treasure to keep out the cold. Sleeping in such a place is really a test.
"Damn it, I really need to get out of this wild place as soon as possible."
The only thing that comforted him was that the Russians brought some ale. The alcohol temporarily warmed his body, but it could not change the cold nature of the north wind like a knife. Until one morning, he suddenly saw that some small riverside pools with water began to freeze. So was the entire sea area still far away from freezing?
The surrounding scenery was desolate, and the Balmoks no longer cared about what was on the big island not far away.
That's Hailuoto Island, and there really isn't much to develop on it. It does have an occasional spectacle, which is that in autumn and winter, when the sea ice is still condensing, a large number of "ice eggs" will be born on its beaches. When the sea ice freezes, not to mention the existence of ice paths from the islands to the river estuaries, the entire Gulf of Bothnia north of the Åland Islands will be frozen by thick sea ice, especially the northernmost sea areas, which will once again be frozen by ice. It's not uncommon for ice lumps ten meters high to pop up after being squeezed.
Everyone wanted to get out of this somber place as soon as possible. Finally, three full days later, the five longships that collected tributes came back.
Hearing that the Rus had collected a huge tribute of up to 10,000 squirrel skins in one fell swoop, Modgen's view of wealth was completely subverted.
The sacks containing leather were thrown directly into the cargo ship. Modgen just couldn't understand that they didn't keep such valuable things under strict supervision.
The idea of possessing them arises spontaneously!
Reason finally took over Modgen's mind. He did not dare to commit theft because he and his crew were all on the Russian ship. Besides, he had a mission. If the business between the Russians and the Balmok tribe stabilized in the future, who would It is self-evident that he is a great contributor.
The water was already bitingly cold, and both Otto and Rurik noticed the ice that had begun to appear on the riverside.
Against the increasingly severe north wind, the fleet headed north along the coastline on the east side of the bay. Otto, who had a new and profound understanding of the local geography, gave important instructions to all his anxious subordinates: "You don't need anything. Worried, when we saw a big estuary, that was Fort Elon Olawa.”
The north wind allowed the ship to move quickly against the wind, but it was also like a knife, forcing Rurik to just curl up in the warm deerskin. Saipolava, who was destined to be his woman, was very happy that she was going to see her father and her tribe during this trip, and now it was reasonable for her to hug Rurik for warmth.
Even Otto did not dare to resist the cold. Almost everyone was covered with blankets, except for the sailors who controlled the sails. After drinking ale, they put on leather waistcoats and moved the Range Rover through different movements to ensure their safety. of warmth.
From the mouth of the Oulu River to the mouth of the Kemi River in Ellenborg, the straight-line distance between the two places is only 70 kilometers. Due to the principle of having to cover more distances in headwinds, the fleet moved in a zigzag line at a speed of about five knots per hour. Moving forward, we docked at night to rest, and spent another two days floating on the sea.
The further north you go, the colder the climate becomes, and the more Rurik understands the importance of repairing the poop of cargo ships. To put it bluntly, we are trying our best to ensure that the navigators will not freeze to death.
"When my Aurora is launched, I can stay in the cabin and even light some coal fires to keep warm."
The cold made Rurik feel drowsy. Suddenly he got out of the deerskin and was stimulated by the cold air. He became energetic again.
Is the journey finally coming to an end?
He found that everyone on the cargo ship was restless and the sailors were cheering.
Putting on his thick leather hat, Rurik lay on the side of the boat and squinted his eyes, seeing the bay in the distance.
Taking another closer look, something different from the natural landscape appeared on the coast.
"Haha! Saipolava, come and see!"
The girl endured the cold and leaned next to Rurik: "Are you at your destination?"
"Look! That's the Elon-Olava Fort. Your people are all there." Rurik pointed to the wooden wall. Saipolava, who had a very deep understanding of the mountain fort, recognized it at a glance. The architectural style is based on what the tribesmen did.
What surprised her was that the wooden wall of the mountain fort was too long, right? !
Otto was also surprised. His aging eyes still maintained good power. He had long known from his son that Fort Ironon had a wall as long as Fort New Rose, and today it turned out that it was well-deserved. He couldn't help but think about how much effort the people of the gray squirrel tribe had put in to build this wall.
More importantly, Otto sensed a hint of danger almost instinctively.
Yes, if this group of Covin people really rebelled, then what a terrible price the Russians would have to pay for breaking this giant mountain fortress. Could it be like Arik said, holding a big piece of wood and knocking the wall open? I'm afraid it's not that simple.
Fortunately, Otto thought of another thing, that is, some tribesmen moved here as early as the summer, and the Russians and the Covins were in a mixed state. I hope that under the supervision of the Russians, the Mechasta will remain Respectfully.
Otto's association is completely unfounded. The canonized city lord Mechasta has essentially entered the core of power of the Ross tribe.
Today, Roseburg has a tendency to be upgraded to a city-state. However, during this upgrade process, a number of colonial points have emerged. The power structure of the Ross tribe is already very loose and vague. In addition to a tribal leader with the highest authority, the second authority is the "war chief", who is only responsible for the responsibilities of the battlefield commander. The invention of the concept of the city lord, the so-called "settlement chief", was already a huge innovation.
Even so, the relationship between each settlement and the mother city of Roseburg, and the hierarchy of superiority and inferiority are still very vague.
What Otto saw at first was a huge wall. However, when the fleet rushed into the Erlon-Olawa River (also known as the Kemi River), he suddenly discovered that there was not only a permanent dock for cargo ships to dock, but also a permanent dock at the dock. Not far away, there were actually some things that were spinning rapidly in the north wind.
When he got closer, he saw the Elon Orava Fort. Not only did it have tall wooden walls, but there were also protruding towers at regular intervals. All of these were indeed the workmanship of the Kovin people.
Could it be that in terms of settlement construction, the Russians were actually outperformed by the weak Kovin people?
No! This matter is not simple!
A Russian fleet suddenly arrived at Iron Castle in early winter. Mechasta, who stayed in the castle and just wanted to survive the winter safely, clearly realized that his fate was now.
The Rus' came, or rather Rurik came with Sorgon's army.
He has nothing to worry about, because the tasks assigned by Rurik were not only successfully completed, but the tribesmen, men, women, old and young, all went into battle. Until now, the smelting and blacksmithing work is still going on, and even the previous rainfall had no impact on the work. .
Is the cold a drag? The big ax dug a path leading to the mine in the forest, and then a small mountain fortress built at the foot of the mountain also rose from the ground. The wooden wall of the mountain fort is relatively short. It only provides a place for mining people to sleep peacefully at night to prevent sneak attacks by polar bears or wolves.
A wooden house was filled with finished axes and spearheads, especially the axes, for which they had installed ax handles made of pine wood. The ax head and the spearhead are not actually carburized. The essence is that this process is not time-consuming in order to meet the construction deadline. Even so, ferrochrome is naturally hard, and with the quenching surface hardening process, it becomes even harder. Although it is hard, the finished tool is not brittle. Ordinary wrought iron products will naturally have dents when struck by a chromium-iron axe, while the damage to the chromium-iron ax itself is minimal.
Just like this, it has become a magical weapon that was never imagined for the Iron Squirrel tribe.
Is there anything to worry about now?
The river shows signs of freezing and the water flow has weakened. The hydraulic forging has been affected to a certain extent, but it can continue to work for a while.
In fact, the most worrying thing about living in such a cold place all year round is the lack of food.
Originally, Mechasta was worried that the whole family would live in this realm. If they really did not rely on the material resources of the Russian people, the winter in the future would be a severe test.
Is the food problem solved by fishing? There was indeed a lake upstream, and the Russians who immigrated here caught some, but they were unwilling to share it with the Kovin people. Through hunting, the Iron Squirrel tribe hunts down beasts of all sizes, and any meat after skinning is key food.
Just when Mechasta planned to endure the winter and complain to Rurik, their food crisis ended because of an incredible good thing.
"What a huge mountain fortress!" Otto on the boat opened his mouth. He saw that some people had gathered on the shore. It was obvious that his previous worries were completely stupid.
Rurik took it for granted that his father's exclamation was a question about him, so he leaned over and asked, "What do you think of my results? I ordered them to build the wall, and I think they did a good job."
"Is it you? Of course it's you. Only you can do such a great thing, but you don't know what's going on inside the wooden wall?"
"Haha, you will be pleasantly surprised. Because, mom...she has been here."
"Niya? Her?" If his son hadn't told him, Otto wouldn't have known about it at all. Since my wife said this place is wonderful, it must be true.
Otto quickly saw clearly that there were some roads mostly paved with wooden planks, extending from the open wooden door not far away to the trestle of the pier, and some people were walking out of the mountain fort.
A man who is in a hurry is Mechasta. Even though he is wearing thick clothes, his woman can still recognize him from a distance.
At this moment, the disembarkation planks from the cargo ship have been placed on the trestle. Of course, this is not the first time the cargo ship sailors have visited, and they know best how this settlement came to be. They had participated in the task of transporting people and escorting materials. This time was obviously a return visit to their old place during the cold period. Of course, they really wanted to finish loading and unloading everything and return to Roseburg to spend the winter safely in the last minute before the sea froze.
Otto and others started to get off the boat. He stepped on the hard trestle and actually jumped a few times subconsciously.
"Dad, don't you think you're funny?" Rurik complained deliberately.
Otto jumped a few more times like a child: "Hey, this trestle is very strong."
"Of course it's strong. You can see that just by looking at its wooden stakes."
"It's really thick." Otto straightened his twisted neck and quickly stepped onto the boardwalk on the shore.
The last time he came here was almost exactly a year ago. The former campsite had turned into a solid settlement. Standing under the wooden wall so close, he felt that Rurik was going to build Ironburg to look like New Roseburg. So huge.
A very familiar figure hurriedly walked over and took off his hat in front of Otto.
"Big leader, you're actually here?!" Mechasta looked at Rurik again and expressed his attitude: "I have completed all those axes and spearheads."
"Well done." A stone fell from Rurik's heart.
Mechasta was canonized as the city lord of Ironburg. This matter was directly authorized by Otto. Otto was in a great mood. Just as he was about to ask some questions, a girl couldn't bear his temper and rushed up to him.
It was Saipolava. She screamed for her father in the language of the Kovin people, jumped directly into Mechasta's arms, and then, like a little squirrel of her relatives, twisted her little head and acted coquettishly.
"You...you're actually here."
The sudden appearance of his little daughter subconsciously made Mechasta think that his son Taravis was also visiting relatives. His inquiry was immediately denied by Rurik.
Mechasta let go of her daughter, who looked happy, and formally welcomed her master from afar.
"Big Chief, and Rurik, welcome to Iron Olav Castle."
There was no threat in this man's compliment. Otto nodded: "It's too cold outside. Take me inside the wooden wall to have a look. My brothers and I will stay here tonight, and you must provide excellent accommodation."
Otto gave an order, but this order could be executed very well in an instant.
Mechasta smiled without saying a word and continued to hold his hand: "Please come with me, chief, you will be satisfied."
Everyone gathered together and walked under the wooden wall, curiously approaching the inside of the wooden wall.
For a moment, everyone who arrived here, including Otto, felt that they were in another world.
Perhaps this metaphor is too far-fetched, but the fact is that the styles of all wooden buildings within the wooden walls were instructed by Rurik himself. They are all made of Novgorod-style wood carvings. There are some differences between the houses, but if you look at them from a distance, you will be shocked by their neat arrangement.
After all, Rurik instructed his subordinates to build a nearly circular town with a diameter of more than a hundred meters. Civil engineering construction continues to this day, and there are still some carpenters carefully carving house accessories within the wooden walls.
Even if their technological level lags behind, they must continue to pursue beauty as long as they have the ability. The carpenter is working on some gorgeous woodware, either to decorate the house, or simply tableware and drinking utensils.
Otto did not tremble in shock at this scene. He felt that all the houses were so familiar.
"I can't believe that you actually went to such a cold place to learn the architecture of the Novgorod people. No! You are obviously from Kovin, where did you learn it?"
Mechasta smiled proudly and said: "These are all Rurik's achievements. It was him and his men who taught us how to build houses and smelt iron. Chief, please look over there." Mechasta pointed to the settlement. One area, pointing to a cluster of houses in particular: "Those wooden houses are vacant. They were built by Rurik's order, and now they are finally put to use."
"Huh? Let my men live here?" As he spoke, Otto slapped the ferret hat on Rurik's head: "You are so thoughtful."
Rurik was excited about his identity. He said calmly: "This is the role of Elon-Olava Fort. In my opinion, when new tribesmen move here, they can live in vacant wooden houses, but the condition for their residence is to pay A tax, because those cabins are my property.”
Rurik quietly proposed the basic concept of real estate. He said it casually and did not arouse Otto's significant interest. After all, the subordinates brought this time all have a warm place to live, but what about yourself?
Otto immediately received a very satisfactory answer. Mechasta pointed to the largest wooden house with a wonderful structure: "That is the chief's house, the great chief, and now you are its owner."
Finally, Otto's beard began to tremble. He felt that Mechasta was indeed a good hunting dog, his level of flattery was really high, and he was really happy.
At this moment, Rurik broke through the mystery and asked deliberately: "Dad, that is our home in Ellenburg. I designed the house they built. What do you think? Mom lived there for at least a while. She said it felt like home. .”
"Niya? Ah? Rurik, it's you. Hey, I thought people in Kovin shouldn't be so witty, and it turns out it's you. You really know how to please your father." Otto pinched him happily. Rurik's neck, he felt that standing in a town full of order and neatness, he was the noblest person, and what he saw now must be actively replicated in New Roseburg. Oh, actually there is no need to copy it.
Otto thought that Rurik planned the hill fort, and he also made detailed plans for the layout of New Roseburg. Ironburg is an orderly place that emerged from the wilderness. I believe that the "Harp City" will be even more wonderful.
He went straight to the chief's residence, sat down to rest, drank some wine and ate some people, and then took his son with him non-stop to chat with Mechasta. It was already getting late, and Otto made a mental decision to collect the tribute tomorrow.
Seeing how solid and neat the construction here is, isn't the construction plan of the former "Northern Assembly Point for Winter Hunting" successfully completed?
Elon Orava Fort, it can now serve as the best rallying point. A large-scale northern hunt is just around the corner. Otto had already planned not to lead the team himself this year. He never expected that Ironburg would be so graceful. He was getting stronger and stronger, and with the strong backing of this castle, why not do it again?
He intended to talk to Mechasta about this matter, and Mechasta also had many good things and wanted to find a good opportunity to tell his master.
