In the core area of the Gulf of Bothnia, the dissolution of the huge ice packs formed by the ever-expanding sea ice is quietly happening on the seafloor.
The ice covering the entire ocean is slowly disintegrating, and the thickness of the sea ice is getting thinner every day.
But this series of changes are still not obvious until now.
The sea water is frozen, but the ice on the large lake remains hard. Thanks to the ice, the leader of Mälaren, Olegin, finally chose early March to hold important news about the tribal alliance, and continued to inform the scattered allied tribes through messengers.
Olegin has already begun to act.
The ice layer of the Great Lake is also nearly half a meter deep. No one can even think about sailing on the ice, nor should they expect to move quickly with just one pair of feet.
The Melalen tribe also raised some reindeer, but they did not develop it as an industry. Their reindeer are domesticated by a small number of small families, and they are almost always used for pulling carts when traveling.
Lake Mälaren, which must be passed through, is huge and the waterways in it are extremely complex. Boats are naturally the first choice for people traveling long distances on weekdays.
Reindeer can pull carts and are naturally good at pulling sleds.
If there is nothing important, who would stay outdoors for a long time?
This time, Origen summoned all the reindeer owners in the tribe in the name of the leader. He directly spent money to rent the deer, and also gave the owner of the deer some tasks-to rush to each tribe with the leader's messenger. .
Reindeer sleighs were dispatched one after another, and Olegin's envoy rushed to the Hjelmalen tribe, the Gran tribe, the Onkras tribe, and the Uppsala tribe with a document in rune written on a wooden board and an oral message. Even some small tribes located in the north.
The residence of most of the tribes in the alliance is clear to Olegin, but the increasingly powerful Ross tribe seems to exist on the edge of the alliance system. Not only do they lack direct communication with the core Melalen, What's more, the location of the Rus' territory is actually further north of Nordland (Northland).
It was only last year that Olegin had an unprecedented clear understanding of Roseburg's location.
Just by boat, it would take three days with a favorable wind to get from Mälarenberg to Roseburg, so sending a messenger riding a reindeer would definitely be a difficult and extraordinary journey for the messenger.
The messengers who delivered the news returned one after another, and they brought back the promise of the local tribal leaders, that is, when the ice and snow melted, they would bring the envoys to Mälarenberg to meet the leader Olegin in person, which would usually be in April.
The simple matter was completed as a matter of course, and the envoy was sent straight to Rus. This adventure could not be delayed any longer.
An emissary named Benedick was sent to the rescue.
At first this guy refused. He was not stupid enough to ride a reindeer sleigh and run wildly across the frozen sea for three to four days.
Olegin asked him to think carefully about whether to implement this order, and even the consequences of refusing it.
Could it be that the tribal leader could order a tribesman to die at will?
Olegin did not directly express the threat, but only revealed the meaning, which made people very worried. After nearly ten days of thinking, Benedick thought of his wife and children and had no choice but to risk his life. He was ready to freeze to death on the ice field and just wanted his family to be safe.
The agreed last time has come.
Benedick put on his thick clothes and unexpectedly cut off half of his beard. With a rather energetic look, he walked into the tall wooden wall and half-knelt in front of the leader.
In the huge room, standing on both sides were a group of armed private soldiers. They thought the man wearing a thick bearskin coat was Olegin.
"You're here! Have you thought about everything?"
Olegin's words were not aggressive. When Benadick raised his head cautiously, he saw a golden "garland" suddenly appearing on the leader's forehead.
right! That is the wreath, inlaid with some red gems and translucent amber, it is really beautiful.
But is it just beautiful?
Olegin melted down some precious gold and silver coins, supplemented them with precious stones, and made himself a crown.
Ordinary people have no idea about the concept of the "golden crown" or even the symbol of power it can imply.
On the contrary, the businessmen who did business provided a lot of news about the south, and even some legends about the Frankish Kingdom.
The supreme ruler of the far south, he has a beautiful crown made of gold. It is a unique and beautiful treasure that symbolizes his power.
Olegin, who wanted to do something great in his lifetime, deliberately tried his best to gain a Viking-style glory.
Whether glory can be obtained depends on the results of the alliance.
Before that, the ambition in his heart had already prompted him to create a symbol of power for himself in advance - a golden crown and the so-called noble title of "Koenig (King)".
How could an ordinary man like Bernardik understand these matters of honor?
He complimented: "Chief, I have already thought about it and I am willing to go."
"Chief? Are you still calling me leader?" Olegin pretended to be displeased, but in fact he raised the corners of his mouth slightly, "Now call me Koenig. This is my new title, a noble title. From now on, I will be your Koenig. "
This word is actually a noun that merchants heard from the Franks to describe a great ruler. In fact, it is a word in the ancient Germanic language to describe a "unique person". It describes the status of a monarch very well.
Olegin just wants to be the king of the alliance. He just wants to confirm the new name this year and use it from generation to generation! However, if you are the king of the alliance, is it still an alliance?
If Bernardik was ten smart, he should be able to guess some of Olegin's intentions.
"Dear King, I have thought about it. As long as you can ensure the safety of my family, as long as you can ensure that if I die in the ice and snow, I can continue to be supported by my family."
Olegin was afraid that this guy wouldn't go. In fact, he didn't just recruit people to assign arduous tasks. There are many sayings about Benedick in the tribe. For example, this person can walk alone in the snow for a long time without freezing to death. He is the so-called "ice warrior". Actually? That incident was clearly about this guy taking an adventure to hunt in winter, and got lost in the snowstorm. He not only managed to survive with the strong willpower to go home to his wife and children, but he also managed to find his way home, and he survived the catastrophe. Such a name.
Now, he wants to take risks for the Melalen tribe for the name of "Ice Warrior".
Olegin was afraid that this person would still refuse, so he smiled and said: "Okay, you go and deliver the letter. As long as you deliver the letter, you have completed the task. If you really die, don't worry, I will take care of your wife and children." .”
Why does this sound so awkward?
Benedick hesitated for a moment and quickly said "Thank you Lord for your kindness".
Olegin no longer wanted to wait any longer, and urged Benedik and the charioteer to act immediately. So on the day after the meeting, a sleigh pulled by two deer carried two people who were as swollen as polar bears, carrying a batch of wheat cakes and guarding the most important wooden board with carved words. Heading to Roseburg in the far north.
Olegin was not stupid enough to actually let the "Ice Warrior" freeze to death. Together with his charioteer, he lent them the best to keep warm, which were the two polar bear skins Rurik gave him.
Since polar bears are not afraid of severe cold and keep their skin close to their bodies, is it possible for them to freeze to death?
The sun was shining brightly on the vast land, and the ice fields illuminated by the sun almost blinded Benedick's eyes. They headed north along the frozen sea, and their wild run lasted for two days. Benedick never dreamed that he would encounter a crazy ice hunter.
He intended to negotiate with the predator, and he also tightened his grip on the iron sword hidden on the leather side.
After all, in this sea area, one cannot trust strangers too much.
Benedick was not attacked, and because of the white bearskin coats they wore, they were respected by the seal hunters, who had to weigh the strength of a "polar bear hunter". The two sides were so absurdly afraid of each other that they didn't let down their guard until they completed the preliminary negotiations.
Are these actually hunters from the Ross tribe? They actually persist in hunting during the winter!
The messenger was shocked by the miraculous thing. After learning the identity of the messenger, he realized that the seal hunter who was expected to get a large bounty should continue to waste time on the ice? Anyway, the ice has become significantly thinner, and the way of hunting seals has to change.
Originally, neither Benedick nor the charioteer knew the clear route to Fort Ross. The information he received said that as long as you walked along the coastline, you would be able to enter the fjord of Fort Ross. Now with Ross Hunter as their navigator, they finally arrived at their destination near dusk on the fourth day.
At this moment, the Avrora standing on the frozen coast had just set up its mast. Rurik dismissed the strong men and allowed the shipbuilder to proceed step by step with the prefabricated wooden deck in the form of mortise and tenon joints, like Lego blocks. on the boat.
On the other hand, a group of women have also accepted Rurik's task. They are proficient tailors. They are working together to weave an extremely huge triangular sail using old cloth, new hemp rope, wool thread, and even old sails. , its surface area is more than twice that of an ordinary longship sail.
The core of the ship has been built, and she is now being built to perfection.
In recent days, the most exciting thing in the entire Ross tribe is building big ships. Ordinary people have seen the unprecedented achievements of their tribe. While they are proud, they also admire Rurik's ability.
The leader Otto finally realized the reliability of the big ship, and he was supporting Rurik's cause in his own way. Otto made an astonishing move, which was to remove the dragon head sculpture from the leader's flagship that had been mothballed for the winter, and it would be installed on the Aurora. There is also the only large sail of the flagship, which is the core of the new sail, because it is printed with huge interlaced blue stripes that represent the oars, which is a symbol of the Russian people.
Otto used the power of the leader to designate the Aurora as the flagship of the leader of the Ross tribe.
Contributing to the Ross tribe and leader's flagship, all those involved felt a sense of self-movement in their hearts. Their stomachs were also warm. After all, Rurik would provide some oats to anyone involved in building the ship, even if they were women.
The entire tribe invested huge manpower and material resources, almost mobilizing the whole tribe to speed up shipbuilding. Otto and Rurik naturally ignored some important things.
It wasn't until the Melalen envoy arrived after a long journey that Rurik suddenly remembered that the edict regarding the alliance seemed to have arrived.
"Stop looking! Keep driving the reindeer, and I'll take you to the leader's mansion." the sealer urged.
Bernardik came to Fort Ross for the first time in his life. He could not believe that there was such a large settlement in the far north. Even though the world was still covered with ice and snow, he saw the docks, the masts of the ships, and even the new ships that could be called behemoths.
How could he not look at the ship?
"Hey! Hunter, that thing over there is a boat?!"
"Yes! It's our Aurora, the glory of our Rus people. She will be launched into the water soon. How about it, can you Mellaren people do it?"
"This...can't be done, it really can't be done." Benedik didn't want to get into any verbal disputes. He truly admired the Russian's ability.
Actually? Isn’t the ability to build big ships still owned by the people of Malaren? It was the shipbuilders of Mellaren who had the ability to build the Avlora, but her chief designer was Rurik himself. In a sense, the Avlora can be said to have been built jointly by the Rus and the Mellarens.
"We're here." The sealer's sled stopped: "I can't get any closer to the area of the leader's mansion ahead. You will be interrogated by the leader's mercenaries. Envoys from afar, show your document board, They won’t give you a hard time.”
In this way, like a polar bear, Benardick had already attracted the attention of a large number of people in Fort Ross. When he wanted to see the leader, he was quickly unarmed by the cautious mercenaries, even wearing a bearskin.
At this moment, the sky is beginning to darken, and the brilliance of the setting sun shines on the frozen fjord, giving the whole world a sense of tragic beauty in the coldness.
The wanderers went home one after another, and Rurik, who was chatting and laughing with Klavasen and Kawei in the blacksmith shop, had to temporarily put down the half-carved "design drawings" in his hands, and hurried back to his home to meet Yuan Dao. The messenger came.
When Rurik came back, Otto was already talking seriously to the pile.
Rurik came in a hurry. He trotted across the steps and pushed open the closed wooden door. In an instant, warm air hit his body.
"You're back! Rurik!" Otto said casually, looking up.
Hearing this, Bernardik was startled with goosebumps all over his body, and quickly turned his head.
"Ah, I'm back. The messenger of Melalen...is...you?!"
Rurik suddenly looked into Bernardik's eyes, then calmly took off his velvet hat, flicked his neck, and his golden ponytail also swung.
Benedick was startled again at this scene. Could it be that the child in front of him was a girl? No! He is a boy, a very delicate and beautiful boy, an innocent boy.
Is this Rurik? Benedik had never seen Rurik when he was in Mälaren, even though Rurik and his men once showed off in the local area. He had heard too many legends, and some recent legends described Rurik's appearance as a handsome boy.
"Hey, I'm asking you something. Are you a messenger?!"
Benedik accidentally saw Rurik's gapped teeth, and thought to himself that this beautiful boy had reached the age of losing his teeth, so he would only have a few years to grow into a man.
He saw from Rurik's seemingly frail figure what true nobility was and what a promising future was.
He felt that if Olegin needed a gold crown and a title invented by the Franks to show his dignity, then Rurik was the real nobleman.
"Yes! I am the messenger...I...I am the Maillaren messenger. I brought the order from the leader of the alliance."
"Are you stuttering?" Rurik asked with a serious face.
"I... I'm just nervous." Benedik's eyes widened, "Are you really Rurik?"
"certainly."
"Ah! Those legends are true. You are indeed a god, and your purity shocks me. Please...please accept my worship."
Which song is this? Rurik couldn't help being surprised when he saw the guy kneeling in front of him. Otto was also surprised.
"Get up. Since you are the messenger, we will get down to business quickly."
"Yes." Benedick quickly sat down, but his body was shaking unconsciously.
Rurik sat cross-legged next to his father. At this moment, there were only three people in the huge living room of the mansion, which was lit with oil lamps and firewood. There is no idle person, it's Otto, he needs a quiet meeting scene and that's all.
But from Benadik's point of view, he felt that he had the respect of the Russians. The leader and his son would actually meet a low-level person like him. He also felt that he would be like any other messenger, worthy only of submitting wooden documents and not having the right to see the leader himself (to a certain extent, this was also out of respect for the leader of Melalen). distrusted because that person did not rescue the Ostara tribe that was under attack).
Rurik, who was seated, continued to ask: "What's your name?"
"I...Benedikt of Mälaren."
"Okay, Benedick, let's talk business now!"
Bernardik composed himself. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly realized that Otto, the leader of the Rus, had not said a word since Rurik entered the house. All the words were spoken by the handsome Rurik, who seemed to be like Rurik. He is the leader.
He estimated that in the future transfer of power to the Russians, Rurik would definitely inherit the power. Just like Olegin, the leader of Mellaren, would hand over power to his only son Karl.
Karl is a lustful and arrogant guy, not a reliable person.
Rurik, his temperament is extraordinary.
