A longship composed of thirty warriors was running towards New Roseburg at the craziest speed.
Ross's unique concave paddle is creating amazing waves in the sea water. The order given to this ship was to rush directly to Fort New Rose within four days, so the selected oarsmen not only knew the road, but were also strong in endurance.
They knew their mission well, and the longship rushed to Fort New Rose at the planned time.
The residents of New Roseburg who were actively engaged in internal construction never expected that when the wheat seedlings began to grow rapidly, the leader actually issued an assembly order.
Konuson, the commander stationed here, was surprised to learn that five hundred Novgorodians would join the Russian army as Russian allies. It was an unprecedented news.
"Is it possible that the war we are facing is beyond our ability to fight alone?"
The people who sent the message did not know more details, and they quickly recruited a hundred Novgorod immigrant men in Novorosberg itself who were interested in joining the war. Their mission is not over yet, because General Arik is unexpectedly not here.
Arik must be in Novgorod, serving as the eldest son of his father-in-law!
Indeed, Arik and his group of battle-hardened men are now the well-deserved kings of the Novgorod region. What he learned about the political ecology of Novgorod is this: White Tree Manor is a stable servant, Pine Needle Manor is a wealthy but unstable dog that has not been well-tamed, and the other manors are a group of fence-sitters.
Arik's army was stationed at White Tree Manor, and this area also became a "warehouse area" for collecting tributes. A large amount of leather is the most critical spring tribute that the locals can provide.
Oh, and a batch of honey, of course.
The sweet taste made Arik unable to extricate himself. He really fell in love with the days when he was revered in Novgorod. He drank honey water and ate barbecue every day.
After all, the brave Ross elite arrived in Novgorod carrying ten pairs of steel-armed crossbows. Soon they led their brothers to shoot and kill as many as twenty brown bears in the dense forests of Eastern Europe. Such results shocked the entire White House. Tree Manor also adds new offerings to the upcoming Slavic festival.
But when it comes to feelings, the owner of the manor, Rigus, doesn't think Arik is very noble. In fact, based on local tradition, he regarded the blacksmith Kavey as his second son, and his half-babble grandson Kuzneslav as the apple of his eye. He is even more looking forward to Rurik who is about to turn twelve years old, and he is even more looking forward to that child really growing up and inheriting the throne of Russia, so that when his beautiful little daughter gets married, he can proudly call himself Rurik. son.
Suddenly, an incredible call for troops from the Rus tribe reached Novgorod.
Arik was shocked, and Rigus was so shocked that he almost fainted.
Because the messenger still asked White Tree Manor to send 400 men to fight for the Ross people, and this was almost the vast majority of the men in the manor. When Ligus thought of war, he thought of death. He subconsciously made the most extreme thought, that is, all his men would be wiped out and the entire White Tree Manor would collapse.
For a moment, he felt that this was a conspiracy of the Russians. After all the men died in the battle, wouldn't all the women in the manor become the wives of the Russians?
"No, the loss cannot be borne only by White Tree Manor."
Ligus did not take the initiative to flatter others and become other people's hunting dogs. His people could not stand the bullying of Pine Needle Manor, so they looked for an outside backer. He needs to rely on the force of the Ross people to maintain the status quo of White Tree Manor. If a large number of men from the manor die because of the Ross people's war, wouldn't it be putting the cart before the horse.
No, he, an old fellow, had a quick wit and gave Commander Arik a plan he couldn't refuse: summon the brave men from each manor and gather 400 people to fight for the Russians.
Take a look at the current situation of Baishu Manor. Most of the men are also thin and weak. You can see clear ribs when they lift their linen clothes. Are such people worthy of being soldiers? There were some men who Arik felt met the bottom line of a warrior's physical fitness. Unfortunately, there were too few such men in White Tree Manor.
If you want to fulfill your uncle's great boss, oh, he should be called Duke of Ross now, and if you want to fulfill the Duke's orders, you can't just pretend to be false.
Therefore, a war call order was issued urgently, and each manor began to reluctantly send out their strong men. They were forced by the power of the Russians and did not dare to disobey. The scene now can be said to be a scene where wives and children were held in arms and forced The husband who went on the expedition cried bitterly, while the skinny guys who were not favored by the Russians secretly enjoyed themselves. They prepared their own weapons, most of which were spearheads with bone and stone flakes stuck on them. After all, iron tools were not really popular in this area, and stone tools were still extremely important tools and weapons. They are more like hunters than warriors.
An army was assembled. There was no fighting spirit in their eyes, only infinite fear of war.
Can these cowards also become warriors? Arik was deeply suspicious of this, and he really couldn't figure out the leader's needs.
Soon, the selected men from multiple manors gathered at the Ross people's moorings in White Tree Manor.
They all brought some dry food from home, small pottery urns for cooking wheat, and even replacement rough leather boots and hemp blankets to keep out the cold. All kinds of things were stuffed into a hemp bag and carried on their backs, and the cold blankets were curled up in bundles and hung on their short spears.
Many men knew that they were going to fight. Regardless of their future fate, they accepted the call of the Russians in the same outfit as if they were going to hunt in the jungle.
The weapon on hand for many people was only a simple short spear, and some also carried slings, short wooden bows and a small number of arrows. Their bone arrows cannot penetrate the Rus' armor, and their spearheads are like toys.
Their so-called weapons were all rubbish. Considering that 200 of the men among them were from White Tree Manor, Aric simply did not make any disgusting remarks. He really did not want to praise his wife's natal manor.
In any case, such a group of "trash" were also soldiers he was authorized to command.
The Russians' stay in Novgorod was coming to an end, and it was another tense night. A large number of bonfires were lit at the door of the White Tree Manor's "temple", a special wooden house, and people gathered around the bonfires. holding large numbers of people.
Priests from multiple manors gathered here, and even Brudne, the owner of Pine Needle Manor, who had a hatred for the Russians, sent fifty so-called soldiers and manor priests.
Brudne, he is essentially a big landowner. Last year's disaster actually affected the whole of Europe, and the Novgorod region that reached the edge was still affected. Coupled with the intensified exploitation by the Ross people, life at Pine Needle Manor was very difficult. He encouraged a group of peasants who were unable to pay rent to fight against the Russians in order to forgive their debts. After all, these people themselves are also people who depend on the life of Pine Needle Manor. They are not the core. These people were kicked to Ross General Arik almost empty-handed.
The priests performed rituals in the blazing fire, and the numerous priestesses chanted obscure prayers while their whole bodies twitched. From time to time they beat the leather drums and wooden sticks in their hands, and emitted the sounds of birds and wolves.
In fact, Arik and his army had just arrived in Novgorod, and the residents of various estates were preparing for their "Dazhbog Festival", which is called sacrificing the sun to pray for good weather when the wheat seedlings grow.
They had just finished the festival, and even the bears sacrificed to the gods were still warm because of the grease hunted by the Russians. The Russians' war mobilization order was issued.
This time, all the priests were worshiping their god of war, Peron.
"Perron? What is that? Is our Rus' Odin more worthy of awe?"
Arik didn't want to pay any attention to the local sacrificial activities, and hundreds of serious Rus warriors watched the show with laughter.
He stayed in the home of the manor owner Rigus. The oil lamp illuminated the whole room enough that at least he could see his face clearly.
He sat cross-legged on the wooden floor and said casually: "Hey, it's really noisy outdoors. After this sacrifice, I have to take them all away."
"Yes, I have prepared everything you asked me to do. I hope this will satisfy you." Ligus's attitude was very complimentary, even though his daughter and son-in-law were all present.
The only thing that makes Ligus happy is that the young Ross general is also marrying a woman from his own manor. He has learned many Slavic languages, which makes everyone's communication quite smooth.
But this brave general could not inherit the rule of Rus. Rigus only feared Arik's anger and had no real respect for him.
Arik nodded: "I have seen the tributes paid by each manor. They are all our wealth. There is one thing I need to tell you."
"Please say."
"Victory will definitely belong to us. As a reward for your support, perhaps the great leader will be very happy to reduce your autumn tribute. Your White Tree Manor is the most loyal hunting dog, and you also send the most troops. Compared with other manors, the status of weapons is also lower. better."
"Oh, thank you for the compliment." A smile appeared on Ligus's dry face.
Arik looked around, then poked his head, and made a serious promise: "My chief... Oh, he is the war chief appointed by the Duke. This time I will lead a thousand people to take charge of a very important task. You Novgorodians must do certain things, and as a reward, your people can also seize the opportunity to get trophies for yourself. According to our tradition, those who fight for us will not be able to plunder the trophies that others can Take away."
Hearing this, like a dead tree sprouting new green, Ligus cheered up, and even the eldest son Medvit, who was listening to the scene, also straightened up.
"Ah?! Are our people also allowed..."
"Yes. Because they are warriors, as long as they are brave enough." Arik still had a serious face: "Think about it, the best of them will fight for wealth. Listen, we Russians only worship those on the battlefield. The strong. The coward and the timid will only be driven away by their companions. I hope your people are not short of brave men. Oh, there is a brave man here."
Arik suddenly raised his right hand and pointed at Medvet, and gave orders in ancient Slavic: "You! You are a strong man and the brother of my sister-in-law, Svetalana, the girl leaning against Ligus. , your status is noble enough. Follow me, as the commander of all Novgorod armies!"
Medveit had no knowledge of this until Arik gave the order.
Arik's order was absolute, even if Medvit did not want to leave his homeland rashly, for the sake of honor and the future of the manor, he accepted the arrangement in a thrilling manner.
I'm afraid it's all fate!
At night, Arik lived in a luxurious bedroom in the main mansion of White Tree Manor. He hugged his Peravina, listening to her soft breathing, and the hanging basket next to him, which was only over one year old. The eldest son Askard breathed even fainter.
He once felt that commanding five hundred soldiers was already his limit, but now, he has been authorized to command a thousand soldiers.
But wait! Are there really only a thousand people? There are so many brothers on Tombstone Island, but have they all been recruited away for the expedition?
Although he did not have the authority to lead an expedition, more than a thousand people were still gathered on Tombstone Island. If the women and children who were pioneering on the island were included, the number of people under his direct control once approached two thousand. I am afraid that not everyone will participate in this battle. Being able to command such a huge force, Arik judged that his life had reached a peak.
He...had begun to fantasize about something particularly great.
In the dark night, the faint moonlight filtered through the gap of the closed wooden window, and his eyes looked at the cradle carrying his son with the help of the dim light. "Asgard, maybe you can do something greater."
The next day, the white coals at the entrance of the temple were still burning slowly, and a large number of longships were assembled on standby.
Times have indeed changed. Because of the important stronghold of Novorossberg, the Russians can stay in Novgorod for a long time and frequently shuttle through the entire waterway of the Neva River, Ladoga Lake, and the Volkhov River.
They had to deliver the tribute twice a year, but the Russians did not have to make two trips a year to get it.
Arik left two hundred Rus warriors behind and continued to eat their food and drink their food here. These two hundred people are actually very particular, because one hundred of their wives are women from the White Tree Manor. Because of this marriage relationship, Arik is assured that they can control the entire Novgorod area and will also get the White Tree Manor. Adored.
People going on the expedition began to board the ship one after another. It was the first time in their lives that many Slavic "warriors" set foot on a Varyag warship. They were ordered to unload their luggage temporarily, and under the orders of the Russians with rude voices, they had to hold the heavy oars cautiously with both hands.
It seems that the act of paddling is no different from the rowing boats they used to do, but the Rus' oars are beyond their imagination.
There was no need to perform the sacrifice a second time, but all the residents of Baishu Manor gathered at the riverside.
There were as many as thirty long boats, carrying nearly a thousand people of various types and a batch of looted tributes in a completely overweight posture. They formed a compact, long snake formation, floating along the Volkhov River towards La Lake Doga.
"Now, leave your hometown, we are going to fight." Kawei put away the oar, hugged his somewhat sad wife, and looked towards the north.
"Are you going to fight too?" Lilia held her child in her arms again and looked at her husband's beard.
"Of course. I am a craftsman and a warrior. My people need me to repair various weapons for them."
"But, that's war!"
"What? Are you suddenly worried about me?"
Lilia lowered her head slightly, looking at the babble of the infant child with mixed feelings.
She was indeed not worried about the expedition that Kawei participated in before. After seeing the might of the Russians, who dares to say that they would not be able to win? Now that she is a mother, she instinctively hopes that her husband will not take risks.
How can the current situation change because of the expectations of one or more women?
Kawei, he couldn't let go of his wife and children, let alone his brothers in the tribe.
A few days later, a fleet with a larger number of people and more ships, led by the Ross general Arik, unloaded a batch of tributes at New Ross Fort, and received a supply of weapons and tools. The fleet entered to the Gulf of Finland.
They all adjusted the sails in the appropriate direction and moved forward at a very fast speed under the blow of the south wind.
After sailing for three consecutive days and nights, they saw the fire at the Misty Islands and rushed towards it...
