On July 20th in the Julian calendar, the bright sunshine shines across the fjord.
The Ross people in the fjord have assembled an unprecedentedly large fleet. They have docked offshore, with a total of up to 200 ships of various types!
On the coast, a small stone altar rose from the ground.
Rumia wore a deer-horned helmet and held up a piece of freshly cut deer liver. Deer blood dripped on her face and her liver faced the sun.
Thousands of people knelt on the beach and worshiped the sun.
There are quite a few warriors who are eager to go out. In order to show their might to Odin, they also wear armor when worshiping the sun.
The elite Rus warriors at the scene, whether wearing chainmail or armor, all wore white cloth gowns, with blue cross stripes on the chest and back, which further showed their strength.
A sheet of white magically appeared on the beach, mixed with blue tones. It was an unprecedented scene, just like a sheet of snow appearing on a hot summer day.
"God, grant us victory! Grant us an end to this long war! Let us conquer the Gotlanders!"
It seems that the sun has become brighter and the sea breeze has become more harmonious.
Rumia slowly put down the deer liver and squeezed it, and the blood filled a golden cup.
Rurik didn't want to drink blood. If possible, he would prefer blood tofu with deer blood mixed with salt.
This is a very necessary sacrifice before going on an expedition. The purpose is to put on a show for thousands of eyes.
Rurik personally carried the "oar flag" with a carved dragon head and sewn gold edges. He stood on the altar and dug the flagpole into the crack of the stone.
He took the golden cup, endured the strange feeling of vomiting, and drank the hot deer blood in one gulp.
His mouth was full of blood, and the scene was so shocking that people shouted long live Ross.
Rumia opened her hands to calm people's excitement. She screamed with a shrill voice: "Rurik, son of the Duke! Our commander! God has appointed him to bring us victory!"
To excite people, a slogan must be concise and to the point, and she knew that.
"Russ must win! Rurik must win!"
"Russ must win! Rurik must win!"
…
People repeated Rumia's slogan, thousands of people spoke in unison, and the passionate emotions moved everyone, and even the sea waves boiled with it.
The sacrifice ended enthusiastically, and the expedition began.
The huge army began to be dispatched that day, and the soldiers boarded the ship one after another with their own equipment.
For this battle, the Russians had essentially mobilized their entire army. Almost all the men who dared to fight, including most of the boys, were ordered to go out, leaving only a large number of women and children left behind.
There are more than a hundred old men who are actually elderly. In their later years, they have gloriously become the garrison of Fort Ross.
The interior of Roseburg is empty. Will potential enemies take advantage of it?
Of course, some people raised such concerns, but Rurik, as the military commander, vetoed all concerns.
The Russians have figured out the geographical structure around the entire Gulf of Bothnia. If there are potential enemies, the closest ones are the Balmok tribe in the western bay of the distant mountains.
All the surrounding small tribes were conquered by the Ross people, and these tribal warriors have become members of the Ross army.
Rurik seemed to be gambling, but in fact he was very successful.
Fort Ross is located in a remote place. Not only is it not a place of the Fourth World War, it is also an excellent haven, a safe zone at the edge of the complicated world.
The entire war did involve a lot of adventure. No one in Russia had such experience in commanding a team of three thousand people.
However, the clothing, flags and flag formations promoted by Rurik's raid made the command of the army become scientific and organized.
About thirty warriors were responsible to their captains, three captains to their centurions, and five or six centurions to their standard captains.
All flag-captains are responsible to Rurik himself.
A system of grassroots officers was established. Rurik did not expect them to have an amazing degree of organization. He specifically asked the soldiers to keep an eye on their commanders layer by layer.
Ordinary Rus warriors wear leather helmets covered with iron and copper.
The so-called squad leaders are all strong men among the crowd, and the helmets of these people are decorated with new patterns. A wooden stick protrudes from the helmet, and two white cloths and two blue cloths are tied to it to prove the captain's presence.
The so-called centurions, their helmets must be more ornately decorated. The mere binding of cloth strips is not enough. The ridged wooden stick is also tied with a circle of wild goose flight feathers and beautiful European mallard feathers, and is glued with pine glue. Glue to further secure. No one is interested in these decorations solely because they may interfere with individual battles.
As for the flag captain level, their attire no longer needs any decorations. They are the owners of the flag. There are flag officers standing up and down, the flag captain is there, and the entire flag team soldiers advance and retreat with their flags.
The "Second Flag Team of Warriors" has completed boarding, and each team owns a long ship. This unit was the first to leave its home port of Fort Ross. Commander Harold Johnson once again had the opportunity to rush to the glorious battlefield after three years. Twenty manned longships furled their sails, and the captains and soldiers struggled to paddle forward against the wind. Behind each ship was a small boat, which was loaded with a large amount of ordnance and supplies.
What awaits Harold Johnson is a three-day voyage. When they arrive at Tombstone Island, they will immediately make repairs on the spot because there is a more arduous voyage ahead.
The sacrifice before the expedition calmed people's hearts, and there was really no way for the huge army to leave the port at the same time.
When the war was placed in front of Rurik, he truly understood that the preparation time he gave his men was really short, and the preparations of all parties were uneven when it came to battle.
He had to urge each flag team to prepare supplies and leave the port quickly.
Therefore, in the three days after the sacrifice, most of Rurik's cargo ship was completely wasted on transporting materials.
After all, the soldiers and horses had to go ahead with food and grass. The original plan was to prepare rations for the army for the first ten days of August. In the end, the more the merrier. The tribesmen have exerted great productivity in the battle for this honor. They caught a large amount of fish, and the dried fish meat they made intensified also has a long shelf life. They just stocked up on fish and meat to sustain a team of 3,000 people for twenty days. Rurik didn't mind having too much food, they had to be loaded onto the ship.
In fact, Rurik also knew that in order to raise food, people in the tribe were gambling with their lives!
They spent a lot of time raising food for the tribe's warriors, which delayed the food reserves for this year's winter. The Russians must win! A large amount of supplies, especially all kinds of food, must be plundered, otherwise the entire tribe will starve, including starvation to death in the harsh winter.
This is the most horrific result, but the morale of the entire tribe is high. They only think about how rich the war dividends will be for each family after victory, and they have selectively ignored the risks.
Rurik was determined to win this battle. He completed the final preparations on July 24th. Food and reserve ordnance were all on board, and the large army set sail now!
The Aurora raised its huge sail, and the huge blue cross stripes on the sail were so eye-catching.
Not just her, there were more than thirty cargo ships behind them, all flying triangular Latin sails, and the sails also had exactly the same stripes.
The large ships moved southward in a zigzag pattern against the southwesterly wind, and hundreds of longships formed a circular array to protect them.
The masts of each ship were flying the Ross oar flag, but only the flagship Aurora flew the largest flag, with a blue horizontal stripe below it.
The Russians advanced on a very familiar route, but this time almost all the tribe's effective forces were mobilized.
A dark-haired girl who looked plainly dressed from a distance but looked gorgeous up close stood on the bow deck of the ship, stroking the railing and looking at the sea with apprehension.
"Are you feeling better now?" Rurik asked his Rumia gently.
The girl nodded: "It's okay, but my stomach still feels uncomfortable."
"It's better to go into the cabin and rest. You can lie down and take a nap."
"Forget it." Rumia shook her head: "This is my first time on a big ship. I want to enjoy the sea breeze."
"Then come and watch the sea with me."
Hearing this, Rumia's little face, which was ruddy and slightly haggard, blown by the sea breeze, slowly squeezed out a smile.
Rurik is already ten years old. His Nordic body has indeed inherited the strength of his biological father. Coupled with his good diet, at the age of ten, his current height has actually exceeded 150cm.
And what about Rumia? At the age of thirteen, it seems that it has become difficult for her to continue to grow taller. Seeing her "brother" and her man Rurik catching up immediately, she felt a strong sense of anticipation.
She was actually ready to become a woman. As long as this noble boy felt ready, Rumia was willing to take the initiative to welcome that sacred moment.
Because the position of high priest must be inherited by the right person, only his and Rurik's children are worthy of inheriting this noble and sacred position forever.
This is something she can only do! When the child is born, not only will the high priest of the Principality of Rus have a successor for generations, but all the deer herders will also receive complete protection.
Maybe that was three or four years later, because any woman who was a deer farmer usually became a mother at fifteen or sixteen. At least Rumia remembers her biological mother to be like this, and presumably she must be like this too.
She rarely had the experience of riding a ship, and even though the Aurora was a big ship, the bumps on the sea still made her seasick. It was just a whole day of sailing, and she had already vomited twice. She looked at the fish she had just eaten falling into the sea again. The guilt of wasting food made her feel uncomfortable. This indecent behavior was also a desecration of the identity of the priest. no?
Fortunately, the reasonable Rurik gave me meticulous care.
The sun was shining brightly, and Tombstone Island was not far away.
Rumia looked at the strange bulbous nose on the bow of the ship pushing away the water, and the ship was running wildly on the sea.
"Don't look at the bottom of the boat. You'll be dizzy and want to vomit. Just raise your head and look at the sea level." Rurik complained.
"Hehe, I..." Rumia turned her head: "I always feel like I'm flying."
"Fly? Really? You..."
A romantic thought popped up on the page, "Then stand on the full mast and open your arms."
"Would this be dangerous?"
"Silly girl, I will hold your feet."
"Oh, let me give it a try."
With the encouragement of her beloved boy, Rumia ignored all fears.
The Avora has a foremast, but this wooden pole tilted forward is used to tie the cables that fix the main mast. Theoretically it would be possible in no time to rig up the transom and hoist a small sail to take advantage of the wind below.
Rumia stood boldly on this wooden pole, with the sea beneath her.
She subconsciously grabbed the cable that fixed the mainmast. It was only then that she finally felt fear, because as long as she couldn't stand steady, she would fall into the sea and into the endless abyss.
Rurik said with a dull face: "Let go and keep your balance! Open your arms and look forward!"
"I'm afraid! I..."
"Don't worry, I will catch you! Don't you...don't you want to fly?"
Rumia looked at Rurik's resolute face again, and saw many people lingering on the deck, all looking at him with indescribable expressions. "Yes, I am the next high priest. If I am afraid now, wouldn't it be..." She gritted her teeth, stood up straight, stepped on the wooden pole with her bare feet, and opened her hands with a sullen face.
Suddenly, Rurik also grabbed her feet: "Stand up straight, my woman."
"I... am still a little scared."
"Don't be afraid, my high priest! We are the conquerors of the sea. Look, you have conquered the sea and you are flying on it."
Rumia was dressed in a white robe and plain clothes, and under the warm sea breeze, she gave the witnesses an extremely elegant posture.
She was the only one with extremely rare black hair, and she was indeed short in stature, but she was such a woman, and the huge silver jewelry on her chest was reflecting the sunlight fiercely.
"Lumia, in front of you is the wooden sculpture of this ship. She is the soul of the Avora. Relax yourself, be brave, and feel with your heart."
"Yes! I..." Rumia opened her eyes slightly. The vast sea was blue before, and she was indeed flying on the sea.
"I feel like I'm a wild goose! Haha."
"Yes! Are you happy?"
"Extremely happy."
"Still feeling unwell?"
"I...only have happiness!"
Many people saw Rurik, who had a golden ponytail, happily interacting with his woman.
Rumia was a high priest this time, and she embarked on this expedition with a sacred antlered helmet and half of the priestesses.
This girl stood boldly on the bow rail, looking down on the entire fleet. Is this a sacrificial activity? Oh, maybe yes. How to interpret it? Good people have pointed out that maybe the soul of the Aurora has communicated with Rumia, so she can stand peacefully. Some people also say that she communicates with the god of the sea. It is a good sign that the sun is shining and the waves are calm at this moment.
Rumia was like a happy bird. She had an experience of flying. It was clear that the Ross army was launching an expedition. War was obviously a very scary thing. She was no longer afraid when she stood on the deck again. .
The honor and disgrace of the enemy has nothing to do with her, as long as her Rurik wins. When her feet were merely held by Rurik, a strong sense of security made her ignore all dangers, and even the bad stomach discomfort disappeared!
Rurik just had nothing to do during the long voyage. He couldn't sleep around like his father, so he had no choice but to stay at the bow of the ship with Rumia and play some games with her.
It must be said that this girl has become more and more graceful as a woman, her light posture in plain clothes is more elegant, and her black hair and slightly flat face are really in line with Rurik's inner aesthetic. After all, the ancestor of this girl Rumia was a deer hunter from North Asia.
She was Rose, her own Jack. The feeling of standing on the bow of the boat wasn't romantic, but it was a little awkward.
This incident indeed deepened the friendship between the two, and Rumia also magically discovered that perhaps it came from "flying on the sea", and her seasickness seemed to be cured instantly.
The short night is coming, and Rumia, who is exhausted, has no scruples this time. The captain's lounge is now the command room of Ross's army. Rumia looked relaxed as she ate the fish, and Otto watched in amazement.
"Huh? Aren't you afraid of vomiting again? If you want to vomit, just hold it in until night. I don't want any more warriors to see our high priest's indecent behavior."
Rumia was no longer ashamed. She straightened her body proudly: "Duke, I can no longer do it. Just on the deck, Rurik cured my disease."
"You..." Otto suddenly looked at his son who was eating dried herring: "Did you use any miracle?"
"Me? Oh, maybe not. I make her fearless."
"Really fearless?" Otto frowned and said coldly: "Rumia, you were decisive when killing the deer, which is good. But this is a war, and many enemies will be killed. I hope you can still remain calm after seeing such a scene.”
"I..." Rumia's heart trembled and she gritted her teeth: "I will, I am not afraid of blood. I will sacrifice and pray for the soldiers in front of the battle. If someone dies in battle, I will pray for their souls."
Her words made her like the chaplain, which was Rurik's arrangement. The priests of the tribe need to do this to enhance everyone's morale and also to turn the tools of death into souls to enter Valhalla.
"Okay, after this dark night, we will arrive at Tombstone Island. Have a good rest." Otto said casually without taking it seriously. As an old leader who has experienced hundreds of battles, he was excited in his heart during this battle, but he showed it openly. There was no fluctuation in his mood, as if defeating the enemy was easy.
