The Rus evacuated with their cash boxes, and they soon returned to the top of the mound.
Contrary to the enthusiasm of his men, Rurik had no joy in getting the "ransom".
"What's wrong? My brother, are you feeling depressed because you're tired from walking?" Arik's smile was impudent. He pushed Rurik hard and advocated: "They are indeed a group of cowards. I'm afraid they won't dare to come to a decisive battle. "
"Then I'll follow your plan. Our army will climb over or around the mound and attack Visby." Rurik said casually.
"Oh, then I still hope they send people here. I will destroy them in one go and let the brothers possess their women."
Rurik didn't care about his cousin's remarks. He knew the deceitful ways of soldiers, and he also realized the true significance of soldiers' important affairs in the country.
This was a gamble that risked everything on the Ross tribe. It seemed that a huge army was assembled, but for this army, failure was the end of everything, and a tragic victory was achieved at the cost of heavy casualties. This result was also Better than failure.
Rurik prides himself on being more sober, or more cautious, than Arik.
Don't look at the many early victories. If you become arrogant and complacent and become a arrogant soldier, will you suffer a big loss in the decisive battle?
"Arik!" Rurik thought of something and hurriedly called his cousin.
"What's wrong? What did you think of?"
"When we go back, please don't say anything about money."
"What? Why?! We have taken such a big advantage, how can we not let all the brothers know? Wouldn't it be nice for everyone to be happy?!"
"On the contrary." Rurik closed his eyes and calmed down: "We will not publicly display the coins when we go back. I will publicly declare the despicability of the Visby people."
"What is this for?"
"Tell the brothers that we were deceived by the enemy! We let the prisoners go, and they threw down the boxes and left. As a result, the boxes were full of dirt." At this point, Rurik thought of another trick: "We will immediately Take out the silver coins, stuff them with soil on the spot, and then display them in public.”
Arik behaved in this war as a murderous and reckless man. He could not understand his brother's schemes, so he had no choice but to ask the truth.
"Hey, I just want to make my brothers angry! Arik, anger will bring courage. The Rus, the Novgorods, the Kovins, everyone in our team was deceived by the enemy, so that everyone has He will have no scruples for the sake of killing his enemies. Aric, what do you want to do to the person who deceived you?"
It was only then that Arik finally realized that this was his brother's way of boosting morale, and he laughed wildly: "Of course I'll chop off the liar's head."
"Then keep walking. I'm going to leave some people behind to do eyeliner and pile up some branches. There is some dried cow dung under the mound. Collect some and put them on the woodpile."
"What's your plan?"
"Because burning cow dung will produce obvious thick smoke. When our eyeliners saw the enemy making a big move, they lit the pyre, and the brothers stood up and prepared to fight! It will still take some time for the enemy to arrive at our scheduled battlefield, so when What they face when they arrive is our well-prepared army."
My brother does have "wisdom given by Odin". He obviously has a clear insight into the future decisive battle, and can even predict the enemy's attack and make arrangements. In addition to admiration, Arik could only cooperate unconditionally.
Ten people remained on the mound. They had excellent eyesight, were good at fighting, and were good at hiding themselves in the withered yellow bushes. They began to actively pile up pyres, carefully guarding the flammable tinder, and gazed west towards Visby.
Rurik and Arik led the victorious team back to the camp. It was still the evening of the 17th.
When they saw their brothers returning from a busy day building a field camp, most of them just looked at them from a distance and waved.
Some people happily welcome the returning people regardless of their physical fatigue, but are surprised to learn that the returning people have been deceived!
Rurik colluded with his brothers along the way, and even the rebellious Dane Grund also said everywhere with everyone: "We were deceived by King Visby! There are no coins, only sand."
The news quickly reached Otto's ears. With the outcome of the matter, after calming down his raging heart, Otto felt that since those Gotlanders had betrayed the alliance, it was not unusual for them to do deceptive things. This matter still needs to be inquired about after meeting my son and nephew.
Soon, the Rurik brothers returned to the Duke's tent.
To put it bluntly, after a whole day of digging and inserting wood, the Russians just dug out the earth and built a half-person-high circular low wall, which gave the camp a good wind protection function. But it’s clearly not just windproof! If the brothers continue to dig even to the height of one person, it is tantamount to saying that the Russians have built a fortress.
When enemy troops suddenly appear, it is also a good thing to let them attack the fortress in large numbers. In this way, the Russian army can take advantage of the geographical advantages and continuously fire arrows from high places to cause damage.
Even transforming the camp into a star fort with multiple lobes.
The thought flashed through his mind, and Rurik knew that he could obviously do this, but it was not necessary based on reality.
Which commander would be so stupid as to let his brothers, who were waiting for a decisive battle, be exhausted physically and mentally by insisting on civil construction on the day before the battle? Besides, the strength of the Ross Army is by no means a disadvantage, so there is no need to rely on the defensive attributes of the Star Castle to make up for the shortcomings.
However, the camp of the main army is still the actual tactical high ground, and the long-range firepower of the Russian army has reason to take advantage of this.
Rurik and Arik were sitting in the Duke's tent. At this moment, the captains of each flag team gathered here.
Looking at the formation, it was clear that Rurik was not here to report on his duties, but that officers from the entire army were gathered together for a pre-war meeting.
Seeing that his son and nephew were safe and sound, Otto breathed a sigh of relief: "As soon as you came back, there were rumors in the army that you were cheated by the enemy. They didn't give you any money? Don't just appreciate it. The Gotlanders are traitors, traitors." Promises cannot be trusted.”
Rurik shook his head with a calm face, then asked the people standing outside carrying boxes to enter the tent one after another, unloaded the boxes and left immediately.
Otto squinted his eyes and stared at the suitcases: "The suitcases are good, but it's a pity that... they are full of sand?"
Rurik did not speak. He stood up and opened the box at will, showing the pile of silver coins to everyone.
All the boxes were opened one after another, and everyone was shocked by the large amount of silver coins.
Otto stood up suddenly and exclaimed deeply: "They didn't lie to us?! Did they give us money?!"
"Yes, they paid, but..." Rurik signaled the frightened people to quiet down and listen to him explain the whole story, "I deliberately created public opinion. I think everyone outside this tent is talking about the Gotlanders. It's a liar. This is what I need. Now I want to take out all the silver coins and replace them with soil on the spot. I will display these boxes filled with soil in public tomorrow."
Otto suddenly shot out his right hand, indicating to his son that there was no need to say more, and then started to giggle. Harold Zuosen, who was also an old guy, also laughed out loud.
"What a smart boy, everyone still hates them!"
"Yes!" Rurik's face remained calm and he made a special statement: "It just so happens that all the flag captains are here. Let me tell you that I had a direct negotiation with the King of Gotland, the man named Haken. I declared The day of the decisive battle was the 19th. We ambushed their people, killed the captured Sigfast, and brought back so many silver coins. I believe that after being so humiliated, they will definitely send troops to fight..."
Rurik said a lot, and Otto became more and more aware of the complexity of the matter. "Rurik, if their army does not appear on the 19th, what will happen to our army?"
"Then our army will take the initiative to attack on the 20th! I believe this is actually the real choice of the majority of soldiers. In the end we will defeat the Gotlanders in Visby. I hope that the enemy will fight with our army on the bridge village battlefield we have arranged. A decisive battle, so that the price we pay for victory will be the smallest. I also believe that that man will carry out his words and dispatch all Gotland warriors to fight me decisively on the 19th."
Otto looked around happily: "Look, the war is coming, we should be well prepared. You all remember that there are only friendly forces and enemies on the battlefield, there is no distinction between old people and children. When you go back, tell your people that there will be no difference in the decisive battle." Show no mercy.”
Everyone roared in agreement.
Rurik did not finish what he said. Of course, it is wishful thinking to imagine that the enemy will definitely infiltrate into the preset location in the decisive battle. Since this possibility has become very high, the Russians should use their own advantages to organize the decisive battle. The place is well arranged.
As the military commander, he immediately designed the formation for the decisive battle.
The formation once rehearsed on Tombstone Island remained unchanged, and the Ross army still had to use pincer tactics to kill as many of the enemy's effective forces as possible. The biggest adjustment made here is that the Russians will back their own camp, and the windproof earth wall facing the west will continue to be dug and piled up tomorrow until it is as high as an adult warrior. All the torsion slingshots will be placed on it. When the war began, all the crossbowmen who could not fight head-on retreated to the earth wall, especially the ten-year-old warriors. They relied on their crossbows and slingshots to continuously output firepower.
With such armored men slashing from the front, and non-stop arrow shooting from the rear, the war turned into a three-dimensional battle unprecedented in the Nordic world.
No one has ever seen such a battle. It is currently based on Rurik's personal narration, and the listener can only rely on imagination to taste the excitement.
All the silver coins in the box were dumped, and a pit was quickly dug out in the Duke's tent. All the silver was buried in the pit, and the excess soil was stuffed into the box.
Thanks to the protection of the low earth wall, this nasty northwest wind did not cause much trouble to the Ross army in the camp.
The Kovin people are undoubtedly the most active in digging soil here. They are good at building hillforts made of wood and soil, and they gave the most direct technical guidance to the construction of low walls in the Ross army camp. Of course, they also dug themselves a pile of earthen pits that were ridiculed as tombs. They put a large number of branches on them to form sheds, and there were caves inside. This is a semi-underground house, so the effect of keeping warm and windproof is really poor.
Time soon came to the 18th. On this morning, the Russian fleet arrived at the sea off the port of Visby and sank the fleeing merchant ships.
In the afternoon, the Russian eyeliners on the mound suddenly saw a large ship on the sea in the distance!
These people must have very good eyesight, and the air is extremely clear. There are some boats floating unexpectedly on the vast sea, and they all have unique big triangular sails.
A messenger frantically ran back to the camp where the Ross army was still intensifying their arrangements, and reported the news of the arrival of Gould's fleet to Rurik and Otto.
Early in the morning, when the soldiers had finished eating the dried meat and were about to do something, Rurik summoned his mercenaries to deliberately create a noise in the camp.
Soon more than a thousand people rushed to gather in front of the Duke's tent.
All the suitcases were opened, and the sand and soil inside were clearly visible. Rurik, Arik and Otto spoke loudly one after another, denounced the Gotlanders as liars, which aroused the excitement of the crowd!
Soon, the angry soldiers smashed the boxes, and the chaotic scene almost led to an accident.
Two strong mercenaries used their hands as saddles, and Rurik stepped on them, keeping him at a high position.
When the excitement of the people calmed down a little, he began to announce loudly in a voice that everyone was familiar with: "Brothers! The King of Gotland is a liar! The day of the decisive battle! Tomorrow! War! Kill them!"
Thousands of eyes focused on the handsome face of the boy with a golden ponytail. Rurik's blond hair was blown by the northwest wind.
Becoming the king that attracted everyone's attention, Rurik was already infected by this exciting atmosphere. He raised his right fist high and shouted one after another: "War! War! War!"
He doesn't need to make a long speech. He could actually publish a "revealing message" but it's not necessary.
He focuses on two concepts: We have been deceived by the enemy, and we should take revenge with war.
He used the simplest words to explain his tough attitude and quickly inspired people's fighting spirit.
People began to chant war. At this moment, who could question the morale of the Russian army?
Some really insignificant tool men, such as those prisoners of Baisha Port who were willing to serve as servants in order to survive, were given some shovels to dig the soil, or they just used their hands to build the earthen wall of the camp facing the west under the supervision of the Ross warriors. accumulation. If any of them slacked off, they would be beaten and kicked by the Russians. Even though their hands were digging in the soil and were full of blood, they were still forging ahead.
If it had been left in the past, Rurik would have felt compassion for these tool people.
But now, these guys are destined to become victims of the war. Rurik only spared their lives temporarily. I am afraid that they will all die tomorrow.
Gould's fleet arrived at Visby Port and immediately imposed a military blockade on the port. Although the news was conveyed in the afternoon, Rurik estimated that the enemy must have completely given up the idea of escape by sea early in the morning.
The enemy either sits back and waits for death, or breaks out and fights to the death. With the port blocked, the enemy no longer has option C.
The day of decisive battle is coming!
On August 18th of the Julian calendar, the Russian soldiers were basically recharging their strength for the whole day.
It can be said that most of them spend the whole day sitting and lying around doing nothing. The construction of the earth wall was done by the slaves of Baisha Port. The brothers only had to sit on the grass and use the sharpening sandstone in their burlap backpacks to keep sharpening their ax blades and spearheads.
The crossbowman counted all his arrows, plus the inferior arrows seized at White Sands Port. The number of bows and crossbow arrows currently owned by the Russians reached an astonishing 30,000, equivalent to all of them. On average, each crossbow is equipped with nearly ninety arrows. This is just a crossbow. The torsion slingshot is installed on the trolley. At the same time, some tailed javelins and cast iron bullets are also fixed.
Rurik ordered the tribe women to sew the "Russian backpack with straps and girdle from ancient times", which basically made every soldier have one. There were some personal belongings of the soldiers in the bag, and they were also asked to insert some arrows to help transport them.
Most arrows are still packed in bundles on reindeer carts, but now the situation has changed dramatically. The captured reindeer were carrying supplies. Even if there were a large number of reindeer, the main force of the Russian army carried a large amount of supplies and equipment, which made the march quite difficult and had to take a detour when encountering hills.
Every warrior carries a heavy load when marching. Fortunately, the men of the Ross tribe have developed strong endurance when rowing desperately during peacetime.
All the sweat and sweat was devoted to this decisive battle. The decisive battle was imminent, and many people were stunned to have only a short sleep all night. They were unable to sleep purely due to excitement, but the little warriors who had been trained by Rurik all slept soundly. They still don't know what the decisive battle means, but in daily training, the girls in the team have become resistant to blood. They kept Lord Rurik's orders in mind, and each knew their own position and role in the decisive battle.
But the agreed day for the decisive battle, August 19th in the Julian calendar, maybe today is just a peaceful beginning?
Early in the morning, Rumia built a decent altar in the camp. With all the sacrifices, they all wore flower crowns woven with wild chrysanthemums picked locally to make a pre-war sacrifice for the decisive battle.
A reindeer was sacrificed, and Rumia held the cut liver of the deer as usual and announced Odin's will to the gathered people - Ross must win.
This is really routine. Too much good news has come. The Russian army has long believed that Odin has given the army the blessing of victory. The high priest's actions are just a way to strengthen the belief.
In the early morning, everyone hoped that the enemy would suddenly appear after the thin morning fog disappeared, and then the two armies would fight against the Ross army and win a complete victory. In the evening, the army would be able to march to Visby and plunder wantonly.
However, the enemy did not appear. Instead, the dark clouds completely dispersed and the sun came back!
Although the west wind was still blowing, everyone was illuminated by the warm sunshine, full of strength, and urgently needed to kill a few enemies for fun.
The earthen wall facing the west has been repaired, and Arik sat on the top of the wall boredly, with all ten torsion slingshots around him in place.
He gnawed on the dried fish, his eyes facing west.
Rurik sat quietly next to his cousin with a lifeless expression, seemingly simply waiting for the enemy to arrive.
"Looks like we're going to be disappointed. I really thought highly of that Haken. He's going to be a turtle with a shrunken head, waiting for me to smash the turtle shell with a big ax." Arik mocked fiercely.
"Don't worry, maybe they are on their way."
"You just think too highly of them. I've been waiting for a long time. Isn't everything calm as usual?" Arik shook his head and threw the dried fish aside. "I've eaten enough dry food. I have to go talk to Rumia. That sacrificial buck that’s roasting, I gotta get a leg and chew on it.”
Arik stood up and came down the mound, looking for the aroma of barbecue and leaving.
Suddenly, Rurik stood up, turned to his cousin and shouted: "Arik! There is smoke on the mound!"
Like being electrocuted, Arik, who was enjoying himself, suddenly turned around and looked to the west intently. Thick smoke was really coming out of the mound again, and it was getting thicker and thicker.
There is nothing to hesitate about!
Arik suddenly pulled out his sword, ran like a cheetah, and roared like a lion: "The Gotlanders are coming! Fight!"
The Russian army immediately became nervous. After they saw the warning "wolf smoke", they began to line up according to their own flag formation, and lined up very quickly to meet the enemy.
Yes! Early in the morning on this day, King Haken of Gotland, with his army of all kinds of people, began to climb over the mounds and rush to the place where the decisive battle took place in Qiao Village.
At this point, there is nothing to worry about. The Gotland Army actually gathered as many as 6,000 people in this battle! Even though they are mixed with a large number of too young boys and a large group of female warriors, they are still a powerful military force.
Haken saw the smoke suddenly rising from the top of the hill and concluded that this was an early warning from the Rus.
There is nothing to hesitate about!
Separated by a hill between the two armies, the commanders of both sides and most of the soldiers had surprisingly consistent attitudes - since this decisive battle has been decided, let the decisive battle come as scheduled.
The decisive battle related to the rise and fall of the Gotlanders and Rus's officially broke out.
