No, that night the people of Visby saw the fiery red east of the hill. This terrifying vision made people go crazy after the war.
What Harald expected happened.
Some guys who covet the wealth of big businessmen, they are a group of men, specifically a group of pure pirates. They did not want to die defending Visby, but only wanted to look for opportunities to steal property from this trading stronghold. Thieves are the oldest profession, and now they have become armed bandits!
They began to harass the wealthy merchants who had lost their mercenaries, and some of them succeeded in looting. They broke through the wooden walls of the merchants' houses, killed the heirs who could not protect the merchants, defiled the women's families, and searched for gold and silver everywhere to wreak havoc. They are usually jealous of the wealth of big businessmen, and now is a good time to vent their revenge. Inspired by this, some refugees also joined in the looting.
The civilians in fear turned into a mob. The five families of big businessmen who escaped, including Harald, will now fight to protect their homes and courtyards! Like the Rus, they had to use extremely brutal tactics to deal with any attackers. Because those bandits were the young warriors and female warriors during the day, and the former allies became enemies. If they succeeded, it would be the annihilation of the merchants.
A mound with an altitude of only 100 meters separated the two worlds. On the battlefield to the east, thousands of dead bodies lay peacefully. Some nocturnal ravens pecked at the dead bodies, while the Russian army burned their own dead. In Visby to the west, the locals are fighting a civil war. They didn't have many people left, and now they are killing each other.
In order to protect her home, Aslaqi led her female bodyguards and stood on the high point of the wooden wall to resist the enemy with spears and disperse them with bows and arrows. Although she is only sixteen years old, who can say that she is not a female warrior? Her heroic appearance is quite like that of a Valkyrie. Could it be that such a fairy really wants to become a gift for peace? For whom do you seek forgiveness from the Russians? These angry people in Visby?
Her father, Harald, was extremely troubled.
Faced with such a predicament, Harald was extremely disappointed with Visby. He even hoped that the Russians would kill these guys and chop them into minced fish.
As for his family, he sacrificed Aslaqi, knelt down and put all the blame for the war on the dead Haken. Finally, he declared his allegiance to the leader of Ross, and provided a sum of money, so that the family would not be destroyed.
The chaos in Visby lasted all night. As the saying goes, the defeated soldiers were not much different from the bandits. They failed on the battlefield and knew that they were doomed. They were clearly doing their final madness before death. Visby was like the same purgatory.
When the morning sun shines on the land and ocean, the Russian fleet continues to float quietly on the sea. They are arranged like chains, and each ship carries a torsion slingshot and is on standby.
The sun shone on the messy alleyways of Visby, illuminating the dead bodies scattered everywhere, as well as a group of half-dead guys.
The aroma of burning fills the alley, which is the wonderful smell of sheep that have lost their owners and been boiled.
Those bandits who became "leaders" could not get wheat or fish, but fat sheep could be easily obtained. The chubby sheep were supposed to be sheared, but the bandits who were eager to fill their stomachs knew that they had no power to care about the value of sheepskins and wool, so they had to eat meat to satisfy their hunger.
Of course they don't want to be buried with Visby, but how easy is it to escape from this targeted city?
They want to fill their stomachs and wait and see what happens, waiting for the right moment to escape.
Visby's inherent natural order has completely collapsed. Now whoever has the biggest fist can serve as the boss for a very short time before the Ross army sweeps the entire harbor. Those thieves who often hide in the sewers once became the kings of Visby, but they were still powerless against the several big businessmen who still had strong combat capabilities.
No, in the early morning, many merchants who had worked hard all night evacuated to the beach with some money boxes. They pushed off the long boats and began to evacuate forcefully. They were walking in a hurry, and some bandits with weapons stared at them along the way, but they only paid attention.
Anyone interested in escaping was not stopped, and they needed this brave group of traders to find their way out.
This is really a move to seek death, because the Russian ships are waiting!
The fleeing businessman had better succeed, so that the bandits can take the gold and silver and row the long boat out of this terrible island. Even if the success rate of escape is not high in the end, they should still try hard, at least it is better than just waiting to die.
Except for Harald of the Hrolev family who ordered his family to stick to their own courtyards, the last four big businessmen and a few of their dependents brought more than fifty boxes of silver coins in total and began to paddle hard to break through the Ross ship. team blockade.
In times of crisis, go to hell with any stored goods! The fleeing businessman no longer cares about the copper coins in his inventory.
How much is a copper coin worth? More than fifty boxes of coins were all filled with genuine gold and silver, mixed with a batch of Baltic Sea specialty gemstones - amber.
In fact, they carried very valuable property, which was also the original capital for a comeback that they fought to the death in the offensive and defensive battle with the bandits last night.
The merchants all dreamed of escaping to the southern seas as soon as possible after breaking through the Russian blockade, stopping at Bernholm to buy some supplies and slaves, and then heading straight to Hedebe to open up new horizons.
The morning sun was a little dim, and there was still a layer of mist on the sea.
The red light on the island illuminated the sky last night, and Gould knew with his toes that something big had happened there. The so-called big event is the decisive battle!
Although Gould had no ability to contact Ross's army on the shore, he acted in full accordance with the plan before the decisive battle, which was to block Visby Harbor until he received a clear order and be sure to sink all escaping ships.
Gould slept lightly the past night, and most of the old and weak as well as the armed women on the deck were alert, with the wooden crossbows in their hands always on guard. Now the Ross tribe can only fill the ship with the weakest personnel, and it is their turn to fight again.
Looking at the approaching fleet of ships, Gould's sleepiness was suddenly diluted by the tension.
"How brave! Do you think we can break through if we act together? Don't you think merchant ships can't be well armed?"
The flag representing "battle" was quickly pulled to the top of the mast of the Aurora. When each ship saw this flag, the people on board, old and young, men and women, went into battle.
When doing business with the strong, smart businessmen must pay attention to contracts. When doing business with the weak, it is best to rely on the strong to bully the weak.
Gould imagined fighting as a business activity in which the opponent appeared to be powerful but was actually weak. kindness? No! They must all be turned into fish feed.
Obviously, no fool would attack the small island-like Aurora.
In the eyes of the fleeing merchants, the Aurora was indeed too big. She is so big, so she must not be traveling very fast. They take it for granted that the Russian ships blocking the port are just cargo ships. What are cargo ships? They are all low-speed goods. The longships carrying gold and silver coins can travel quickly and leave the enemy behind. Some people also remembered the failure of the previous wave of escapees, but unfortunately the new escapees were selectively ignored. They were gambling with their lives, and they could only go to the dark side when leaving the port.
Reality ruthlessly defeated their luck!
The fleeing fleet tried to rush northwest to the south as soon as they left the harbor. They never thought that the Russian ship would unexpectedly rush forward on the waves. The water splashed by the bow of the ship could easily overturn an ordinary fishing boat.
The Avora's sails were fully hoisted, and her copper-skin-reinforced bow ram was like a bronze battle axe. She ruthlessly broke the first longship with the pressure of a queen on the sea, and many people on board were directly killed. His skull was crushed and his spine was crushed, and he died on the spot.
Then came the second and third ships, and a total of three longships turned into two pieces and sank quickly on the spot.
Oh no! The longship didn't really sink.
The broken wreckage of the longship was stuck on the seabed. After all, after leaving the small bay of Visby, we still had to advance another two kilometers before entering the deep water area.
When he was young, Gould came to Visby by chance. During that encounter, he followed the business habits of merchants. He especially inspected some of the hydrological conditions here. He was afraid of the so-called accidental collision of merchant ships with heavy losses.
The water depth in the sea where the naval battle took place was only about three meters. The current draft of the empty Avora was only a little over one meter, and the draft of the fleeing longships was even shallower.
Escapees who fell into the water spontaneously hugged driftwood and shipwrecks. They choked on a lot of salty water and were trying to calm down and figure out the situation.
They had no right to rest, because the terrifying arrows kept coming one after another.
Gould no longer needed to give orders, and the Russians on the ship started shooting arrows.
What are the operating techniques for wooden crossbows? The weight of the bow arm is low, and even an elderly person can string it quickly. After installing the arrow, the wooden support is against the shoulder and against the cheek. The shooter looks at the rear sight on the circlip and the front sight protruding from the front, aiming at the three-point line and shooting immediately.
The crossbow turned the old and weak among the Russians into deadly hunters in an instant. Those guys with age spots and unshaven beards would immediately recall the bravery of their youth when they saw the enemy who was hit by the arrow desperately vomiting blood. It was the thing in his hand, the new weapon invented by Rurik, that made the old warrior great again.
As the saying goes, an arrow fired by a child is just as deadly as an arrow fired by an adult.
Not only arrows, but also the cast-iron projectiles fired by the Avrora's torsion slingshot are also using extremely strong penetrating power to hit unattacked enemy ships through the bottom of the ship.
Just one large ship, Avora, blocked the escape path of subsequent enemy ships.
The ensuing battle was completely one-sided. The heroic actions of the Aurora attracted other cargo ships to come in droves, starting a feast of ramming and defeating the enemy.
Each ship has an extremely hard bulbous bow. Even without copper reinforcement, the hard nature of the seasoned oak is difficult for any ship to withstand, including themselves.
During the melee, the Avora was running rampant. She was not afraid of the enemy at all. She was most afraid of accidental collisions with friendly forces on both sides of the ship. If it really hits, it won't be a big hole, and it's not impossible for water to enter and capsize.
Fortunately, today's Aurora is extremely lucky. The wooden idol on the bow of the ship is really possessed by the Valkyrie, giving the entire ship tremendous combat effectiveness.
Archery is the icing on the cake, and the heart of the battle is still the bulbous bow of each ship.
Like a swarm of piranhas attacking a helpless duck, the group of fleeing merchants wailed and lost all their boats. They themselves fell into the water, and their thick clothes sucked up the water and carried them down hard. Even if you take off your clothes in an emergency and float on the water, you will encounter flying arrows and even spears poked by people on the boat.
What is very strange is that Gould is of the same age as these businessmen. A long time ago, young Gould visited Visby and met some local businessmen. He actually had encounters with these drowned businessmen, but unfortunately he didn't remember them. Even if he remembered them, it couldn't be a reason to spare their lives. Because Gould never owed them anything, now that all members of the family have immigrated to Ross, they must fulfill their tasks as required by the Duke of Ross.
A businessman opened his arms and shouted for help: "Don't kill me! I brought a lot of money, you can buy my life!"
money? ! A lot of money? !
Upon hearing this word, the murderous Gould instantly turned back into the money-grubbing elephant seal.
The torque slingshot that was supposed to fire accurately was suspended, and Gould hurriedly ordered the various warriors on the deck to stop temporarily.
He lay on the side and licked the pig's head and mocked arrogantly: "Is your life noble? You are just a fat seal and will be killed soon."
"I have money! A lot of money! If you can spare me, let me get on the ship!"
"Are you really rich? Where's your money?"
"In this water, in the long boat that you scuttled and sunk! There are ten boxes of silver coins, gold, and jewelry. I exchanged these belongings for my life."
Trying to make sure he heard correctly, Gould asked again, stunned by the wealth.
"Ah! What I sank was actually a fleet transporting gold and silver?!" Gould felt in his heart that he had made a reckless battle decision. Unfortunately, looking around, the sea was full of Ross ships with great military achievements. There are also long ships, but they are scattered on the seabed, like a flooded forest.
Ten boxes of silver coins, isn’t that a thousand pounds of silver? ! If the people of Gotland followed the tradition of doing business in the vast world, that is, only one hundred pounds of silver coins were stuffed into a leather-wrapped wooden box, then there would be a huge sum of money lying on the sea bed near the Aurora!
"How about it? This money can..."
"No." Gould made a determined decision and slowly stretched out his round right hand with gemstone rings on each finger. All the soldiers present knew that this was a signal to prepare to shoot.
"Why?!" The businessman who fell into the water was shocked, but death suddenly came.
The Russians rewarded the big businessman who escaped from the scene of the decisive battle in Qiao Village last night with a clean death.
The ship-destroying cast-iron bullet of the torsion slingshot directly smashed the businessman's head, and he was dead before the nerve signal could respond. In a sense, this person died without suffering any pain.
But the situation of many people who fell into the water was tragic. The wounds caused by the arrows on their bodies were not fatal for a while. The injured struggled desperately, and finally suffocated in the water and died.
A one-sided naval battle with no suspense ended when the mist dissipated.
The morning sun diluted the coldness of the morning, and only the huge triangular sails of the Ross fleet were left in the bay of Visby, as well as the blue and white "oar flag" flying on the top of the mast.
The people watching the battle on the shore were all shocked and overwhelmed. The spies sent by Harald ran back crawling and reported to their masters the destruction of the big merchants.
Harald fainted on the spot. He really couldn't imagine that the Russians were so terrifying, and their naval battles were ruthless.
When he slowly woke up with his old head resting on his daughter Aslaqi's knees, he saw his daughter's fairy-like face and suddenly muttered: "It seems that I should make peace with the Russians. Aslaqi." "
"Father...are you okay?"
"You...maybe you are the leader of the Russians and your family's only way to survive."
Hearing this, the young female warrior was stunned. The smart Aslaki had fully understood her father's intention, and she naturally refused. However, according to the rules, marriage was a means to bring peace and end disputes. Father, mother, elder brother and younger brother, as well as the few servants, all of whom lived together day and night, how could they be buried with Visby? What's more, Visby is no longer prosperous now, and it is only one step away from ruins.
Aslaqi's eyes were trembling. She said nothing, then she turned her face aside and cried silently.
By now Harald already knew that his daughter had acquiesced in his decision. And he himself should strive to pay the price from the Russians in the name of his family and buy peace that belongs only to the Hrolev family. As for other Visby residents? forget it! This group of gangsters just happened to be in Visby at the moment. The bloodthirsty Ross army would kill them like ants and turn them into a pile of minced meat.
"Hel me up, my daughter!"
Then, Harald slowly stood up, and slapped his hands on Aslaqi's young yet firm shoulders. Although it was very useless and shameful, he could only sacrifice his daughter for the sake of his family. He felt sorry for her, and then looked sideways at his tearful wife: "Made her into the most beautiful fairy. Soon, I will go and talk to the Russian people in person. I hope they will reward our family with peace for the sake of the fairy."
