The huge Ross fleet raised their sails with more sail than in previous years.
Two large ships with triangular sails became the core of the fleet, with as many as forty cargo ships guarding them, followed by a large number of traditional longships.
Compared with previous years, there were many fewer merchant ships following the Ross commercial fleet. Not only had those who intended to go north had set out a month ago, but also because Tombstone Island had become a real trading point, and a group of merchants were simply here. Island trade.
However, the merchants noticed the Ross trading company that was built on the ruins of the Birka market. I am afraid that in the future, they will no longer have to risk going north to Rossburg, and they will trade with the Ross people in Birka. As for whether to go north or do business locally, it depends on the tax status of the two places.
The fleet sailed with the wind. They left the mouth of the lake with dense islands, and everything suddenly became clear.
Returning home, although the autumn sea breeze was desolate, Rurik was enveloped in the joy of returning home and just wanted to return to Hong Kong as soon as possible.
The Avora rides the wind and waves, and the Gurdot, although very young, is no less seaworthy than her sister.
The wind blew against Rurik's face, and he stood on the bow deck of the ship in high spirits. Everyone in the fleet could see their leader, just like the old leader Otto.
It's just that Otto's ship was an ordinary battle longship, and Rurik's ship was already a giant ship.
No! Now Otto's ship has also undergone tremendous changes.
"Let's go to Tombstone Island first and unload some supplies." Rurik casually informed Gould, who was also blowing the wind.
"Is this very necessary? We can leave Tombstone Island and go back in three or four days."
"Unload some more supplies and sell them to the brothers who stayed behind at a fair price. When we arrive at Tombstone Island, we will come again next year when the ice and snow melt."
"Well, you are indeed a benevolent monarch."
Rurik shrugged, it felt good to be flattered.
Two imitation caravel ships and all traditional kirk-turned-cargo ships, all with identical jibs.
When the accompanying long ships all furled their sails and moved forward in a more traditional rowing mode, all the big ships were moving in reverse direction, which made the speed even faster!
Just as Rurik hoped, Eskil, a missionary from Frankland Cathedral, did not hesitate to accept Rurik's invitation and sail north on a huge Russian ship.
It was in the cabin of the Aurora that Eskil and his accompanying little priest unexpectedly met another believer.
Both sides inquired again and were surprised to find that their respective languages were interoperable.
"You! Are you from Britain? Are you not a priest, but a kidnapped by them?" Esquier asked the grain officer Paul.
Paul has always been in awe of priests, even Frank missionaries, but he always explained everything.
Speaking Saxon to each other, Esquier was shocked: "That young man Rurik? I know your Lindisfarne Island, that monastery is very famous. He led the barbarian army to destroy the monastery and killed at least A thousand Kingdom warriors? How terrifying.”
Esquier made the sign of the cross vigorously, cursing Rurik and Ross as devils in his mind, but then he thought about it, and the boy obviously understood his faith very well.
Perhaps it is precisely because of understanding that they become more savage?
Eskil was shocked and asked, "Is there a stolen sacred object hidden in this cabin?"
Paul neither admitted nor denied. He was silent for a moment and then said helplessly, "I am now their slave, and I will continue to maintain my faith. They are indeed barbaric, but they have no intention of denying our faith."
Hearing this, Eskil breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's good! If they don't object, I'll have a chance. The Swedes in Malaren already have a new lamb, and now I can make a breakthrough with the Russians."
Paul was just a grain officer, and he only introduced these things because of the boredom of sailing and the fact that Eskil and others shared his beliefs.
Because there are still a large number of people in the various Saxons conquered by Frank who do not accept the Lord's faith.
Esquier is a Saxon who believed in the Lord, and he has been working in this cause for twenty years.
In Reims, Bremen, and Hamburg, no one knows Denmark better than him. Now he boasts that he will lay the first stake of his career in Ross in the far north. At least he will increase his knowledge so that subsequent missionaries can expand their sacred cause. .
Rurik predicted Eskil's thoughts, and suddenly felt that the two boys dressed as priests following him were his accomplices.
He even judged that this guy wanted to build a monastery in Ross. This is actually possible, but not now. Through Eskil, I have a more detailed understanding of the Frankish Kingdom. It is better not to talk about money.
The fleet set off in the morning, and it was not until evening that the shadow of the Åland Islands appeared in the north.
Night finally fell, but there was nothing to worry about.
Although sailing at night is extremely risky, just aim at the fire on the shore and dive headlong.
Tombstone Island did not intentionally set up a flame lighthouse, but every night on the island, the people stationed on the island would light bonfires to grill fish and eat them.
It was a permanent settlement with a population of thousands!
Rurik's fleet did not take the inner waterways of the archipelago, which required more vigilance, but followed the outer reaches of the archipelago and plunged in after seeing a large number of fires. But the unexpected is just around the corner.
"What's going on? Are there a lot of merchants from Melalen crowded here?" Rurik couldn't believe his eyes.
Gould was also surprised and said: "Shouldn't it be? There are traders here, but they don't have so many ships."
"Then..." Suddenly, Rurik thought of something, and then he trembled with surprise, "It's Otto. The Sorgon fleet is back, and they actually anchored here to rest."
Everything went as Rurik expected.
The north wind has blown the world cold, and the clouds in the sky have almost disappeared. It is the crisp autumn air, the stars are shining brightly, and the new moon is shining in the sky one night.
The world was not too dark yet. Rurik gradually saw that there were rows of ships moored around Tombstone Island. Judging from the thick body, they were undoubtedly cargo ships!
Among them, a huge ship-shaped phantom became increasingly clear to her.
"It's the Speros. Okay, now the three Avora sisters have gathered together."
Gould hurriedly reminded: "Sir, there must be no berths in the small bay in the island. We must anchor on the spot."
"Okay, we are going to take the boat ashore. Inform everyone to stay on the boat while a few of us go ashore."
Due to the possible crowds and troubles, Rurik didn't want to let his men run around. He only arranged for a cargo ship carrying daily necessities to unload some cheap pots and pans ashore.
He took Nolen in the boat and waited for the shore again. This time he took his new woman to meet his parents.
Nolen is cautious and cautious. She knows that Rurik is not the leader of Rus in all senses, and his father is still the de jure Duke of Rus.
Rurik is so young, so his father must be very strong. It is also strange that Rurik seems to have no living brothers.
Otto of Ross may have some secrets, and what does Otto think of his own existence? Will he be particularly fond of him because of the alliance between the two tribes?
The news of Rurik's arrival greatly surprised Otto, who had also just arrived. By chance, he also had something good for his son to see.
No, Otto led a girl and hurried towards the small bay dock on the island, accompanied by the accompanying soldiers.
In the dim firelight he saw his son's landing.
"Huh? This guy really brought a woman back?!"
The girl next to him immediately said in a very broken Norse language and with a nasal voice, "Dad, that's Rurik, is he a sister?"
"No, Lanna, that's her other concubine."
"oh."
"What? Disappointed?"
"Well……"
Seeing the girl's silence, Otto patted her back casually: "You are my chosen one. You will be Rurik's official wife. Only the boy you give birth to will inherit Rose. Go and talk to Rurik."
This is Svetlana. Just as Otto said at the beginning of the year, he decided to bring this ten-year-old Slavic girl back this year. Although she is not old enough to get married, she will at least bring her back to live with Rurik.
Otto was indeed a little too hasty, but he had something to hide.
Vilia is dead, the old priest who is like a mother and the most stable ally in tribal politics is dead. Otto looked serious on the surface, but he also shed tears behind his back.
He even lamented that he was getting old too. Rurik would be twelve years old next year, and it would be time for him to officially come of age and get married. And he himself, the old leader of Ross, is basically sixty years old.
During this voyage to Sorgon, he felt tired. His blond hair had turned gray at an unprecedented rate this year.
Looking at Rurik's achievements in the past few years, Ross is no longer the Ross he once was, everything has changed! The old era is gradually ending with the departure of the old guy. Now Otto has only one last obsession, which is to see Svetlana he brought back give birth to a boy before the end of his life.
Hearing the cry of Rose's true heir, I have no regrets in this life.
Svetlana was not afraid of Otto from the beginning. Her delicate face and lively temperament were the biggest reasons why she was chosen. Otto took her close to him and even regarded her as his daughter.
Although there is a consideration in this to better rule the Eastern world, Otto still likes to have this delicate little cat-like thing by his side.
Who hates cute little things?
What's more, this girl is only ten years old and is already very beautiful. She is different from the more obvious pointed chin of ordinary Nordic girls, making her more refined.
Rurik saw his father's old face weathered by the flames, and Nolen saw that his second father was so old?
Who is that girl?
Could it be her?
Rurik froze on the spot and let go of Nolen's hand.
"Is that girl with disheveled hair the real wife you mentioned?" When Nolen said this, his heart couldn't help but tremble.
It was obviously me first...it was obvious that I was the first woman to hold a wedding ceremony with him. Why does it have to be like this...
Rurik hummed softly. He is really confused, but as a man, especially as a monarch, having many women is not only a privilege, but also a political necessity!
Rurik pursed his lips and walked forward calmly.
What's so difficult about dealing with a girl? They are all children, just coax them a bit.
Although Rurik was only eleven years old, pampered and good at sports, his figure and physique were already far better than those of his peers.
Looking at the girl in front of me, she is indeed tall, with her forehead reaching her chin.
"Are you Svetlana?" Rurik said calmly in Slavic.
"Yes. You are my Rurik, the man in my life."
"Exactly. Let me take a good look at you."
It used to be a bit shy to keep Rick, but now it's completely impossible. He reached out and lifted the girl's chin, staring at her face, making the girl smile knowingly.
"How old are you?" Rurik asked again.
"Ten years old."
"Indeed, very similar to Lilia."
"Of course, she is my sister." The girl pouted mischievously, "Can you stop pinching my chin? The Duke said that he will marry you when I am twelve years old. I will give you a child. Give birth to many, many children, the eldest son will inherit the title of duke, and the other children will be the leaders of various places."
"You are just a child, how can you have such an awareness?" Rurik was shocked. Then he thought about it, it was Otto who pointed out the trajectory of her life, and she clearly accepted it frankly.
Not bad, this Slavic girl will become more and more beautiful, just...
"Show me your arms."
"Huh?" The girl rolled up her beautiful linen sleeves in confusion, "See if I can do housework? No problem. After my sister left, I have been studying hard and I will be a good woman."
"No. Just look at your arm."
Rurik stopped being vague and grabbed the girl's delicate arm and stroked it.
As expected, her face is indeed delicate, but the down is a bit dense.
Rumia is different. She has very little body hair, but she lacks a very delicate face.
Rurik endured the embarrassment that most of his women were all kinds of "hairy girls."
Maybe they should be taught the authentic "violent hair removal technique", which is to smear alcohol all over the body and then burn off the thick hair.
Rurik patted the girl's neck again, "You will be my official wife, you are a good woman. Svetlana, I will call you Lana from now on. You should know something about my family, I have many women . You must do your best, you must become sisters with others, and you must not be jealous. You must obey my orders. You must not be arrogant because of the status you have been given, and do your part."
Rurik spoke with a commanding tone, as if he was imposing a command, and Svetlana, who was originally smiling, immediately fell silent.
She lowered her head and said seriously, "I swear to God, I am your woman, and I will obey all your orders."
"Okay, that's enough."
Rurik touched her forehead again. After all, what he wanted was a real wife, not a slave.
But what Svetlana said was true. The family education she received was to be a woman who was loyal to her husband and good at housework.
Since she was appointed by the leader of the conquerors of Rus as the first wife of his successor, her parents paid more than simple attention to her.
Svetlana, she was forced to learn to be a good woman. She learned to tailor, learn to sing, and learn to do housework.
Under the education of his biological mother, he learned how to please a man and even the secrets of childbirth.
Her little head is filled with "women's things", but due to her extreme lack of cultural knowledge, she is now an illiterate.
Of course, Rurik liked to educate his wives and concubines, and he decided to do it deliberately this winter.
He continued to hold Svetlana's hand and called Nolen over again.
He held two beautiful girls with long hair and stood proudly in front of his father Otto.
"I'm back and I like Svetlana very much. Please look at this girl again." He introduced Nolen, "This is Nolen, the daughter of Magnut, the leader of the Balmok people. I'm sorry, I'm in Bal Merck has married her."
"Ah?" Otto was really surprised and happy when he heard this, "You! Your kid is obviously less than twelve years old. You...you are in Balmok..."
"Yes, we have made a blood pact with Balmok, the marriage has been concluded, and we even went on an expedition together, so I just came back now."
"Oh! That's right! Tell me the details, I can't wait." The old guy Otto was happy for a while, and then casually summoned Nolen.
He asked casually, "Are you Nolen? Nolen, has Rurik touched you?"
"Not yet. Father, if he wishes, I...I will too."
"Haha, you call me father? Okay! That's great." Otto rubbed Nolen's forehead vigorously. He could see that the child was as young as Svetlana, like his son Liuli. A rational person like Ke would naturally not be stupid enough to take action now.
That boy would only take action for the sake of stability and safety until his woman reaches the "old age" of Rumia.
Otto said no more and looked at the smiling Gould again, "Come on, big businessman. Everyone enter the house. I have received many great gifts today. Come and tell me the wonderful things you have experienced."
