Just like the most standard Vikings, Viking invasions are always very sudden, so that those attacked are unexpectedly encountered in peaceful days.
For the Tavastians, who would have thought that the hinterland of their homeland would be easily attacked by others, just like a knife piercing the soft side of a deer.
The Russians came and they were as happy as if they were attending a wedding.
Hundreds of people rowed hard. The towering alien bow of the dragon-headed warship was so ferocious, and its unstoppable momentum seriously threatened the armed forces that had just begun to gather on the shore.
It stands to reason that this is clearly the sacrificial center of Tavastia. The great temple was built here and thousands of people settled nearby. The defenses should have been tight. However, almost all the men went to the north to fight, and the sacrificial center was already empty of defenses.
There were only more than a hundred warriors covered in animal skins, holding short spears or bows tremblingly.
The men left behind in Tavastia were either too old or too young. They had never seen the sight of a large number of large ships covering the long lake. They instinctively took precautions when watching the ships washing up on the beach, and then took the lead in launching an attack.
They threw arrows into the air, low-quality bone arrow clusters fell from the sky, and the shields that pierced the Russians' bodies were bounced away.
The Russians held up wooden shields to land on the beach, then jumped off the ship with their heavy bodies, and immediately launched an attack with axes and swords.
Crossbow-wielding warriors fired accurately, instantly killing enemies who threw arrows, and at the same time quickly disrupting the enemy's offensive.
Women were running around with their children in their arms, and the Tavastian warriors who were suddenly stunned by the attackers' attack also began to flee. The priestesses, who were covered in animal skins and had their hair covered with feathers, tried their best to direct the fleeing people to flee into the mountain fortress in the forest. But these people will stay, even if they have no strength, they have to fight with the main hall of the sacrificial center. Live and die together.
Unfortunately, it's too late.
First, more than 300 Russian landing troops opened the situation, and the follow-up troops swept through the village like a mudslide.
According to the surrender, Rurik learned that the name of the large lakeside village he saw was probably "Tavastalu". The noun has a simple and crude meaning, which means "the residence of the gods", which is suitable for its status as a sacrificial center.
Two thousand Russian soldiers were divided into three groups, and the situation quickly opened up after landing.
They entered the village and arrested people everywhere. They brutally violently raped the women they saw, and then captured them one after another.
They broke into thatched houses with sharp knives and killed anyone who resisted.
For a time, Tavastalu was filled with the savage laughter of rough men, the howls of a large number of women, and the screams of children.
The entire sacrificial center has been occupied by the Rus, and all those who did not have time to escape were captured.
Aric landed with two swords in his hands. He had his own principles. Seeing his men's actions becoming more and more chaotic, he shouted at the top of his lungs: "Idiots, restrain them all. Capture all the women, and you will have your own happiness in the evening." !”
Arik was not a kind person. Seeing that his shouting was ineffective, he hurriedly kicked down several of his men who were committing violence, ordered them to pull up their woolen pants and took away the prisoners first.
The Russians were frantically arresting people, and the open space next to the wooden house in the priest center became the best gathering place for prisoners.
Most of the hundred or so warriors who initially fought back had been killed, and the remaining men were dejected.
Heligel, a native of Mellaren, led his men to capture prisoners everywhere, and soon their eyes were fixed on the dozen or so trembling priestesses who seemed to be defending the altar with their bodies.
A group of Ross Army soldiers exuding strong murderous aura stared at them eagerly. They were just wearing Ross Army uniforms, but their souls still belonged to the Melalen people.
A soldier held up a prisoner of war: "Captain of the flag, they are all priestesses and they all look young. They..."
"Come forward! Brothers, whoever gets it will get it!" Heligel knew what the brother who was speaking was emphasizing. The so-called disadvantage to the priest might be unlucky.
How about that? In the Melalen tribe, priests originally served those big families. Besides, the priestesses of Melalen are also subordinate to male priests and patriarchs of large families, so how can they be considered sacred?
Without exception, the wooden sculptures of Tavastia's gods were torn down, and the priestesses who served the gods became the playthings of the Rus' army.
Serious chaos broke out here, and the only comfort in the endless barbarity was that the Ross army did not go on a killing spree. This is not only because of Rurik's order, but also because people who believe in Odin mainly believe that if they kill a woman who is unable to resist, Odin and the Valkyries watching the battle that day will only spit.
Chaos has an end.
The Mercury was propelled by its propeller and slowly approached the lakeside, and Rurik landed steadily in a small boat.
With his landing, the chaos quickly ended.
Accompanied by capable guards, Rurik walked proudly onto the slightly wet lake shore, and then entered a village full of thatched shacks. He quickly walked into the already crowded gathering place.
In an instant, a shocking and innocent scene deeply stimulated his eyes.
"Wow! What's going on? Is Tavastia still a country of girls? Where are the men?"
Rurik murmured to himself, then roared a few words in a language that the other party could definitely understand: "Noble man! Come out! Climb in front of me!"
After a moment, there really was an old woman with disheveled hair and owl feathers, crawling out from the pile of dejected prisoners sitting on the ground like a pig or dog.
And Aric was carrying his sword, and kept kicking his legs, urging the woman to hurry up.
Although a conqueror should behave so brutally, his cousin's behavior really made Rurik feel a little uncomfortable.
However, the Covinians Kehas and Mechasta behaved even more crazily. They still held up the short spears with their heads stuck in them. This time they suddenly stood behind Rurik and deliberately showed the two heads.
Looking at the crawling old woman again, she suddenly sat on the ground, then pointed at the two people and cried loudly, and even fainted for a moment.
"What's going on?" Rurik was surprised.
Arik walked quickly with a smile, patted his brother on the shoulder, and pointed his sword directly at the fainting woman: "I have already figured it out, this woman is the most noble person in this village."
"The most noble one." Rurik shook his head casually and said, "The head of the most noble one is stuck here."
"Yes, but this woman is their high priest, at least for now."
"Okay." Rurik nodded, "I guess she was stunned. Fill a pot of water on the spot to wake her up. After she wakes up, we will interrogate her. By the way, have you found any other nobles? "
"there is none left."
"No way. Look at the dejected faces of this large group of women. The brothers must have made a surprise attack. The other nobles may have been killed by the brothers."
"It's really gone." Arik sighed helplessly. "Perhaps, we have killed all their men on the battlefield, and now there is only a large group of hopeless women left in their hinterland. Just bring them back to our hometown for our brothers to enjoy."
"Really? That's fine. I'd better ask the surrenderers about this." Rurik gave the order casually, and the five surrendered village leaders were pushed to Rurik's side tremblingly.
The hesitant explanations of these five people made the first-hand information obtained by the two generals Arik and Heligel very authentic.
Even Terho, a Kovin man who has repeatedly surrendered, pointed to a large thatched house not far away that looked like a huge "yurt" to Rurik: "Your Majesty, where we were attacked by Vatkard and others. Summoned. That is their parliament center, and now you are the new owner of that mansion."
Parliamentary center? Rurik raised his head to take a look and shook his head unconsciously.
"It's really crude."
Looking around, Rurik felt that what he had conquered was basically a primitive tribe, and perhaps he shouldn't put too much hope in getting any profit here.
Having said that, the biggest "oil and water" are all sitting here.
The women and children of Tavastia, the women looked quite young at first glance, and bringing them back as safely as possible should be put on the agenda.
The battle was over and the Vikings needed to enjoy their spoils immediately after the war.
No, almost every strong Rus, Balmok, and Melalen warrior got a Tavastian woman. The women here look exactly the same as the women in Kewen, and the language they speak is also very similar.
Their desperate struggle was in vain, the Vikings enjoyed their spoils and vented the stress of these days.
At night, the Tavastian people's sacrificial center was brightly lit, the wooden sculptures of gods had been knocked down, and the Russian army began to sacrifice Odin, their common belief!
What is a sacrifice? Reindeer, of course.
The fact is so exciting. During the looting, the army had discovered a large number of deer pens in the forest and directly captured thousands of reindeer.
The total number of deer herds has not yet been counted, but the news Rurik has learned is that "there are a lot of reindeer."
Think about it, in the decisive battle outside the old Gray Squirrel Hill Castle, almost all of the enemies killed were wearing leather clothes mainly made of deerskin.
There are not many wild reindeer in this area anymore. After entering and fighting into the enemy's hinterland, the truth has been revealed that the Tavastians are the most powerful reindeer herders!
If you think about it carefully, the geographical climate of the Tavastian people is not suitable for growing wheat. They can have a large population, and their life must be based on animal husbandry and fishing, and they do well enough.
Rurik simply acted as the priest himself. Anyway, he was already very experienced in doing this kind of thing. Since there were many reindeer, he killed ten deer himself and used the deer blood to priest Odin. The deer meat was divided and eaten by everyone.
The Russian army captured not only reindeer, but also a group of cattle, even some ponies, and even two-wheeled cars.
The buildings of the Tavastians are simple, but if you look closely, they still have a certain level of technology. In this small world of Europe, which is relatively poor, the Tavastians are not backward.
That night, the Russian army ate nearly a hundred reindeer, and finally got a chance to feast. Everyone was gnawing desperately.
The next day, the Russian army continued their search.
This systematic search did not matter. Rurik had no hope of making a fortune. Unexpectedly, they found a large amount of deerskin, cowhide, squirrel skin, and even a batch of patterned linen in the opponent's warehouse.
The deer herds were also counted, and even some hidden deer pens hidden in the woods were discovered.
The owners of the deer either escaped with their limited belongings or were killed. The total number of deer, reaching 11,000, became the trophies of the Russian army!
So what? In order to prevent their villages from being affected by disaster, the five surrenderers tried their best to flatter themselves.
Only by raising and fattening the calves can we get a steady stream of cattle. With this attitude, Rurik made an agreement with these five people.
"The five of you can go back now. When you return, each of you will bring 300 deer, 10,000 squirrel skins and 50 young women. The Russian army will swear an oath to the gods and promise you protection and a future in Tavasti." Asia’s power.”
These five people have seen the powerful military power of the Russians, not only the terrifying fighting ability on the battlefield, but also the fact that they can easily assemble a new huge fleet and reach the inland sacrificial center in a short time. If they want, they can rush over anytime and anywhere. As for relying on the mountain fortress for self-defense? forget it! The fortified mountain fort was quickly breached by the Russians.
Being ruled by the Rus may not only have negative consequences. Tavastia itself is an alliance. The alliance has always faced military threats from the Karelia people. The five people agreed that the dead Vatkad's village was the "boss", and they just hoped that The powerful Watkard leads everyone to safety. Whoever can bring security is the "boss", and it is acceptable if security can be obtained by paying a batch of tributes.
Isn't it? The nominal reason why the Ross army went to war was not to vent their anger on the surrendered Kovin people!
The payment of live deer and squirrel skins was nothing, but the delivery of fifty girls and young women was a sign of surrender.
The five men were released, and although Arik, Herriger, and Biyoni all felt it was inappropriate, Rurik decided to do so.
The Rus occupied Tavastalu, and the conquered people "enjoyed" the peace under the Rus' rule.
In a sense, peace has been restored to the Tavastian sacrificial center, and the Ross army has achieved complete occupation. They immediately rowed boats on the lake and entered the forest to hunt with weapons, just like the people who originally lived here. Men of Tavastia.
Women have their new men, and whether they want it or not, that fact cannot be changed.
Arik even proposed to bring in one or two beautiful women for his brother Rurik to enjoy, but Rurik refused bluntly.
However, the youngsters under his command, such as Fisk, Kanuf and Terravis from Covin, followed his orders and immediately selected a woman to solidify their relationship. After all, this woman was also recognized as legal. One of the wives.
In today's barbaric era, women are a strategic resource, but in the final analysis, men are the greatest strategic resource. The foundation of the Ross Principality's strength is to rapidly expand its population. The basis of this strategy lies in the female base of the principality. Rurik no longer cares about so much. He just publicizes that he has as many as seventeen wives and concubines. The men of the principality should also follow his example and have as many children as possible, so that from now on, only the Russian army will beat others and himself. Will not be harmed.
In this way, Rurik planned to transfer at least two thousand captured women and even a group of young children. In fact, a group of women will eventually sail across the ocean and be transported to Narvik, Norway, where they will become the women of the local Balmok people.
The conquistadors enjoyed the post-conquest peace, but the rejuvenated priestess illustrated just such a thing.
It turned out that a man named Nuori had been staying on the eastern border of Tavastia and Karelia with hundreds of people to prepare for sudden attacks by the Karelia tribe.
Karelia? They are just a bunch of chickens and dogs.
Rurik had known about the existence of this group for a long time. They were dangerous enemies in the eyes of the Tavastians, but nothing in Rurik's eyes.
The priestess wanted to survive and prayed that the Rus conquerors would be kind to all people. Compared to those unruly men, this noble woman has completely given up because of the fact of defeat.
She revealed the truest situation. The so-called men in Tavastia were wiped out, and the remaining men were not only unable to resist the Russian conquerors, but also had almost lost their military strength to resist the Karelians.
This priestess who had been physically humiliated endured humiliation and was quite aware of the current situation. She claimed that since the Rus wanted to be conquerors, it was like raising deer. If they wanted to get a steady stream of supplies, they must treat the entire herd well. The Russians must at least give all Tavastia's converts a chance to live. It is perfectly fine to pay tribute, but the Russians also need to take on the task of helping Tavastia defend itself against its old enemies.
"This female priest is really extraordinary! She is wiser than the male leader!"
Rurik sighed secretly and simply signaled to the woman that they could restore their altar immediately.
In just four days, the five departed leaders returned with their tributes. Elderly men drove deer, carried bundles of squirrel skins, and even a group of women with dull expressions.
This is not over yet. A group of prisoners with severed hands were released back to their hometowns to report the orders of the Russian conquerors. At this time, a group of envoys arrived at the occupied sacrificial center tremblingly, intending to have a good talk with the conquerors. A matter of surrender.
They have proved with their actions that they are willing to accept this cruel reality and surrender. Then the problem arises again. Nuori, who has the right to succeed the slain Watkard as the alliance chief, and the hundreds of final towers Where are the Vastian warriors? Apparently some prisoners with amputated hands had been released and went to the so-called "eastern border" to deliver news. Could it be that the messengers were besieged by wolves or eaten by bears on the way? Or is it that the news has been delivered and the man named Nuori decided to fight to the death?
Rurik decided to wait a little longer, and now, he is the true king of Tavastia, and it has become a "Viking City".
