The place where Ross's army is stationed is really the land of thousands of lakes. It is a continuous lake area, and there seems to be no shortage of fish in the lakes.
A large number of long boats turned into fishing boats, and the large nets made of hemp rope they usually carried came in handy immediately.
The Rus and Balmoks immediately restored their true nature as fishermen. They fished and cast nets, and fishing seemed quite easy, especially when they parked their boats on a breezy lake at night, lit oil lamps, and cast nets. Good numbers of bass and pike are easily caught.
The amount of catch was enough to shock the captives under control.
Especially the female prisoners, who were forced to serve their new men and process the fish they caught so that they could get their own rations. When the man has eaten and drank enough, he will inevitably lie down obediently and serve him.
No matter what pride the Tavastians may have had, this is the only way they can survive in troubled times.
Because they are women, Rose's army is not stupid enough to harm their new women. If you have meat to eat, women should also eat meat.
But the Rus are still conquerors, and it has been many days since they occupied the sacrificial center Tavastalu. The reason why Rurik did not leave with the spoils was mainly because he was waiting for the new leaders of all the local villages to meet and pay tribute to him, the Duke of Rus. Kneel down and surrender.
A "huge tribal alliance" of 20,000 people killed 5,000 men in battle. The strength of the entire alliance was almost gone. Do the survivors still have the ability to continue to resist the Ross army? According to common sense, since Ross extended an olive branch, they should surrender. As the saying goes, join if you can't beat them.
But things are changing!
A large number of Karelian tribes live on the northwest shore of Lake Ladoga.
The Karelia people are nomads living on the lakeside, and their ethnic name is also "herdsmen". They raised reindeer and herded them. In order to find more space for grazing, conflicts naturally broke out among their relatives, the Tavastians. Because they only belong to the Karelian people of the western branch. Further north and east of Lake Ladoga, there are other Karelian people who speak the same language.
Even Perm, which is very far to the east, actually means "big market".
Be it Pan-Karelia, Tavastia, Kovin, Lapp (deer herders), Suomi (Finn), Estonian or even Perm. They spoke a very similar language and had the same constant disputes.
Times have changed. The powerful Varyag and the large number of Slavs invading from the south are constantly compressing their living space.
So far, even the soft belly of the powerful Tavastia has been cut open by the sharp blade of the Rus...
Nuori took hundreds of men to stay in the lake area in the eastern part of the territory. They cruised the lake in more than a hundred canoes to guard against a sudden invasion by the Karelian people on the other side of the lake area.
A canoe carrying a message suddenly came from the waterway in the west. The messenger found their eastern stronghold camp and informed Nu'oli, who had been promoted to the new chief of the alliance, of a bombshell news.
The messenger was out of breath from the constant paddling. There were three people coming in the same boat.
They knelt down in front of Nuori's battalion commander, showing their hands with missing fingers one after another, and then told their misfortunes and the failure of the alliance with serious tears.
All this was like a bolt from the blue!
"You mean, Watkard was defeated? Only 300 of our 5,000 brothers survived?"
Nuori couldn't believe it at first, but the messenger continued to cry: "The attackers came across the sea. They are very powerful. The sacrificial center has been occupied. They knocked down the statues and burned the houses. All women were controlled by them and suffered all day long. Humiliation, those who disobey will be killed..."
The messenger became more and more exaggerated. Although what he said was basically true, the rhetoric was indeed a serious exaggeration.
They said a lot just to explain the term "Russ" and pointed out that this is the name of a powerful enemy. In the long history of Tavastia, the hostile Kovins and Karelians, to put it bluntly, they are their close relatives, have encountered the Rus, a branch of the Varyag (Viking) people, for the first time.
My hometown is occupied by an enemy with strong military force and powerful fighting force! He and hundreds of brothers are already the last remaining force in the alliance.
Someone was furious: "Watkard is dead, Nuori, you must lead your brothers to fight back and take back our home."
Someone immediately refuted this unsmart initiative: "Is this possible? Five thousand brothers have been defeated, so we expect five hundred of us to be killed by the enemy just after arriving, let alone the Karelians." Come here, it’s all over.”
People fell into panic and learned the bad news that their wives and daughters had been taken over by the invaders, and most of their brothers had been killed in battle. The last Tavastians cried heartbreakingly in the dark night forest.
Finally, in the midst of extreme anxiety, Nuori made a decision that seemed surprising but actually reasonable.
At this juncture, why are we still guarding the eastern border? Tavastia has collapsed! The only thing the last men can do is to find friendly forces, bring in reinforcements to fight against the invaders, and do their best to recover.
They did not hesitate to regard their business partners, the Suomi (Fin people), as the only ones they could trust.
An army of canoes suddenly moved out, forming a fleet and cruising on the lake. This move also startled the Karelian sentries who were ambushing on the other side of the lake to watch, and made them think that Tavastia was about to launch a surprise attack.
The attack did not happen. The Tavastian fleet suddenly turned around and headed south, finally disappearing into the lush green of the early summer forest...
Nuori and the others drifted in the long lake area for five days with a heavy heart before safely arriving at the northeastern edge of the Suomi controlled area.
The Suomi people are also guarding against encroachment by the Karelians, but they also face another pressure - the invasion from the Varyags.
What are the Varangians? To put it bluntly, they are the Old Gotland Islanders, Bornholm Islanders, Saaremaa Islanders, Mälaren and Rus people, these people who speak Norse.
The Nuori group immediately identified themselves to the locals and were willing to hand over their weapons in order to see the village leaders of Suomi.
How come the Tavastians from the north suddenly become so strange?
In line with the mutual trust established in trade over decades, the fishing Suomi people led these de facto disarmed people to the Suomi trading center on the island in the lake.
Kupa Boca's name is simple and straightforward, and its original meaning is "market". This is like Birka (Mälaren Market) in Sweden, Hedeby in Denmark, and Bergen in Norway. They are all trade markets.
People were gathered for trade, and most of the Suomi people lived around their large bazaars.
Naturally, Kupa Boca also became the political and cultural center of the Suomi people.
For ethnic groups that emerged due to trade, it may be difficult for them to have a monarch with the highest power. The villages and large families of Suomi elected a chief like their northern neighbors the Tavastians. The main job of this chief is actually to lead his brothers to arm themselves to resist when there is a military invasion.
The chief's name was Ukonirma. His mother gave birth to him during a thunderstorm, and he was named after the thunderstorm.
People often call it "Wuke". Of course, the names used to address each other under normal circumstances have lost their original meaning and become simple code names.
A large group of Tavastian men came in canoes. They were not here to do business, but to report news of a war?
Many village leaders rushed to the market place Kupa Boka and gathered in the meeting place to listen to the cries of their northern neighbors.
The faces of the Nuori people looked as embarrassed as if they had been constipated for half a month. This time Chief Uko felt that his neighbor had been frustrated by a sneak attack by the Karelians, and he came to bring in reinforcements.
"I just learned that you have received an attack. Do you want me to help you fight? If our brothers are supportive, of course. However, you also have to pay some price."
Nuori hasn't spoken yet, but he didn't expect the Suomi people to be so generous?
Wait! These guys also covet some treasures.
Now that things are done, Nuori accepts the idea of ceding something to allow Tavastia to survive.
Nuori said with snot and tears: "We were attacked by enemies coming across the sea. They were very powerful. We were defeated and most of the men were killed! The territory was occupied, and the deer and cattle we raised were all destroyed. They captured and all the women became slaves of the enemy, living in misery every day..."
The words are getting more and more outrageous, and their core meaning is only one, which is that the Tavastians, who in the Suomi people's impression "punched Karelia and kicked Kovin", have perished.
Chief Uko and his friends were extremely embarrassed, and their smiles became extremely stiff.
"So, you want us to gather a large army to help you defeat your enemies and restore your country?"
"Exactly."
"Is this...really...very necessary?"
Obviously, since the enemy can beat a strong person into such a mess, how can Uko think that his people can be defeated and driven out? Looking at the expressions in the eyes of other village leaders, it seems that they are not drowning in this muddy water.
Seeing that the other party was backing down, Nu'uli became anxious in desperation. He shouted angrily: "Don't you know that these waters are connected? From the river owned by the Kewen people in the north, you, the Suomi people, can have direct access. There are many waterways in the rivers of the southern sea! Since the attackers can attack us, their next step is to attack you.”
This statement hits home to the Suomi people, because why can't they understand the meaning of death and coldness?
Uko suddenly asked: "So, what is the relationship between these invaders and the Varyag people?"
In fact, Nuori was not sure, so he simply shouted: "Maybe they are more powerful than the Varangians. In short, if you don't resist now, you will be attacked by them sooner or later. Now they are busy enjoying the spoils and ravaging our territory." Our women in our homeland. They must be unprepared. If we form a huge coalition and go north, we will be able to catch them off guard."
Nuori spoke like this again, and the eyes of Uko and his men began to light up. Although the risks of fighting a powerful enemy were extremely alarming, they smelled the benefits and the risk was worth it.
Uko changed his retreating attitude and suddenly asked bluntly: "If we send troops, what will you give away?"
Nuori was overjoyed, but now he only had more than 500 men left, and nothing else.
"Those are the reindeer we raise, help us defeat the enemy, and give you three thousand!"
"Three thousand? No. Too few."
"What about that?" Nuori guessed their big appetite.
"Five thousand heads."
"Can."
"This is not enough." Another village leader suddenly added, "Don't you claim that five thousand men died? Does that mean that five thousand women lost their husbands? Give the women to us, at least we say the same thing to each other The language, I’m afraid our ancestors are the same, your women are our women.”
"This..." Although it sounds like the demands of this group of Suomi people are no more restrained than those of the invading Rus people, Nuori has no good choice now.
Whether there were five thousand reindeer or whether the women in the occupied homeland were safe, Nuori had no idea of the exact information.
If they don't support what the Suomi people want, they will definitely send troops passively.
"I agree! We will organize a mixed team, and I can meet all your requirements."
Uko's eyes lit up with fire. When the village leaders heard that they could share as many as five thousand women, they ignored all the risks involved!
The Suomi people have no hope of becoming bigger. Their coastal villages are always facing attacks by the Varyags. In recent years, there have been more Varyag ships cruising in the southern ocean, and the ships have become weirder and bigger. big. There are legends that a fierce war broke out among the Varangians. Maybe the internal strife between these enemies can bring a moment of peace to the Suomi people? But there were also brave sea-crossers who paddled canoes to the other side of the bay (Gulf of Finland) and found the local Estonian tribe. They learned that the locals had been horribly massacred by the Varyags and hundreds of people were killed.
If the resources of the Tavastians can be obtained, Suomi will be able to protect herself in a complicated world.
Uko decided to command the army to join the battle, and news of the battle began to spread quickly.
Thousands of people saw this as a huge opportunity. What’s the point of fighting a powerful enemy? As long as you win the battle, you can get a lot of fine iron tools, and you can also ask for a woman. That is the promise of five thousand women!
The Suomi people paddled canoes and gathered at their market. In just three days, they gathered nearly 3,000 people.
Seeing that the men from other villages were all out in force, how could their own village neglect them? All was astonished as the Tavastians had shown themselves, and most of the men were gathered together in this group of Suomis.
Compared to the Tavastians, the Suomi ships were better. The Suomi people are good at making large canoes and smelting iron. The ancient Finns were two strong people. Tavastia has declined after the war, and the Suomi people have become all hope.
There were seven or eight people sitting in a canoe. They suddenly gathered more than 400 canoes. The paddling warriors all piled short spears, axes, short swords, throwing javelins, short wooden bows and arrows on the boat. Some The man also carried a sling. They were very proud of the large number of ships and felt that this huge army was invincible.
At least when fighting on the lake, Suomi is worthy of anyone. Their brisk canoes can quickly gather and spread quickly, shoot arrows at the enemy ship and circle the enemy, and finally kill the people on the enemy ship to win. As for ship collisions and gang-hopping battles, the Suomi people are not willing to engage in these tactics that are not beneficial to them.
The military strength brings everyone strong confidence, just like the Tavastians did more than a month ago. In addition, there are 500 Tavastian warriors as guides. They are actually a coalition of the two ethnic groups. As the commander of the army, commanding an army of up to 4,000 people, Uko feels that his life has reached its peak. .
It was the first time that he had led so many men (with a group of women and boys among the team) on an expedition, and the glory was indescribable.
After a sacrifice to the God of the Lake, the Suomi army marched north and attacked the entrenched Rus along the waterway leading to Tavastalu!
