As the planned evacuation drew closer, the spirits of the soldiers guarding Ross' Shop Fortress inevitably began to slacken.
The underground alleyways have been surveyed and some unnecessary debris has been cleared away. Blue Fox is confident that his escape will be quite smooth.
The exit of the alley is actually not far from the fortress, but the exit is in a sheep pen, which has been abandoned and has become a virtual ruin. There are some similar abandoned old wooden houses in Hedebe, and their There is no surprise. The traditional wealthy people of Hedeby would not have thought of digging an escape tunnel. If Gould hadn't asked Blue Fox to do this, he wouldn't have done it.
The forced action actually came in handy!
The atmosphere of the battle became more and more intense, and Haidebi was murderous. At this moment, Blue Fox once again felt his father's scheming, and the terror of Haidebi's business atmosphere.
I don’t know which day started, but the whole city seemed more intentional. It fell into an indescribable silence.
Many residents had already run away when they realized that the war was coming, and even the noisy cries of children were of course gone. Only the anticipated opportunities of a large group of dark ravens began to appear frequently, and their desolate cries foreshadowed Odin's gaze!
True warriors consider them auspicious birds, while ordinary people avoid them.
Legend has it that Odin will observe the battlefield through the eyes of this bird. Once they appear in large numbers, there will be a big war soon.
The old mercenaries were still wiping their weapons, counting and preparing arrows.
The newly joined Wadi and his group were playing with their stones, and made simple breastplates and back armors out of wooden boards and connected them with hemp ropes to prevent them from being hit by the enemy's arrows when they leaned out to throw stones.
Some wooden scaffolding has been built around the wooden wall, and pottery pots with long flames are mostly placed in the corners. The weather has been very good in recent days. Although there was haze, the rain did not fall.
The temperature is a bit low at night, and the braziers are used to keep those on guard warm. They can even be used as a weapon.
Some arrows were tied with cloth strips, soaked in seal oil and pine resin, inserted into the brazier and pulled out, the arrow clusters would burn. It became a good arson weapon, and the mercenaries prepared it in case of emergency.
The Russians have been preparing for war, guarding against sudden and large-scale attacks by their opponents during the day, and guarding against sneak attacks at night.
The brothers have been on alert for a long time. Since the agreed time to retreat is coming soon, many people say nothing, but in fact they are worried, and their words and deeds are becoming more and more impetuous.
Until a long horn sounded, the mercenaries who had become lax seemed to have been blasted by thousands of steel needles. Their soft muscles tightened instantly, and dents appeared on their soothing foreheads.
This was not the first time they encountered a similar situation. Old mercenaries who had participated in Gotland Island many years ago immediately remembered what happened back then.
The old mercenary drew his sword and struck the wooden shield fiercely, shouting with all his strength from his bloody mouth full of stubble: "Don't even take a nap! The enemy is attacking, prepare to fight!"
After all, it is a life-threatening undertaking. Those "berserkers" who are trying their best to kill the enemy and obtain their souls to go to Valhalla are the first to jump up and rush to the wooden wall with their own weapons.
The warriors holding bows began to climb to the commanding heights, and those warriors who had been ambushing on the temporary platform on the roof also began to yell at the people in the yard, announcing that a group of armed men had suddenly appeared.
The blue fox's fat fish-like head once again put on the iron helmet, and he didn't forget to beat it to cheer himself up.
"Finally we have to fight!" He faced the people around him with a solemn attitude: "I don't want you to die fighting bravely for the sake of warrior courage. I want you to stay alive and fight the enemy with all your strength, and then we can retreat along the alleyway."
The mercenaries made small gestures to each other at first, and then roared.
"Okay." Blue Fox pulled out the steel sword: "Let's go!"
The Russians gave up all illusions and prepared to fight. The arrows were already placed in the arrow troughs. The crossbowmen sitting on the scaffolding had their feet spread out. They could peek at the situation outside, and after receiving the combat order, they could immediately cock the string and lift the cross. Bows are thrown into battle.
The Russians were like this, and the armed men who gathered in large numbers also gave up all illusions.
Those farmers who were gathered believed in the legend of "Mountains of Gold and Silver" and about defending Denmark's honor. Only some people would insist on these statements. Most of the farmers were just waiting to finish this job and rob the Russians and be happy. Harvest wheat.
No Danish lords participated in this battle, and the large and small Danish tribes did not even know what was about to happen at Hedeby.
It was the local gangs who actively participated in this fight. In order to grab some good things after the chaos, gangs of all sizes joined in. This resulted in the strength of the "army" nominally under the command of Stade.
A large group of "soldiers" who brought their own weapons and food moved towards Ross's store from multiple directions. They had already entrenched themselves in the city, scaring the women and their children into leaving the city one after another, and a group of men who did not dare to fight also evacuated. As for those big businessmen who were scheming to gain access to the new Danish king, they were the first to use tricks to get Stade and the Ross merchants to fight, but they knew the stakes, and it was more painful than constipation to get them to participate.
The big businessmen retreated to the countryside with their most important money and manpower. The houses and shops left in the city were of little value. A few mercenaries hung crude raven flags to guard the houses. As for the outcome of the battle, any The results have become unimportant.
A large number of ragged armed men exuded an indescribable stench. Their weapons were of all kinds, and many of the bare-backed men had horrific tattoos on their bodies. Stade doesn't like these people, but he appreciates that they can be used by him because of their strength in numbers. You must know that this general under King Horik has never had the opportunity to manage an army of this size. If there were more people, wouldn't he be equal to the king in terms of commanding troops?
In such a grand state, how could Stade feel uncomfortable as he rode in front of the team with his cavalry? He couldn't help but sigh: "Horik, you were worried that I would overstep my bounds, so you detained some of my brothers. Didn't you see that I brought a hundred people to Hedebe, and now I have drawn a team of two thousand people. You'd better give me some more time so I can take your place."
He, Stade, was not born to be Horik's dog. The unverifiable identity of "the grandson of Godfrey, the previous Great Alliance Leader" is just a fool. In this era, whoever has a stronger fist and more troops is the one. King of Denmark.
Fortunately, Stade is very self-aware and will not show his fangs when his own strength is weak. Besides, of these new subordinates with ulterior motives, perhaps only God knows their strength before the war begins.
As it happens, this is an opportunity to try out the new staff and test the Ross people.
Stade did not want to negotiate. He had stayed in the Frankish territory for many years, and it seemed impossible to talk to the opponent's generals before the war.
He didn't believe that the Russians would surrender at all, and things on the scene had to at least go according to procedure.
As a result, the peasant soldiers armed with spears and shields began to walk out of the winding streets, and more and more people gathered, causing the defensive Russians to sweat.
This was Blue Fox's first time visiting the battle formation in person. Even though he was outside the wooden wall, he was so frightened by the enemy's killing force that he hid behind the wall and did not dare to poke his head around.
An old mercenary yelled maliciously: "Sir, are you afraid?"
"I'm not afraid!"
The old mercenary smiled, and the mercenaries in nearby positions were also laughing. The blue fox was scared to death, which was understandable. The mercenaries would not laugh at their masters.
They laugh at their enemies and cheer themselves up.
Your old mercenary laughed for a while and continued: "Don't be alarmed, sir. It seems that our brothers must kill the enemy according to your request. You can rest assured that this fortified fortress is very strong and can be easily used by us standing on a high place." Kill all enemies with spears."
"Okay...Okay! Kill the enemy as I ask..." With these words, Blue Fox couldn't speak clearly, and his feet were shaking uncontrollably.
Any heroic words before were meaningless. When faced with a real battle, this new generation of big businessman inevitably gave up.
However, giving in will only accelerate their demise. The mercenaries whose job is to protect their master and kill the enemy, in order to avenge the great revenge, Vady Zdarovic and his group have overcome their fear, and they began to poke their heads out to observe the enemy. Silently, he cocked his crossbow.
The crossbowman on the roof shouted down again: "It's the horseman!"
At this time, the blue fox reluctantly and cautiously poked out a pair of eyes, suppressing his breathing to observe the enemy array and a horseman who was approaching.
Is that the other party's messenger?
Stade's long battlefield experience has made him very good at concealing himself. He is in the rear and has dismounted. Behind him are the private soldiers and a group of gang leaders standing beside him.
Already standing here, Gray Wolf Karl became more and more excited. He became angry when he looked at the Ross flags on the wooden wall, and he was very anxious to hope that Stade would immediately announce an attack from the front.
"Are you teaching me how to fight?" Stade, who was wearing heavy armor, glanced at this bald guy with a gangly tattoo all over his body with disdain.
Carl, the always domineering gray wolf, turned into a tail-wagging husky.
"Sir, I also hope to eradicate this group of scourges as soon as possible."
"That's natural. I also want to see what the attitude of the Russian people is. They... preferably have a determined attitude to fight us."
"They will definitely do it." Karl's attitude was very determined, and he was worried: "Maybe the envoy you sent will be in danger."
"It doesn't matter. If they attack my envoy, we will take action. Karl, take this opportunity to reorganize your wolf cubs. If you have more people, you will attack first."
"As commanded."
This is what Gray Wolf Karl wants. He already knows that those who chop wood are making long ladders. The five hundred men he has gathered of different ages have the right to launch the first round of strong attacks. If this is a direct attack, wouldn't most of the wealth be Taken down by yourself? Maybe this will cost a lot, but compared with the wealth you can get, everything is worth it.
The raucous crowd grew louder as Carr straightened up his men.
Look at the envoy on horseback. He is holding the reins nervously, and the horses are approaching at a leisurely pace.
What is there to negotiate with the enemy?
Blue Fox Shilling's subordinates who were about to pull the trigger of the crossbow were temporarily calm, but in a moment they heard the ultimatum shouted by the messenger.
It is nonsense to say that life can be spared by giving up resistance and handing over property and weapons.
Although he was afraid of sudden death in battle, ordering a big businessman to hand over all his money and beg for peace would be more painful than having his parents killed!
Blue Fox gave his subordinates a fierce look.
After a moment, a few whooshing sounds were followed by the painful neighing of the horses. The horses kicked up high, and then both the man and the horse fell heavily. What is the significance of having iron plate armor hanging on the chest of a horse? Five arrows hit the top of the horse's breastplate. The arrows swollen all the key blood vessels. The fallen horse convulsed and vomited blood. The envoy who had suffered internal injuries staggered up, clutching a painful leg. He moved awkwardly towards the military formation.
But at this time, the guarding Russians gained the upper hand, and knowing that the battle was about to begin, they all shouted: "Cowards of Denmark! Your escape is so wonderful!"
One of his subordinates was injured like this? Even the precious war horse died? !
Stade saw all this. Although he expected that his men would be attacked, he never expected to encounter the Russians' killing move at the beginning.
He was furious and shouted at Karl, who was forming a team not far away: "Let your wolf pups attack! Kill all living creatures without mercy!"
The gray wolf Carl received the order, and he and his group of close brothers issued orders to the farmers ahead who were eager to develop a war and completely change their distressed lives.
The hidden wooden ladder was suddenly lifted up. Even though the Russians expected this, they were surprised when it actually happened.
The atmosphere of the battlefield was so overwhelming that Blue Fox was almost suffocated. The enemy was already advancing howling, and he screamed with all his strength: "Kill!"
The more than 300 people who attacked in the first wave were all tool men. Stade, who did not know the details of his opponent, deliberately left his important siege weapons and elite soldiers behind. He wanted to see what the Russians had to do.
As poor tool people, these three hundred people had no idea.
They are now pure Viking warriors, going berserk collectively for the dream of getting rich.
The Russians, who had been well prepared, decisively began to block the attack. Arrows hit the chargers, and some people began to fall down after being hit by arrows.
Simply being hit by an arrow often does not result in quick death. Furious warriors often ignore the pain and die from excessive blood loss in chaotic battles or are directly pierced through the heart and chopped off their heads.
An old mercenary saw those who had been hit by arrows still charging despite bleeding, and the enemy began to use wooden shields to protect themselves and continue to advance towards the wall.
There are also some people who fell down and were trampled by their companions after being hit by arrows. Their fate is unknown, but the resistance of these arrows is really weak.
Vardy and his gang desperately fired stone projectiles with slings. The powerful and heavy blows were difficult to penetrate the wooden shields, and it was easy to disrupt the opponent's rhythm.
The arrow attack did not achieve what Blue Fox had hoped for, making him tremble and doubt in his heart: "Did Rurik, your archery skills on Gotland Island be exaggerated? Or is my Ross arrow formation not enough?" count?"
Blue Fox still knows very little about them. They are also long-range weapons. All Rurik uses are powerful and heavy heavy equipment. The weapons in his hands are all light equipment.
Even though the crossbow was accurately sniping, some enemies were hit in the neck and bleeding profusely, but the enemies with superior numbers still rushed under the wooden wall.
The men with axes began to chop down the wooden piles, wooden ladders began to build the wall, and people began to climb.
"Is it really true that I can't even withstand the first round of attacks? Wouldn't it be too cowardly if I died?"
Mixed with grief and anger, Blue Fox found a courage that he didn't know where to come from. He suddenly stood up and looked down angrily at the enemy at the bottom of the wall.
Suddenly, a ladder was placed directly in front of him. The sudden situation frightened him and he sat down suddenly.
In a moment, a red-backed man with a hand ax in his mouth was about to complete the climb. The sitting blue fox saw the danger and instinctively took out his gem-encrusted steel sword and stabbed it while screaming. The stab was not tight enough and hit the man's neck directly. The red man suddenly sprayed a mouthful of blood on the blue fox's face, which frightened the blue fox so much that he subconsciously took away his hands. The red man fell down with the sword stuck in his neck.
"I...actually killed someone?!"
Killing an enemy for the first time in his life, businessman Blue Fox was inevitably baptized in blood.
One of the mercenaries was surprised to see the bloated face and chainmail of the financial owner stained red: "Sir! Are you injured?"
"It's the enemy's blood! Leave me alone and continue to stab them to death with spears! Don't let anyone in!"
The donor is actually so fearless? Perhaps those who fear war will become violent after tasting the enemy's blood.
Although the Russians were at a numerical disadvantage, the area of the shop fortress was not large. They did not need to fortify everywhere, but it was really difficult for the enemy to chop down the wooden walls.
At this point, the Russians began to use all their tricks. The veteran mercenaries who had experienced many battles kept stabbing the enemy with spears and arrows, and they kept killing people. They tried their best to block the defense line. After all, the enemy could not complete the climb even if they tried their best. , and those who cut down the wooden walls became the first targets of attack.
Those armed men who thought they could break through walls or split wooden walls and doors in one breath eventually began to suffer massive casualties from the arrows and spears of the Russians. Even some clay braziers were thrown directly from high places, and the splashing slow-burning charcoal caused some burns, exacerbating the chaos under the wooden wall.
The armed men who came to rob and make a fortune finally began to retreat. The living people did not care about the squirming wounded and the group of dead under the wall.
Failed in the first round of attack? This is not surprising.
Stadburn did not think that this group of hastily armed vagrants and farmers could easily win. He saw the determination of the Russians to resist desperately, and lamented that they had indeed encountered a strong enemy.
But the Russians must have expended too much energy for this defeat. As long as the remaining troops rush forward, the problem can be solved today.
At this moment, some shiny arrows streaked across dark tracks.
what is that? !
This is a burning arrow.
Because the old Ross mercenary is not a fool, everyone needs time to rest. If the enemy attacks the brothers while they are tired, they will have no choice but to escape along the tunnel. Fortunately, the exit of the tunnel is not in the same direction as the enemy's array.
Those flaming arrows flew towards the haystacks of wooden sheds behind the enemy's formation. The roofs of the longhouses of ordinary Danish houses were covered with flammable hay. The rainless weather for more than half a month ensured that the hay was flammable.
The grass is burning! There is more than one ignition point and it is spreading quickly!
This completely disrupted Stad's plan, because it was impossible for him to spread out his army in the current battlefield environment. The battlefield was not wide at all. There were also a group of gangsters, a group of his own soldiers and those All the siege vehicles are behind.
The rapidly expanding fire caused chaos in an instant. Since setting fire can cause disaster, the blue fox, who loved to see it, immediately became energetic and launched more burning arrows, especially the shooters at the commanding heights. The burning arrows they fired were the most harmful. one party.
The rear army could not see the situation of the front army. They only saw the fire starting around them. However, there was not even water to extinguish the fire. Are they going to turn into roast ducks if they stay in the winding alley? The fighting will of the hastily gathered gangster soldiers was not trustworthy at all. This group of gangsters who sought advantages and avoided disadvantages began to avoid them. The bandit's retreat led another group of farmers who had rushed to forcibly retreat. When Stade realized that if he continued like this, he would lose the opportunity to attack. He began to issue an order for a full-scale attack regardless of priority. Some houses behind him had already It was a red fire soaring into the sky, and there were shouts and shouts everywhere. A large number of armed men were already evacuating the area one after another. No matter how Stad appealed, it was of no avail.
He looked left and right to find the gray wolf Karl, but the guy he saw had already taken his close brother to avoid him first.
"Damn it! They're all a bunch of disloyal idiots!"
However, Gray Wolf Karl just wanted to use Stud to gain huge benefits in the future. It would have been bad if he died or was injured?
The warrior on horseback approached Stad: "Sir, many people have escaped. Now the fire in this area cannot be controlled, we may..."
"Damn it! I almost won today!" The battle came to an end in this ridiculous form. Stard looked at the Russian fortress with bared teeth and cursed: "I hope you don't escape, the burning house will ignite your Fortress. Let’s retreat first!”
After saying that, he took the initiative to avoid it.
Of course, the curse is impossible to appear, and the burning will only affect an area. Rather than digging tunnels, Blue Fox considers setting fire more. Only densely populated shanty towns can ignite continuous fires. How will this affect the scattered houses and shops of merchants?
But the fire was indeed going to burn for a while, and the tired Russian soldiers laughed out loud as they watched the increasingly intense flames, further scorning the so-called fighting will of the Danes.
