The envoy from Saaremaa had never eaten roasted reindeer, let alone wheat scones.
Rurik allowed them to feast, which was said to be a preferential treatment given to those who surrendered. They ate like a drum, drank a lot of wine, and became extremely drunk.
Telalang and the others have never experienced such enjoyment. It must be that the legendary life in Asgard is nothing better than this.
They were dragged away, and when everyone woke up they realized it was daylight. The place that looks like a warehouse is the accommodation for everyone. Although they all sleep on the ground, the wooden floor is covered with leather blankets, and the bodies are also covered with leather. The kindness of Prince Rus is still shown here?
It was natural to treat Stone Steps with courtesy when he came with a servant attitude. Rurik's approach was a bit too much. Governor Konuson lost his temper and found a secret opportunity to inform the princes and brothers of their displeasure.
"They are just servants. They come from a dirty and chaotic island village. The men, women, and children inside are all pirates. You shouldn't give these people too much courtesy, even if they have descendants from us Rus."
"You don't understand! I still need their strength to deal with the Danes. In the future, Saaremaa Island will also become our frontline against the Danes." Rurik had his own explanation, and then he also found out gave a more convincing reason: "If the Danes take revenge, they will take the lead in storming Saaremaa. These servants who accepted my reward cannot defeat the Danish army. They will die for our benefit. For such people, they should be alive Give him some good food and clothes when he comes."
After hearing this, Konuson stopped asking...
Telalang is still an outsider, and the rest of their lives are strictly guarded, with every move monitored.
Because they are always doing the pirate business. Pirates are the most unfaithful. They always think about maximizing their own interests at all times and may even kill each other.
Rurik despises pirates, which is actually different from the attitude of many people. Telalang and his gang have surrendered, but it is still open to question whether the entire Saaremaa population has surrendered as a village.
There is another possibility, although the probability is not high. Could there be some Danish work in this? How could it happen that an ocean-going sailing ship carrying food ran aground on Saaremaa Island and quickly met the locals? Why did the locals insist on surrendering to Rus?
Rurik was worried about the existence of Denmark trying to find out what Ross was and was not. The more he thought about it, the more likely it was that he felt it was possible. Since the new King of Denmark can destroy Ross's shop in Hedeby, those guys are definitely not fools and must know the consequences of doing so. Who can guarantee that the Danes will not take the initiative? They are almost Vikings in the narrow sense. If they gather an army to attack a small area, the Russians will suffer a lot.
So is there any flaw in the Principality of Ross?
The flaw is obvious, that is, the principality has expanded from a corner of the fjord to its current level. In the tribal era, there were only a few men and soldiers had to be divided to guard each large settlement. They also had to rely on the servants of local Slavs and Finns. . Although children are growing and being born in droves, it will take time for them to grow into warriors.
Most of the men in Ross's headquarters are farming in Novgorod and Mstisk on the shores of Lake Ilmen. If Fort Novoros at the mouth of the Neva River is attacked by Denmark, the new troops in the rear will be afraid from the moment they get the news to the time when they come to kill with great force. There are ten days.
Trarang and his men were not allowed to see the entire city of New Roseburg!
Rurik "imprisoned" these people in the house. Although they were provided with good food and drink, it was impossible to go out without the permission of the prince, and the soldiers on guard would not open the door on their own initiative.
He had been "imprisoned" for three full days. Although he had delicious meals every day, Tralan felt like a hedgehog in a wooden box and a turtledove in a rattan cage.
Some people muttered in disgust: "In fact, Prince Rus still can't trust us."
One stone stirred up a thousand waves, and the number of complaints increased.
"Since Prince Rus recognizes our identity, he should treat us as clan members."
"Hey, you guys think... maybe the prince just can't trust us and will find a reason to get rid of us in the end."
"Ah?! No way! We all swore to Odin that we would serve him well. Besides, the prince asked us to attack the Danes."
"Didn't you see their rows of big ships? Karl, I dare say they will kill us, and then the fleet will attack our island. Prince Rus has said that even if we do not choose to surrender, Saaremaa Island is under his government In the plan..."
The discussion became more and more exaggerated. Telalang ordered everyone to shut up and angrily said: "It's too late to say anything now. What can we do? We can only stay here and let it happen."
“Then don’t we become the sheep that stay?”
"Karl, what do you want?" Tralan asked excitedly.
"Why don't we just run away? We can't just sit here and wait to die. Did you realize that your life was in danger only when the ax was pressed against your neck?"
These words actually moved Tralan's heart. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. "Okay! Let's escape. Grab a boat and get out of here..."
Tralan could not predict the consequences of doing so, but the time was not ripe yet, so he did not dare to take action yet.
They continued to be under house arrest in a very warm house, with wheat cakes and barbecue every day, and everyone was also given some ale. And this house actually has independent partitions! There is a squat toilet inside!
There was a pottery urn under the hole in the toilet, and there was a lot of filth inside. The hole isn't big enough, and it looks like it can be expanded with bare hands. It was disgusting. The hole was at least connected to the outdoors. They didn't know what was happening outside for many days. They just thought they could escape through this hole.
But something is quietly changing outdoors...
The snow finally fell, and there was no storm, so no one felt its harshness.
At first it was just snowflakes, then tiny flakes, and finally it was densely packed together like lint.
The whole world was extremely quiet and dark. Tralan and his gang, who were hiding in the closed house, had no idea about this situation. However, those who were using the toilet felt a hint of coolness outside. This is no surprise, after all, winter is just around the corner.
Everyone felt that their time was running out, and everyone was waiting for Tralan to make up his mind to escape.
On the other hand, in the winter palace of Prince Rus, a special meeting was taking place.
Rurik dismissed everyone and invited the explorer Spyut into the inner room to talk.
The oil lamp illuminated the room brightly, and Rurik sat cross-legged quite casually this time.
Seeing Si Puyute coming, he waved: "No need to be formal, just sit down wherever you want."
Having said that, Spyut still performed the warrior salute and then sat down calmly: "Sir, what is the big deal that requires you and me to discuss it in secret?" After saying that, he took a sneak look at the room again: " No one should eavesdrop on our confidential conversations.”
Rurik shrugged and said straight to the point: "You told me your long-cherished wish last year. You are eager to travel to distant places and see this vast world with your own eyes. You hope to go further than the Russians of all generations. You have to do it. The best explorer. So, you need me to provide you with a big ship."
The prince actually mentioned this? !
Si Puyute's slightly slumped back instantly straightened up, and his leisurely expression instantly turned into excitement: "Sir, did you really give your permission?"
"Of course. I invited you here to focus on explaining this matter."
"You are so wise!" After saying that, Sipuyut knelt down on one knee and saluted.
"Why bother to salute again? We still need to explain this matter carefully, and you and I need to make a contract."
"As you command, I dare not violate the prince's contract."
"Very good." Rurik paused and said, "You are very good at operating the Salmon Chief, but it is not your property. In the past two years, you have completed the task of collecting tribute and transporting goods to Britain. You are already the best in Russia." A good seaman's ship."
"I am indeed the strongest!" Sipuyut liked this compliment very much, and his voice was also very loud.
"Good! Very energetic! Your route must pass through the waters controlled by the Danes. Now I will give you a more difficult task besides the British Sorgon mission every autumn. I want you to control the big ship to actively attack the Danish ships."
Things got serious when Rurik delivered his final words. Spyut thought of the many news he had heard. It was said that Ross had encountered disaster in Denmark and that Ross was planning a large-scale retaliatory military action against Denmark.
He couldn't help but speculate: "I heard something. Our Ross army is going to go on an expedition to Denmark. Do you want me to be a vanguard to find out the enemy's true identity and wait for opportunities to kill like crazy and create fear? I remember that you control the Aurora. Have done this kind of thing.”
"You are very smart!" Rurik slapped his thigh suddenly, with a proud face: "You are going to wreak havoc in the Danish waters! I will enhance the armament of the Salmon Chief, with more torsion slingshots and more Crossbows, and even stronger bronze bulbous rams. I want you to ram every ship you come across, don't worry, attack when you see one! You can capture anyone who falls overboard, if you ask if it's a Dane or a Bornhall Just kill the Mu people directly. Don’t leave any survivors alive, and sink the ships you encounter.”
Like other Rus natives, Spyut participated in basically all the major wars Rus fought. If he goes on a killing spree, he has no psychological burden. He just wonders why the prince needs to kill everyone.
"There are also people among the Danes who can be used by us. For example, that Grund, isn't he also appointed by you to work as a guard? We can bring back some prisoners, and it would be good to be a logging slave for the first time."
Rurik shook his head decisively: "They were the first to attack and kill wildly, so don't blame me for retaliating in equal measure. Spuyut, put away your rationality? Don't I know that slaves can be used to cut wood and cut stones? I just want to retaliate against Denmark. Kingdom, let their fishing boats and merchant ships never come back. Moreover, you sank the ships and killed the fishermen. Without witnesses, your identity cannot be exposed. Presumably those people are more willing to believe that it was Kraken's terrifying tentacles that destroyed the ships. In this way You can attack like crazy and spread terror to the Danes, I am very willing. Are you... willing?"
When the prince described it like this, it was really refreshing for Sipuyut to hear it.
Some things are indeed very novel to people of this era, such as the "breaking war" that Rurik decided to engage in.
"I do."
"Very good. When the sea ice thaws next year, you will organize a group of brothers to kill ruthlessly in the Danish waters. Your only focus is to collect treasures. The ship is my weapon and it is mine. I don't want much, you I want half of all the loot. When your ship is full, rush to Tombstone Island to unload it, where you can sell it immediately."
"Ah! Isn't this an opportunity for you to give me a chance to make a fortune?"
"Exactly. You and your guys will become rich, you are the only pirates I recognize, and your actions are part of the war!"
Rurik continued to describe a wonderful scene to Spyut, in which a group of warriors operating large ships were rampaging on the sea, with flags painted black with skulls on the top of the masts, and even the sails were painted with obvious black stripes.
It would be best if there were no witnesses when the ship committed the crime. It would also be good if there were, because it would leave the impression of a "black monster" to the Danes.
In fact, the Russians will still be exposed. Who has a big ship in this sea and who has a triangular Latin sail?
The Denmark Strait in a broad sense is not vast. It is densely populated with large and small islands, which is very suitable for a ship to hide and is also convenient for sudden attacks.
Spute also has a secret weapon - information advantage. Rurik's map of Denmark drawn from memory was naturally imprecise, but some of the most important islands and the entire Jutland peninsula were clearly marked. They can use the big island as a reference point and mark the newly discovered island on the map according to the actual situation during the mission.
They also have another mission, which is to go to Saaremaa Island to declare the rule of the Rus princes and use the island as a forward base for the war against Denmark. The island would first serve as Spyut's anchorage, and the island's human resources were also extremely important, as they could support the supply and personnel losses of the war.
It can be said that Rurik intended to cultivate Spuyut into a royal pirate king, and with a group of Saaremaa islanders he recruited, he first severely hit the Danish economy before the Russian-Denmark war. It seems that a ship cannot play many roles, but it is not the case. The terrifying atmosphere it brings is more meaningful.
Si Puyut happily accepted the order. Although he probably couldn't become the flag captain, being a "royal pirate" bestowed by the emperor was quite good.
In terms of feelings, he actually likes the Saaremaa islanders, especially since there is no tribal leader there at all. Maybe...
He took the opportunity to make a request to Rurik: "I can be the war chief (chief) of the Saaremaa islanders, so that human resources can be better mobilized."
Rurik did not hesitate and appointed Spyut as governor of the island in accordance with the existing administration. Spuyut is the unequivocal leader of the entire Saaremaa Island. The governor represents the will of the prince, and his power is all rewarded by the prince. In theory, this power can be taken back at any time, and he vows to do everything for his own benefit.
A brave explorer is poised to become the Baltic Sea's most dangerous pirate king!
Sipuyut confirmed that his opportunity to make a difference had come. He was authorized to select his own crew members. Apart from his old friends who were still alive when he traveled north and south with him, he thought of the islanders Telalang and his group.
Facts have proved that the people of this island have indeed never seen the world. They learn quickly and they were already doing some auxiliary work on their final journey home.
Then on the second night of the meeting, something embarrassing happened.
Tralan and his friends felt that the time was ripe for escape, so they used brute force to break open the hole in the toilet, which was actually lifting the wooden board. The snowy night was very quiet, but the noise still shocked the mercenaries who were not afraid of patrolling at night in the snow.
After all, this is the capital of a country! Even if it is not a particularly huge city, basic city defense measures already exist, such as soldiers patrolling at night and rotating guards on the city walls.
Someone was unlucky enough to knock over the manure vat and immediately became covered in filth and a foul stench. Everyone didn't care too much and scrambled to climb out of the wooden hole. As a result, they were dumbfounded when they saw the vast whiteness outside under the snowy night. When they started to escape, they were captured on the spot by patrols who came after hearing the news.
Because of the special nature of the times, there is a curfew at night in New Roseburg. This is very reasonable. If you are still running around outdoors in the cold winter night, even professional hunters would not dare to run around at this time for fear of freezing to death.
The patrols were mostly soldiers or mercenaries. They were covered in thick polar bear hides, which was a perfect camouflage. This frightened Tralan and his gang, and they thought it was a group of intruding white bears that had used the brothers as food.
As a result, these "bears" showed their halberds and swords and killed everyone in one fell swoop.
The next day, all ten people were escorted to Rurik.
Things made people speechless, and Rurik wanted to hear their explanation with a sullen face.
Telalang was also a fool. He knelt on the ground and said bluntly: "We are just afraid that you want to chop off our heads, so we are thinking of running away."
"Absurd!" Rurik slapped himself in the face, "You actually think you are sheep to be slaughtered? You are confused! Look at this snowy land, as well as the frozen rivers and seas. You are not the bravest hunters. Now We don’t even have weapons or food. If you escape, you will freeze to death! When the snow melts, your bodies will be eaten up by foxes looking for food, leaving only the bones. I keep you in the house to protect you."
"Ah?! That's actually like this?!" Tralan believed it to be true and claimed that it was a stupid misunderstanding. On the other hand, others felt that things were still a bit strange.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Rurik grandly introduced Spuyut, who had a new position: "He will serve as the leader (governor) of Saaremaa Island and manage you on my behalf. You are all my soldiers, how can I Are you stupid enough to harm my subjects? Follow Spuyut and do good work from now on, and you will all make a fortune while looting the Danes!"
Now Telalang suddenly became smarter and immediately supported Spuyut, causing others to agree that he was the boss.
At least Telalang could trust Si Puyut. If his brother-in-law couldn't trust him, would he still be a human being?
