A flag suddenly rose from the lonely mast of the boat. Spute took a closer look and saw that the special pattern was...
"Is he from Russia? Is he from us?!"
In desperation, Spuyut urgently ordered the crossbow to be unloaded and suspended the attack order.
Looking at the boat again, there are some guys in black robes on it. The boat is constantly rising and falling on the sea. The people on the boat are not afraid of the ocean or the big ships.
As the two boats approached, I saw a person on the boat starting to wave the flag crazily and yelling: "I am the Blue Fox! The Blue Fox of the Gould family! Are you a Ross ship? Get us on board quickly. !”
Sipuut was leaning on the side of the ship. He couldn't hear clearly. At least he was sure that the other party was definitely a Frankish priest. As for the Ross flag in his hand, an idea came to his mind.
Because Spuyut knew a lot about Eskil and also knew that the prince had given permission to build a small monastery in the principality. Those priests have no intention of fighting, they are weirdos who can quietly recite sutras until death. They were no threat, and maybe if they were delivered safely to the prince, the brothers would get a little extra reward.
The rope ladder was thrown down and all seven people in the boat, including the oarsmen, got on board.
As soon as they got on the boat, a lean man with no beard, no hair on his head, and wearing a black robe couldn't wait to approach Spuyut and muttered: "Ah! In almost a whole year, I finally saw this person like you." Old Russian."
At this time, Spuyut was shocked again, because when his son spoke, he spoke in the standard Roseburg dialect of Norse. When Blue Fox was young, he traveled back and forth between his ancestral homeland of the Anglas tribe and the Ross tribe. After that, his father spent most of his time in Rossburg, and only then did he learn to speak the standard Rossburg dialect.
The Norse language is mastered by all the Viking tribes, and Rossburg is the northernmost stronghold. The long-term isolation has made the dialect here unique, and it is very obviously different from the common dialect in the Lake Mälaren area in some specific vocabulary. Even the stress position in the pronunciation of words and sentences is different. Although there are no barriers to communication between different tribes, the old Russians can tell whether the other party is one of their own through words.
"You...who are you?! We Russians?" Sipuyut was very surprised and asked subconsciously.
"Oh? You don't recognize me? It's no wonder, my Gould family has only had a thin man like me in a hundred years. There is no way, these are God's will, I stand in front of my father now, he will definitely not recognize me Me. And Lord Rurik, he must not believe that I am the Blue Fox Gouldson."
"Ah? Did I hear that right? Are you Blue Fox? You... aren't you dead?!"
Si Puyut looked astonished, as shocked as a blue fox, and then said angrily: "Which fool said that I am dead? I am a person who serves the prince, and good luck is with me. And now the god of the Franks is also blessing me, I How could you die in confusion? By the way, great explorer, why are you here? Oh, this is all Odin's will."
After a series of witty words, although it was very absurd, Spyut was willing to believe that the man in front of him was the blue fox, at least his soul was. "Yes, all this is Odin's will..."
At least Eskil's identity can be confirmed. As soon as Spuyut mentioned this person's embarrassing incident in Ross, he immediately encountered Eskil's refutation. Needless to say, this old guy is undoubtedly Eskil.
They were going to Ross to meet Lord Rurik, and the thin man who called himself Blue Fox revealed that he wanted to report information about Frank.
Now that there is no intention of lingering, let the prince judge for himself whether the thin man is really a blue fox.
The big ship hurriedly turned around, hoisted its sails, and rushed toward New Roseburg in the east.
The brothers stayed on board for more than a month, not even landing during this period. Their bodies exuded an indescribable strange smell, and the men in black who held other beliefs who boarded the ship came to ask about the matter.
Blue Fox, who had become so thin that his cheekbones were very obvious, had long been fed up with the poor life of the Frankish priests. When it was time to eat, he instantly returned to the heavy food of the past on this boat.
It is true that the days on the ship are not leisurely. Robbery is accompanied by fighting, which consumes a lot of energy. Landing on the enemy ship to carry the loot afterwards consumes even more energy. The deck needs to be cleaned regularly, important shipboard weapons need frequent maintenance, and raising and lowering the sails is a very physical job.
There are still some hard wheat cakes in reserve, but their taste is starting to become sour. Even though they must be baked to be completely dehydrated for preservation, now they are absorbing the salt spray from the sea, replenishing moisture and starting to mold.
The only thing that remains unchanged is the salted fish, which was the most common food for the Russian people in the past.
The sour wheat cakes are still much less interesting than the sour black bread. The blue fox gnaws on the wheat cakes and salted fish. When the dropped net is retrieved, the lively herrings caught in the net are also held in his hands. Cut open the fish with a knife and swallow the meat whole.
Although there is a cross hanging on his chest, the blue fox has returned to his old ways.
This ship has represented Ross, who has completely left Frank, and no longer has to abide by the ascetic rules of the priests to restrain himself.
Regarding whether this man was a blue fox, Spyout not only fully trusted in his gushing description, but also admired this boy's Frank Adventures, and the most important one that happened in Hedeby. fighting.
The boring life at sea needs fresh stories to spice up the story. The blue fox who boarded the ship completely became the king of stories, making other boarders seem dispensable.
However, as Vardy revealed his identity as a Slav, the Slavic pirates in the suit immediately came over to have feelings for each other. Both sides have different dialects, most of the vocabulary is the same, and they can communicate with each other. In a sense, this was also the first contact between the West Slavic Oberlitids and the East Slavic Ilmen.
As for the North's ability to compete with Eskil, the old boy has been in fear since he boarded the ship. He saw the large net bag hanging on the stern of the boat, and when he looked closely, he saw that it was full of human heads!
"Oh! God, have I boarded Satan's ship?!"
No one cares about the beliefs he upholds, and he is simply provided with food and water by Spyut like an outsider.
Spout did not want to get involved with this kind of person, and asked Blue Fox why he accepted the faith of the Franks, and received a very utilitarian answer: "I am a businessman, and I believe in Frey in the north. If you meet Frank, just believe in their gods. If you believe in a few gods, there will always be one who can protect you."
Not having absolute faith is the same as having absolutely no faith, and Spuyut, who asked himself, is not the kind of person who believes in a certain god. He still couldn't figure out how the prince, who was the "Son of Odin", would let someone like Eskil go to Rus. Maybe the prince had his own intentions, which no mortal could guess.
When Blue Fox asked his father and brother if they were still in Roseburg, and where the Salmon Chief would be anchored.
Spuyut's description made him ecstatic.
Because Gould stayed on Tombstone Island in the Åland Islands at the crossroads of the ocean, the family established a material warehouse on the island to quickly supply goods to Ross's shop in the Birka Market on Lake Mälaren, or directly with people who came by boat. Merchants trade directly. Tombstone Island is a self-contained commercial port and a transfer center for material transportation in the Principality of Ross. Especially since navigation was resumed in 836, the number of Ross merchant ships traveling to and from Tombstone Island has more than doubled compared to previous years.
The Ross fleet cruises near Tombstone Island, one of which is to defend the lines of communication with arms, and the other is to fish.
In contrast, the return of the big ship Salmon Chief did not show many waves.
The western sea area disappeared, and a huge water channel led to the interior. The bow of the ship was filled with pure fresh water. The large ship sailed in the waters near the huge inlet of Lake Malaren. So someone directly lowered the barrel to collect the water. After bringing it up, the brothers drank like crazy. After all, their fresh water use has been very tight these days.
Just to the north, there is a string of small islands floating on the sea, one of which is Tombstone Island.
The Salmon Chief entered the port. At first, people and businessmen thought it was an ordinary Russian warship. In the past, an Aurora was an eye-catching "Big Mac", but now such ships cruise every day, and everyone is not surprised.
Until they were shocked to notice a group of guys in slovenly clothes and with a vomiting smell all over their bodies, laughing like fools and walking off the board to land. The onlookers found the source of the stench. It turned out to be a rotting head?
All the truth is revealed. This is the ship of the Royal Pirate Spruit. When they left the port, they threatened to kill wildly in the Danish waters. It seems that they are really lying?
How much loot did they grab? A batch of seized axes, spearheads, and harpoons were sold on the spot. They were all rusty implements, all made of wrought iron. The quality was not comparable to Russian ironware, and the price was inevitably not high. Sipuyut didn't expect to make money from these things, so a piece of news spread like wildfire and spread immediately.
"They got a lot of wool! Haha!"
Someone made such a claim, and the onlookers immediately started talking about it, which directly attracted a group of Melalen leather merchants.
Let’s talk about why the rush to buy wool is not limited to the Gould family. After all, since the Ostara tribe and the Glan tribe, who are good at raising cattle and sheep, fled to death, Sweden has lost an important wool supplier. This kind of The supply of fiber with strong cold-resistant properties was seriously insufficient, and it became highly sought-after. Merchants knew that if they successfully incorporated it into the wool trade, they would be able to make huge profits.
A dramatic thing happened.
Gould was indeed aging rapidly, and he became seriously ill after hearing the sad news of his second son's death. After recuperating throughout the winter, he can still walk. Life must continue no matter what. There is no need to think about business expansion in Denmark. He can only focus on trade with Sweden.
He had just heard the news reported by his servants. He picked up the silver-inlaid wooden staff and headed straight to the dock. He was still saying: "A group of pirates, let me see what good treasures you have snatched. Avenge my son, and I will reward you." you."
The second son had the courage of his youth, but lacked luck. While Gould was seriously ill, he also reflected on the fact that among the many family members, that boy was the one who said he did not believe in gods but money. If he had chosen to believe in a god at that time, he would probably have been lucky enough to survive.
Gould was a big businessman, and even if he became an old man, he would still have to walk out of his mansion on Tombstone Island in a grand manner. More than twenty followers, all wearing leather coats with beautiful glass beads, tried their best to show off. They also pushed those who blocked the road arrogantly and shouted: "The big businessman Gould is coming, and the poor small businessmen are avoiding it!"
Gould was so arrogant that even though the people complained, they all got out of the way. There is no way, this old boy has been favored by the prince and has a long history of serving the dragon. It is really unwise to offend this man who will not live for a few years.
Looking at the big ship, the big businessman's grand appearance directly attracted the attention of the blue fox.
The black robe was thrown away, along with the hat. The blue fox has lost the charm of the fat-headed fish in the past, and has actually changed its skin, except for the hidden birthmarks and moles.
Dad actually showed up in person! He didn't care too much and pushed away the crowd and rushed forward, only to be blocked by his father's guards.
"Who are you? Are you blind? How dare you block the way of a big businessman?" The arrogant guard spoke rudely, holding a wooden stick in his hand as if he wanted to hit someone.
Blue Fox is now a warrior who has fought against humans. It stands to reason that he expressed his attitude to Odin and later converted to the Lord. With two great gods in the north and south serving him, a small minion in front of him is nothing.
He noticed that his father had become older, although he still had a fat head and big ears. There were more brown patches on his face, his beard and hair had become pale, and his blue eyes had lost their former charm. It's really unreasonable that my father didn't pay attention to himself.
Blue Fox pushed hard and pushed the guard away. Just when others were about to take him down, he shouted in front of everyone: "I am Blue Fox! The person in charge of Ross Shop in Denmark appointed by the prince. Father, I am your second child." Blue Fox!" He even said his nickname directly, which hit Gould's heart.
Gould was trembling all over, his eyes fixed on the blue fox's face: "You? You are my son? How could it be possible..."
"Why is it impossible? Or is it because I'm too thin that you can't recognize me? Don't you think I'm dead?"
"..." Gould's lips trembled, it was too difficult for him to believe that the man in front of him was the second son.
Blue Fox had no choice. He probably expected this embarrassing situation, so he simply took off his shirt to reveal his hairy chest, pointing to the birthmark and mole: "You will never forget this? No matter if I am fat or thin, birthmarks often Stay with me."
Gould was finally deeply touched. He already believed that this was his blue fox. As the man showed his back, there was a tattoo of rune letters on it, which in Latin letters was GULDEN.
There is no doubt about it. Although the second son has a very strange appearance and figure, he is a member of the Gould family!
It’s not surprising that it took such a long time for father and son to get to know each other. Not only was the experience along the way too dreamy, but also because all the men, women and children in the family were fat. It took only a hundred years for Lan Hu, a lean and handsome boy, to be born. Not to mention, Lan Hu is much more handsome now that he has lost weight. Even though he went from fat to thin, he has experienced the ascetic life for more than half a year. He has thought of the benefits of losing weight. He is just going through the ascetic life again. Lan Hu is one day I don’t want to stay either.
Spute was about to replenish supplies at Tombstone Island, so the crew members all ran to the sauna to take a bath, and then enjoyed the long-awaited cleansing of applying sulfur soap all over their bodies. They bought new clothes and changed into them, and even the Saaremaa pirates who came with the ship completely changed their outfits.
The blue fox finally returned home, and Gould was so excited that he couldn't sleep peacefully. In the end, Gould had to lament that his cub should not die. He asked Blue Fox to explain his adventure, so the father and son could only talk about it all night long.
It was during this night's conversation that Gould was so excited that he looked at his decaying body and fell into endless melancholy.
"I once heard that there is a sacred mountain in the south, which has always been covered with snow and never melted. You actually arrived there. You have seen too much in the Frankish hinterland, and I can no longer see it with my own eyes..."
The blue fox responded to the situation and took out some yellow-white dried flowers from his cloth bag. They looked very strange. "This is a flower that grows on the holy mountain. The Franks call it edelweiss. Only the brave can get it. So many Franks regard these flowers as tokens of good luck and proof of courage. Luck is very important to us businessmen, so I wear it. On the body."
The blue fox in Gould's eyes changed too much. He began to believe in gods and made some strange amulets. This was a beneficial change.
There are opportunities to do business with the Franks, this is what Blue Fox said. From the perspective of a pure businessman, it is possible for the Gould family to open a Frankish market in Hamburg and Bremen.
It's just that today's Blue Fox has not only lost weight, but also has a mentality similar to that of a warrior.
He said fiercely: "The arrogance of the Frankish nobles is a great disgrace to us. If we can't defeat them, we can do business peacefully. In my opinion, our Rus can directly invade those cities and steal all the treasures. I will tell the prince about these things, The prince will definitely kill him. Even if the prince is hesitant, as far as I know, Sipuyut, the big pirate, already wants to do it."
Times have changed. Merchants no longer trade peacefully, but have completely transformed into doing business with swords. His son grew up to be a ruthless man directly from this disaster, which is really a blessing in disguise for the family.
Gould knew that his son would continue to go to the East. Blue Fox was an important trade person appointed by the prince. There was a big mess in the Danish market and he had to report his duties to the prince.
Gould finally asked: "When you have finished reporting on your duties, what plans do you have for the future?"
Blue Fox really didn't think about it and just said: "I can only obey the prince's decision for the future. But I heard that the prince intends to retaliate against Denmark. If there is a large-scale war, I will lead the way for the army. I will die. Revenge, brothers! We will take care of those arrogant Franks as well."
These are words that should not be uttered by a businessman.
The son has changed and become unrecognizable. Gould had an awkward feeling. The so-called fat blue fox had died in Hedeby. The person in front of him was a blue fox and not a blue fox. He inherited the memory of the former but had a new belief. Maybe this is a big change of mind forced by reality!
This is also a good thing, because according to tradition, the second son does not receive any or less share of the family property, and wealth and power must be obtained by his own ability. Compared with Blue Fox's travels and the fact that he killed enemies with his own hands, Gould felt that this boy was more suitable to inherit the family business than his eldest son White Fox.
But is the second son blue fox really rare?
Gould asked himself, based on his understanding of Prince Rurik, the boy would definitely continue to reuse him when he learned that Lan Fox was such a talented person.
