The villages of the Ludi people were still more backward than the soldiers of the Ross army imagined. One of the "little dwarves" who raised deer was excellent. They gave up their nomadic life and built a permanent settlement on the shore of the lake.
Their residence is quite similar to the semi-crypt house of the old Corvin people, which makes Taravis, the current leader of the Vips people, feel friendly.
They spoke a language very similar to that of the Kovins and the Vips, and Terravis learned that these Rudians were actually relatives of all Finns, but long-lost relatives.
But specifically, the Tavastians who have been destroyed and the Karelians who are only half alive are both a kind of Finns, and the whole family is involved in a civil war.
How about that? In the past, several tribes of the Kewen people were all related, but as a result, they still fought with each other over the pastures for grazing and the lakes for fishing, which was essentially a second split.
Because there was no difference in appearance from the Ludian people, Terravis blended into the Ludian village with confidence and was able to observe them carefully. As the current leader of the Vips people, it was natural for him to have a full meeting with the heads of the clans of Ludi.
So when the Rus army camped outside the village and smoke curled up from the cooking pots, Tyravis became a "reliable old friend" of the Ludians, even though he himself was a Coven.
He is the leader of the Vipus people. Vipus and Rudy have always been servants to Karelia. Now that times have changed, it does not mean that the past friendship between the two tribes has collapsed.
The clan chiefs gathered in a larger semi-cave house. There was a hollow in the middle of the house, and under the hole was a slow-burning firewood pile.
All this gave Taravis a great sense of familiarity, as if he had returned to his life a long time ago.
But in his opinion, the people here are quite stupid. Since they have chosen to live a settled life, why not build a fortress to protect themselves? Even if no one comes to attack, the fence made of wood and soil can effectively block the wind and cold and protect important people and deer.
The Ludi people had no intention of doing so, and the clans did not mention it.
Taravis came as a distinguished guest. After a brief exchange of greetings, the clan leader and the female leader asked one after another about the Vips and the Rus.
In this way, a slightly embarrassing result was learned by the clan leaders.
The female leader asked in shock: "You are indeed not a Vips person? You are a Covin person. Are you from further north?"
"Do you know Tavastia?" Terravis asked.
"I know. It is said that there are Suomi people in the west of Karelia."
"Yes. It is said that the ancestors of our Kovin people broke away from Suomi. Now the leader of Suomi is also in the army. Maybe you should invite him over. It is unnecessary to think about it now. But Tavastia drove us Kovin Literati, we kept moving north until we met the Rus. We were defeated, but the Rus did not kill us all. Now we have revived. My sister married the biggest leader of Rus, and I was assigned to rule the Vips. The Vips surrendered without resistance. Not a single one of them died, but their population increased..."
The clans are not very clear about things further north than Karelia. They have always lived a very secluded life. Only the elderly men slightly remember the name of the Tavastians.
The old man then asked about Tavastia's situation. After all, there were many forces hostile to Karelia.
"Tavastia? They are already dead! We formed an alliance with the Rus. All the men of Tavastia died. At least 10,000 people were killed, and all their women were captured."
Tyravis stopped talking. The clan leaders were clearly warming themselves by the fire, but they were covered in cold sweat.
"What... did they do with those women? Slaves?"
"Yes and no." Terravis shrugged: "Those blond giants (generally referring to blond Vikings) are not picky. The Tavastian women who are still alive have now given birth to children."
At this point, he changed the topic again: "You should be lucky that you only killed a deer herder during the conflict and did not hurt a real blond Russian. If you really killed one of them, I'm afraid I’m not here as a friend.”
But some clan leaders stood up hurriedly: "Ah! That's a misunderstanding! It's all the Karelian people who fled here who are threatening us to start a war with you. It's all a misunderstanding!"
"Whether there is a misunderstanding or not is not up to you." Telavis waved his hand: "At least the prince has forgiven you. Thank our kind prince! Now we form a coalition to attack the Karelia people. You only need to cut off the enemy's If you offer your head to the prince, your loyalty will be convincing.”
"That's the tall and noble young man. I...I would like to dedicate my daughter to him to show our sincerity." Another clan leader said with bright eyes.
"Forget it. Prince Rus doesn't care about your women. If you are willing to give your daughter to another man, maybe you can be accepted."
So the clan leader shut up again, but picked up on the implications of the words and made an interpretation that they felt was extremely reasonable.
Terravis was able to enter the village for the night and stay in the village of Ludi for the short period of time the army stayed. This was all after receiving instructions from Rurik himself and being assigned some tasks.
The problem of language communication is indeed a big problem, and the same issue of trust is equally prominent. Seeing that Rudy and Vips were allies in the old days, Terravis was invited by the Rudy people, and Rurik seized the opportunity to insert the lobbyist.
Terravis wanted to personally dispel the concerns of the Lydians, but also wanted to do another thing - lead the Lydian army.
So when he volunteered to be the supreme commander of all Ludi warriors, the clan leaders looked at each other and thought that there was nothing wrong with this matter. As for the elected local man, Makut, he was automatically demoted to deputy commander. As for whether this Markut can become the next leader of Ludi, it depends on his performance in this war.
The Ludi people and the Vips people constituted an army of only 120 people, and they received the task of shooting arrows safely in the rear.
Even so, Terravis still personally practiced some combat tactics in Ludi Village, such as lining up in a line and spending a morning intensively training these men to distinguish between left and right, and to be able to carry their inferior short spears. Sprint in formation, or gather together to shoot arrows at the same target. An army cannot be built overnight, but fortunately these men at least have sufficient hunting skills. It is very unrealistic to train them to become makeshift spearmen, but training them in formation archery can be done quickly.
Those Ludi people saw that Taravis was a trustworthy man, and each clan also needed someone in the Principality of Rus who could speak for everyone. It is said that this eighteen-year-old man has the title of earl. They do not understand the nobility of this title. They only know that this man is very important within the principality and has the right to talk and laugh with the prince himself.
Under the encouragement of the female leader's eyes, each clan selected a beautiful girl from the clan and put it into the arms of Taravis.
How could he, an eighteen-year-old handsome boy with a vigorous, vigorous, tall and strong body, refuse?
Tyravis suddenly welcomed five new wives and concubines, and even the Lydians staged a simple wedding by surprise. Considering that his Vipsarava territory to the west of Lake Ladoga is seriously lacking in population, Terravis can find the perfect excuse to accept these "beauties".
Of course, this romantic affair has already spread in the Russian military camp, and Rurik has no intention of commenting on it.
It was Queen Svetlana, the incarnation of the "Earthly Valkyrie" who accompanied the army, who couldn't help but throw herself into the fire.
"If you see any woman, you can drag her over. Anyway, you can use this to test how to control those tribes."
"Xiao Nizi, I really don't know if you are smart or stupid..." He kept his words to himself, and Rurik did not comment on his wife's words.
With a beautiful woman like her by your side, why do you need other women? Svetlana is already sixteen years old. According to the laws of Tsarist Russia in that plane, this is the minimum time limit for a woman to get married.
Svetlana had long wanted to be a mother, and giving birth to the prince completely confirmed the fact that she was the most noble woman in the principality. She was not anxious when there was no movement a few times before. After all, it took Sister Carlotta a year to become pregnant, and then she gave birth to Duke Carl I.
She comforted herself that as long as the brewing time was longer, she would have a boy.
Now that she was satisfied again, all that was left seemed to be her desire to look at the goddess Freya.
The Rus' army was fully rested in the Lydian village, and Rurik was not unprepared for the road ahead.
After Terravis took action, he won the trust of the Ludi people. After that, it became much easier for the well-informed clan chiefs among the Ludi people to describe the remnants of Karelia.
It took four days for the reindeer sleigh to travel from the village of Ludy to the village where the enemy's remnants were located!
what does that mean? Rurik used his own experience, combined with the descriptions of the Vips warriors, deer herders, and Suomi warriors present, to finally have a clearer definition of the distance between Rudy and the enemy's remnants.
Because the sleigh-pulling reindeer simply relies on eating grass to maintain physical fitness, don't expect it to run very far.
Unless a large amount of high-energy food is stored on the sled, they can become a super powerful "engine".
The Ludi people described arriving in four days, so the Russian army could arrive in three days.
At least one feature of the enemy's remnants is very obvious. They settled next to Lake Onega, and at the same time there was a river that could be used as a shortcut for the Russian army's crusade.
The frozen river allowed the army to run wildly, and it was located very close to the village of Ludi.
Taking the glacier road is destined to accommodate the twists and turns of the river, but it is definitely a flat road, suitable for the sled team that has stored a large amount of oats and hay, and the Turkic horses, which already have high endurance, now rely on their "clothes" to solve the problem. They will never be left behind when it comes to keeping out the cold.
The newly joined Ludi soldiers were sitting on the supply sled with dried meat and other dry food. They were amazed when they saw a large number of linen bags filled with oatmeal. Many people didn't even know what oatmeal was, but in short, this thing was edible.
But they couldn't hide in the hut on the manned sleigh, so they had to huddle up on the deerskin to keep out the cold.
Now that they have joined the Russian army, they are no longer as strange as they were at first. For example, they know that wooden-framed sunglasses are not an indescribable treasure. Of course, they are still a good thing. Even the Ludi people themselves have the opportunity to buy them. It’s the price. It would probably take a deer to replace it.
A huge sled team ran wildly on an unnamed glacier. The people of Lüdy did not give it a name, so Rurik simply called it "Lüdy River". In fact, this river is the Shula River, which flows into Lagoon from Lake Onega. One of the larger surface runoffs from Lake Doga.
The army was running wildly in the middle area between the two lakes. Since it was already early February, the daylight hours seemed longer. There is no need for the army to force the reindeer and horses to trot all the way. It is enough to keep walking at a brisk pace throughout the day.
They set up a huge camp in the forest by the river. They used soil saltpeter powder and hay soaked in saltpeter water as combustion aids. They quickly lit the fire with the skill of making fire with a bow and drill. Because the fire was made so fast, the soldiers of Lu Di were surprised to express their wonder.
The herd of deer and horses that had been moving all day finally stopped. They were immediately fed a large amount of oats and supplemented with melted snow water.
Deer eat oats, and so do people. Of course there are a lot of wheat cakes that can be eaten immediately, but a lot of them are frozen hard under the low temperature. What was originally a soft and delicious meal is no longer beautiful. Everyone cooked the oats on the spot, scooped them into their own wooden bowls as soon as they were cooked, sprinkled a handful of salt on them and chewed them. Rurik did not favor any of his subordinates. Even the new Rudy servants had the right to eat oats.
Since all the grain reserves were taken out by the prince from the principality's warehouse, they were theoretically the prince's property. He was happy to distribute the grain to the Ludi people without saying anything.
This seemed incredible to the accompanying female leader, because the salty wheat was really delicious, and the Russian prince did not break his promise.
The nobles represented by Rurik naturally have to be more particular about eating when they are in the field. This time he can prepare some hard-frozen hand-rolled noodles and even some frozen dumplings, and just throw them into the iron pot to stew. Then the nobles They gathered together to eat this delicious meal.
Some bonfires were piled into simple fish stalls. The fish, with their heads, tails, and guts cut off, were put on wooden sticks and piled on the cargo sled in a rigid manner. Now they were gradually roasting until they were sizzling with oil.
This is the sign of proper logistical preparation!
Kagan didn't forget it when he ate grilled fish and munched on wheat. If his brother Rurik didn't pay attention to this, I'm afraid the whole army would just eat the jerky and wheat cakes that they should.
The iron pot will not be broken! Kagan paid special attention to this picnic artifact. It is true that iron is no longer precious among the Russians. It is amazing that they can make such huge cooking utensils.
Otherwise, this is the advantage of the nation that masters pig iron casting. Its rust problem is only a minor problem. The key lies in its extreme sturdiness and its ability to be turned into a weapon after being confiscated by the king when necessary. Therefore, iron pots are also the flagship product of the Southern Song Dynasty's maritime exports.
Kagan is a son of the grassland and a smart man. He used to pay attention to the wonderful weapons of the Russians, but now he takes the opportunity of this expedition to pay special attention to the iron pot.
"I must take an iron pot back, even if it's a little heavy, I have to take it back."
There is no need to handle the iron pot with care. In the early morning, the iron pots started to cook the wheat again. Don’t be too particular about eating a big pot of rice. In short, pour a large amount of oats into it, stir it up with a wooden handle shovel, and cook it for a while until it is half-cooked. Ready to eat.
When the soldiers of the army wake up at dawn, with the smell of burning pine trees and the aroma of wheat filling the camp, they can come and eat with their tableware.
It’s a real pleasure to eat hot oatmeal early in the morning. The soldiers who bring their own salt sprinkle a little salt, and then add some bacon bits. Those who can afford it also add a little butter, and a delicious bowl of breakfast is completed. .
This surprised the Lüdi people who had at most two meals a day and only one meal most of the time. They also learned that the Russian army would eat three meals a day and try to ensure two meals a day if conditions allowed. They did not understand but were extremely envious at the same time.
After the cooking was completed, the iron pot was simply cleaned and then thrown directly onto the sled by the handle. No matter how violent the action was, there was no problem, which saved a lot of time for the evacuation work.
Then the problem comes again. Prince Rus and his army were already very powerful and wealthy, so why bother chasing down a group of impoverished Karelia remnants?
Is it really just their prince who desires to conquer the world?
Indeed, if Rurik gave up expansion, the principality would be in a lot of trouble, and even the family's dominance might be shaken. This is an objective reason. As for Rurik's subjective perception, he really intends to expand a large territory, otherwise he will be sorry for his status as a king.
Looking at this Eastern Expeditionary Force, every man is full of desire. Everyone generally does not think that they can get much loot, but there must be a lot of precious leather resources in the unknown area. The only purpose of the brothers' Eastern Expedition is for leather.
Since we know the general situation of Pan-Siberian natural resources east of the Varda Highlands and even east of the Ural Mountains, the eastward march to plunder all kinds of leather is bound to be successful! That is more than 15 million square kilometers of cold and sub-arctic zones, especially the east of the Ural Mountains. At this stage, there are probably only one million local indigenous people at most.
The first night was spent like this, and the second was the same.
It was only on the third day that the atmosphere in the entire army became solemn. Everyone was saying that at this speed, it would be possible to reach the Lake Onega that no one had ever seen this afternoon, as well as the Kare that needed to be annihilated. The remnants of Leah.
Although the ending was a bit disappointing, the army settled down and sighed, isn't this really an opportunity given by God?
Because the Ludi warriors have claimed that this place is very close to their destination, such a large army will be able to recharge their batteries tonight, eat and drink well, and rush away with sufficient energy and physical strength tomorrow, they will surely win easily.
It was a good plan for the time being, until a bold guy brought a "tree-climbing artifact", that is, a pedal with a curved front end to quickly climb a spruce. He stood high and could see far, even though he was afraid of heights in his current situation. People can be frightened. This matter was no more terrifying than being afraid of the mast of a big ship. The man standing tall noticed the sparkling fire in the distance and the strong reflection of the moonlight on the earth.
It's an ice lake! And that land of shining bonfires is the goal!
He went down from the tree to report the situation. Now there was no need to discuss all the conjectures. All that was left to do was for each soldier to silently polish their weapons. After a good sleep, the whole army would attack after dinner tomorrow.
Especially! The cavalry separated from the main force and launched the first wave of attacks with Prince Kagan of Pecheneg as the vanguard.
This kind of great good thing that can be done with great success, Kagan will do his part.
