A linen siege curtain was laid, and after the snow had been cleared from the snow, some leather mats were laid.
The horses of the cavalry are all treasures. Since it is the first time for cavalry to fight in extremely cold conditions, Kagan does not dare to neglect them at all.
Of course the horses can take a nap standing up, but even though it is cold now, they realize that it is very safe for them to leave the country, so they gather together and sleep on their sides.
The sky is still shining with auroras. From the perspective of the Russians, the gods are indeed paying attention to the army's actions. This is a good omen.
When the sky turns deep blue, the resting horses are awakened.
It was extremely cold in the early morning. The current temperature had plummeted to ten degrees below zero, and exposed limbs could easily get frostbite. This knife-like extreme cold also made Kagan suspicious of the morning raid.
Fortunately, the wheat porridge that was already being cooked gave everyone enough confidence. After eating hot food, most of the cold seemed to disappear.
Horses are not picky about high-energy grains and will happily munch on cooked wheat if they can. Based on the structure of their stomach and intestines, cooked wheat is also easier to absorb.
Isn't it a good idea to feed your warhorse some cold oats? After all, they had to gallop their horses to launch a surprise attack. I don’t know who started it. The Ross cavalry began to cook the wheat in a hurry. They didn’t ask for it to be cooked. They just picked it up when it was hot. They fed their horses and sprinkled some salt with it.
They are more willing to grab warm wheat with their own hands and stuff it into the horse's mouth, and at the same time say some inspiring words to try to inspire their special comrades.
Kagan didn't take it seriously. He knew that the horses he brought here were hardworking and hardworking. If they were humans, they would all be tough warriors.
The horses must maintain sufficient physical strength, so although the portion of the morning meal given to the war horses is not very large, the nutrition is extraordinary.
The Ross army assembled after breakfast. They quickly threw the main materials for building the camp behind the sled and hurriedly checked their weapons and equipment.
On the other hand, the Ross cavalry had already mounted their horses.
Nobles such as Rurik, Arik, and Jevlo rode on horseback to review the entire cavalry.
Just look at them! Including the Pechenegs, they also put on the standard clothing of the Russian army. The horses were equipped with integrated cold-proof leather jackets and a layer of white cloth sewn with blue patterns. The entire mixed cavalry team has full snow camouflage and a variety of weapons and equipment.
Short wooden bows, recurve bows and crossbows were all listed, and there were also spears leaning against the saddle.
There are two round shields hanging on their thighs, calf armor on their calves, and deerskin iron plate armor on their upper body uniforms. Although their helmets are made of riveted iron sheets, there is another layer of iron plates hanging on their necks.
People are like this. Although the war horse does not have large-scale iron armor, it does have a piece of deerskin riveted with iron plates on the front chest.
From Rurik's perspective, the armor he gave his cavalry in a surprise attack did not really upgrade them to heavy cavalry, but they were not considered light cavalry in the full sense.
In a sense, they are a kind of heavily armored hussars. They do have weapons and equipment and riders, and the weight of the war horses has increased significantly.
This unit must complete combat missions as quickly as possible, and ordering the horses to stand on four hooves with a high-intensity load for a long time will cause too much damage to the horses.
The cavalry lined up in two lines, and the horses twisted their thick necks unconsciously, breathing thick white mist.
Rurik rode on horseback to inspect each warrior. He had mostly finished what he needed to say, but he still had to say a few more words.
"I only give you one mission! Raid the Karelian camp and kill them without mercy! This is the only way for you to become a true warrior. Now follow Prince Kagan and go the Pecheneg way. Fight! Just a little! Don’t be too busy grabbing the loot.”
Will they implement the orders they receive? Rurik suddenly pulled out his sword, causing them to subconsciously draw their swords.
"Now! Go fight!"
Kagan looked at his brother Rurik again. He didn't speak. He had a sharp look that had killed people, and his eyes said everything. He jerked the horse with both hands, and clamped the horse's belly with his feet. His mount immediately reversed its direction, causing the entire team of horses to turn around.
"It seems that the battle has begun?" Arik couldn't help but said to himself as he watched their retreating figures.
"It's begun." Rurik's eyes widened like an eagle: "Maybe..."
"What's wrong?"
"We still overestimate the Karelia people. I think the cavalry alone can solve the battle."
"That's fine. I don't think it's an honor to conquer a group of poor savages. Let's end the battle early so we can see how many ferrets we can catch."
Rurik glanced sideways at his cousin. Although it seemed arrogant to despise the Karelia people so much, the weakness of the enemy was real.
The cavalry team set out first, and the large troops in the rear still needed some time to prepare.
"It's better to think of the enemy as a powerful force." Rurik said, "This way we won't panic when we encounter a crisis."
Arik shrugged: "Whatever you want. I'm going to organize the team." After that, he turned the horse's head...
When the cavalry was preparing to launch an assault, Kagan ordered the cavalry to move quickly from the starting position.
Thanks to the high-energy breakfast, the horses don't feel tired. The cavalry formed a four-row column with the Pechenegs in front and the Russian cavalry behind. They formed a moving matrix.
This battle was the first battle for those boyar aristocratic boys who were ordered to join the army. Even though their fathers were aristocrats canonized by the prince, they were still essentially the sons of farmers. With their status, they could have stayed away from the war, but now it is better. Gloriously, he became a soldier participating in the first battle.
Thanks to the experience of military career, even weak people can have their inner wildness brought out.
They had no experience in killing enemies at all. They only had the experience of killing deer and chickens under orders to practice their courage.
They are generally only sixteen years old, and even some men who are twenty years old still lack experience in killing enemies.
Only the Slavic members of the cavalry look like this. The young boys selected from the old Rus's have participated in many wars, and this is the first time they have been put into combat as cavalry.
"Get your bows ready, get your arrows ready! Use my recurve bow well! Kill your enemies without mercy. Follow your prince's orders and kill without mercy!"
Kagan gave orders in broken Slavic, and everyone understood the main vocabulary, so they immediately prepared their weapons while riding on horseback.
Now they could no longer see the large army. In fact, they were already far away from the army in the rear. Although walking on the glacier, the surroundings are all tall spruce and red pine, in fact they are very close to Lake Onega.
Finally, the world is open!
The huge new glacial lake suddenly appeared in front of them, and the cavalry walked out of the forest area and stood on the frozen shore of Lake Onega.
But we don't have time to feel the vastness of the new world, because just to our south, a large-scale residential settlement suddenly appears in front of us.
People with excellent eyesight saw reindeer herds again and what appeared to be people fishing on the ice.
The cavalry, both men and horses camouflaged in white, adjusted their direction again, and everyone understood that a fierce battle was about to break out.
Kagan hurriedly summoned everyone, holding up the Ross steel sword he ordered and giving orders: "Everyone shoot three arrows, then attack with lances, and finally draw your sword to chop. Go and kill everyone you see! Follow me now!" "
Everyone has learned the rapid-fire archery technique. Since everyone has a trigger finger, the rapid-fire archery technique with a right-hand bow becomes easy to control.
A group of white objects moved on the snow near the lake. At first, the exiled Karelians were unaware of the imminent danger.
On the other hand, the cavalry team now resumed running at a trot. Each cavalryman held not only the bow but also the three arrows in his left hand, and only his right hand held the reins.
Those Karelia people had killed a large number of men in previous wars, and most of the people who fled were women.
This is a stronghold with a population of up to 2,000 people. They began to use riverside gravel to strengthen the foundations of tents and build houses with leather and wood.
They didn't bring many deer, thanks to the proximity to the lake where they could hunt for food in the winter. Because we have made some transactions with the Perm and Lüdi people who have set foot here, life is not so ugly.
One thing is true, they are indeed not rich, they are just defeated exiles living on their last breath.
The exiled people did not even elect a recognized leader. Some survivors of the three major tribes exist here. Men have the highest say, and women rely on these men. They were already actively rebuilding the tribe, and many women were pregnant again. It seemed that they could live safely in this area where powerful enemies could not find, and the matter of armed vigilance was ignored.
In fact, even if they are on guard, it is meaningless!
The former allies and servants of the Lydians turned into vassals of the Principality of Rus. Now in AD 838, they came over as enemies.
Of course, they would never have imagined that the first wave of attacks from the Ross Principality's pursuers would actually be cavalry from the warm prairie more than a thousand kilometers away!
When the Karelian exiles noticed the wriggling snow masses, they didn't know how to describe it, and some began to subconsciously shout: "A large group of white bears are coming!"
Some of the people in the settlement went out to look for resources, such as hunting animals and skinning them to sell to the Perm people. There were a large number of women and children staying in the camp. There were less than a hundred armed men and ten-year-old boys, or the entire exile population. The combatable men account for only one-sixth of the total.
But that's the cavalry!
"Fire arrows! Attack!" Kagan gave the order, and the entire team fired into the air unconditionally.
Iron clusters of arrows fell from the sky, smashing through the leather and linen tents that were sheltered from the cold wind, and began to cause casualties.
The cavalry released the first and only round of arrow rain in rapid three-shot mode, then closed their bows and immediately took up their spears.
One hundred and thirty spear-wielding cavalry were already running at full strength, showing no scruples against the enemy Kagan, who clearly had no time to prepare.
The sluggish Karelians were pierced with spears, and those standing outside their tents were killed with spears or knocked down by horses.
When the spear stabbed someone, the rider immediately let go, then immediately pulled out his sword or hand axe, and continued to ride his horse to kill.
The Pechenegs were the most experienced. They tied a rope to a wooden support of the tent and easily overturned the entire tent. Then other cavalrymen rushed over and hacked to death the women and children.
There were cries and howls everywhere. Although some men and women tried to resist with wooden sticks and short spears, they were suddenly killed by tall cavalry. The white robes of the war horses were stained red with blood...
One hundred and thirty "gods of death" were making a fuss in the camp, and a group of Karelians began to flee regardless of their softness.
Tasting blood for the first time, the young Ross cavalry soldiers had forgotten that they were the sons of Boyar nobles. Their hearts were beating wildly when they were killed for the first time, and the desire for destruction in their hearts was completely aroused.
In desperation, some people fled towards the ice. These people who could not stand out were killed by the cavalry who caught up, or shot and killed by arrows. At least the men fishing had the ability to resist. From their standpoint, even though they didn’t know who the strange attacker was, resistance was necessary. In the end, this humble resistance was easily ended with the bow and sword.
People who fled along the lakeside were overtaken, and many were knocked down by horses and left with broken bones and left gasping for breath due to the collapse of their hooves.
Those who tried to run towards the forest were also intercepted by Kagan and the Pechenegs, who scared them and fled towards the camp.
The men who resisted were massacred, and the women who had to take their children to escape were undoubtedly slowed down. What awaited them was still ruthless killing.
Many women simply sat on the ground, holding their young, swaddled children and shivering, waiting for the fate of being killed.
Seeing this scene of neck-to-neck slaughter, the Ross soldiers couldn't help but soften their hearts.
The entire camp's resistance never really took off, and now anyone who tried to resist is gone.
A large number of dead bodies, large and small, lay on the ground, and the white snow was dyed red. Most of the wooden sheds and tents were overturned, and a group of women and children were captured.
The Ross cavalry had taken the lead to stop the killing. After Kagan had dealt with all the escapees in sight, he had no intention of pursuing those who had run further. Cowards, just let them go and escape into the ice and snow forest with bare hands, fearing that they will become an ice sculpture tomorrow.
The cavalry patrolled the village, and the trembling women showed no intention of fleeing.
Who dares to escape now that things have become like this? On the other hand, someone stood up, grabbed the child, and took the opportunity to escape. Wasn't he shot dead by the attacker?
It was only then that the Karelia people realized that the people riding monsters were still fierce Russians because they saw extremely clear patterns.
Looking at this dilapidated camp, all the cavalrymen who wanted to make a fortune from looting were disappointed. The Pecheneg soldiers were the most disappointed. Didn't it mean that these people had mastered a large amount of precious leather? Where is the leather? There is a way, but the number cannot be said to be large at all. This group of people also domesticated reindeer, and their numbers were pitiful.
The only thing that can make them happy is these captured women.
Kagan ordered the cavalry to drive all the prisoners to sit together so they could be guarded.
Perhaps five hundred men were captured, a number that surprised Kagan. But the reality is definitely more serious. The captives also have many children with them!
However, what happened next deeply shocked all the Ross cavalry soldiers present!
When they saw it, the Pechenegs dismounted one after another to check on the prisoners, and very accurately took the boy away from the woman's hands, and was killed by a single sword blow like no other.
When her child was killed, the mother screamed heartbreakingly and even rushed to fight the executioner, only to be mercilessly kicked down by the Pechenegs.
They were unable to hide their children at all, and as a result, all the boys in the captive group were killed. As a result, only a group of Karelian women survived here...
Why it came out like this? The Ross cavalry warriors did not dare to ask why. They said that if the prince was here, he would most likely stop this behavior. But then everyone thought, the prince's order was to kill ruthlessly, and it can be said that everyone stopped taking action now, so what the Pechenegs are doing now can also be regarded as a kind of "mercy".
Kagan has his own reasons for doing this. Rough means will lead to roughness. This is the Pecheneg people's way of grassland warfare.
Finally, Rurik's army arrived!
The reindeer sled team was hunting with flags, and everyone was shocked when faced with the destroyed Karelian camp army.
Did a mere 130 cavalry achieve a complete victory?
The army immediately took control of the scene. Seeing the bright red scene here, most people who had experienced hundreds of battles were indifferent. Only the Ludi people were deeply shocked. The female leader Lu Di even had some self-blame and fear. When she saw the boys who were deliberately killed and a group of female prisoners who were in a trance, she fainted with fear after a burst of screams.
With the battle situation like this, Rurik was speechless. Although the Ross army won a complete victory, there was no joy of victory at all.
Especially the corpses of some killed boys were piled together. These deceased were not killed while escaping, but were deliberately killed by their own subordinates!
He found Kagan. Not mentioning the capture in this battle, he pointed at the pile of corpses and asked: "They must have been captured. Is it okay to kill them again?"
Kagan pouted helplessly: "You asked us to kill all of them. You see, I spared the lives of a large number of female prisoners. It seems that I should implement the request..."
"No need!" Rurik slapped a hand on his face. "It's my fault. I should have ordered you to catch as many alive as possible instead of killing them all. These boys were captured and killed, maybe..."
"Not suitable?"
"Yes, it's inappropriate."
Kagan sighed: "You have already made arrangements, so I will show mercy. However, in the grassland, the enemy's men who are taller than a wheel must be killed, otherwise they will soon grow into warriors and take revenge. We are brothers, it seems. If you don’t want to do these things, I will help you get it done. I will help you cut off anything lower than the wheel. Your enemies now include and are only women. Your people can possess them, and those who bear children will be your children. You don’t have to worry about enemy revenge.”
This is a cruel truth. It is absolutely rational to say that Kagan helped himself solve a disaster, and Rurik simply didn't mention it.
Seeing this, Kagan hurriedly claimed credit: "I led the cavalry to win this battle unscathed. I must get some spoils."
"Loot? Of course, that's..." Rurik looked around: "The Ludi people are right, these guys are really poor."
"But those women, I like."
"You actually like a group of dwarfs?"
Kagan smiled and said: "Otherwise, returning empty-handed is not our style. I also want to bring some women back to the grassland. Brother, at least make my subordinates happy, otherwise they will not work hard for me. You know , we came from the distant grassland to fight in this icy and snowy Far North, all of us took huge risks, you..."
"I understand. You can choose whatever you want, that's what you deserve. In principle, all the prisoners must be managed by me. You and your people can freely choose one, and even their future meals will be paid by your people. "
"no problem!"
Kagan was filled with joy, and wouldn’t his slave-born subordinates be even happier? If Ross and other Vikings were not picky about women, the Pechenegs were even less picky. In principle, the slaves among them did not even have the chance to become fathers. Now there is an opportunity to "take a wife". In front of them, the Pecheneg soldiers were crazy with joy.
All the female prisoners will eventually be digested by the Principality of Ross. They will be scattered and sold, and all profits will be collected into the national treasury.
In addition to other spoils, Rurik ordered the total amount to be counted and distributed again.
He personally did not need any trophies. The cavalry team, which mainly consisted of leather, got the largest share of the trophies. The other personnel were distributed according to their status. For example, the lowest-level Ludi warriors were equally divided into two squirrel skins.
The remnants of the Karelian people are so poor that they have less than 500 domesticated reindeer.
This situation was still within everyone's expectations. The seized materials were only a small profit. Everyone was already standing on the shores of the legendary Lake Onega. This was a brand new world!
Although the main force of the army will not stay here for too long, the Suomi and Ross hunters who have arrived here will start their hunting expedition.
