Hundreds of people retreated to the camp on the top of the stone hill. Of course, they could run to the forest on the island to hide, but fear acted on their bodies, and running back was not a good idea. In the current situation, it seemed that the only option was to huddle together for warmth.
Some who had attempted to escape on rafts retreated, but not entirely without success.
Someone took some precious fresh water from the spring. As for looking for something to eat, except for a few edible wild vegetables, there was really nothing.
Can a little fresh water guarantee the survival of thousands of people?
There are trees and rocks on the top of the stone hill, and a small amount of food storage is the property of those large families. Now some big families left forcefully and were mercilessly sunk offshore by the Ross fleet. They took away most of the stored supplies and fed them to the fish. The remaining few supplies are all firmly occupied by other big families who are waiting and watching.
The first day's attempt to leave ended in a disastrous defeat for the islanders. After nightfall, the surviving people did not lament that they were smart enough to wait and see to avoid death. What they faced was not only quenching hunger and thirst, but also being paralyzed by fear itself. The fear of domination.
The forced escape of the islanders surprised Rurik. He had expected this and did not expect that his opponents could flee in large numbers.
He even reflected that maybe he shouldn't have issued the order to kill all the fugitives.
"Most of you don't have to die. You just need to surrender to me. I still want to recruit you..."
Rurik put aside his fantasies for the time being. Even if the situation was like this, it still seemed too hasty to surrender them.
Swinder, the speaker, was in a hurry. While Rurik was quietly looking at the grilled fish, this guy staggered over and begged.
"Sir, please let them go. You plan to ask me to persuade them to surrender. I will go now. You can't do this again! They will be slowly tortured to death by you."
Swinde's actions were too impulsive, and before he could finish his words, he was dragged away by the guards and put under control.
"Let him go." Rurik signaled.
"Sir, please think about it! I will go there overnight to persuade you."
"No need. If they dare to escape once, they dare to escape a second time. I want to kill them, and I also know who is so courageous. They don't dare to fight with me, but they have the courage to escape? It's ridiculous."
"It must be those big families, that is...people like me." Swinde explained hurriedly.
"you?"
"Sir, my family must have followed the others and fled to the hills. My home is in this big fishing village. There is not a single body there. My wife and children have all been evacuated. I am just worried..."
"Are you worried about their lives? I understand you, but..." Rurik shook his head, "This is war. If your family members are smart enough and surrender, I can let them be guests instead of slaves. "
"Then let me convince them. Why don't I hold the torch and speak for myself!"
Swinde, who was trying to leave, was still controlled by the soldiers. Ryuri had made up his mind and would not let this guy make his own decisions.
"You and I will continue to wait! Soon I will send people to clean up the forest, and my fleet will still patrol the sea. Three days! We will wait for three days, and then we will go and check the situation."
"Three days?! Even if they don't starve to death, they will die of thirst!"
Rurik listened tirelessly and ordered his subordinates to pull him away, while he ate the fish on his own.
No one in the Rus army was willing to say a good word for Swinder, and even Ragnar from the alliance was too lazy to talk to this unfortunate guy.
Even if Ragnar opposes King Horik of Denmark, it does not mean that he must unite the people of Bornholm Island. The islanders here are all strong-headed grass, and their origins are diverse. The way they run away when encountering disaster makes him extremely despise. Although his own Stonewall Tribe also escaped, they only managed to break through after making extremely huge sacrifices, and they were always thinking about revenge. What does the behavior of the people of this archipelago mean?
The Ross army still lit bonfires everywhere to create suspicious formations.
What started out as a ploy has now become deeply pragmatic.
The Ross fleet, which used trawling technology to catch fish, encountered the resource-rich South Baltic Sea. The Ross people trawled for fish during the day and lit lamps to catch fish at night. A large amount of fish caught was pulled ashore, and the river beach was just a "fish processing workshop" that spontaneously formed. The big fish is cut into pieces, and the small fish is spread out. After being smeared with salt, it is gradually turned into dry and hard salted fish by roasting on the bonfire, and then transported to the boat.
The smell of grilled fish permeates this small island, especially when it drifts along the south wind to the top of the stone hills and into the noses of anxious people. This made the already restless and fearful people even more angry. Objectively, this also became a psychological offensive for the Ross army.
Not all the islanders have fled to the top of the hill. The entire island is surrounded by the Ross Navy. The triangular sails of the cruising ships are like the dorsal fins of sharks. Each ship cruises with eager eyes, and any raft that tries to leave will be destroyed.
As the sun rises, a new day begins, and the situation is a recipe for disaster for the islanders.
The prince's order only prohibited the destruction of large fishing villages. For other island micro-villages, it didn't matter even if they were about to be burned down.
The battleships couldn't find their hunting targets, so they simply attacked the tiny fishing villages they found. Most of the fishermen have fled, and they are already poor and it is impossible for them to leave any treasure in the village.
The soldiers who came off the ship couldn't find anything, so they set fire to the house out of anger, and then moved away all the available bottles and cans. Especially for fishermen's boats, boats that were too small were scuttled directly, and large rowing boats were directly tied with ropes and towed away.
The Russian army's torment on the second day caused thick smoke to billow from various small fishing villages. One after another, people fled with their families and took refuge on the stone hill in the center of the island.
The new arrivals brought even crueler news - the villages had been burned down and every escaping ship was gone.
The entire island has become a prison. Although there is a dense forest under the stone hill, it has become a hunting ground for the Ross invaders.
Because someone came back with news that the Russians holding bows and arrows seemed to be sharpshooters. They shot people as if they were hunting, and some were captured and their lives were uncertain.
The people who fled to Shiqiu could only bring bad news one after another. They thought they had temporarily avoided the invaders, but unexpectedly, the supplies they carried became must-have items for other islanders.
What Rurik didn't know was that the islanders trapped on the stone hill were actually killing each other.
Those big families and the exiled Danes were more organized than others. They held sharp weapons to plunder the remaining supplies and poured precious water into their stomachs.
What else can people who have had supplies taken away do? They were hungry and thirsty, so they had to sit on the rocks and pray for rain.
Of course, some people took the risk and went down the mountain to get water from the spring. More than a hundred people went there in a hurry, but they were ambushed by the Russian army.
The ambush was extremely short and did not even cause many casualties. The ambushing Russian army shot some arrows and stunned the water fetchers. The brothers swarmed in and captured them.
The captured islanders thought that their heads would be dismembered immediately, but instead they were escorted to the main camp of the Ross Army.
There were both men and women captives, and among them the women holding their children were the most eye-catching.
Seeing such a mother, how could Rurik not feel compassion?
This was the largest number of prisoners taken by the Russian army since the battle began. More than eighty people sat on the sand and gravel by the sea. They all got enough grilled fish and fresh water. After eating and drinking, most of their fears were eliminated.
After they obtained the security promise, they expressed their willingness to cooperate.
They began to explain the situation on the stone hill, especially how the powerful people there robbed ordinary fishermen of their supplies, describing the size of the powerful families and the size of the average fishermen.
Swinder came in a hurry and interrupted the prisoners' accusations. The prisoners were shocked when they saw such an acquaintance.
Immediately, someone became furious and stood up, pointing and scolding: "Swinder! Is it you who led the Russians to attack our island? You are a traitor!"
Hearing this, Swinde was speechless.
But in the next second, the man who spoke was hit in the chest by a crossbow. He fell to the ground looking at the arrow in his chest, twitched a few times and then stopped moving.
The sudden death frightened all the prisoners to scream, and Rurik shouted loudly: "This is the consequences of disobedience! You must remain submissive until you regain your freedom."
The body was dragged away and thrown directly into the sea to drift on the waves...
For this reason, Rurik had to reiterate his policy, and then began to classify this wave of prisoners into three, six, and nine grades.
Swinde got what he wanted and learned about the condition of his wife and children. Although they were alive, many servants at home were killed or injured. Even so, they were trapped on a rocky hill, where food and water were scarce, and the situation was deteriorating. He wished he could take Shui Shui up the mountain now, or at least bring his family back.
Swinde had learned the lesson, and his reason prevented him from doing so.
What has he done to the Russian people to this day? The army has penetrated into the forest on the island, the small island has been searched, the small fishing village is blazing, and except for the huge refugee camp on the top of the hill, there is no one hiding anywhere else.
It seems that the Prince of Ross will not take back his orders. The Prince will deliberately ignore the islanders for three days, and the real persuasion to surrender will be postponed until the fourth day.
What else could Swinder do? I can only hope that my family can survive until that day.
On the third day, in the large fishing village occupied by the Russian army, Rurik selected a large house to hold a combat meeting before the capitulation operation.
However, rather than trying to persuade them to surrender, the eyeing military generals were more willing to swarm in and annihilate them to gain glory.
There were many people who could be recruited by Rurik, and the "ship" captains in the army, that is, platoon-level commanders, all participated. The Ross Army's flag force is a well-organized combat group. Each "ship" has thirty people and can independently carry out combat missions.
Rurik had already learned from the captives about the composition of the islanders on the top of the stone hill. There were a large number of women and children there, but the fighting men had suffered a large loss due to failed escapes. Now even if these men were well fed and drunk, due to their numerical disadvantage Not at all a rival to the Russian army. What's more, they had not received effective supplies for three days, or specifically four days. Even if they did not die of thirst and starvation, they would definitely be dying.
The venue was very noisy at first, but when Rurik decided to announce the policy, there was an instant silence.
"I know you want to chop off their heads! But you all must remember that they are a group of cowards! They are a group of hungry and thirsty cowards, and there are a large number of women and children! If you chop them off, especially on the stone hill, Kill them on the high ground. Odin is watching you from high in the sky. Even the gods will not think this behavior is honorable. So the captain you are doing must restrain your own people. You convey my words to yourselves. Brothers, do not try to kill indiscriminately, and do not launch an attack without my order. If the situation becomes very urgent, if they do not resist, they will be tied up. If you dare to disobey my orders, I will use Hit your butts with a stick!"
The punishment for disobeying the order is to have your butt kicked? Everyone couldn't help but laugh wildly.
Someone laughed and said, "Don't worry, Prince, but we don't want to do anything that will bring shame on our honor."
Rurik knew very well that the Rus' army was not a well-disciplined army, but a tribal army. The principality of Ross is a mixture of various tribes. A brand new nation is being formed, and a unified Odin faith is also being implemented. In order to maintain the morale of the army, Rurik had to allow them to loot freely, and condoning violence was eating away at his heart.
It was not that Rurik had never thought of killing everyone. So what if he ordered the entire island to be killed? You will not be sanctioned by others at all, it will only make others more frightened.
Continuously killing people to maintain their authority is the true barbarian behavior. The biggest contradiction in the principality is still the serious shortage of labor force. The Bornholm Islanders should be captured as much as possible and thrown into the mining areas in the north to dig iron ore. Obviously, they are very good labor force.
Rurik focused on the issue of persuading surrender. Now that he had a clear understanding of the situation, he had to explain clearly how to persuade them to surrender.
According to his plan, the stone hill will be surrounded by the Ross army, and some large trees will be quickly felled and sawed down, just to create an open space so that the Ross army can raise flags and shout openly to scare the islanders.
The army unloaded some torsion slingshots and trebuchets and set them up. The soldiers prepared their crossbows and were on guard against the islanders' final attack.
After sufficient military preparations have been made, a plan to attack the enemy's heart is indispensable.
Rurik was very proud of this tactic in particular.
He proudly declared: "After we lined up, we still lit some bonfires. We threw the big cod fish we caught directly into the fire and let the fire burn them to ashes."
"What does this mean?" Arik asked in surprise, "Are you willing to burn the fat fish?"
"Why don't you want to give up? I just want the fire to burn the fish until it becomes fragrant. The alluring aroma will drift to the nearby stone hills. People who are about to starve to death will use their last strength to come down after smelling the smell. In my opinion, when it comes to that By that time, their consciousness can no longer control their bodies.”
Ragnar expressed deep doubts: "Rurik, is this also part of your plan?"
"Yes."
"We've done this before, so why didn't they come down? Oh, someone did come down to get water."
"They are not hungry enough." Rurik shrugged, "My purpose is not to really kill them, I have to leave them some hope of survival. Those prisoners are of great use, let them stand in a conspicuous place tomorrow , to declare that we did not kill. The aroma of grilled fish is a ploy, and I also want to publicly demonstrate that our army has sufficient fresh water."
Ragnar thought for a moment, slapping his thigh and lamenting that Prince Rurik was so cruel at such a young age. He also lamented that he and he were currently in an alliance. If they were enemies of each other, he would be completely defeated in any war or strategy.
Everyone is sure that Rurik's plan is quite clever. If they don't surrender, those guys will really be beyond description in words.
So what should be done after they surrender? Rurik has already classified it into three categories, and made three opinions on the fate of ordinary fishermen's families, the exiled Danes, and the powerful families on the island.
"Those ordinary fishermen are dependent on the strong, and some sell themselves into slavery. Now that I am the strong, they will serve me and become my servants like deer herders. Only I can punish them, you Don’t kill indiscriminately!”
"The exiled Danes are not our opponents. The battle is a misunderstanding! Ragnar, I hope you can convince them. At least I have no intention of fighting them. Fighting with each other is meaningless. Instead, I should join forces with them to deal with King Horri of Denmark. Gram. I hope you can mediate this situation properly, but don’t create any more misunderstandings.”
"As for those big families who provoked the war, do they still need to survive? I can spare their lives for the time being, but they must be obedient. The war can be avoided completely, and the peace talks have obviously been successful, but they refuse to recognize the peace talks, even if they If you choose to surrender, you still have to pay some... monetary price."
With this announcement, Ragnar and Swinder received their respective tasks.
Things have turned out to be hugely different from the original plan. The peaceful incorporation of Bornholm Island is no longer possible. At least theoretically, there are still 3,000 people who can be captured by the Principality of Ross. Everyone is a Viking, speaks Norse, and worships gods such as Odin, Freya, and Thor. Rurik was most interested in ordinary fishermen and slaves. They were a large group of people who lacked care and could be exploited the most. As long as they are bound to economic ties, they will have to coexist and prosper with Ross in order to make a living. This is "incorporation."
As for those big families? forget it.
Rurik once had murderous intentions, but this murderous intention was only suppressed temporarily. It also depends on whether the big families are smart.