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When Alfred ordered the sergeant to blow the retreat horn, the Wessex people retreated unwillingly. They didn't even have time to take away the bodies of their companions. Ulf looked at the Wessex people leaving like a tide. The man narrowed his eyes. If the opponent retreated so quickly, perhaps the next wave of attacks waiting for them would be even more ferocious.
"Order the soldiers to repair the damaged fence and stop the horses." Ulf ordered Ange and others.
The North soldiers were not paralyzed by the retreat of the Wessex people. They took the time to drag their tired bodies and rebuild the damaged fortifications. However, they did not see Wessex until sunset. human figure.
"What are these Angsa people doing?" Ange pressed the hilt of the Viking iron sword at her waist, and she stared at Alfred's camp with colorful flags fluttering in confusion.
"Deng Deng Deng~~." At this moment, they heard the sound of horse hooves. The vigilant Viking longbowmen immediately bent their bows and arrows, aiming at the horsemen approaching them.
"Don't shoot, I am the messenger, bringing the news of His Majesty Alfred." The man on horseback heard the sound of the bowstring tightening, and shouted loudly in the Norse language.
"Is it the messenger?" Ulf raised his hand and asked the archers to loosen their bowstrings. When the torches lit up, he saw a man holding the flag of the King of Wessex.
"What should I do?" Vargas raised the torch in his hand and asked Ulf.
"I will take him to see Guzrun." Ulf stepped forward and grabbed the reins of the horseman's mount, and took him to Guzrun in the castle.
"Dear King Guzrun, my master, His Majesty the King of Wessex, greets you." The envoy who spoke proficient in the Norse language respectfully said to Guzrun.
"I understand, why did Alfred send you here?" Guzlen touched his beard and braid, looking at the envoy shrewdly in his eyes, thinking about Alfred's intention of sending the envoy at this time. .
"My master, after seeing the fighting these days, he really can't bear to see the bloodshed continue between our two clans. He hopes to negotiate a peace agreement. What do you think?" Alfred, the envoy The suggestion told Guzlen that this was beyond everyone's expectations.
"trick?"
"lie."
"Don't be fooled."
Almost all the earls objected, saying that they favored others over others, believing that when their own side was out of food and under siege, Alfred, as the dominant side, actually thought about peace talks. It was all a trick no matter how you looked at it.
"Lord Guzlen, I have something to say." Ulf knew that Alfred had hoped to coexist peacefully with the Vikings several times, but the Vikings had always underestimated the young king, so they came to Guzlen. Zi Lun was beside him and whispered to him.
"Oh, what's the matter?" Guzlen was hesitant at this time. Of course he hoped that Alfred would really negotiate peace with him, so that he could overcome the difficulty and reorganize the army, but he was also very worried about falling in love with Alfred. trap.
"We can agree." Ulf whispered to Guzlen.
"Oh, what if they deceived us?" Gutzlen said to Ulf.
"Let them swear to their gods and send the hostages over." Ulf glanced at the messenger, and then suggested to Guzrun in a low voice.
"Oh?" Guzlen thought thoughtfully after hearing this, but he couldn't guarantee that Alfred would agree to such harsh conditions.
The messenger promised to pass on Gutzlen's conditions to Alfred, and soon after he returned to the Wessex camp, he quickly conveyed the news of Alfred's agreement to Gutzlen.
"They agreed?" Guzlen touched his beard. He was a little surprised and really didn't understand why Alfred would choose to negotiate with him when he had the advantage.
But Alfred was full of sincerity. He sent several of his nobles as hostages to the Viking camp. Of course, Guzlen should also send several earls or lords as hostages to ensure that Implementation of the peace agreement.
"You, you and you." Guzlen walked in front of a group of North warriors. He reached out and patted some of them, and then ordered people to put animal skin cloaks on them, pretending to be counts or lords and acting as hostages. .
"Will this work?" Ange stood next to Ulf, watching Guzlen select hostages from ordinary soldiers, Ange asked in a worried voice.
"Anyway, I haven't seen Alfred." Ulf didn't care. The earls would definitely not go to such a dangerous matter as hostages. Even Alfred probably wouldn't let real nobles and important people come. Taking hostage is nothing more than a tacit understanding of mutual deception.
"Your Majesty asks you to swear in the name of Thor and your Ringwraith to return to your own territory and not continue to invade the territory of Wessex." When the two sides exchanged hostages, Alfred's envoy asked Guzrun to swear an oath. .
"I swear by God Thor and my Ringwraith that I will never invade the territory of Wessex again, and we will return to our own territory peacefully." Guzlen raised his ringed hand and said to everyone.
"I will report it to His Majesty the King truthfully." The messenger nodded upon seeing this. He knew that the Vikings valued Thor, the God of Thunder, and the oaths of the Ringwraiths.
Alfred and Isaac stood in the camp, watching the exchange of prisoners and Guzlen's oath. They knew that the Vikings were cunning and changeable, so Alfred felt unwell throughout the process. Because, he did not attend this peace negotiation.
"Your Majesty, we cannot believe the oaths of the Vikings." Even so, Isaac thought that Guzrun could not be believed. He knew that no matter how much the Vikings believed in the Northern God, they advocated strength and conquest in their bones. From the bottom of his heart, he looked down on the Ansa people, thinking that they were just a group of defeated generals.
"They swore in the name of their own god." Alfred shook his head slightly. In his mind, when a person swears in the name of the god he believes in, then he will not go back on it, because that's how he is. A devout man, so could not imagine anyone doing anything contrary to their oath.
"Your Majesty, I have studied the beliefs of the Vikings in depth. In their beliefs, the cunning god Loki will allow them to lie or break their oaths under certain circumstances, as long as it is to defeat the enemy. This is called wisdom. They are not Christians and do not respect honesty and duty." Isaac explained to Alfred vigorously.
But Alfred couldn't listen at all. He was very exhausted physically and mentally. Even standing here used all his strength, and his soldiers were also homesick.
"Oh oh oh oh~~~." When the two sides reached a peace agreement, both the Wessex people and the North people burst into cheers. Even the warlike North people hoped that Get a moment of respite.
"Lord Guzlen, we will retreat a certain distance so that you can pack your luggage and return to your territory." The envoy said to Guzlen.
"Of course." Guzlen smiled kindly. He wanted to invite the envoy to the Norse banquet to celebrate this peaceful feast, but the envoy arranged for the prisoners to be reported back to Alfred. Then leave by yourself.
"It seems that we have a new group of companions." Looking at the hostages with fear in their eyes, Guzlen laughed and said to his men.
"Hahaha~~~." Suddenly laughter broke out among the Vikings. They stepped forward and took the hostages, who were as frightened as little birds, to their banquet, allowing them to enjoy a rough feast from Northern Europe. .
After everything was arranged, Guzlen came to Ulf's camp with a serious expression. Ulf was also very surprised when he saw the Viking king coming, so he quickly stood up from the campfire.
"Ulf, I have something important for you to handle." Guzlen said to Ulf with a serious face.
"Oh, what is this important matter?" Ulf was thinking about his future plans at this time. After hearing Guzlen's words, he asked curiously.
"Now that Alfred's men have fallen back a few miles, long enough for the small force to leave, I want you to take your men through the Wessex watch area and head toward Cornwall to help us. Find a place to stay there,” Gutzlen told Wolfe.
"Oh, why don't you just return to our territory?" Ulf asked in surprise. In his opinion, this attack has failed strategically, and it is better to return to his own territory to regroup.
"You think Alfred is so kind and allows us to pass through his territory. Their people are watching us everywhere. Even if Alfred doesn't want to attack us, his generals can't. Let us miss such a great opportunity." Guzrun patiently explained to Ulf.
"You mean, Alfred's men will take the opportunity to attack us along the way?" Ulf was slightly surprised. Although he had the knowledge of future generations, he still had little experience in the battlefield of intrigue.
Because the Viking ship was destroyed in a big storm, they now have only one way back from the land, but it is not easy to cross the Wessex territory. The enemy is familiar with the territory along the way. If they ambush them on the way, This army will surely be destroyed immediately.
After all, Guzrun was the man who had commanded a Viking army for many years. His judgment was basically correct. Although Alfred ordered the county chiefs and earls from various places not to attack the Vikings, in fact many nobles had already been eager to try. Regardless of Alfred's compassion, in their view, peace can completely return to Britain only if one side of the Angsa and the Vikings falls completely.
"Your Majesty is too merciful. It is impossible to defeat the Vikings with mercy." A count who was ordered by Alfred to withdraw his troops and return to his own territory gathered his troops in a woods along the way and gathered them next to a bonfire. He pulled out the sword from his waist and said to them.
"Oh oh oh~~." The count's soldiers couldn't help but cheered with their weapons raised high. Many of them had experienced the suffering caused by the Vikings. Their homes were destroyed and their wives and daughters were kidnapped. It can be said that they are similar to The Vikings had a sworn hatred.
"My Lord Earl, if the Vikings are in a hurry to return to their territory, they will definitely choose a shorter distance." At this time, from behind the big tree behind the Earl and his party, the voice of a man wearing a monk's robe sounded. Ugly and fat.
"Issac, are you sure?" the count asked curiously.
"Don't worry, if they won't follow our suggested route, then this is the only way to go. As long as we arrange it along the way, we just need to wait for them to come here." Isaac took off his hands He knew that Alfred would not take action, so in order to deal with Guzlen and others once and for all, he secretly left Alfred's camp and came to incite the most dissatisfied with the Vikings. lord.
"I know." The count's face showed joy. He saw the position pointed by Isaac on the parchment map and couldn't help but become happy. You must know that there is a canyon there. If the forward and backward directions are blocked with gravel, On the way forward, if you attack with javelins and bows from both sides, you will definitely be able to wipe out all the enemies.
"Lord, forgive me." Isaac couldn't help but cross himself. He didn't want to kill so many people at once, but the more he knew about the capriciousness of the Vikings, the more he worried about Alfred.
The feast continued to be held in the Viking camp, but for some reason, all the Norse warriors exchanged cups with the hostages, gradually making them drunk.
"Gutzlen, those hostages are drunk." Coast Lord Roy dropped the empty cup in his hand and reported to Gutzlen.
"Very good, kill them all." Guzlen scratched his neck with his thumb. He knew that these hostages were actually Alfred's spies and must be killed, otherwise Ulf's army would be easily discovered.
"Kill?" Roy was stunned. He remembered what Guzlen had sworn, not to mention that some of their people were taken away as hostages.
"That's right, kill them all." Guzlun repeated it seriously, and Roy finally understood. Although he was worried about the list of brothers who were sent there, Guzlun's order was unquestionable.
"Oh, I can still drink." Those lonely and drunk Ansa hostages didn't know that the god of death had come. The North warriors secretly came to their tents like hunting, holding sharp weapons. He used daggers, covered their mouths with his hands, and then suddenly cut their throats. Everything was done quietly. All the hostages sent by Alfred died in one night.
"Hoo, ho~~." And Ulf had already led his direct subordinates to run in the direction of Cornwall. They were covered with stars and moon, and their speed was very slow at night, but they didn't stop for a moment.
"Oh~~." In the woods beside the walk, black coal's shadow passed by, and wolves howled from time to time, as if to tell everyone that they were safe.
