Rise of Rurik

,!

Austen and his group, who were here to sell stones, finally have a new identity.

But to get this status, the price paid for it is quite a lot.

"Perhaps your death was worth it..."

Olstein put on the new clothes given by King Ross. It was a spacious plain white cloth robe with two slender blue cloth strips sewn on the front, just like the flag of the Ross people.

He was also distributed a Ross flag, and the buckler he brought was also required to scrape off the past livery and replace it with Ross's pattern.

In this way, the "Count of Cherbourg" looks respectable.

The Ross army regrouped, and they had fully rested in Riga. After getting some key guides, they gave a clear direction to the somewhat confused road ahead.

After a meeting and deliberation, the Ross Army, which was divided into two groups, will complete its assembly at Cherbourg on the coast of Courland.

According to Rurik's estimate, the navy will definitely arrive first. He was very assured that the army that arrived first would not attack the locals of Cherbourg, because the Earl of Cherbourg had been established by surprise, and soldiers who dared to attack the locals were criminals and could be beheaded according to military law.

The Ross army can't do anything to its own people, not even the servant army. The same principle applies to the servant army.

Although Rurik did not specify specific detailed regulations for his army, and he frequently condoned soldiers to plunder during battles, he only emphasized one thing in particular—the prohibition of harming each other.

He ordered his generals to swear to the gods in front of the newly-appointed Earl of Cherbourg, Ostan, that the army maintain restraint and dignity, and camp in an open field after arriving at Cherbourg, so as not to disturb the lives of the residents, but to do business fairly.

This is just a verbal oath, at least the Ross Army swears, this statement makes all six

The bit guide was very moved.

Rurik knew that if he wanted these people to be honest guides, he had to show them the sincerity of the Ross Army.

Although the women and children were marching with the land army, Rurik checked these people who had been under house arrest. They were all freed again, and were now given new clothes and sufficient food, and Rurik was willing to provide some honey for nourishment to these children, although they were few.

The child put the honey into his mouth and immediately showed a hearty smile. The child was happy, and their parents were also happy. Even if they were involved in the war that just ended, the men in the caravan suffered great losses.

Life is like this, especially when running this dangerous trade route across the Courland Peninsula, everyone considers that they will be exploited by the Semigallians, and even be attacked and murdered by those guys.

If they have the courage to act, they also have the consciousness to die accidentally during the journey.

Now those Semigallians who are blocking the way to ask for money are afraid that their vitality will be seriously injured, and they may be wiped out by the army that continues to go south. The future trade route should be safe.

It was a sunny morning, and the time had already entered July in the Julian calendar.

Now Rurik no longer considered whether he had "caught a late show" after arriving in Frank, anyway, the army would definitely arrive, explaining that if he didn't have an explanation, he would create conditions to give them an explanation.

According to the agreement half a year ago, Rurik unloaded a batch of food and a sum of silver coins to pay for the military supplies provided by the locals in Riga. The money he handed over was far less than what was agreed before, and the deal between the two parties was fair. Now that the Latvians have given out less supplies, Ross will give less.

As for pulling

Rurik didn't think that Tvia was at a disadvantage in this regard. On the contrary, he didn't ask these guys for money because he was showing mercy.

Although Fisk led the cavalry and conspired with the local armed forces to go south, from another perspective, it can also be said that the Latvian nobles hired the Russian regular army to start the war.

Ross's most elite cavalry was the main combat force in the war. The main results of the war, land, cities and living space, no matter how you look at it, the Latvians got the most.

Considering that the Principality of Latvia is a vassal state of Ross, its sphere of influence is already swooping towards the Neva River because of its victory, and it has really grabbed benefits for Ross, and it seems like King Ross's stinginess to be obsessed with asking for "mercenary labor fees".

Soldiers operating by sea took small merchant ships one after another. Those big ships were moored in the offshore, and they were as stable as islands near the shore.

So far, the work of the accompanying Ross fishing boat owners has also come to an end. They have all received a small sum of money for transporting reindeer for the king. As for the next choice for the fishermen, they can follow the Ross navy again, but that Hardly in the interests of the fishermen.

Because in the huge southern Baltic Sea, Ross did not build a stable home port. Fishing boats departing from the depths of the Gulf of Finland were reluctant to go south after arriving in Riga. Riga is their new home port. They collect fish from the Gulf of Riga, set up a stall on the soothing coast and start making fish jerky, either for sale or for their own use.

After all, it is July, a hundred days later

Maybe the first snow will fall, and it seems a bit early to prepare for the harsh winter, but no one will dislike having too much food in the winter.

The large number of Ross fishermen has occupied the working space of the Latvian fishermen in Riga and the Danish community fishermen, but what is there to protest?

Ross popularized the technique of fishing trawler, which was originally used to sweep cod schools in the Gulf of Finland, and also used this old method to catch herring.

When the Ross army was still stationed, the Ross fishing boats unloading their cargo were already showing their unique skills to the locals - forming a line array to trawl.

Without sonar, it is impossible to determine the location of fish schools. If they want to catch surface fish such as herring, the trick that the Ross people think of is to piece together multiple fishing boats into a queue, dragging nets behind each boat, and everyone puts down the triangular sails and moves forward together to expand the area. Search for noodles, and share equally after catching fish. This trick is much more efficient than a single-handed action.

The Ross people can, why can't we?

Quietly, the locals in Riga kept what they saw and heard in their hearts, and they had the idea of ​​imitating and learning.

The Gulf of Riga is big enough, and the local population is small enough. The hundreds of Ross fishing boats that entered the bay this year did not aim to scoop up all the catches in the Gulf of Riga.

For fishing here, the waters near Gotland Island are the good fishing grounds that the Ross people have considered since ancient times, and that is the brothers' favorite place.

The existence of the port city of Riga makes it unnecessary for fishermen to squeeze the fortress of Tombstone Island in the Åland Islands in the future. Settlements, where the ring

The environment is very attractive to ordinary people in Ross.

Rurik is naturally happy to see that fishing boats from the capital suddenly come to Riga in large numbers. They can spontaneously immigrate some people. As a result, the Ross community in Riga will rise strongly, and the local living culture will also change.

The most important thing is control! The extensive activities of Ross fishermen made Ross not only legally control Riga and the areas on both sides of the Daugava River, but the population of Ross people is increasing, and the local Danes and Latvians must fully adapt to the new situation. The local people have benefited from following Ross, and they may not necessarily rebel in the future. With the surge in the local Ross population, I am afraid that the concept of "rebellion" will not even sprout in the future.

Admiral Godrund led nearly 60% of the troops into action. The large ship towed the empty longship. The largest Sea Monarch is now Godlund's command flagship. Rurik specially authorized him, so that the sailing The captains of each banner had to obey all orders of the "imperial envoy".

The current Godelund is Rurik's spokesperson, which does not mean that he can do anything wrong. Godelund is solely responsible for Rurik himself, and if any trouble occurs, he will be punished with full responsibility.

On the shore, tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians watched the huge fleet drift away, and various fishing boats followed behind to send the expeditionary force another journey.

It was past noon, and Rurik stayed on the shore until he watched the huge mainsail of the Sea Monarch turn into a small white spot in the sea.

"They're off..." he murmured with a smile.

"My lord, it's time for us to act. It's not too late." Fisk said

.

"Indeed, the navy is ready, and so is my army, and it's time to go, now!"

The sound of horns sounded throughout Riga. At this moment, Ross's huge herd of deer had already arrived on the left bank of the Daugava River in small boats. The cavalry had also completed landing, and a huge team appeared impressively.

The land troops were completely transformed into mules and horses. Horses and reindeer replaced human feet, ships and vehicles.

The applicability of reindeer is limited, and its strength lies in its amazing endurance and easy feeding.

Nearly 500 deer breeders (Lapps) control a total of 6,000 reindeer and pack horses. The 100 captured war horses are now used as pack horses, but they have all repaired their hooves and nailed new shoes. Both have become spare mounts for cavalry.

Daughter Verika and adopted daughter Blackbird, the second daughter led the priests to move with the navy. All fighters here in Rurik, if there are non-combatants, they are the family members of the guide.

At present, there are only two cavalry teams assembled in Riga, and the Demyansk County cavalry with only 50 troops joined, so that there are about 700 cavalry. Two other teams were stationed in Mezot, and the soldiers were ordered to take the time to rest and defend.

After all, we wanted to show the mighty Ross army to the onlookers of Riga once again. Before the army left Riga, Rurik ordered the whole army to line up neatly. Each flag team used centurions as a "square", keeping distance from each other and facing each other. Advance up the Lielupe River.

Behind them was a larger herd of reindeer, and it was useless to have experienced deer breeders supervise them, and the follow-up team seemed chaotic.

Even so, the military and civilians of Riga still saw unprecedented

Seen an army - like a nomadic army.

Bejacir happily followed Rurik on horseback. She was even more happy that she was not only a soldier, but also the only wife Rurik could have during this expedition.

In other words, he will exclusively enjoy the favor of King Ross in normal wars.

She held the reins tightly and was in a great mood: "My lord, our team reminds me of the grassland."

"Oh? Don't we look like nomads now?"

"Of course. If our reindeer were replaced by horses, it all reminds me of my hometown. Is this how we are going to go all the way to the unknown western world, to Hamburg?"

"Yes."

"It's amazing, now we're really starting. And I'm still a general." Beja Hill cared about this very much. She didn't want to live as a noblewoman who was obsessed with childbirth. Only by riding horses and participating in battles It's what I love.

"Nature will give you a chance to fight. The cavalry you hold is our elite."

"Hey, I will make meritorious service." Beja Hill laughed heartily, her coquettish appearance seemed to ask for something.

The mules and horses of the Ross Army moved very fast, and the soldiers also marched lightly. All armor and most of the supplies were consigned by reindeer, and when night fell on the first day, they had already arrived at the most important bend in the lower reaches of the Lielupe River. place.

The whole army set up camp on this apparently flat place.

The fabrics for the tents were all consigned by reindeer, and the soldiers cut down trees on the spot to serve as frames, and a large number of deer breeder-style tents were densely connected into pieces.

The iron pot was unloaded and the wheat was boiled on the spot. The soldiers who had ridden the horse all afternoon stretched their muscles and bones.

After building his own sleeping hut, he waited for dinner.

Such a huge camping scene is unheard of in Osten, and this is precisely the basic behavior of nomads.

Ross was originally a seafarer, but the soul of the cavalry army came from Pecheneg, and it is only natural that it has grassland genes.

Grassland herdsman Pecheneg and ice plain herdsman deer breeder have similarities in their lifestyles, so their actions in an afternoon are completely consistent with each other.

There are nearly a hundred Pecheneg warriors among the current Russian cavalry. They are all elite soldiers, although they are all shorter. They are stationed in the Novgorod region, where the food is richest in Russia. Very good, all of them are short and stocky.

When Orstein was forced to fight with the Ross cavalry, he saw such a short, flat-faced, black-haired warrior. At first, he was just a stranger, and he didn't expect that even the wife and concubine of King Ross had such a face.

Now there is a warrior with such a face in ten cavalrymen. Look at the strong arms of these men, it is obvious that each of them is a strong man with a bow. A wise man should not provoke these sharpshooters.

In fact, Olstein didn't dare to provoke anyone. The powerful aura exuded by the Ross army terrified him.

All the guides and accompanying family members were required to call themselves a small camp, and they had to keep a little distance from the Ross Army in order to avoid complications.

Only Orstein himself must go to King Ross's bonfire to report on his duties...

The branches were crackling in the fire. Not long ago, Olstein had seen the Ross people using their wonderful tricks to quickly ignite the fire, and the air was filled with the aroma of boiled wheat. All this was unimaginable by Olstein

of.

"You're finally here." Rurik put his arms around Bejahir who was sitting beside him, looking very leisurely.

"The great king..." Olstein didn't know what to say for a moment, so he sat directly on the edge of the withered grass.

"Wait a minute. Come!" Rurik ordered: "Bring a mat to our guide."

After a while, Ostan was able to sit cross-legged on the leather cushion, and he asked cautiously, "What can I do for the king?"

"Tell me about tomorrow. The speed of the cavalry is fast enough, and the ground is relatively dry now. Can we arrive at the inner city of Mezot tomorrow?"

"Yes." Olstein answered simply, "Cavalry is absolutely fine, as for those deer..."

"Horses can be as good as deer, now tell me what we should pay attention to along the way."

"It's crossing the river."

"Crossing the river? It is indeed very important." Rurik sighed softly: "We are going to cross the Courland Peninsula. There are many small streams in this place, and even some larger rivers. Tell me, does the Lielupe River have A shallow ford directly across?"

"Yes, it's in Gava Village."

"Very good. How's the village?"

"It has been destroyed by the king's army, but fortunately the shallows are open for us to pass. But..."

"How?" Rurik narrowed his eyes.

"After Gawa Village, we are about to advance on the left bank of the river. But the inner city of Mezot is on the right bank. If the king wants to get there, he may only take a small boat to admire your victory."

"Can't the river where Mezotne is located be waded?"

"Can't."

"Then, the Shwet River we are bound to enter..." Rurik couldn't help frowning.

"This is what I want to focus on explaining

of. "Ostan gasped, and pointed his thumb to the west: "The Shwet River, such as the Lielupe River, is very close to Mezotne. If the king wants to see the victory of the army, he may just look at it from a distance. There are still your remaining cavalry stationed here, which will affect the king's future actions...or cause minor troubles due to the problem of crossing the river. "

"I know that. It's just that there is no wading in the local area. Don't my cavalry still have to take the captured boats to cross the river? Maybe I should ask my general..."

Rurik is not very clear about Fisk's specific arrangements, but Fisk has already made all arrangements.

When he called Fisk who was waiting for dinner to inquire, he got this answer: "I arranged for the two teams to station on the left bank of the river, especially at the mouth of the Shwet River, waiting for the main force of our army to meet with them. , and then head west.”

Such stationing is not Fisk's shrewd consideration, everything is arranged by Olstein, and the army must be stationed in this way in order to operate smoothly.

After hearing the news before dinner, Rurik was very satisfied, UU reading www. uukanshu.com In fact, he has been suffocating a lump in his heart. Why did the victorious cavalry stay in two teams in Mezot? The army should complete a large assembly in Riga to entertain himself. walk alone.

The Ross army set up camp quickly, and "closed the stall" was also very fast.

In the early morning, the whole army was so wet in the morning fog that they gathered all the cloth, and except for the key branches that served as wooden beams, the rest of the tent branches were discarded.

Chewing dried bread and dried fish on horseback, they arrived at the legendary Gava Village at noon, and here everyone saw

The presence of blue and white.

"Our flag?!" Rurik poked his head out in surprise, and immediately asked Fisk to come over to explain.

"Have you arranged a garrison here?!" Rurik asked again.

"No. It may be Karl or Sven's arrangement. I think they are responding to the king."

"I think so too." Rurik nodded with satisfaction: "Let's go! Display all the flags, and the trumpeters blow their horns to tell those brothers that we are coming."