Vilia has been waiting for the right time and must announce the start of the sacrifice at the right time.
She endured the pain in her neck and looked up at the stars from time to time. She paid special attention to the position of the Big Dipper.
The European world of Greece and Rome gave the Big Dipper a mythical role as the seven daughters of the chief god.
In Northern Europe, the locals do not give them any special emotions. But the wise men of some tribes learned some news, that is, they can estimate how long the night will fall and how long it will be until the sun rises through the movement of the seven stars. They also used the position of Sirius to tell time.
In the eyes of a wise man, this is as random as clearly distinguishing morning glow from sunset glow.
Finally, the stars were in the right place.
Villa deliberately opened her arms slowly. Her strange behavior caused thousands of people to whisper to each other, making the entire altar extremely noisy. Thousands of people instantly lost their voices!
A pair of eyes were fixed on the woman in the antlered helmet, watching eagerly as it walked into the stone boat and approached the territory full of oil lamp flames.
She ordered loudly in a low voice: "Everyone...everyone! Kneel down..."
The order was contagious like cancer, and for a moment, she was the only one in the entire venue. The old man stood reluctantly in the posture of a forest saint, his whole old face facing the aurora in the sky.
Together with the leader Otto, all the priests, and more than 7,000 residents, they all knelt on the ground, waiting for the prayers from the high priest.
Rurik and Rumia were kneeling in the stone ship altar, their knees pressed against the snow through the animal skins.
Rurik could feel that Rumia was not willing to kneel down suddenly, but as long as she looked at the solemn and solemn scene around her, how could a servant like her stand still? Look at the leader himself. Isn’t he also kneeling?
The entire ceremony actually does not take long. The most important thing is the chanting of the high priest and the handling of the victims.
Vilia knew the Hanukkah prayers by heart, as did her successor Bona.
The eulogies may come from very ancient times. Villa even believed that the eulogies of his tribe were as old as the 870th year of the birth of the saint revered by the Romans.
The long eulogy is full of awkward vocabulary, and it is really difficult for ordinary people in the tribe to understand it.
Yes, "eulogy" is a language only used by priests, and many words are different from spoken language in daily life.
It is indeed very different. Many words are not from Old Norse at all, but are words directly borrowed from Latin a long time ago.
Latin, the mother of European destruction, although Latin itself borrowed a large number of words from ancient Greece, after all, these hundreds of thousands of words radiated outward from the Apennine Peninsula through the influence of the Roman Empire. .
Vilia finally finished reciting the words, and she felt that her neck was about to be broken by the heavy antlered helmet. for the ceremonyShe must endure the success!
She slowly lowered her head and gave a low command, and everyone slowly stood up.
"Rurik!" she called slowly.
"I'm here."
"Now is the time for you to show off." After saying that, she motioned to Bona to return the steel sword to its owner, and then signaled Otto brought all five deer over.
The steel sword was stuck in the snow, and the deer was brought for Otto.
Three strong warriors forced a deer to the ground. The deer was so frightened that it frantically tried to break free, but the three men worked together to hold it down. Otto quickly tied up the limbs of the deer with a hemp rope, forcing it to lie on its side on the ground, neighing sadly.
The other deer followed the same method, and soon they became sacrifices that could be successfully executed by Rurik.
"Child, now is the time for you to harvest their lives. Don't worry, you just need to pierce the deer's neck with your sword." Otto ordered with a slight breath.
"I..." Rurik's heart was beating fast. He couldn't help but glance at Rumia from the corner of his eye and noticed the sadness in the girl's expression.
But the deer must be executed!
If the successor to the leader, who has high hopes, behaves cowardly at this time, then everything will be over!
Rurik has never personally killed an animal larger than a mouse, but now he actually wants to...
"Hundan, are you a man? If you are a man, be brave! If it’s not a thousand years from now, the weak will be servants to bandits!” Rurik calmed down after some inner self-cursing, and bent down to pull out the steel sword.
He held his breath, held a sharp knife, and walked towards the deer whose neck was being grabbed by his father.
Otto showed an encouraging smile: "Do it now, cut the neck and let the deer blood flow into this altar."
"Okay."
Rurik slowly knelt down with a sullen face. He noticed the deer's desolate eyes illuminated by the firelight, and a trace of compassion arose spontaneously.
Kindness?
No! Not now!
His left hand was holding the deer's neck, touching the place where the deer's pulse was strong, and the edge of the steel sword in his right hand penetrated directly into that place. The whole process was decisive.
In an instant, deer blood sprayed on his face. The warm and bloody deer blood did not bring fear to Rurik.
The deer was struggling violently, and its blood was still flowing out. Thousands of people witnessed Rurik's blood-covered face.
The quiet crowd suddenly burst into strong cheers. The reason is very simple. The leader’s only seven-year-old son has personally dedicated a deer to Odin. This is an excellent tribute and a comparison. Rurik's much larger body tribute!
Executing a deer is not a scary thing, but what about a racing heart?
Rurik tried his best to regain his composure, and pointed his bleeding sword at another helpless and dazed deer.
These deer are sad, they are in SaThe Mi people have suffered the most thorough domestication in their hands. The Sami people raise deer just for food, including Rumia, who has witnessed too many killings of deer. Rumia didn't feel terrible, she just felt that the deer that belonged to her family was so hastily executed by them, and that she was executed by her own little master.
With the first success, Rurik will not be sloppy in the next work.
The snow was dyed red with deer blood. They gave death to the leader's son and Otto's well-wisher. With a bloody face, Rurik completed the proof of his strength in front of all the tribesmen and guests.
The sacrifice went well. The deer sacrificed was the property of the priests. The deer skin was immediately peeled off by the leader and others. The deer meat, also known as an important sacrifice, was piled on the snow.
The position of the stars has moved, and the sacrificial activities have come to an end.
Now, Vilia can finally take off the antlered helmet that is about to break his neck. She looked at all the tribesmen and guests who were watching, solemnly announced the end of the Hanukkah festival, and solemnly announced: "Now, you can go back to your homes to drink, and you can light bonfires on any road. You can celebrate to your heart's content and welcome the first "Sunrise."
Everyone roared in astonishment, and they began to leave the altar one after another, rushing to drink all the ale they had stored, and gnawing on the reserved meat regardless of the consequences.
In a short time, less than a hundred people were left on the still brightly lit altar.
The blood on Rurik's face was still there, and his leather coat stained with deer blood also had to be cleaned thoroughly. His mother Niya did not criticize her son for soiling his clothes, but only affirmed her son's strength.
Everything is over, the five deer will soon become a meal for the priests, and the five pieces of fur will also be processed into clothes. The deer blood on the sword's blade was wiped off by the snow, and it shone coldly under the aurora.
If anyone is in a bad mood now, it is poor Rumia.
"Let's go, my child, we have to go back to our home." Otto comforted his son.
"Okay, I have to change this dress."
"Take your servant with you." After that, Otto urged sternly and looked at Xue Rumia was stunned by the deerskins piled randomly on the ground: "Servant, follow us, or I will kick your ass with my boots."
"Okay...I...I'm leaving."< /p>
Rumia squeezed her eyes hard, and Rurik noticed that a few drops of shiny things splashed from her eyes.
She is not in a good mood!
I am in a good mood.
Execution of the deer was approved by his parents and tribesmen. Although he was a little nervous, Rurik now only had a strong sense of success unique to men, a feeling of freedom as a master.
After the big festival, the celebrations for ordinary people begin!
Those known as the barbaric Varangians, both men and women, danced under the aurora and stars, making Hanukkah seem like a carnival.
People expressed their excitement, including children, who were more than happy to throw branches at the burning pyre to make the flames stronger.
The children are actually just playing with fire. After all, they are so bored in the winter that they even lack toys.
What’s so fun about fire?
Rurik had no choice at all. He was surrounded by his large group of subordinates and walked towards the fire. The children didn't care what the adults were saying and laughing. They pulled burning sticks from the fire and added more dry branches to build their own bonfire.
When his little face was sore from the flames, a trace of fun actually came to his mind.
The feeling of warmth, even the feeling of being burned, is so happy. As the king of this group of children, Rurik followed the crowd and threw branches into the flames.
This is called everyone adding firewood to the flames?
If he hadn't been playing with fire with a group of children here, he would have continued to wait at home, and even got drunk by his father Otto.
The good-hearted ones among the children saw with their own eyes the heroic act of Rurik killing the reindeer, and the sight of him being covered in blood.
At their current age, almost all of them are afraid of killing deer. If someone can do it, he must be a ruthless person.
The bald Fisk, who threw away an unknown amount of dry firewood, cautiously approached Rurik, his eyes unable to help but stare at the sword in his waist: "My leader, I really want to see you. "Really? Let me show you."
Rurik took out his dagger and showed it to him. His own "general" Fisk.
Under the firelight, the sword body reflected a strong cold light.
It is truly the most perfect existence. The sword body is smooth, the blade is straight and full of murderous intent, and the terrifying tip seems to be able to pierce all armor.
"What do you think?" Rurik asked deliberately, "Do you want to get it?"
This sentence immediately aroused Fisk's desire, which also made him so excited. More than a hundred children rushed over screaming.
"I...I want one too! I heard that you, the leader, gave Odin's wisdom to the blacksmith."
"But you have no money." Ruri Ke said bluntly.
"Yes!" Fisk lowered his head silently, his arrogance gone. He muttered silently: "My father died in the war, and he didn't give me much property."
"A long time ago, you couldn't afford it." Rurik said with a regretful and bitter smile on his lips, "Philippines Sk, how much do you think this sword is worth?"
"Maybe three silver coins? Or...it looks like ten silver coins."
"Oh, Fei. Sk, you really underestimate this sword. Are you so stupid that you think Odin's wisdom is only worth ten silver coins?" Rurik's words suddenly made Fisk feel a sense of blasphemy, and he subconsciously felt it. He stepped back and asked in a low voice: "Is it twenty?"
"At least fifty! Fezgram! "
"So many? ! "Fifty silver coins, I am afraid that some men will not be able to accumulate so much wealth in their lifetime. Yes, it is aimed at some so-called peace sects who farm on barren land or simply fish and accumulate wealth in such a traditional way. It is foreseeable that you will probably live in poverty for the rest of your life.
If you step out of the barren land and steal the wealth of other wealthy people, you will risk your life to become rich overnight.
“You want to get rich overnight. Want to get it? Of course you do! Rurik said this deliberately, and then paused for breath: "So you have to fight for it yourself!" You will eventually get a sword like this, or even better than it. The premise is that you must be loyal to me. ”
Since killing the deer, Rurik has truly become a man. When he stood on the altar with the blood of the deer and raised his steel sword and received the admiration of thousands of tribesmen, he felt that he was the real man. Grow up.
Rurik has always thought of himself as an old guy who is almost forty years old. In reality, he is still too young and sometimes even naive at heart. Although he is naturally indecisive. Some adults still lack strength in their business intrigues.
He paid special attention to Otto's instructions at the altar. A leader needs to be kind, but must be ruthless in critical situations.
After washing his face with deer blood, Rurik felt like he had grown up in an instant.
He was determined to truly become a leader. He had to deal with these children without any friendship or rumors. The oracle is used to inspire them. To deal with this group of guys is to give them orders and tell them to execute them. If they don't execute them well, they will be whipped. Of course, if they do well, they will be given certain benefits.
Rick slightly looked up at the bald boy in front of him: "Now, as Odin's Blesser, I order you to kneel down! ”
Fisk didn’t hesitate at all. He knelt down on one knee like an ordinary warrior meeting his leader, with his left arm supporting his left knee and his right hand supporting the snow.
At this moment , Rurik can be completely sure that his performance at the altar has conquered too many people.
The boys in the tribe are very simple, and they hear heroic deeds one after another in their lives. , and some legends about wealth.
Boys are always ignored by adults. They are eager to prove themselves and long for a leader who belongs to the boys.
This leader is Liuli. Gram!
Looking at Fisk’s dry scalp and the man’s respectful look, Rurik asked sternly: “Fisk, you will get wealth by following me, are you willing to obey me? Order, will you serve me? "
"I do. "
"What? What did you say? She talks like a weak woman. Say it loud! ”
“I do! "Fisk shouted violently.
Fisk, who is almost ten years old, is the oldest of all the boys and the one with the strongest physical fitness.
In any era, boys Are willing to find someone younger than themselvesHe takes someone who is older and more powerful than him as his playmate and respects him as his elder brother. Because doing so is very beneficial to the boy himself.
What Rurik gave Fisk was not a sense of security, but a promise of wealth and status.
He breathed a long sigh of relief and glanced at all the boys whose eyes were trembling with excitement.
"All of you! Kneel down!"