Although spring has returned, the location where Roseburg sits is still exposed to the north wind.
The Rus, like other tribes, do not care about the direction of the wind.
Any of their ships has only one sail. In the process of hundreds of years of ship modification, they spontaneously learned the technology of sailing against the wind. The Ross tribe is undoubtedly better in this regard. They will make a larger angle between the bow and the windward side, close to 40°, to obtain the fastest tacking speed at one time. This, coupled with their wide, concave oars, makes them somewhat faster than their allies' ships.
However, after all, the ships of all colors all have wide bellies. They are not very streamlined, and they do not have a bulbous bow.
The Russians have developed quite good upwind sailing skills. Due to the traditional design of their hulls, there is huge room for improvement in the efficiency of wind power application.
Even so, in this bad era, their ships are more advanced than the Franks.
The trigger date set by Otto was April 22 in the Julian calendar. He also made a basic plan for the formation of Novgorod under his leadership.
The wind direction has been somewhat unpredictable these days. Most of the time there is a slight northerly wind, and sometimes a strong and mild southerly wind will suddenly blow.
It is best for nature to blow the south wind, so that the fleet can move forward efficiently!
No matter what kind of wind blows, even if there is no wind, Otto sets a goal for himself. He must reach the "crossing of the bay" within three days, which is the so-called Gulf of Bothnia. T-junction with the Gulf of Finland.
For this reason, everyone has to spend the time on the boat during the journey. No matter how strong the wind is, the men must participate in paddling, and Otto must also lead by example.
The fleet heading to Novgorod can move at a very high speed.
What speed is that? They can reach speeds exceeding ten knots quickly and maintain them for long periods of time. If the wind is always strong, they can sail around the clock at a high speed of about twelve knots.
The shortest flight from Roseburg to the "crossing of the bay" is actually close to 500 kilometers. Otto and his party used the fastest speed they could achieve, and the fleet could indeed complete this voyage in two days.
This journey will take three days.
Otto calculated the time in his mind. When the fleet entered another bay, everyone might stay ashore for one night. At that time, everyone must be prepared for possible harassment by the Baltic or Finns. If the enemy is strong enough, hundreds of soldiers will temporarily rob them, and Otto will be very happy.
This trip is of great significance, so it is best not to cause unnecessary complications.
However, entering the bay to the east, the hydrological conditions here are generally complex. Otto is more willing to paddle forward again. If the wind direction is suitable enough, it will still take us at least four days to reach the "Stone Island", which is later known as Kotlin Island, and the key port is Kronshtadt.
The local Finns call it Redusali Island, but they have not done any development on it. For decades, due to the activities of the Rus and a small number of other Viking tribes ships in the Gulf of Finland, various Vikings attacked the Finnish tribes along the coast, plundered the men and women of the tribes, and took them away as slaves.
However, there are also outstanding people who have become reliable mercenaries to protect the safety of their sponsors. Even such people are as powerful as the Danes and Siyans.
The Finns always become losers in tribal wars. Perhaps the biggest reason is that their weapons are still mainly granite hammers tied with wooden sticks and oak sticks with sharp tips. . Could this be the opponent of the Vikings who were all wearing leather armor and the elite were wearing chain mail?
Once they could train and fight like the Vikings, things were different. Due to their special status, many wealthy families in Denmark or Gotland are happy to have some of these mercenaries, who are well fed and fed to ensure the stability of themselves and their wealth.
Some people must camp at the mouth of the river, and others will enter the big lake and find the southern sewer to enter Novgorod.
As long as there are no excessive stops along the way, the entire journey will be completed within twelve days.
When the Julian calendar reached the first three days of May, Otto believed that he would reach his destination. He felt that he could stay for at most two days, take the tributes and other things he received on board the ship, and then return.
Even though the situation this time is very special, the fleet will still return to port smoothly around June 1 as planned.
By that time, the army that went south to conquer should have returned in triumph with a large amount of loot, right?
However, there will be casualties in war. As long as the casualties are not serious, the Ross tribe can completely ignore them.
What’s the matter with the worry in my heart?
Is it because of Arik?
Otto suppressed his worries, and on the last night, he had a routine farewell with his wife and children at his home, that is, they got together to have a meal.
He was munching on the fish and suddenly muttered: "Rurik, the promise I made to you will be fulfilled. When I come back, I will bring you at least ten servants."< /p>
"Thank you, dad. In fact, I...I prefer that they come to me voluntarily."
"Don't worry too much about this." With that, Otto His eyes immediately glanced at the submissive Rumia who was sitting on the side. Because of the permission of her owner Ryuk, she could also enjoy the meals at the owner's house. This look scared the girl and quickly lowered her head.
"Child." Otto asked his son.
"Yes."
"It is you who decides to have many servants. I will try my best to help you fulfill your wish, but I will not help you train them. How to place your servants, It's your ownThings, do you understand? It is your choice to imitate the life of an adult from now on. You are very brave. I will let you do it now. "
Rurik nodded deeply, as if he understood.
Otto felt that his son's attitude was a bit frivolous, and immediately took the fish from Rurik's hand. He scolded: "You want to express the feeling of enjoying being a leader? You can try it. The uncomfortable feeling of not doing well is your own responsibility. Be prepared, your brother will return in triumph, and maybe he can bring you a few slaves. After all, Gould will be back in two months, and you'll be ready to accept the staggering number of servants you're asking for. "
Rurik nodded deeply and said "I understand" pretending to be obedient.
The early morning light shone on the earth, and Fort Ross was also rendered golden. .
The pine and oak trees in the surrounding hills have sprouted, giving the blue-gray and black rocks a different color.
The woods on the hills have become mysterious. It is the location of the stone boat altar. There is always dust and morning mist floating there. The golden light of the morning sun shines through the gaps in the leaves and branches, forming a sacred light curtain. Coupled with the solemnity of the altar, isn't this place a holy place? < /p>
The priests gathered at the stone boat altar. They performed a small ceremony and slaughtered a rabbit as a sacrifice to bless the people who were going on the expedition.
The Ross tribe did not go out to sacrifice flags, or to hold a spring fishing festival. The sacrifices had been carried out perfectly.
Ordinary people of the tribe gathered at the seaside. Niya held her son's hand and followed the crowd. On the way, thousands of people watched a mighty fleet of nearly 200 ships set sail.
Otto put on his beautiful armor and set foot on his own flagship— —A medium-sized dragon-headed warship that can be rowed by fifty people.
Many merchants brought some magical legends to Fort Ross, such as the great leader of the Danes, the guy nicknamed the Lion. The name of this person's ship is the "Red Dragon"
The "Red Dragon" is dangerous not at all because the dragon head decorated on its bow is smeared with a layer of scarlet cinnabar, which makes it look particularly scary. . The most terrifying thing is that the ship itself is said to support a hundred people rowing together.
A hundred people rowing does not mean that the ship is faster. It clearly proves a terrible thing. The thing is, the "Red Dragon" is a very large ship. As long as it appears, it must be dangerous. It has been a long time since the Russians and even the allies have seen this ship, and some have sneaked into the Danish-controlled areas. The businessman swore that the "Red Dragon" existed, but did not provide much evidence.
Otto did not give his flagship a name. He felt that it was not necessary. Let's name it after his wife.
Otto's flagship lowered its huge sail, revealing the light blue coat of arms on the gray-white sail, which was the pattern of crossed oars arranged in an X. The totem of the Ross tribe, symbolizing their unique paddling skills.
The largest ship leads the group, and the other ships follow its lead.
Many ships adjusted their sails to face the wind, and they began to sail in an S-shaped tack. People on the side of the ship also used oars to help. When the ship started to set sail, it left the port at a very fast speed.
Otto did not say his final goodbyes to his relatives on the beach. Soon, his figure standing on the deck became a black spot as big as an ant in Rurik's eyes, and only the light The big sail is still clear.
The flagship was followed by a large number of ships decorated with dragon heads, which are the so-called Russian standard warships and the most classic ships of the Vikings. The Russians have always believed that it is most reasonable for such a standard warship to have thirty rowing slots, so their warships almost all have the same appearance and the same number of people on board.
The tradition of the tribe also directly affected Rurik’s training of the group of brawling boys. Thirty people in his team constituted a basic establishment, and the commanders were directly adapted from the tribe’s The word "captain".
Everyone accepted the arrangement of thirty people forming a "fighting group". Because once the ship grabbed the beach, thirty oarsmen jumped out. They put on a full fighting lineup, and the thirty people continued to fight side by side. As they rowed together for many years, they had unintentionally developed good organization and coordination, which became a huge tactical advantage.
Excellent organization is also a reflection of their combat effectiveness!
The fleet finally went to sea.
This mighty army quickly left the fjord of Roseburg, entered the vast Gulf of Bothnia, and rushed towards the middle of the bay, because the ice floes there had disappeared.
The arrangement of the team soon changed.
The fleet led by Otto will soon move eastward, along with the hundred families who intend to colonize the estuary of Lake Ladoga and as many as six hundred soldiers.
All young fighters, they face a choice this year. Either go south to take revenge and find an opportunity to make a fortune, or go to Eastern Novgorod to marry a beautiful woman and come back.
As the saying goes, everyone has his own ambitions. There were a hundred unmarried young people. After careful consideration, they decided that it would be more pragmatic to find a wife first. It is said that there are more women than men in that area, which is exactly the opposite of the Ross tribe. So that as long as a woman's parents are given a small dowry gift, they can get a beautiful and hard-working wife. ah! It's like a dream.
Of course, there are also young people who married Novgorod women last year. Their trip is to take their pregnant wives back to their father-in-law's house to announce the good news.
At the level of leader Otto, this was used to win over those people, so that they could provide more women to solve the marriage problems of the young men in the tribe, and then obtain a larger tribute.
The total number of Otto’s team is close to a thousand people, and because there are a large number of transport ships purely carrying building materials and daily necessities, thesePeople shared a total of fifty ships of various types.
Behind Alto is a crusade army composed of twenty warships. They are all dragon-headed warships, and the passengers are all extraordinary people.
Look at their arms covered with golden hair and muscles. They are already shouting and rowing at exactly the same frequency!
Among them is Arik. Although he is less than nineteen years old, this standard Nordic man has already grown a golden beard that runs all over his face. His hair is also golden, and under the skillful hands of his wife Peravina, it was braided into more than twenty tiny braids.
Pelavina is very good at braiding hair, because Novgorod is good at braiding, and her skills are even better than those of the Vikings.
Unfortunately, the couple now belong to two fleets.
Pelavina’s pregnancy has lasted six months! Her bulging belly is already very obvious, and the fetal movement can be clearly felt.
Such a Novgorod woman has become extraordinary. She was placed in his flagship by Otto himself and will be well taken care of during future voyages.
The so-called promise to Rurik and treating Rumia as his daughter was mainly to make his son happy.
As for the current Peravina, Otto is happy to regard her as his own relative. Because whether she gave birth to a boy or a girl, they were of Arik's blood, the grandson of her brother Ogier who died in the battle, and her grandnephew. After losing his two biological sons, only Rurik was left alive. Otto would be very happy when any child who was closely related to him was born.
To this day, Otto is still worried about Arik's safety. Even in front of his niece-in-law, he knows that he must shut up.