Compared with last year, the Russians' Sorgon voyage was obviously delayed a lot this time.
This time, the Ross people did not just ask for more tribute. The reason for the delay was really because they had to spend time and energy preparing materials to support the construction of New Ross Fort.
Otto never thought that Gould would transport enough food from the south to feed the entire tribe for a period of time, part of which would be used for funding.
On September 15th, the autumn wind was really bleak. The cool breeze of the vast season always flowed into the fjord, and the surrounding oak trees kept dropping dead leaves. Only the dark green pine trees remained Total survival.
The climate is creating a chilling atmosphere, and no one likes this.
In fact, no one likes winter. It is not beautiful at all, but a little carelessness can make mortals freeze into lumps of ice. In winter, humans also live like groundhogs, staying indoors as much as possible to survive the long winter.
Of course, except on the day of the winter solstice, the entire tribe will go crazy.
The beach is full of boats, and the sea of the fjord is full of sails.
In particular, the pier built by the Gould family has been strengthened and the number of berths available for docking has been increased by four.
Autumn has arrived after all. Some traveling merchants sold their belongings and set sail back to their hometowns in the south. In the end, those who didn't leave were the fur traders who stayed. They either decided to do the winter hunting themselves, or simply bought the results of Ross's hunters. In a sense, they came here because of the ferret’s fur, which is as white as snow and extremely silky.
Some strong men carried sacks full of grain on their shoulders and transported them to the large transport ship.
Now that things have happened, Gould, who has transformed into a Russian, naturally wants to get a share of the Sorgon voyage.
This time, Gould provided the best transport ship, and only with his help, the Russians were able to load more supplies without using too many ships.
In the fall, those tribesmen who intend to immigrate to New Roseburg will not take risks in this dangerous season.
Because of Rurik's suggestion, the tribe had 50,000 pounds of oats to transport, and more than a thousand pounds of carrots.
Their total weight is actually as high as four tons!
The Ross tribe’s own transport ship, it is really risky to expect two or three ships to transport them. Especially in autumn, if the sea is too rough, the boat will be destroyed, people will be killed, and the materials will feed the fish.
The Russians needed Gould's help. Not only did the two large transport ships perfectly load the cargo, there was still a considerable amount of space left for carrying passengers.
Although it is completely different from the Russian rowing boats, when a boat is big enough, is rowing still the best way to drive it? Gould raised a group of professional sailors. Although they often play the role of porters, they are now very good sailors.
There is food, vegetables, and the latest batch of production tools.
At the beginning, Otto, in line with his responsibility as a great leader, really thought about funding his own people out of his own pocket.
His mentality has changed.
Why should we provide free funding? The property and food transported belong to the chief family, and the immigrants must pay for it.
Otto followed Rurik’s advice and has made plans to collect taxes next year.
Grain is both ration and planting grain, and the brand new curved shaft plow is a weapon for reclaiming wasteland. As for Otto, the livestock that was previously given to the settlers for breeding can be ignored. The food and tools can be "given" to them by themselves. As for the reward, it will be one-tenth of the harvest they will get from reclaiming the land next year! This tax will continue forever.
Yes, Rurik proposed the concept of "tithe tax" to his father Otto, which itself was also a tax model used in ancient Rome.
Can this tax model also be used in Novgorod?
Otto embarks on this trip with multiple purposes, and this fall’s actions are of great significance!
At noon, the old Viglia set up an altar on the beach.
A sheep purchased from a merchant was sacrificed, and Rumia was also entrusted with important tasks in the sacrifice.
This deer herder girl has never been afraid of bloody things, because in her life, any child must live like a hunter. Because that’s how deer farmers live.
She slaughtered the sheep very decisively, and under the guidance of Vilia, took out the hot sheep liver.
Villa announced that this year’s voyage will be calm and smooth. Of course, no matter what the arrangement of blood vessels in the liver of a sheep or other animal is, Vilia always declares good luck. In fact, this was just a formality. Otto knew the secrets involved, but her announcement was crucial to the ordinary people involved in the operation.
Because of the slow voyage, what everyone longs for is peace.
An old voice with a slightly hoarse voice announced good luck, and soon, the entire beach fell into a roaring carnival.
The tribesmen were so enthusiastic, and Otto was also moved by it.
Otto, who was wearing leather armor and a shaved beard, was already standing on the bow of his flagship. He stroked the "dragon head" with a horrifying relief and waved his patterned steel sword high.
Everyone on the sandy land was infected by the leader’s enthusiasm.
There are even many women holding children.
"Brothers! Watch your women and your children, don't let them get too bumpy on the sea!"
"Women! When you return to your hometown, tell your relatives , We Ross people are powerful and kind. Tell them that only by surrendering to the Ross people can you get rewards and protection."
"Brothers! The high priest has escorted you to the ship! Ding wishes, we have a safe journey this time! Let’s go!”
A group of young strong men seemed to have been stimulated. They began to push the ship into the sea, and the onlookers raised their hands and cheered.
Some women even gathered and sang the ancient songs of the Ross tribe.
The melody is beautiful, and Rurik can hear the wife's expectation of victory for her husband from this ballad. There is no trace of sadness in it, simply because everyone believes that any form of expedition by the Ross tribe will only result in victory.
This time Rurik was standing on the shore, in front of his father's flagship.
The young strong man pushed the flagship hard and left a trace of the keel on the sand and gravel.
Just like his father had been holding up his sword, Rurik also drew his dagger.
"Dad! Remember our agreement, our tribe will be stronger because of this."
"I know! Rurik, stay in your hometown, and when I come back, you Better get me something new," shouted Otto.
It seems to be just a farewell between the leader and his son. No one knows what the "new trick" means.
At the same time, what pleased Otto were the two girls standing next to his son. Carlotta and Ella tried their best to shout "Goodbye, daddy", which really made Otto feel a little dazed. It was as if they had indeed inherited their own bloodline.
A fleet of fifty ships rushed toward the east.
This time Otto brought an army of more than 500 people.
If it was just to collect tribute, why did you bring so many people with you? To put it bluntly, Otto was still wary of the Novgorod people.
Baishu Manor is willing to be a loyal dog because it knows that cooperation will have great benefits. Besides, Baishu Manor itself was crowded out by other local manors, so they naturally needed a strong backer.
As for the other Novgorod Manor, their cooperation was based on the strong military deterrence of the Russians.
Among them, the most populous Pine Needle Manor must be further weakened. Otto felt that the only way to effectively control Novgorod was to support the white trees, attack the pine needles, and fight against each other.
As for the kind treatment described by his son Rurik, if you give them some useful tools, they will readily surrender to this kind of conjecture. This kind of thinking is really naive.
Of course, those tools for plowing and turning over soil must be given to loyal dogs. Such good things are currently only owned by White Tree Manor.
Not only for his own strategic purposes, but also because the eldest lady of Baishu Manor sat on his flagship with a slightly bulging belly. Most of the women carried by the fleet are also from White Tree Manor.
Otto could feel that the relationship between the two groups had never been as close as it is today.
The fleet gradually disappeared from sight, but the people on the shore still did not retreat.
Everyone is talking a lot about the future prospects.Several people began discussing the possibility of immigrating to New Roseburg.
After all, New Roseburg is warmer anyway, because the previous rumors of sea monsters have been self-defeating due to the public display of the curved shaft plow. It turns out that this thing was Rurik's invention of farming. machine.
What does this mean?
Almost all the tribesmen are illiterate, which does not mean they have no life experience. The leader's family began to study farming equipment, which just shows that there is a future in the land where wasteland can be cultivated.
Reality has also forced people to have the idea of immigrating. The territory of Roseburg is indeed too crowded. If you don't want to live on a hill near the beach, then you have no choice but to immigrate.
The cool breeze dried Niya’s tears, and she felt a little sad that her husband had gone on a long journey again. Although there is absolutely no danger in her husband as a leader's voyage with his strong men, she is old and her mind is full of worries.
The only thing that makes her happy now is that her son is still with her. Now, there are two more girls around.
The crowd gradually dispersed, and Rurik returned to his home.
Suddenly without a strong man who loved drinking, Niya prepared dinner as usual, but felt a little empty in her heart.
"Mom, are you worried about something?" Rurik noticed something strange about his mother.
"No, it's nothing." Niya squeezed out a smile from her numb face. She subconsciously stroked her son's little head and said: "Eat quickly. After eating, go to bed early."
"But my Rumia hasn't come back yet."
"Her? She has performed well this year. Maybe the high priest will continue to teach her some lessons."
Rurik had to admire the decisiveness of his head maid, and he even felt panicked.
When he stabbed the sacrificial deer to death, Rurik was very nervous for a time. However, what Rurik witnessed today was that Rumia cut the sheep's neck in a very calm manner, and cut open the sheep's belly while the sheep was still trembling slightly. So skilled, just like a real butcher.
During the sacrifice, Rurik and Otto both knelt on one knee by the altar on the beach. Rurik was fully aware of everything that happened.
Rurik ate some meat, and the meat in this pottery bowl was the cooked sheep that was sacrificed at noon. Not to mention, the boiled mutton sprinkled with sea salt has a tangy taste. If this tangy taste is paired with sea salt, it will be simply salty and delicious.
At this time, Rumia suddenly came back.
As if she had returned to her own home, she continued to wear her linen robe, smelling the aroma of the food, and subconsciously moved closer to Rurik's position. She adjusted her robe, sat down cross-legged, and then took off her hood, revealing her clean little face and the braids on the back of her head.
"You're back, I thought Vilia kept you late again and asked you some complicated prayers."
Rumia smiled: "She praised me and said I really looked like a high priest."
"Are you the one who killed this sheep?" As he said this, Rurik deliberately pointed at the meat in the bowl.
Rumia laughed out loud: "Yes."
"You are so decisive, as if you...are an expert."
Rurik's words were somewhat cautious, but Rumia was even more proud: "This is normal. I am a deer farmer, and I have killed deer myself. There are even marmots, rabbits and the like."< /p>
"This..." The scene was a bit embarrassing, and Rurik was shocked again. He never thought that Rumia was a "butcher".
Rurik reluctantly asked: "Rumia, how old were you when you executed the first animal, and what tool did you use?"
"Probably. It's six years old. It's a rabbit. I used a stone knife. I can't remember many things. Oh, I'm so hungry. Can you give me something? Masta? , she just wanted to suppress the pain in her heart in this way.
Rumia does not hate the Ross people as a group, she hates Otto as a person. And her favorite was Otto's son Rurik.
Although this is very contradictory, it is also a real reality.
She even hoped that the blood vessels in the sheep's liver would show bad omens. If Otto's fleet capsized, Rurik would naturally take over the position quickly. And by that time, his status will be improved again.
Rumia, who is only eleven years old, has already had the idea of entering a higher power position in her heart, but what is completely different between her and the dead Bona is that she actually knows what she currently has. , are all rewards from Rurik.
She particularly believed in the absoluteness of that oath - if she was disloyal to Rurik, Odin would send down extreme cold in retaliation.
Rurik realized that Rumia also had a cruel side, and Niya, for the first time, felt that Rumia was dangerous. She didn't want Rumia to share a wooden bed with Rurik. Besides, how could a humble servant be qualified to enjoy such high treatment?
Since his son didn’t mention it, Niya couldn’t say much. But now she actually found a reason.
"Rurik." Niya said.
"Mom?"
"Your father has gone to the East, you sleep with me tonight."
"This..." Rurik glanced He glanced at Rumia and responded hurriedly: "Okay, Mom."
It was Rurik's subconscious behavior that made Niya even more vigilant. As soon as Rumia entered the door, the girl's previous humility and cowardice were gone. Instead, she approached her master very casually, without any attitude of a servant.
Niya accidentally understood the unnaturalness here. In fact, the reason was very simple.
Rumia will never forget the ruins of her house on a snowy night, the ferocious face of Otto, the leader of Ross, and the violence of this man binding his hands and feet with hemp ropes. If Otto is not around, there is only one very important personHeart own master Rurik, what else is there to be afraid of?
Niya continued: "Before your father comes back, you sleep with me every night, understand?"
"Oh, okay."
"That's right." Niya smiled happily.
Then, she asked: "Rurik, have you decided what to do? Your father hopes that you will do something new, and you may have promised."
< p>"Yes.""What the hell?!"
Rurik's face calmed down, and he looked at Carlotta and Carlotta who were sitting quietly eating meat. Ella.
He especially looked into Carlotta's eyes: "Carlotta, I think you will never forget the hatred of the destruction of the tribe."
She was a calm girl. Her fair face suddenly became ferocious, and she pouted, revealing the gap between her cracked baby teeth. She hated Xiaoya so much that she gritted her teeth and clenched the two wooden sticks tightly with her little hands (Carlotta was learning to use chopsticks to pick up meat slices).
"I must take revenge! Tooth for tooth!"
She was indeed talking about tooth for tooth. Rurik felt that the words coming from the mouth of this toothless child were really realistic. "Tit for tooth".
"Okay." Rurik knocked on the table and said: "I have thought about it, the children of your Ostara tribe are mainly little girls! I want you to organize them Get up, I want to train them like boys." "Huh?" Carlotta was shocked. "Are you going to train my people to fight? They are all women!"
"Why do you doubt it? Can't women become warriors?"
"This... if You don't mind that we are women."
"How could it be? I have decided that no matter what, I will train the girls of our tribe sooner or later. I believe that only good women can give birth to good ones. Men. If you Ostara people accept the help of us Rus, you will naturally obey my command."
There are many legends about female warriors in the Viking world. Although women are not expected to enter the battlefield, because The Valkyrie who selects heroes is a woman, and everyone loves to hear the legend of female warriors on the battlefield.
Rurik does not want the young women of his tribe to become female warriors in the future. They must at least receive certain military training. This training is more about cultivating their obedience and overall discipline.
Rurik continued: "So I need a woman I can trust to serve as my deputy. Carlotta, I think you can."
"Me?"
< p> "Yes! I will also organize my maids, who are probably the same age as you. In the end, you may command one hundred and fifty girls. You know what I do in the back mountain, girls You must also complete that kind of training. When you appear in front of my father with neat steps, you Ostara people will be bullied by us even if there are only a group of children left.People praised him. ”At this point, the only thing that the people of Ostara can no longer lose is their own glory.
Carlotta fully agreed, because this will bring new glory.< /p>
What about Rurik? He just has to give military training to a group of girls and must also receive weapons training. Rurik thinks that one day he may use the power of women so that he can no longer pass the Ross tribe men. The number of soldiers is enough to counter the rebellion.
In critical moments, women must become some kind of reliable fighting force to defend the glory and dignity of the Russian people.