The agreement was engraved on the wooden board in duplicate.
This secret agreement stipulates the work that the Russians need to perform when the war begins, the troops that need to be dispatched, and the rewards that the Melalen people should give after the battle. In principle, each tribe must send troops. Since the Ostara tribe has almost no men, the remaining people are mixed with the Rus. In the simple war, the Rus also fought on behalf of the Ostara people, but they had no right to benefit from the war.
The Russians were asked to dispatch a total of three transport ships, including the sailing ship Aurora, to carry the reserve supplies of the coalition forces, or mainly the Malaren army.
Due to the special nature of the mission, the number of troops dispatched by the Russians was limited to 200 people.
In other words, Origen did not want the Rus army to appear on the battlefield. He strongly believed that the Russians had indeed severely attacked the Gotlanders three years ago. They were indeed powerful. It would be too bad if they took away the credit from him.
And for this war, the Melalen tribe needs to establish a new hero.
One thing Origen planned was that on the occasion of the grand sacrificial expedition, he would publicly announce that his only son Karl would serve as the "War Chief" of the Mellaren Army. He just wants his son to gain merit so that he can be recognized by most people when he inherits his position.
He is very willing to believe that the Russians will fulfill their agreement, which is that as long as the energy source continues to receive material benefits, they will continue to support the Origen family to continue to be the supreme ruler. Even if that person is Karl...
Towards evening, the boats docked at Sheep Leg Island were pushed into the water. Otto and others still covered their heads with linen cloth. They deliberately waited until it was dark to leave. To deceive others.
No other tribal leader knew that Ross and Melalen had made a secret agreement, let alone the three extremely important events that the Ross people had known about in advance.
First: Origen decided to imitate the Franks and become king.
Second: The Mellarens will declare war against Gotland and Denmark during the alliance.
Third: As a sacrifice for the expedition, Origen will rarely sacrifice the blood of slaves to the lake god Melalon and the great god Odin.
In fact, the Russians only knew the rough details of these things, and Olegin never talked about the details.
"The war is likely to expand. He can't lead his troops to Copenhagen? Oh, if this settlement exists now." Rurik estimated that when the so-called war starts, the previous plan will be invalidated Half, and its outcome is often beyond the control of the initiator.
The war will inevitably break out. Will its result be a complete victory for the Alliance? Rurik cannot make any expectation of victory, but no matter what the final outcome of the war, Ross's interests cannot suffer losses.
Ross must ensure that it will not be defeated by the hard power of external enemies. What can destroy a powerful power almost always comes from internal contradictions and rifts.
Now there is a very thorny issueThe hand problem was something he didn't expect.
On the way home, Rurik deliberately gave Carlotta an ugly expression and refused all attempts to strike up a conversation.
"Rurik, I was wrong, I shouldn't have..."
"I beg you to pay attention to me..."
Carlotta Gritting her teeth, she saw that Otto was indifferent. The situation had really become very difficult.
Actually, Otto thought about it and she didn’t think Carlotta’s outrageous behavior was too much. After all, Olegin is the leader of the alliance, and it is also the man who admits that a girl is the leader of a tribe. Carlotta's submission cannot be said to be wrong. What's more, didn't he and his son also recognize Oleg as king in the form of an "agreement"?
Rurik didn’t want to talk to her, it seemed like he was just having a bad temper.
Otto did not take it seriously, and the group returned to Gould Island in the dark after nightfall. The boats have no intention of disturbing night fishermen, they don’t want to disturb anyone.
At night, there are some lights in the Melalen tribe. They are just open-air bonfires. There are also bonfires lit here in Gould, especially some wooden piles at the dock with burning oil lamps to point the returning Otto fleet in the right direction.
The phantom of the Aurora was hazy in the night and gently undulated in the thin waves of the lake.
Those free merchants bought a large amount of goods during the day, and Gould had long been looking forward to reporting to the leader that a batch of special goods had been sold more than half, and the money earned was Already approaching three hundred pounds of silver coins. The main goods here are soap, glassware and precious leather, as well as a very small amount of metal daily necessities.
The ship came back, and Rurik was still angry.
He felt that Carlotta was suspected of betrayal. Even if she had no intention of betrayal, it would be a huge mistake.
Otto was in front, Rurik followed closely behind with firm steps. Carlotta didn’t know what to say and had to follow obediently.
She really didn’t expect that as soon as she entered the brightly lit hall, someone would grab her neck.
Rurik rarely showed his rough side. He pushed Carlotta to the ground and pressed his knee on his back.
Frightened by this, the girl burst into tears.
Is it something to be proud of when a boy bullies a girl? Of course not. But the matter has a deeper meaning.
"You! Carlotta of Ostara, you are destined to be my woman, but you are stupid enough to desire Origen's help."
"Ah! I'm sorry. , I... I was wrong..." Carlotta just lay on the ground without any resistance. Her tears poured out like a fountain, which almost wet a large area of sand and gravel.
Rurik knew that she was aware of her stupidity. If this matter could be solved by just saying "I'm sorry", then he would be a fool too.
Carlotta, this girl needs a hard lesson to realize her true situation. becauseNowadays, she is not only a natural person, but represents the power of the Ostara people. She needs to be responsible for everything of an ethnic group.
Rurik's strong palms seemed to want to strangle Carlotta's neck. He knelt down and put his head to his daughter's ear, deliberately asking: "Who saved you? Who saved you?" He killed your people? We are the Russians. That Olegin deliberately let you die. He wanted all of you to die. Now he comes out and pretends to be a good person, and you actually believe his sweet words."
"Yes, I was wrong... I shouldn't have believed him."
"Did I give you permission to kneel down to that guy? You are a female warrior, and you are my woman! Without me Without permission, you can only kneel down to God. That Olegin is not worthy of your respect." Rurik suspected that Carlotta might be a little unconvinced by speaking like this, so he continued: "No one will really surrender to Olegin. "Lejin, what we want is his money. If he can't give us silver coins and wheat, then he will turn his back. It has been seventy years. The Russians have not needed them, and you Ostara people have never needed them."
At this moment, the excited Gould had no idea what was going on. He stood next to Otto with an embarrassed forced smile, but saw that Otto also had a stern face and seemed unwilling to interfere." "Children fighting" thing.
Fortunately, Otto finally felt something was wrong: "That's enough, she is your woman after all."
Rurik still raised his head and said viciously: "That's not right. ! She is my female warrior, and I will take her to fight! Carlotta, not only did you forget who your man was, but you also forgot that you were a commander. What a joke? If you think Olegin is worthy of worship, then hand over the clothes, swords and food that we Russians gave you, and I will send you to the Melalen Market now, and you can fend for yourself."
The words of his son became more and more serious, and Otto understood clearly. Rurik was not admonishing his wife for "disloyalty", but was completely acting like a leader admonishing his disobedient subordinates.
Ask yourself, what should you do if one of your men suddenly runs away and declares allegiance to Olegin? Otto's idea was very simple, just one word - kill.
"She knows she is wrong." Otto said coldly, "Let her get up. If she still forgets next time, you can deprive her of her identity and demote her as a slave. I think Al "La is not bad, it is not impossible for her to succeed as the leader of Ostara."
As soon as these words came out, Carlotta completely realized what terror was. She was trembling all over, Rurik could feel it clearly.
Rurik let go of his hand, he didn't want to get things done. Ella has a weak character, while Carlotta, as her sister, is stronger. She has a strong desire for revenge. It is too difficult for her to be forced to become a political figure with certain opinions at a young age.
Carlotta was still kneeling on the ground, and Rurik stood up: "The war is about to break out. Olegin thinks that the Ostara people have no soldiers to fight. I don't think so. You are a womanWarrior, in the future battle, if our fleet encounters low-handed players, you must control the crossbow to shoot the enemy without mercy. Remember, I am your man, and even more so your benefactor, I will show no mercy today. Otherwise, the next person who grabs your neck will treat you as a toy without hesitation, and you will die miserably. Remember, only I can help you revive Ostara, and only you and my children are qualified to inherit the leadership of Ostara, but Origen can only give you the final destruction. ”
Son, Rurik, he seems to have two faces!
At this moment, Otto felt an unprecedented strangeness. He saw Binbin in front of Origen. The polite and contract-minded son also saw the son who despised Olegin like dirt
Russians will never be slaves, even if they are servants of others!
Seventy years ago, the Ross people had the opportunity to serve as the servants of the Mellaren people, but the Ross people would rather go to the extremely cold Rossberg Fjord, which is only three days away by sea at the fastest speed, in order to live for themselves. You can only be the master of others! For example, you can become the master of the Ostarians.
This glance made Otto feel relieved, and he could say that his future was worry-free. The most positive meaning of "disciplining" Carlotta is to strengthen the stability of Rose's camp.
After an unprecedented admonishment, she is smart enough to understand how to please her future husband, and that is to do so. She is not nervous about killing enemies on the battlefield, and she is even looking forward to it. Whether it is the Danish army or the Gotland army, they are all enemies of hers. The reality is that she found that without the winch steel-arm crossbow invented by Rurik, she would not be able to harm any enemy.
Gould's hurried report on today's major income and expenditure situation made her nervous. The atmosphere has been greatly relieved.
However, the war is imminent. Because of the secret agreement, the Ross people know about this in advance than other tribes, so they can have huge strategic initiative in advance!
The matter was extremely important. Rurik, Otto and others just ate some wheat cakes and stewed meat, and then in the island's meeting hall, they ordered everyone to stay away, strictly prohibited anyone from leaving the island, and closed the wooden door. An emergency meeting is held under such circumstances.
The meeting is the so-called war preparation meeting.
It stands to reason that Otto, who has experienced many battles, has a huge say. This time Rurik used it. With the momentum just now, he quickly turned his head, formulated a preliminary plan, and announced to the public
What Rurik announced were three major war preparation decisions.
First, gather one hundred soldiers who have been on the battlefield from the mother city of Roseburg and the nearest stronghold, Tombstone Island, and gather all the mercenary warriors from Roseburg, including ten men and ten women. Gather twenty Covin people who can pull longbows in Ironburg.
Secondly, give the people of Fort Ross a death order and immediately start making large quantities of arrows for bows and crossbows.Even the projectiles required for the torque slingshot and the special short spear, or harpoon. Order all the blacksmiths including Clavarson, as well as the tribe's woodworking masters, to work together to quickly make new torsion slingshots and steel-arm crossbows. If the steel arm is insufficient, a short wooden bow is used instead.
Third, clear out at least five cargo ships, immediately add decks, and even install new planks to increase the height of the ship's side. All ship control experts stranded on Gould Island must further strengthen their sail control work.
The above three points are all for combat service, but the various terms are beyond Otto's expectation.
Otto had to formally question: "You? Do you plan to turn all the people we send into archers?"
"Yes!"
"It's so weird."
"Is this weird?" In fact, Rurik didn't understand. Otto still didn't know and couldn't think of using crossbowmen on a large scale. What a transformation the war situation brought.
Otto did indeed see the three-stage attack of the so-called "Ross Arrow Formation". This was invented by his son, but unfortunately it has not been tested in actual combat.
He calmed down and asked: "Our mission is to serve as a transport team, do you really want to participate in the battle? Isn't our agreement not to actively participate in the battle on the shore?"
"What about the sea?"
When Rurik asked, Otto was stunned.
"A battle at sea? Our army will definitely adopt surprise tactics. It is extremely difficult for a naval battle to happen. Besides, a naval battle is also a bloody battle between gangs."
"But, we have everything in our hands. It's a cargo ship, a cargo ship that relies entirely on sails. Our ship's side is much higher than the enemy's longship, especially the Avora. If there is a naval battle, why should we join forces?"
"So you want to kill the enemy with arrows?"
"Exactly. Dad, I doubt why you are questioning it." Rurik tilted his head with confusion in his eyes. .
"Because of our battles, especially me, I...I have never seen a team composed entirely of archers."
"Oh, then you will see soon Here we are." Rurik said constructively: "Did Olegin say that we would not really participate in the fierce battle, so we could safely watch the enemy's camp fall into the flames? Is the enemy a fat sheep to be slaughtered? Can we guarantee that the Danes will just stand there and let our coalition attack them instead of organizing a fleet to fight back? Of course, they will fight against them."
Originally, Otto didn't think much about it. , after being asked such a enlightening question by my son, I blamed myself for being an old fool.
Otto laughed naively: "Yes, we are well prepared. Tell me, do you plan to equip every warrior with a bow? I saw you also asked your children to come. Participate in the war, even if you are a Covin person, tell me what you think."
"This is obviously an opportunity." As Rurik spoke, he also looked at Carlotta who was sitting with his head bowed." Some of the children under my command are nine or ten years oldYears old, they ate good food, and all grew strong enough to at least turn the winches that wound the crossbows. They have been training on weekdays, and now a combat opportunity is in front of them. I must let the best of them join the battle. "
Otto nodded: "Even if it's a girl? ”
“Yes! The commander of the Valkyrie Legion is here. She made a mistake, and she must lead the female warriors into the battle with crossbows. They can stand on the ship and shoot at possible enemies. And the boys, especially Fisk and Kanuf, they have to get a taste of it. ”
“Even a Covin? ! Otto glared and continued to ask.
“According to the contract, the Corvins of Ironburg are our servants, and they must fight for us. Didn’t we make thirty longbows? It can come in handy now too. ”
Otto nodded deeply. He actually had an overview of the current long-range weapons of the Russians.
It has been a full year and a half since the invention of the crossbow. During these years, the number of crossbows has been slowly increasing. All crossbows are carefully maintained. The steel bow arms and hemp strings are greased to resist oxidation and wear. When not in use, The bow strings have all been removed.
The number of bows actually exceeds 100, and there are nearly 200 short wooden bows. However, these bows are only hunting and training tools, and their combat effectiveness is questionable. .
But Otto had great confidence in the thirty long bows made of ash trees.
Now the question came, and Otto asked with interest: "Keep them." Rick, you can bring two hundred bows and crossbows. How many arrows do you plan to prepare? ”
“At least 20,000! "
"Huh? Otto was shocked, "So many?" Are you crazy? "
Rurik spoke righteously: "I'm not crazy! When the battle really starts, when all the arrows are gone, I will really go crazy. Dad, a warrior never complains that he has too many weapons. You also don’t have to worry about these arrows being extremely expensive, only a few of them are, and most don’t even require feather fins. Don't worry, we can mobilize our tribesmen to make weapons. Most of the tribesmen hate Denmark deeply. They cannot directly participate in the war to take revenge, so they make their own contributions by making weapons. I think they would be very supportive. "
Otto thought about it and it made sense. Is it too late to issue the order now?
" Rurik, can we still rush to make a batch of bows now? A batch of arrows. In my opinion, Olegin can't wait to organize a fleet to set off tomorrow. ”
“It’s not that fast. In my opinion, it will take at least a month for him to prepare. I don't believe that those leaders who only have rumors of war at alliance meetings can prepare their armies in one day. Dad, please rest assured that my prediction will come true. I dare say that Olegin will need at least a month to prepare everything. ”
Otto nodded., he believed that Rurik's "preview" would become a reality.
So, the Russians should make good use of the next month to prepare. He had to be more vigilant. Since his son believed that an encounter and fierce battle with the Danish fleet was very likely, it would definitely become a reality. The Russians must be prepared to fight a naval battle under a new situation, with a fleet of purely sail-powered ships facing off against oars.
Is Aurora ready for the first battle after her birth?
She is the elf sculpture standing under the foremast at the bow of the ship. She must be ready because she is born for battle and is a special "female warrior" who protects Ross.