Wars in the European Middle Ages often took place in the summer. This was never a deliberate agreement between the warring parties, but was entirely dictated by nature.
All countries are located at very high latitudes, so only in summer the daylight hours are long and the climate is warm. Such climate conditions are suitable for military operations. Wars often stop or pause as winter approaches. After all, in winter, large armies cannot continue to fight when the daylight hours are often less than six hours and the temperature is below freezing.
Even if winter combat is necessary, a force can only organize a small force to carry out military operations.
Olegin revealed the resolution of the war to the Russians in advance, and Rurik concluded that the day of the expedition would be within one month at the earliest.
Rurik was not prophetic, and his decision even overestimated Origen.
This was in the Middle Ages! Even if each tribe has the convenience of ship navigation, they organize their troops, prepare weapons, and adjust their personnel. Even if they generally do not pay special attention to logistics issues, the above preparation issues will definitely consume too much of their time.
Compared with other forces, Rurik felt that his Ross tribe was better than them in terms of organization and execution. However, he can't think too highly of his Ross tribe. He can only say that at this stage, everyone is still in the same boat. The Russians will continue to strengthen internal affairs and will have stronger organizational and mobilization capabilities in a few years.
The two longships were ordered to leave Lake Mälaren urgently, and the boaters rushed to their respective destinations with letters from Chief Ross.
The fleet set out early in the morning. Taking advantage of the warm southerly wind, they arrived at Tombstone Island in the afternoon of the next day.
The leader's war order instantly spread throughout the settlement. A group of warriors with rich combat experience raised their battle axes and responded to the leader's call. According to the opportunity, thirty of them, carrying their heavy weapons and equipment, planned to quickly go to Lake Malaren and land on Gould Island to report.
The fleet continued to go north. They rode the waves on the wide sea with the help of the strong south wind. They reached a speed of ten nautical miles in a short period of time, and soon met Ross fishermen who fished on a daily basis.
They took risks and sailed day and night, and in just two days they reached the gate of Rossberg Fjord. The two ships parted ways here, one heading to Ironburg in the north, and the other returning to their hometown.
Otto, who is far away on Gould Island, has great trust in his men to complete the task properly. He is currently waiting for the day of the alliance.
That day is not far away.
However, before the agreed date of the alliance, which is May 1st of the Julian calendar, the Russians and the Malarens will be the first to complete the preliminary agreement.
Olegin didn’t want to overly publicize his massive import of Russian weapons, so he sent a capable mercenary squad leader named Svard, who brought Olegin’s latest chisel. Please provide an engraved "certificate" to complete this matter. In the Julian calendarOn the evening of April 29th, ten longships quietly left the port of Mälaren under the guise of doing business.
They did not encounter any accidents. After all other merchant ships left, the fleet arrived at Gould Island quite unexpectedly.
The Ross mercenaries who were patrolling at night as usual, circling around Gould Island, which was only slightly larger than two football fields, discovered these uninvited guests who suddenly broke in. As a warrior's instinct, they decisively drew out their steel swords with a strong buzzing sound, which really attracted the attention of Swald, who was also a mercenary.
"Don't get me wrong, we are the leader's people! We fulfill the contract on behalf of the leader!"
Hearing these words, the vigilant Ross mercenaries put away their weapons.
In a moment, the mercenary captain Yevluo arrived.
"What's going on with you?"
Swald pointed to the ship docking at the port: "My master asked me to accept those goods. Please let us meet with the leader of Ross."< /p>
"That's it?"
"Yes."
Yevluo thought for a while: "Let your men stay here, you can surround them Let’s warm ourselves by the bonfire, but we must temporarily remove all weapons, especially you. Remove your weapons and I will take you to meet my master alone.”
Since Otto made Gould’s Island his own. In fact, all management of the "palace" was strictly under Rurik's instruction. For example, the patrol officers became mercenaries or simply Ross warriors. They were organized into small groups and changed groups every five times they walked around the island at night, a kind of sentinel.
Rurik also set up secret sentries, people who were ordered to stand on the wooden walls. They also rotated their posts regularly. Their task was to keep their eyes open and their ears pricked up to detect any abnormalities.
Even the Avlora, with its sails furled and tied up with a large number of ropes, was assigned some sentries to protect the largest ship of the Russians.
At this moment, Otto, Rurik and others were enjoying their sumptuous dinner - sizzling and oily roasted lamb legs.
Otto himself eats quite a lot, not to mention the Gould family’s dining custom of “fattening the kid”. The roasted lamb plate with the fragrant aroma and whole-wheat bread slices is so real. good.
It had only been three or four days since Otto and his party arrived at Gould Island. He was actually a guest at the "base" that the Gould family had operated for decades, and he had fallen in love with the delicious food here. I feel that it has been a big boat but a small river. Until now, every day has been more fulfilling than ever before.
Rurik played a new trick in eating. He used a knife to cut off a piece of mutton leg for later use, and cut off two slices of bread. The lamb was sandwiched between the bread, and he sprinkled a little salt on the meat and sliced some cheese, euphemistically calling it "Rosberg-style meat bread." The name seems a bit weird, Rurik could have called it a "hamburger". However, considering that this "Western Roujiamo" is originally a specialty of the Hamburg region and thus got the name "hamburger", since the inventor of this time and spaceAs a Russian, it should be called "Rossberg".
Able to eat several products together reasonably, Otto took a bite of his son's masterpiece and couldn't stop eating it. It actually tasted more complex and diverse than when it was separated.
Otto is thinking about the alliance in the near future. When the leaders of various tribes gather together, will it be a little awkward for everyone to meet?
Otto needs political assistance from Gould to help him understand the political ecology of the region.
Gevro’s hasty arrangement disturbed Otto’s delicious meal.
He put down the half-eaten third "Rosberg" and ordered his son and Carlotta not to continue making it.
"What's going on? Is something serious happening?"
Jevro, who knelt down on one knee, seriously reported: "Big leader, the envoy from Melalen is here. He is Come to pick up the goods."
"Goods?" Rurik suddenly raised his head, "Dad, it's those weapons."
"Oh, so it's for picking up the goods? Where is the messenger?"
"He is the only one waiting outside."
"Let him in quickly."
Meira. Lun's mercenary squad leader Swald, he had never met Otto, but he had met Rurik. At a glance last year, a boy with a golden ponytail caught his attention. He never expected that the boy was indeed of noble status.
Swald couldn't help but glance at Rurik when he entered the restaurant. He was moved by the aroma in the room and was also a little unhappy. Leader Ross looked wily and scheming, and actually received him in the restaurant. Does it mean that he was disrespectful to the envoy and to Melalen?
Swald still complimented: "The great Ross is the leader. I am Swald. I am following the order of my master, that is, the order of the great and glorious king, to obtain those weapons and use them today." Good luck leaving."
This man is already calling Olegin a king! Otto's expression did not change, his deep eyes revealed ferocity, "Raise your head and let me see your face."
Seeing the messenger's face, judging from his appearance alone, Otto Tuo can determine that this person is a warrior and must have killed people.
Since many things that are kept secret from others are not secrets to the Russians, Otto asked directly: "When the war begins, will you follow your master to the battlefield?"
"Yes! That is my destiny, and it is also my responsibility."
"Very good." Otto stood up and said to Gould on the other side of the table: "I eat I'm full, now I have to solve a big thing. You come with me..." As a veteran soldier, Otto didn't want to have any trouble now, so the meeting hall on the island quickly became the fulfillment The place of the contract was also where Otto formally received the envoy.
A large number of wooden boxes were carried into the meeting hall by Russian warriors wearing chainmail. They were all boxes made of pine wood, fitted together with mortise and tenon joints, and tied with hemp rope.
All the weapons are here, and a batch of boxes have their wooden lids opened, inspected by Messenger Swald.
Swald was very excited at first, but when he saw the goods, especially the axes, he couldn't help but frown.
Why? These hand axes are not very big.
For a moment, he felt that the Russians might have tricked the Mellaren people.
"Great leader of Rus, are these all the weapons?"
Swald's frown was simply a form of protest, Otto deliberately asked: "Do you have any objections?" If you have any objections, say it immediately. "
"Yes! These axes are different from what my master expected."
" Huh? Really?"
"Maybe the ax should be bigger so that it can effectively kill the enemy, and there is no hole in the middle of the wooden handle..."
Otto didn't want to hear any more. He stamped his foot vigorously: "Can't the little one satisfy Olegin?"
"Ah! That's not what I meant."
"Does he think that only huge weapons can kill enemies? You have to understand that our weapons are not comparable to the garbage of the Gran people."
Ruri standing aside Ke estimated that the envoy must have thought that the Russians were potential profiteers, and that his father's strength was more like covering up a guilty conscience. To be fair, Rurik himself was not very satisfied with these axes and spearheads. They were all made by the gray squirrel tribe of Kovin. The locals had to make a large batch in a limited time, so naturally they could not move too many materials.
However, even quenched ferrochrome is far superior to ordinary wrought iron.
Rurik stood up and said deliberately: "Please don't look at our weapons with mortal eyes. These axes are designed like this for a purpose. We Russians are fighting against the most terrifying people in the north. Fight bears, mysterious giants, and unexplainable monsters with these weapons. Do you think they are not good enough? You can try it. Any weapon here can cut off your iron sword directly. If you had a sword."
Experiment? Must experiment! Swald, who was ordered to pick up the goods, didn't want to return with a pile of garbage. He didn't want to be the target of his master's anger.
His iron sword was temporarily kept by the Russians, so they simply used it as a "sacrifice".
No, Swald casually carried a hand ax and waved his arm vigorously in front of his brothers who were roasting fire, and his sword was rammed into a deep dent. After all, he was an old warrior. Not only was he good at chopping, he was also good at paddling. However, the fencing was useless, and he broke it completely into two pieces.
Just a random ax can complete such a critical hit? Could it be that only fifty silver coins can be exchanged for this treasure? In an instant, Swald's three views were subverted.
Swald left as quietly as he came, armed with all his weapons.
AuLegin stayed at his mansion and stayed awake waiting for the shipment.
Finally the goods came back. When faced with these handaxes and spearheads, which were inconspicuous in appearance, for a moment he felt as if he had been cheated by the Russians. However, when Svard easily destroyed a pile of iron tools, these special Russian iron tools that were completely blackened completely conquered Olegin.
How big are they?
Olegin called it "black iron" based on its color, and black iron weapons were owned by the elite.
The next day he gathered all the mercenaries, a team of up to 800 people! The gathering of so many people shocked several leaders who arrived in Mälaren early and stayed in the homes of wealthy local families. It's not that they don't know the rumors of the war, it's just that the news hasn't been confirmed yet and they don't dare to believe it.
What’s good now is that Olegin is gathering his team, but he doesn’t know what he is going to do.
Olegin is actually completing the team's equipment change. No, all the mercenaries, that is, his personal guards, are all equipped with imported Russian weapons. He didn't realize that 26% of the blackened iron was chromium, a metal that the people of Melalen had not seen for hundreds of years, which was also the reason for its overall blackness. He only knew that these weapons could turn ordinary iron tools into garbage, and their price was not very expensive.
In this way, he felt that the dagger he spent 200 gold coins on was the most losing business.
Olegin's personal guards changed their uniforms. In addition to a standard round shield and a long iron sword, these warriors also added black iron hand axes and short black iron spears.
The Guards also generally possess cowhide armor that has been smoked black by carbon, as well as blackened cowhide helmets with copper or iron sheets attached. Only the most elite, less than a hundred of them, have them. Chain mail.
With black cowhide armor, black weapons, and even black cowhide boots, the entire team looks quite neat at first glance, and the neatness is shocking. Just by observing them closely, you can see that their clothes are only similar in color, but other aspects are different.
The Vikings quickly appeared in the form of "horses". They jumped off the ship and fought directly, or joined gangs to fight on the sea. In such a special environment, they tended to use swords and axes. However, when the army was organized and adopted a land combat mode, spears became very important.
They quickly came with long-handled battle axes. The so-called rear support was based on the brothers who lined up in a shield wall, so that the axes fell from the sky and smashed the enemy's heads.
Good thing now, the Russian black iron spearhead is essentially a sheet, and the prefabricated grooves allow it to be quickly tied to a wooden stick.
At this time, a group of hybrid weapons of spears and axes appeared in Olegin's bodyguards, that is, halberds that were generally up to two stikas in length, and the black spearheads were even darker. A sense of terror.
Everyone knows that as long as the Melalen people participate in the war, the personal guards of the leader family will be the core combat force.
After completing the change of clothes, Olegin’s confidence explodedHe ordered his troops to line up in column and patrol the entire Malaren under his leadership. He swaggered through the main streets, especially the long streets of the market, in order to show his prowess to everyone.
After all, he must consolidate his position by demonstrating military strength. He must frighten the big families in the tribe and hint to them in this way: When I lead my troops to fight, those of you who stay in your homeland, don’t I hope you can have the strength to challenge my power.
He also demonstrated his strength to the leaders of other clans who arrived early, implying: Seeing my army, you can only believe that we will win.
Olegin needs to further demonstrate his strength. The agreed date for the alliance is tomorrow. Of course, that is also the first day of the preliminary alliance. It will not be until May 2 of the Julian calendar. For a grand sacrifice.
A group of capable generals are already handling all matters related to the alliance and sacrifices, together with his son Karl. He has been ordered to take good care of the slaves needed for the sacrifices, and ultimately to achieve these results at the sacrifices. A special sacrifice.
Because war requires blood sacrifice, it must not be the snow of cattle and sheep, it must be the blood of enemy chieftains and prisoners.
This group of soldiers who have changed their uniforms will gather again tomorrow. Olegin wants to make all the leaders in the alliance, especially the stronger Hjelmalen, Onkras, and Uppsa The La people saw that the Melalen people were truly the strongest.
Of course, except for the Russians, who will join the alliance tomorrow, the Russian ship Avora will also dock at the port of Mälaren, thus formally showing that "Oligen can only be worthy of this ship." "Of course this is a bit pretentious.