The thick morning mist was filled with a chilling atmosphere, and under the mist was a huge fleet assembled by the Kingdom of Sweden, which was suddenly born in this time and space.
There are more than 600 ships of various types, 400 of which are typical Viking longships with high bows.
A round shield painted with various colors was placed on the side of the ship, and an oar stretched out from under the round shield and rested in the water. Almost all the people on the ship wore leather armor, and the soldiers at least wore leather helmets on their heads.
A large ship left the Merlaren docks, towed by two longships. She was the Aurora. Her stomach was empty when she came, but now she was filled with enough food to feed all the soldiers of the Malaren Army and even some auxiliary personnel for ten days, and even a large amount of fresh water in oak barrels.
It can be said that the new Kingdom of Sweden behaved like a feudal kingdom in at least some forms.
As a king, Origen only needs to consider the logistics of his own troops. As for others, he does not need to worry too much.
Each duke obeyed the king's order, and everyone formed a coalition to attack the enemy. After winning the battle, the spoils were distributed. It seems that the spoils of war are to be distributed after the war, but in fact it is not about grabbing based on ability?
The number of troops dispatched by each duke varied from five hundred to as few as fifty. All in all, there were as many as 3,500 soldiers hidden in the fog, and with various auxiliary personnel, the number easily exceeded 4,000. They can be said to be the elite of the entire kingdom, and their overall combat effectiveness cannot be underestimated.
But Olegin didn’t know that the Russians had secretly assembled an amazingly large army not too far away, and they were ready to enter the battlefield at any time.
The morning fog gradually dissipates under the early morning lake breeze, and the sun shines on the entire lake.
The Aurora raised her magnificent triangular sail, and the staggered blue stripes on the sail were particularly eye-catching.
She rode the lake wind and soon met five Russian cargo ships. There were six large ships in total. They all raised their triangular sails and their tall figures naturally became the core of the entire Swedish fleet.
The ships of the Dukes and the Russians were not slowed down by their huge size. They did not need oars at all and could move quickly on the lake relying on the wind.
In this battle, the Aurora transported food for the Melalen people. The Ross people's own food, fresh water, and a batch of weapons and ammunition were all transported by the modified cargo ship.
Three hundred people share these six large boats. Each boat is very large, so that the cabin is not too crowded.
Below the deck is the warehouse, which has naturally become a shelter for soldiers and sailors. So don't look at the fact that there are not many people standing on the deck, and more people are staying in the cabin.
When the fog completely dissipated, all fleets still gathered together. They naturally followed the biggest Avora, and even subconsciously thought that it was the king's flagship.
What about the essence? The huge longship fleet of the Malaren Army gathered directly in front of the Ross fleet.
King Olegin put on his battle armor, the so-called chainmail covering his whole body, and his gold-inlaid iron helmet was put on his golden crown. All the senior personnel participating in the exhibition were dressed in their most gorgeous clothes. They were going to let the enemy see a brave warrior standing here on the future battlefield.
Oligen, old age never means losing courage. Holding the steel sword in his hand this time, he felt that he was at least thirty years younger and could fight with the enemy's generals.
Will he die in battle? How is that possible!
Looking at this huge fleet assembled, who dares to say that it will encounter setbacks?
It is obvious that the communication methods between this patchwork fleet are extremely backward.
Each duke only displays his totem on the sail of his flagship, and then all his troops can pursue his flagship.
In addition, any two ships can only approach each other, and the crew members shout to each other to confirm their identities and exchange information.
They have no semaphores or signal flags. The only high-end goods they have are some horn horns.
Origin wanted to give a high-pitched speech to the coalition forces to stimulate their fighting spirit. He did not have the conditions for this. Seeing that the fleet was almost assembled, he pulled out his sword without hesitation. Sword; "Sail! Let's go!"
At this moment, Otto and Rurik, standing on the bow of the Avrola, have been waiting for Origen's departure signal.
The signal came very suddenly, that is, the large sail of the Melalen people painted with black totem patterns was raised, and the expedition voyage suddenly began.
“Damn, I thought someone was going to issue another combat mobilization.” Rurik muttered, holding on to the side of the ship.
Otto twisted his son's neck hard: "Let's go too. Boy, we are on the battlefield. I hope your weapons wrapped in oilcloth are really useful."
"Of course." Rurik turned his head and gave orders to the person controlling the sail.
The Gould family raised sailors who were destined to make great contributions to this war. Their skill in manipulating sails was more advanced than that of the Russian warriors who manned the oars.
Look! The people of Melalen roared and rowed hard, and they also took out their sails. The wind and manpower gradually increased their sailing speed.
The Russian fleet also did its part, and the larger sails brought stronger power. Avora, which was full of supplies and personnel, was not at full speed, and the fleet stayed close to it. With the Maylaren Army.
In comparison, the speed of other duke’s fleets really pales in comparison. They had to work hard to keep up with the fleet in front, but the gap in strength was here.
The three armies of the Angkras Army, the Uppsala Army and the Hjärmalen Army are also considered powerful forces. However, for them, the days of peace have been long and peaceful, and only their physical fitness for rowing has been reduced. They were completely inferior.
Of course, there are also more inferior people, those smaller tribes whose leaders haveThe title of duke is no different from playing house. The quality of their personnel was so poor that before the fleet even left the Lake Mälaren area, they became completely weak.
It was supposed to show the fleet forming an oval formation with "transport ships" such as the Aurora as the core. When it arrived at the mouth of the lake, which was later Stockholm, it became a drop-shaped fleet.
The fleet finally entered the Gulf of Bothnia along a deep channel. The entire fleet began to turn around and start sailing against the south wind. Each ship sailed in the offshore area full of islands. Due to factors such as the large difference in the quality of the ships, the fleet was still drop-shaped at the entrance to the sea, and now it was completely stretched into a single line. snake.
In any era, efficient and accurate communication is the key to whether a combined force can win.
Oligen does not really control every ship, not to mention that many of these ships are purely used to transport loot after the event is completed. He planned to contact his own fleet through some communication ships and contact various dukes to achieve indirect coordination of the entire army.
After leaving Lake Mälaren, the fleet traveled ninety kilometers on the first day.
The fleet docked at an unknown desert island. A large number of ships docked one after another. The exhausted people quickly lit a fire, or ate the dried fish they had brought, or simply grilled it. Fish, even drinking from leather water bottles.
The Aurora has also begun to fulfill her responsibilities, but her stocky figure is no longer suitable for casually approaching the island. Some small boats left carrying wheat and wooden barrels containing fresh water. The small island not far away was really starry. People on the boat could hear the noise there, and the air was obviously filled with the faint smell of boiled wheat. .
A day's bumps on the sea made Rurik's spirit weakened. He ate wheat cakes and bacon, then lay on the side of the ship and looked into the distance, letting the sea breeze blow on his face.
At this moment, the sky was just getting dark, and Carlotta came over with an uneasy heart.
"Maybe tomorrow, the battle will begin."
Rurik turned his head: "Battle? I don't know anything about the situation in this area, you should know."
"Yes, this time, I want to take back my hometown." Carlotta clenched her fists, but then relaxed. "Hey, everything has changed. Even if we capture it, my dead people will not be resurrected. The living people would rather move to the safety of New Roseburg."
Rurik tutted: "You The words sounded so sad."
"Isn't it?" The last ray of sunlight shone on Carlotta's face, and there was already a trace of tears in her eyes: "I have never gone back. It’s necessary. Rurik, do you know what I think?”
“What do you think?”
“Destroy them! Destroy all the enemies who occupy my homeland! I will retaliate with tooth, destroy some, and burn everything. Only this way is true revenge!"
Her teeth bared in anger looked like a wolf. Although she was just a girl, Rurik was real! feelI feel a chill in my back.
"You...you are dominated by anger. Killing is a man's business, Carlotta, you are a woman after all, so don't go crazy about this. I will avenge you, you don't need to personally Take action."
Carlotta didn't appreciate it, her grief and anger remained unchanged: "Are you trying to comfort me? No! I want to kill the enemy. I shot them with arrows without mercy."
Rurik no longer wanted to say anything about this. Although he always hoped that Carlotta could calm down, even as a female warrior, she must be a calm female warrior. But he knew that he had no right to order her to suppress her hatred. Look, an important banner of this battle was to avenge the thousands of dead in Ostara!
Soon, a longship once again approached the Russian fleet, and the messenger conveyed Olegin's order to convene all the dukes to hold a pre-war meeting regarding tomorrow's battle.
"It's finally time to fight! Let's go to the appointment." Standing on the side of the ship, Otto patted his son on the back, and then patted Carlotta on the back.
The anchored Aurora stood firmly on the sea. At this moment, most people ate dry food and hid in the cabin to sleep. As for war, how could the battle-hardened warriors selected by Ross be worried?
Otto took the two children and entered the longship along the rope ladder lowered from the side of the ship. Then, the elite guard Jevro climbed down.
Soon, a large bonfire on the beach became the scene of a pre-war meeting.
As the war approaches, the attitudes of the dukes are all excited. As for the attitudes of their subordinates, who will care.
Olegin stuck his sword on the gray beach. He had already planned a plan and issued orders randomly.
"It was the spies I sent who learned that the Gotlanders had established a new stronghold in the old Ostara Castle. It was called Norrköping and was home to at least five hundred people, or more. Goths After all, the Lan people are also warriors on the sea. You can't deny their bravery. Therefore, my troops will do their part to completely eliminate this group of enemies. My Melalen Army will launch the main attack. Your troops only need to follow me! "
After saying that, Origen lowered his head slightly. This attitude really showed that this matter was not negotiable.
Did this guy call everyone here just to announce this?
Ok, Duke of Glen, reacted extremely excitedly: "Why? Didn't they occupy my homeland as well?"
"You?" Origen glanced at him. : "You have too few people! This is war, and you can't bear too much loss. If you kill fifty men, your power will collapse."
"You!" Orchid Oak was furious. Faced with the facts, he forced himself to calm down, "Even so, I will join the main attack."
"Then I will join too!" The Hjelmalen people have now passed the test. The Lan people lived together, and their Duke Wenderson threatened: "I also have five hundred people, and my strength is enough."many. ”
“And me! ”
“So do we. ”
The ones who spoke were the Duke of Unclas and the Duke of Uppsala respectively. If the former is added, the total strength of the three teams would be the same as the Malaren Army.
The situation became tricky. Olegin saw that the armies of various tribes did not want to strictly obey his own decisions.
He was nominally the king and also held a king-proclaiming ceremony in the region. It is still a big tribal alliance. Which fool would really sit back and watch the Melalen people take the lead in attacking and plunder a lot of money after a devastating victory?
Oligen gritted his teeth. Suddenly I saw Otto and Carlotta, the two dukes said nothing.
“Don’t make any money! Why don't you learn from the Rus and the silent Ostara Carlotta. This time we are seeking revenge for the two Aosta who died! You see, they weren't scrambling. "
Pairs of eyes focused on Carlotta, and Rurik also glanced at her, feeling worried.
"I...I don't care. ”
She must pass through a female generation, and she has no soldiers to speak of. In the eyes of many dukes, Carlotta is just a symbol at present.
The key is still It depends on the attitude of the Ross people who are closely attached to the girl.
Will the Ross people, who have the largest ships, be willing to follow the trend?
Every Duke hopes that the Ross people will attack. Otto was as greedy as him, and he could break the Melalen people's conspiracy now.
Otto's mood was not changed. He said calmly: "According to your agreement, we Ross. People are just responsible for transporting supplies. If you are unable to take away all the loot, we Russians can carry it for you as agreed, as long as you are willing to pay some money. "
"Stop talking nonsense! Your decision! "Ungreeve, Duke of Unclas, asked bluntly.
Otto instantly showed his sharp eyes and threatened with his eyes: "My decision? I support Wang’s decision! Since you all admit that Origen is the king, you should support him. You are like a pack of wolves fighting for food. We Russians will not get involved. We would rather watch from a distance, guarding against possible sneak attacks by the enemy's reinforcements. "
"What a coward! Are you still thinking about guarding against enemy sneak attacks? The enemy whose heads we chopped off can still sneak up on you? Angreev laughed wildly, and when he saw that others were unhappy, he calmed down. ,
He cursed Carlotta and Otto as stupid, and Olegin was extremely greedy.
So, can we say that Otto is really stupid? In this case, the Russians seem to be standing on Origen's side to protect the so-called "royal power". The first floor. The other dukes guessed that the Russians were cowardly, and that the Russians were just transport teams. This was the second floor.
Origin himself was not a fool, he knew that Origen was a coward. Tuo's loyalty and Carlotta's indifference are bothBecause of the secret agreement between the two parties on Sheep Leg Island, Otto still maintained the agreement that this was the third level.
But strictly speaking, the Russians are on the fourth level.
Because Otto has since realized that his only son was favored by God. In order to be able to enter the Hall of Valor 100%, he has become Rurik's "servant" more and more in the past year or two. Rurik became the top decision-maker behind the scenes. Irurik saw that these guys were just chickens and dogs, and that joining forces with them was just a temporary expedient. All the groveling was just a show of hypocrisy and coercion.
Thinking about the attitude of the Russians, Origen had to face an embarrassing situation. The attitudes of the dukes of each tribe were exactly the same. Why does the Melalen army attack in this battle? None of us are cowards. In this battle, we should rush forward in a swarm regardless of priority, and then use our skills to get the spoils.
Can Olegin suppress their ambitions in the name of the king? He knew that public anger should not be offended, so he had no choice but to compromise.
He cursed in his heart: "Your troops are too expensive, but in the end it was my people who landed first. It must be my people who looted the most."
After calming down, Olegin no longer struggled with who should attack first.
"Now I have only one last request! Don't worry, you won't be angry." Olegin waved his hands and said excitedly: "In this battle, we must retaliate with tooth! We kill, we burn, and we must build them up Lin Xueping was completely destroyed! Then, expand the war and continue to take revenge!"
A clear smile quickly appeared on everyone's face, and then someone laughed.
Their eyes reflected the beating flames of the bonfire, as if their hearts were burning with a huge desire for wealth.
Rurik, Otto and Carlotta are looking at all this calmly, and even feel a little secretly happy in their hearts. After all, the Mellaren people will take risks for the Russians in this battle. Theoretically, the Russians will get a lot of wealth at no cost. Is it possible to have fun here and compete with a group of desperadoes for who attacks first?
Because the tactics they developed are "no tactics". There was no main attack or feint attack, and the chaotic pigs advanced suddenly. Even without any secret agreement, Rurik did not intend to fish in such hot and muddy water.