If there were no threat of war, the people living in Borgholm, the only settlement on Öland, would surely enjoy peace for a long time.
However, on calm days, some fishing boats suddenly arrived and reported something incredible to the people working offshore.
No one really believed that the so-called "army from the north" of these frightened Port Huaskas people was true.
But they were indeed frightened, so they were pushed by the fishermen into the wooden castle of Borgholm until they were given to their leader.
In a huge herringbone wooden house, a man wearing a black bear skin was sitting.
He is young and powerful, holding a sword hilt in his hand, and his loose blond hair is covered by a beautifully carved bronze headband. He sat on a finely carved wooden chair and looked at a group of kneeling refugees.
This person is none other than the leader of Borgholm, Stein Saxon.
"You are all Gotlanders, how could you come to my territory? Who in the northern army would believe such a strange thing?"
A panicked Voskas The refugees basically rowed all night, and the distance from their homes to Borgholm was at least 60 kilometers, and the distance between the two places was not far.
The Voskas fisherman, who was in relatively good mental condition, put on a horrified face: "It's absolutely true! They are not us Gotlanders, nor are they brothers from Götaland. Everyone We all believe that those people came from the north, and they were the villains from Svealan. They destroyed our home! Everyone died, and only we escaped."
Stein narrowed his eyes. His brothers felt even more that these people were a bunch of liars.
"The situation you mentioned is incredible. Didn't Denmark's Hafgen defeat the Svealans?"
"Chief..." The fisherman suddenly had a thought, and immediately Said; "We are not lunatics, so why did we flee to you in embarrassment to deceive you? Has the leader forgotten the dangerous Franks? Do you really think that Borgholm is your safe place forever?"
"You! Shut up!" Stein's brother took a step forward and almost stabbed the fishermen with the iron sword he drew. This move shocked the fishermen and subconsciously backed away.
The tough-talking fisherman was shocked. He noticed a strange change in the leader's mood and deliberately shouted: "Chief, seeing that we also have trading members on weekdays, we ask you to take him in. Woska It's over. The enemy in the north will definitely continue to attack. The next step is you! If you prepare early, you will definitely defeat the enemy. If you still think that I am a liar, please give us some dried fish and we will take refuge in Kalma. ."
Hearing these words, Stein and his brothers had to talk. Looking at their embarrassed appearance, it seems that they have indeed suffered a disaster, but what they said is too bizarre, and it is not easy to trust them completely.
Brothers need the leader’s decision, now they need itStein Saxon makes important decisions.
He quickly made his decision, which was to take precautions!
Maybe it’s just a one-sided statement from a group of refugees, and as a tribal leader, you shouldn’t trust it easily. However, this tribe had been massacred and had horrific memories that could not be erased for generations. It was reasonable for them to take precautions when they heard of the danger.
Just like the name of this leader, he has a surname, which is really an anomaly in the Nordic world.
Because half of the three thousand people who settled in Borgholm were not Gotlanders, Götalanders, or Danes. They also spoke Norse, indeed a slightly strange Norse language.
They come from continental Europe, from the Saxony region south of Jutland. They actually have the most direct common ancestors with the kingdoms on the British Isles, but the tribesmen who developed westward occupied the vacuum of living space after the Russians receded and established one kingdom after another.
The Saxons who stayed in their hometown in Europe soon began to suffer attacks from the Christian Frankish army.
A large number of Saxons fled into Jutland, and many of them became Danes, but they were indeed different from the real Danes.
A group of fleeing Saxons migrated all the way, and finally settled on the remote island of Oland, living a life free from the world.
They could not forget the pain of being expelled by the Franks more than a hundred years ago, so they built their wooden walls in their new home. I'm afraid only the ring-shaped wall can make them feel safe.
"Saxon" originally means "descendant of the Saxon tribe", and the elected leader will always inherit the title of "Saxon".
After decades of operation, the population of Borgholm, originally meant as a "low fortress", has expanded to 3,000, including a large number of Gotlanders, Götalanders, and even a small number of Danes. Settled here. There are also a group of Finns captured from the Suomi region of the "Land of the East" who are working as slaves.
This was a thriving community that ran for over fifty years, as the locals swore allegiance to their Danish overlords and their peace was guaranteed (after all, there are many Sakassen descendants in Jutland).
The fleeing Wauskas fishermen never saw their homes being breached, but they saw the fire in the harbor lighting up the sky at night. They reported the fall of Fort Voska with exaggeration. The enemy had breached the fortress. The enemy had such capabilities, which greatly increased the pressure on Stein.
The outbreak of war spread throughout the settlement!
The Danes who were doing business hurriedly fled with their goods and money, and many Gotlanders and Götalanders also retreated with them. Naturally, the Danes wanted to flee all the way back to their hometown in Jutland, and the evacuation target of the rest was almost towards Kalmar in the south.
At least more than 500 Gotlandic men decided to stay, not because of their loyalty, but entirely because of the local leader Stein.Pay them to fight the war!
In this way, in almost only two days, a team of 1,200 troops was assembled. They vowed to protect Boriholm, which they depended on for survival, because , they Saxons have no way out.
Stein unsealed the tribe's arsenal, and distributed a large number of iron and bronze short spears. Together with the axes and harpoons widely used by fishermen in their lives, a well-armed infantry was formed. Appear.
They did not have much protective armor. Most of the warriors still wore cloth and leather clothes, and protected most of their bodies with round shields or special square shields.
Their bows and arrows are still short wooden bows used for hunting, and their overall performance is poor. But they have some bright spots in terms of armaments.
They are Saxons, whose ancestors fought against the Roman legions. They have throwing spears and square shields, and they also have some skills in formation fighting. For example, after forming a dense formation, they will put square shields on their heads to prevent the enemy from throwing random objects. Although the efficiency of bows and arrows is extremely poor, and throwing spears makes up for some of the disadvantages, they widely use slings, which can be described as a strange flower in the Viking world.
Of course Stein did not sit still. He sent a group of messengers to row wildly to report to Kalma, and ordered the messengers to go directly to the longhouse of the alliance leader to report this information to Hafgen himself, even if the other party doubt.
The so-called three men become tigers, at least the whole of Borgholm believed that a huge army was coming in a boat to kill...
So, Olegin’s Swedish army Really on the road? ! Of course it is impossible. The Swedish coalition has been overdrawing its combat effectiveness, and they need an extremely critical rest period.
After a day's voyage, coupled with a night battle, the Swedish coalition occupied Voskas, and the energy of the warriors of each tribe was disappearing at a speed visible to the naked eye at the moment after the victory.
Everyone was really exhausted. Even though many women were captured, many soldiers were so tired that they had no interest.
After they received their respective portions of wheat and dried meat, they hurriedly cooked the wheat in pottery urns. Even if it was only half-cooked, they ate it wholeheartedly, and then fell asleep around the lit bonfire.
The coalition forces do not want their residence to turn into a sea of flames. The destruction of the local area will stop abruptly, and no new residences will be deliberately set alight.
The entire Voskas turned into a huge military camp, and the soldiers who had stuffed their stomachs with wheat and fish fell asleep soundly. It was not until almost noon the next day that they gradually got up groggily.
The warm eyes shine on the earth, and the warm south wind blows over the ruins after the war.
Those women whose husbands were spared were forced to cook for the coalition soldiers, and they suffered a lot of physical pain.
Only those Voskas women whose husbands are still alive, as Olegin promised, and the men who fought for Sweden, their families will be safe.
There are wooden houses and damaged wooden houses everywhere.Everything from the smoked fish of the Voskas people to the agate and amber of the Danish merchants on the big island became the trophies of the coalition forces. But the Rus did not receive their spoils, simply because of that contract.
In fact, let Rurik judge. He really looks down on these worthless trophies, which means that poor allies flock to these guys. Yes, if the Russians who hide their strength really need it, they might as well directly organize their own coalition forces to attack Gotland. The "rich" people on the island must have buried a lot of silver coins everywhere, and they just want this.
The flames of the burning house were basically extinguished, and the aroma of burnt meat and barbecue filled the entire settlement.
Unlike other tribes who camped in some inland locations in Voskas, the Ross people stayed offshore, as if they had no interest in the entire Voskas.
I am afraid that only the children of Voskas who were kicked by Olegin to the Rus were treated with kindness in the true sense. Rurik also knew that whatever he said to these children now, "Don't be afraid, I will treat you well" was all hypocrisy.
What he calls kindness is giving them food, nothing more.
Almost all the Russian soldiers landed. They ate wheat and meat and subconsciously discussed the future battle.
The king wants to conquer Kalmar. Before completing this goal, it becomes necessary to capture Boriholm, which he has heard of for the first time.
No, the king is calling all the dukes for a pre-war meeting again.
On a warm afternoon, the warm breeze made people who had eaten well feel drowsy. There were indeed a large number of Rus warriors, covering their faces with wooden shields, taking a nap on the beach.
In the tent set up, Otto deliberately asked his son about his views on future wars.
In the father-son battle, Otto showed no distance, and his question was very straightforward: "Boy, do you think we can win the battle in the future quickly?"
" I don’t know.”
“Huh? You don’t know?” Otto looked surprised, “Didn’t God give you some revelation?”
Rurik hesitated. After a while, "No. Maybe because from the beginning, this battle did not belong to us Russians."
"From what you mean, it seems very negative."
"Isn't it? Is that so?" Rurik shook his head regretfully, "I've thought about it a lot. Just attacking this fortress will cost us a lot of lives. It's said that we will have to conquer two more fortresses in the future. Cooperating with the Melalen Army in the war, the food belonging to them has been handed over to them, and the cabin of the Avora is actually a little confused."
"What are you wondering about? ”
“Do we need to continue to participate? We broke through the wooden wall but got no benefits. Even if Olegin promised to compensate us in the future, we still need to replenish a batch of food, but that guy. I don’t want to give it to..."
"You..." Otto really felt that there was something in his son's words.
"DadDad, I don’t think Olegin wants us to continue to participate. We have completed the task of transporting food. How much does the attack on Kalmar or other enemies have to do with us? "
"Hey, even so, we can't retreat. Otto shook his head: "Listen to me and fight for honor!" Rurik, I bet we will have to fight in future battles. All tribes have participated. If we don't follow the fight, they will insult us as cowards and traitors. This is not acceptable. We still need to prepare well and stop thinking about going home. "
"However, continuing south is not our battle. "Rurik raised his head, looked at his father with cold eyes, and said slowly: "Dad, Arik still has a thousand soldiers on Tombstone Island. The wheat we provide is not for nothing to feed the Novgorod pigs. They are indeed defensive troops, and they can take the initiative to attack when necessary. "
"You? "In an instant, Otto noticed another possibility, and hurriedly approached his son's face and asked quietly: "You kid, don't you want to imitate your cousin and go to Gotland for surgery? ”
“It’s not a bad idea. Without the constraints of Origen, we Rus' can fight the war we need. Besides, who dares to say anything bad about us, the traitors who crusade against the Great Alliance? "
"Then you want to evacuate immediately? My son, I am very happy to expedition to Gotland and avenge your uncle. But first we must see the coalition take Kalmar. ”
“Okay. Seizing the opportunity, we also organized an army of 1,500 people to attack the Gotlanders just like the Malaren Army. ”
In the tent, the two father-son leaders of Ross plotted a new offensive, and this round of offensive had nothing to do with Sweden.
At night, Otto was still preparing for What happened in the afternoon came to mind. In fact, Olegin accepted the surrender of the Voskas, which greatly touched Otto, because the Russians had had military hegemony in Novgorod for decades. A group of local young people are selected and trained, and they should be able to serve as combat soldiers.
It can be said that Otto saw those few holding wood when they attacked Fort Voska. Children with crossbows can also fight well. This incident has loosened his inherent prejudice.
Children can also string the crossbow, and the arrows they fire are just as deadly. Is this true for children? The prime warriors of Gorod are no match for the children of Russia.
King Olegin is planning to let the rebels take the lead in the new battle. Why can’t the people of Russia let the well-trained Novgorodians take the lead? What about the people charging into battle?
Otto kept silent about the many thoughts in his mind. He participated in the so-called pre-war meeting and watched King Olegin perform a one-man show.
After all, Otto didn't talk about it. Legin is the king, and he made the battle plan in one day.
“Brothers, I learned from my latest mercenaries that Boriholm is really rich, but it’s a pity that they have it. Better wood fence. To break through there, we should avoid danger and be prepared.
I have made certain preparations! In future battles, we will use big trees to knock down their wooden doors, and then Voskas will charge into battle. We Melalenites and you all just need to wait at the rear. When the Voskas and Boriholm are exhausted from fighting, and everyone swarms forward, we will win without paying any price..."
Olegin did all the talking, listen. This tactic of making the traitors and enemies work hard to pick peaches from the coalition's rear will be a great success.
The alliance's tribal losses are uneven. It is undeniable that all parties have lost double digits. The warriors, especially the Hjelmalen who charged the most fiercely, lost nearly fifty brothers. Of course, many people hope that the fighting will continue, because the living people have made a lot of money, and they are eager for more, just hoping that they can. Bringing wealth back to their hometown safely and lifting their families out of poverty
In the past, they were barefoot and were not afraid of wearing shoes. Now they have a lot of wealth, which is reflected in the faces of many leaders, which is their outlook on the future. The attitude of the battle became ambiguous.
No one stood up to question the wishful thinking of Olegin's tactics, and no one showed any intention to "just give up", but the Allies did show up. A negative sign.
Olegin did not know that many poor warriors were satisfied with the little wealth they had obtained. He felt that the momentum of the warriors was still strong, and he followed this momentum to win. What difficulties did Borgholm have? What's more, Francis the Dane surrendered in this battle. He and his men swore to charge forward to prove it. For the sake of victory and future honor, they would never cheat.
No, the King of Sweden has officially set the date for the expedition, that is, after the meeting, each unit will undergo a day of very critical repairs, especially the production of a batch of specially designed to "tear down the wall" Battering Ram. The fleet will start a new expedition to Boriholm on the morning of the third day after the meeting.
However, something bad happened the night before the expedition. Appeared...