A mixed army begins a new journey.
The fleet set off from the main island of Shetland Islands, followed the direction of the island chain, and successfully arrived at the northernmost tip of Scotland in two days.
The army was repairing on the deserted coast, and the weather suddenly turned bad.
The rainy weather has enveloped the entire world. Compared with the drop in temperature, the feeling of wetness is constantly dampening the spirit of the soldiers.
But the brothers have truly stood on the big island of Britain. Even if there are a lot of deserted offshore rocky slopes in front of them, as long as they continue south along the coastline, they will definitely find the fat sheep-like Edinburgh.
People endured the light rain and continued southward, and the quiet change in the wind direction also allowed all the ships to raise their wet sails.
Everyone huddled together to bear the sudden cold feeling, and the sea became more and more violent.
The north wind did not stir up any rough waves. Even so, all the ships were already rising and falling among the waves.
"If a ship is overturned by a big wave, wouldn't it mean that there will be heavy losses before the victory is launched?" Rurik was so disturbed that he hid in the cabin of the Avrola. , There is no need to repay the suffering of his subordinates, but he is still tortured by the constant ups and downs of the waves and loses his appetite.
Many people simply suffered from seasickness. They became sluggish and could only huddle up instinctively.
The fleet deliberately travels close to the coastline in order to float to the coast if the ship capsizes. The expedition once turned into a self-flagellation in the wind and rain. After being tossed by wind, rain, and waves for five days, the sun finally dispelled the haze and the sea became calm. At this moment, everyone gradually woke up from the malaise, and they were shaking and wet. He subconsciously looked to the west and saw the dark green scenery immersed in the mist.
Where is the fleet?
Bathing in the warm south wind, Rurik stood on the bow deck and looked around.
At this moment, Huo De, a Shetland Islander as a guide, stood cautiously beside him.
"Where are we now? How far are we from Edinburgh?"
"This..." Huo De was startled. He knew Rurik would ask this, It's just that I really don't know how to answer accurately. He said cautiously: "Based on my last experience, it took about ten days to get from Shetland to Edinburgh."
"Oh?" Rurik glanced at the high sun: "As of now, we are already on the seventh day of our voyage. Are you saying that we have at most three days left to sail?"
"Yes."
"Okay, the situation Not bad."
"But..."
"What's wrong?"
Huo De said cautiously: "We sailed in the wind and rain. The northwest wind has been blowing for many days. We have been sailing almost day and night. Maybe we are now..."
"Huh?" Rurik's head tightened, "Maybe we are about to reach the target?"
"That's probably it. I can't determine the correct bitlocation, but if I see that small fjord, I know that there is a large fjord to the south of it. Edinburgh, Northumbria, is on the southern shore of the great fjord. "
"Then, just keep your eyes open. "After saying this, Rurik suddenly became ambitious. He felt that he needed to convey the good news of "coming soon" to all the soldiers. However, after thinking about it again, before seeing the city buildings of Edinburgh, any declaration would be too hasty. .
All the longships are still following the sails of the Avrora. The big ship is sailing against the wind, and the flag on the top of the mast is flapping, which is the beacon that everyone is paying attention to.
Rurik still felt that the voyage would take a few more days, but as soon as it was afternoon, Huo De was stomping his feet happily because the key "little fjord" appeared.
That is Scotland's Taipei! The fjord at the mouth of the river is called the Taita River in the language of the Picts. If the fleet goes up the river, it will eventually reach the core area of the Pict Kingdom. The Angsa people in the south formed a feudal kingdom with a history of hundreds of years. The Picts in Scotland were really poor. The Picts could be crazy Indigo Raiders, but unfortunately, they were really poor. They have long known how to discover and process diamonds to make treasures.
The Dansa people are essentially Saxons!
A group of Saxons who defended the Frankish army on the European continent. Fleeing north, they suddenly became the new Danes, the cucumber-like outlying island of Öland in Scandinavia, on which Borgholm was a small city-state founded by Saxon refugees.
< p>Based on this understanding, Rurik subconsciously felt that the Saxon descendants in Edinburgh were more likely to build their city into a fortress.Can a wall be built to withstand the real attack? Is the army attacking?
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Just when the fleet passed by smoothly" "Small Fjord", Rurik summoned all the family leaders and family military representatives at sea to hold a combat meeting on the flagship Avlora.
Rurik needs no further words, right hand to the man .
He stood on the forecastle deck and gave orders: "The long voyage will finally come to an end!" Tell your soldiers, if you endure one last night, we will arrive in Edinburgh tomorrow! Tell everyone to gather their strength and let's launch a surprise attack! Show no mercy! ”
Speaking of excitement, what everyone saw were the clenched fists of the beautiful young man. The commander was so decisive, and people were happy for it.
After experiencing so many difficulties Suffering, great victory is at hand.
A group of northern waves are quietly approaching Edinburgh under the cover of night. Every warrior is actively polishing his ax blades and sword blades, preparing for the most terrifying fight. . They only have treasures and beautiful women in their eyes, and they are not afraid of fighting in a pool of blood.for enjoyment.
Because Odin's eyes are always staring at the earth, the god is selecting the bravest warriors, and only the most savage ones will be chosen!
This traditional Nordic belief is equally strong among the Balmoks. Of course, their eyes are full of the desire to make a fortune.
So the Northumbrian garrison in Edinburgh never noticed anything was wrong? Their fishing boats didn't even spy on the threat from the north?
As far as reality is concerned, this is indeed the case.
Obviously being close to the coast, the once violent sea returned to calm. However, except for the sailing Viking fleet, Rurik could not see other people's fishing boats in the sea. He originally thought that once he was exposed, he would have the Avora set up full sail, get rid of the large force, catch up with the enemy fishing boat, and sink it to prevent the secret from being leaked.
Rurik was too worried, and the caution he and others had was actually superfluous.
Because the British Navy, which once dominated the world, does not exist now.
In other words, the British sea souls themselves were brought by various Viking conquerors.
Northumbria is the product of the merger of two small kingdoms. Her north and west are under military pressure from the kingdoms established by various Celtic tribes, while the situation in the south is even more difficult. Although they are of the same race as Saxony, the nobles of Mercia are working hard to establish the hegemony of "Greater Mercia".
The Seven Kingdoms era in Britain was still in an era of intense competition among kingdoms, especially in Northumbria, where long-term noble infighting had exhausted the kingdom. Now, the Vikings are coming.
Vikings have appeared before! The local nobles of Northumbria are also very aware of a brand new threat coming from the eastern sea!
Those ugly barbarians do not believe in God. They try to sell their dubious fish catch, but they also secretly commit gangsterism.
The fact is that many years ago, the expedition team of Shetland Islanders such as Hode went to the south and found the existence of Northumbria. It was true that they sold fish, and it was also true that they plundered secretly. . They transformed the Nordic "principle of maritime contact" and the so-called fishermen into pirates, and perfectly replicated them in civilized Northumbria, which naturally aroused the rage of the local governor.
Unfortunately, the governor of Edinburgh does not have his own fleet at all, and the entire kingdom does not have any form of navy. What is even more strange is that the ships owned by such a huge kingdom are just some sampans and the like. boat. It can only sail in rivers, and even entering offshore is courting death.
They are obviously people who set sail from the Jutland Peninsula of Denmark four hundred years ago. Their descendants in Britain have forgotten how to build ships!
They have become purely land-based countries, and the so-called coastal defense can be ignored. The governor of Edinburgh was a relative of the king. Most of the troops stationed in the north of the kingdom were focused on resisting the invasion of the Pictish kingdom. As for the threat from the sea? The army was actually helpless. In other words, people in Edinburgh never thought that there would be an armyAn army of thousands of barbarians took the sea route to land on their homeland!
Even though it is an important town in the north, the population of Edinburgh is not even as large as that of Rossburg, the hometown of the Ross people!
Not only that, in the current era, the total population of this huge kingdom is only more than 100,000 people. Even the population of England as a whole is only about 800,000, mainly concentrated in Mercia and Wessex.
More than 4,000 people live in Edinburgh and the surrounding villages. The army is on guard against the invasion of the Kingdom of Picts and the Kingdom of Strathclyde. The farmers are wrapped up in a quiet country life day after day, and even Going to the monastery to attend mass is the most important entertainment in ordinary life.
It was supposed to be a warm morning. When the sea fog dissipated and the sunshine dissipated the laziness in Edinburgh, farmers, shepherds, soldiers, generals, and those priests, this should have been the most ordinary beginning. . People were enjoying the most prosperous and stable days they knew in the short period after the wheat harvest. The Earl of Edinburgh also prepared a carriage with great hope, planning to send the collected agricultural taxes (wheat) to the royal city of York.
However, some children who looked like the coast saw the most incredible sight in their short lives!
It was some children who first raised the alarm of danger, but unfortunately it was too late!
The Avrora led all the longships in a beautiful beach landing. The big ship anchored near the shore. At this moment, Rurik could already clearly see the basic structure of the city.
"Oops, they do have some wooden walls."
Biyongni, who was eager to try, looked confident. He didn't care: "The wall is nothing. Brothers have stepped on it hundreds of times. The wooden wall collapsed."
"Your tone reminds me of my cousin."
"But I am indeed your brother." Ni said proudly.
"No! Be as reckless as my cousin." After saying that, Rurik instructed his Yevlo and others, "Unload all the torsion slingshots, bring two boxes of cast iron projectiles, and we will go ashore to destroy them." Wooden wall!”
At the same time, those longships have washed up on the beach in large numbers.
A large group of people wearing leather clothes, or simply with bare patterned arms, holding axes and wooden shields high, roared towards Edinburgh's wooden wall, which was better than nothing.
Don’t forget that she is an important town in the north of Northumbria. The so-called city is simply a large village surrounded by thin pine walls. There are also stone buildings, but unfortunately they are very few.
The terrifying army rushed up, and the Edinburgh civilians wandering outside the city ran away. Unfortunately, their actions were too late.
The furious Viking army showed no mercy. They ran and killed all the way until they reached the wooden wall.
It was also here that the Balmoks and Shetlanders, their furious heads were instantly awakened by the troubles of reality!
A large number of farmers and herdsmen fled to the countryside, and those who had no time to escape could only huddle in the city.
What happened to the Earl of Edinburgh?Having seen such a formation, the local bishop also tried his best to suppress the fear in his heart. Together with the young monks, he walked up to the city wall holding up many shining golden "holy crosses" and nervously recited scriptures, so-called "Let the defenders" The morale of the soldiers was at an all-time high.
The lower-level warrior captain waved an iron sword, and the flag bearer tried hard to wave the orange flag of Northumbria.
They shot arrows from short wooden bows in an attempt to stop the sea raiders.
The Viking attack did pause. This was not because they were hindered by the opponent's arrows, but because they noticed the trench under the wooden wall. It has been raining the past few days, and there is deep mud in the trench. The whole world is still wet. If you fall into the trench, you will be trapped in the mud.
The bravest family leaders, such as Osten's eldest son Geiger, led his brothers to look at the suspended wooden bridge, swing their axes and knock shields, and curse at the enemy.
Some of his brothers have begun to be hit by stray arrows, but the army still has no intention of retreating. Instead, relying on the large number of people, the army began to tactically surround the entire city.
Is this an excellent tactic? On the contrary, it was precisely because these guys who were impatient for the follow-up heavy weapons rushed too fast and were helpless looking at the inferior wooden walls that they could only surround the city first.
However, as Rurik came ashore with all ten torsion slingshots that had been dismantled from the Avlora, the brief helplessness would be resolved.
People held their axes, swords, and spears high and roared, as if the Viking war cry could knock down the wooden wall with sound waves.
Thanks to this sudden terrifying momentum, more than a thousand men and women in the city were really in extreme fear.
Even though the five hundred Northumbrian standing troops persisted in resisting, it was a pity that they were still at an absolute disadvantage!
Because the invaders were more than 1,100 Viking warriors. They came here to plunder and make money. They would not show any mercy for killing people. This is unmatched by the kingdom's warriors recruited from farmers, herders, and even serfs.
"It's a mess! It's such a mess!" Rurik shouted angrily, and then yelled at Biyongni's men who were carrying the torsion slingshot: "Hurry up and move it! We have to end the battle before noon ! After destroying their walls, you go and plunder!"
And what about Biyongni? He himself held his beloved Ross crossbow and gathered with all the crossbow-wielding warriors.
Rurik mixed most of the Balmoks with bows with his crossbow-wielding mercenaries and sailors ashore, and even the casual Modgen, an old traveler, became a Crossbowmen.
Biyongni's men represent the power of the Balmok leader on the battlefield. They accepted Rurik's most direct order and fought with the Geiger brothers of Osten who were busy trying to break through the suspension bridge.
Geiger was young and energetic. He protected most of his body with a wooden shield in one hand. He pointed his sword at the opponent with his right hand and fired arrows at the wooden wall. Facing Biyongni, he complained: "They actually still have such a method. , brothersCan't beat it! ”
“I know! Leave your brother aside for now, let Rurik come now! Rurik of Rus, our commander, is the best at destroying wooden walls. ”
“Okay! Let's take cover! "Geiger was overjoyed and watched the heavy equipment start to activate.
However, just before the torque slingshot showed its power, various long-range soldiers holding bows and crossbows, including Biyongni, were already leaving. Under Rick's control, they formed a very dense formation and launched fire suppression against the enemy defending the largest jumping bridge.
At this point, the balance of victory has undoubtedly tipped to Wei! Kyoto fell into Rurik's hands.