The Viking warriors who retreated were not upset because they did not rush to defeat the enemy lines and occupy the monastery. They were all holding back their energy.
The camp where the Northumbrian army fled became an excellent camp for Rurik, and his Balmok and Shetland warriors did not hesitate to use this as a resting place.
People brought the bodies of brothers who died in the war and placed them together, planning to cremate them together after the war was over.
People were sitting everywhere on the beach near the shore. They lit bonfires to cook wheat, gnawed on captured bacon, and even killed two captured pack horses and grilled fresh horse meat to satisfy their hunger.
They lit large numbers of bonfires, some of which were virtually unmanned.
This is Rurik's usual strategy, but it is too novel for the Balmoks. Could it be that making a bonfire as dense as stars can scare the enemy into a nervous breakdown? Maybe.
After experiencing the entire day's sailing, the afternoon beach landing battle, and even the evening siege battle, these Viking warriors are indeed in good physical fitness, but they are by no means superhuman. Due to their high spirits, they ignored that their bodies were being overdrawn. Once they started to rest, they quickly fell asleep around the campfire after eating and drinking.
The family leaders who participated in the war all stayed together in a large wooden house in the military camp.
There are square tables and some wooden benches indoors. Although the weather is not very cold, the firewood is lit in the dark pottery pot indoors, and warmth envelopes everyone.
Everyone was very tired, and the fact that the battle was lost in the evening prompted everyone to make a decision from the commander-in-chief Rurik.
The fact that there were no large-scale complaints does not mean that no one complained. Geiger held his breath and shouted: "My brothers and I rushed directly to their city gate. Even if it was a stone wall, my If people keep pounding on the wooden door, they will smash it to pieces. However, you are afraid that the rising tide will drown everyone."
"But you see, the tide rises very fast. Your own boots are wet," Biyongni shrugged.
"We can obviously hold on a little longer."
"But other brothers are suffering losses. We are attacking a stone city, and it seems that it is not an easy task." Bi Yong What Ni said was very pertinent, and the attitudes of the heads of each family were similar.
Geiger changed the topic: "Brother Rurik, maybe your people should hurry up and your heavy equipment should give us some support earlier. Tonight we can embrace the gold and silver in their gods." The temple (monastery) is sleeping."
"I moved quickly enough." Rurik shook his head, slapped the table and stood up directly: "I admit your courage, but your actions are too fast. The action was chaotic! We were not fully prepared and attacked the stone fortress rashly, and the result was of course a failure."
"So, is there any way?" Biyongni asked.
"Yes! I have prepared countermeasures."
As soon as these words came out, the cautious people all looked relieved.Slow down.
Geiger put his hands on the desk and licked his face and asked urgently: "Tomorrow! Brother, do you have the confidence to lead the brothers to attack tomorrow? I heard that you Russians have experienced such an siege."
"Tomorrow? Not yet."
"Why?"
"We will use tomorrow to prepare carefully and make some special siege equipment. Besides." Rurik pointed directly in the direction of the wooden door, "You all saw that the brothers are sleeping everywhere! They are too tired, and they will not be able to recover after a night's rest. Our army took a good rest, and some people built equipment. We launched the attack on the third day! We took the road that was flooded by the tide and smashed the stone wall in front of us."
Rurik's words were very firm. Although he was still a young man, no one doubted the rationality of his methods.
The so-called method of siege, the only engineering equipment that Rurik could produce in a short time was ladders and battering rams.
Geiger and his Washebi brothers fought bravely under the city wall for a long time, and they produced a lot of key information about the wall.
Based on the information obtained in exchange for the lives of soldiers, engineering equipment is being built in an orderly manner.
Rurik finally fell asleep soundly in this Northumbrian territory. Deep in the enemy territory, he did not feel any danger at all, even though Paul explained that the place to the south that was a day's walk was Bamburgh. , is actually a big city.
A big city? I'm afraid it's just a walled city with two or three thousand people.
Rurik did not take this to heart, everyone was focused on the monastery.
The dim starry sky hides the outline of the earth, and the dim coast is full of burning flames, and its density echoes the stars.
Lindisfarne Abbey is now a completely isolated island, or in other words, its original intention of construction was to use geography for defense. However, it is facing the siege of the most skilled sailing group in this time and space.
The defenders and priests of Northumbria were frightened. The bishops and junior priests in black robes placed the sacred objects in conspicuous places in the monastery. Most of the sergeants and all the priests They gathered together and prayed all night.
After dawn, the defenders who had been struggling all night returned to their posts and waited nervously for the tide to recede and the passage to reappear.
What else can be done? surrender? How can one surrender to barbarians? The result of surrender is to be killed.
Continue to hold on? How long does it take to stick to it?
The priests prayed that God would send angels to kill or drive away these barbarians with divine power.
The defenders were more realistic. They hoped to send people to escape in some way and rushed to Bamburgh to rescue the soldiers. However, this monastery, which was like an island, limited the enemy's attack. own escape.
The last infantry centurion could only lament: "I should have placed a few boats if I had known."
The defenders were in fearHe was waiting uneasily for the enemy's general attack. Finally, a group of people appeared!
Byyoni brought a mere hundred warriors with him, as well as four bull trebuchets carried by Jevlo's men.
How striking are their huge painted shields! Not only that, many spear-wielding warriors also poked the heads of the Northumbrian soldiers who died in yesterday's battle on their spearheads.
The defenders holding bows fired arrows subconsciously in fear, but the arrows could not hit the targets that had stopped.
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"Let's stop here, brothers. I don't know what effect Rurik will have if he asks me to do this." Biyoni said strangely.
Jevro boasted casually: "My master Rurik has great wisdom. In my opinion, he just wants to use methods to frighten the courage of those people."
Biyongni couldn't fully agree. He shrugged: "If you have this leisure, all the brothers will rush over and break the city even by climbing the wall."
"But in that case, brothers will die in battle. Well?"
"Why don't you stop fighting because you are afraid of dying? We are Odin's warriors, and dying in battle is an honor for everyone."
Jevro. He smiled and shook his head.
"Brother, why are you laughing?"
"I laugh at you too innocently. My master doesn't think so. Lord Rurik hopes to complete the victory without any loss. The warrior is here Spend your life in glory, so that your soul can still go to Valhalla. Since this is the destination, why not get more women and have more children before you die?"
"I. Brother Rurik's idea is indeed wonderful. Okay, Yevlo, are your people ready?" "Let's scare them now." >
The bull trebuchet can throw any projectile that can be wrapped in a leather bag, and this time, Yevlo was ordered to use the heads of local corpses as projectiles.
Such projectiles have almost zero destructive power and are extremely intimidating and insulting!
After the ferocious and gray heads were loaded, Jevro gave an order and they smashed out.
The defenders of Northumbria instinctively hid behind the battlements. They also saw the horror of such weapons yesterday, and they were afraid of being smashed to pieces.
The strange furry projectile landed without causing any ripples.
The bold defenders went to check, and then sat directly on the ground in extreme shock.
Many defenders came running towards them, but they rolled and crawled away.
"What are you doing? Are they attacking demons?!" The centurion came over with a sword. When he saw those ferocious heads, he trembled even though he was strong.
Heads were thrown over one after another, and the fragile spirits of the already exhausted defenders were frightened again.
The most daring ones buried their heads and stayed there for the time being.buried.
Time continued to develop, and the Viking soldiers who deliberately kept their distance simply sat on the ground, with only the trebuchets throwing stone projectiles at the defenders rhythmically. The severed heads have been thrown away, and the rest are granite stones that are easily available on the road and have been eroded by the sea water and are very rounded.
Anyone exposed in the open is at risk of being crushed to death! Look! A stone hit the wall of the monastery and created a hole.
The defenders were looking for a place to retreat. In fear and helplessness, they waited until the tide rose in the evening. They saw with their own eyes that the barbarians who had troubled everyone all day long retreated, and then they breathed a sigh of relief.
Many people even began to rejoice. The defenders were whispering to each other. The so-called barbarians were unable to break through the stone wall, so they used despicable means to insult everyone. Fortunately, everyone persisted, and there must be a few more people who persisted. Those barbarians If people can't get oil and water, they will row boats to evacuate.
Optimistic mood spread in the monastery. It was estimated that the barbarians were unable to attack at night. The defenders' almost collapsed body and mind could not hold on. They found a place to sleep soundly. That night, the priest They started praying again.
Meanwhile, Rurik had stocked up on his siege weapons.
The wooden pillars that originally formed the wooden walls of the military camp were dismantled, and as many as ten long ladders were tied up with readily available hemp ropes. Their sturdiness has been verified by experiments, and Rurik can confirm that any pair of ladders can accommodate four people climbing at the same time.
The ladder is one, and the other is the battering ram.
In the two-wheeled carriage in the military camp, the horses were slaughtered for meat by hungry soldiers. Although it was a wasteful act, Rurik saw that the problem was lost, so he asked for a piece of tender tenderloin of the horse and sent his men to help. Bake until cooked.
The carriage was modified, the two carriages were brought together, and a large number of wooden poles were piled on them. Otherwise, these wooden poles are all made from demolished military camps.
Let the soldiers carry the battering ram to knock down the door? It's really a waste of energy. And with the improvement to wheeled siege vehicles, people can hit them non-stop for a long time.
Just two devices are enough to open Balmok’s horizons. They have never thought of or seen such devices before. If they are really effective, the brothers will have sufficient experience in the future. When you go out to fight and encounter a difficult camp, you will naturally do the same.
The equipment was not only that, Rurik also ordered the production of a batch of wooden boards made of thin wooden poles to be used as anti-arrow shields.
After a whole day of preparation, everything is ready.
Byony and his guys are back, returning to Rurik to report to the others in the old, torn-down military camp.
"I don't know if the intimidation campaign worked. Anyway, we were still throwing stones on the eve of the rising tide."
"It's enough." Rurik praised with a smile.
Biyongni looked at all the friends present. Their eyes were full of confidence to win.
"Brother Rurik, it seems you are ready? "
"No! Biyongni brothers, it’s us who are ready! Tomorrow morning, when the tide goes out, we attack! ”
The Viking warriors spent a comfortable night. In the morning, they cooked another meal of wheat, and then had a delicious meal with some fish and meat.
And those The situation of the defenders was completely different. The Vikings were not only full of fighting spirit, but every soldier had enough food and sleep, and was full of super energy.
Someone blew the calf horn, and then. The assembled warriors banged their shields in unison, and the rhythmic Viking war roars
The sound of horror spread to the distance, and the defenders of Lindisfarne hurriedly took their positions, and every defender shouted. Seeing the gathering army in the distance, they subconsciously crossed themselves on their chests.
The infantry centurions stood on the battlements, and the archbishop and all the priests held up the huge black "Holy Cross". , a golden basin filled with holy water, the archbishop himself poured holy water on each warrior, and recited scriptures to bless him.
The panicked heart was comforted, but the centurion was more realistic. He held his sword and shouted: "Fighters of Northumbria! This is our last battle for faith! Even if we fight to the last man, we will not let the barbarians enter our holy land! God is with us! ”
Many defenders were roaring, but they were so small compared to the Viking army that was already on the attack road.
The results of the war were already obvious, and Rurik was full of confidence. Full, he felt that he could complete the victory before noon.
As for the inevitable killing after breaking the city, although it was cruel, Rurik knew that he had to be cruel.
Because. These Balmoks and the recently joined Shetlanders must have a fierce commander.
The torsion slings are in place, the bull trebuchets are in place, and the crossbowmen are in place.
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In front of these long-range support? Suppressive weapons are the vanguard of up to 500 people, the strongest combat force in the entire Viking army.
They carry ten. The auxiliary ladder, surrounded by huge siege engines, also carried some huge wooden planks.
The defenders of Northumbria had never seen such strange things on the battlefield, but. They subconsciously believed that the barbarians needed to use this kind of equipment to break the city.
Behind Rurik, a strong mercenary carried the white and blue-striped flag of the Russians.
This flag alone was enough for many defenders to realize that this group of barbarians had come prepared and that they were not rogue pirates.
There was no preparation for the war. During the negotiation, Rurik first ordered the long-range firepower behind him to unleash its power.
The torsion slingshot fired javelins, and the trebuchet fired stone bullets, which were accompanied by a large number of thrown arrows, hitting the defenders on the battlements head-on.
Although most people hid, three people were still killed and injured. This casualty was enough because the long-range attacks did not stop at all..
Rurik was very satisfied with his ballistic calculations. The impact of various projectiles within the city wall would not affect the siege at all.
"Now! Let's begin!"
The formal order was issued, and the army stepped on the only access road to the monastery and began the final onslaught.
Ladders have been set up on the wall, and Viking sword and shield bearers have begun to climb.
The siege vehicle slammed into the already damaged wooden door. The violent first collision almost knocked off the obstacles behind it.
The Northumbrian defenders, who had limited strength, tried to throw stones and shoot arrows, but they were the ones who died.
Today Biyongni has become a very good crossbowman in actual combat. All crossbows are used to suppress enemy fire in dungeons. Thanks to these precision weapons, operators have become A sharpshooter.
A dozen people in a company were shot dead as soon as they showed up, forcing other defenders to hide and throw stones outside the city in despair.
However, as the first group of Viking warriors climbed the ladder and stood on the wall, raising the bloody ax that had just been chopped towards the brothers below, the battle was over. .
For the rest of the time, this monastery, hanging alone on the tide, has become a death cage for the defenders...