A group of people gathered at the beach, with dozens of orange and white flags waving.
"Sir, look." A soldier reported to Rurik.
Standing on the bow of the Aurora, Rurik leaned forward and squinted his eyes. Although it suddenly became a bit cloudy today, he saw clearly that there was not only the flag of the King of Northumbria, but also the flag of the King of Northumbria. There are Ross flags.
"Well done, we arrived earlier than I thought."
Rurik landed in a small boat, and Magnute and Biyoni also came ashore a moment later. .
The latter two already had a contemptuous attitude toward Eynred after signing the treaty. In their eyes, the army he brought was still a weak brigade, and it was not qualified even as an ally. of.
After all, Eynred came with his army.
"Haha, I saw a powerful army. I didn't expect that you still have a fresh army." Rurik said something deliberately.
Eynred was not happy, and forced a smile and said: "I have done my best to recruit troops, and we are now forming a coalition to attack Mercia. But..."
" You don’t need to say more.” Rurik said: “I know you are worried, don’t worry, I won’t let you suffer a lot. We must formulate a strategy for this raid so that we will not suffer unnecessary losses.” /p>
Tactics? This concept is really foreign to Eynred.
In war, the army swarms forward, the soldiers fight each other, and the winner is the one standing in the pool of blood. The tactic that Eynred now knows is to make fun of the Vikings and put up a shield wall to scare them.
The Northumbrian army had traveled a long way. Most of them were tired, and many of them had finished eating the dry food they carried, so they endured hunger and sat on the ground waiting for the next arrangement.
Rurik noticed this, and the situation was also expected. His new friendly army was already a weak force. It was better not to expect too much if a group of armed farmers were to bravely attack the Mercian army.
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The development of the situation shocked the Northumbrian army. Almost all soldiers resisted joining forces with the Vikings to fight. Since both sides have different beliefs, this alliance is actually a sacrilegious alliance. Secondly, they are really afraid of this group of sea-crossing villains. Who can guarantee that the Vikings will not kill the donkeys?
However, they provided the food that the army needed most - enough fish and meat to satisfy everyone's hunger.
The Northumbrian Division was exhausted, and their temporary camp was soon filled with the aroma of grilled fish.
This gift really puzzled Eynred.
Everyone set up an open-air military command post on the shore to discuss the next attack on the Mercian Army.
Eynred first offered a polite compliment: "You actually gave us alms regardless of the past grudges. In fact, you also..."
He originally wanted to say that Vikings can also be good people. , but held it back again.
Rurik waved his hand and looked at Magnut to stop talking.
But Magnute insisted on saying: "King of Northumbria, this is the reward I give you. Our army can easily defeat the new enemy, but you must send troops to help prove yourself I have been to the battlefield. I will not allow my weak allies to be so hungry that they cannot walk." Hearing this, Rurik smiled and said nothing.
Eynred also smiled awkwardly and said nothing more.
Rurik clapped his hands, "I am the commander of the army. Broken-armed Eynred, now your army must obey my command."
"Yes." he said.
Eynred did not find it strange at all to hear a young man being the commander. It was this brat who almost beat himself to death.
Rurik did know very little information about the Mercian Army, but that didn’t matter. Based on the available intelligence, King Wiglaf of Mercia recently destroyed the riverside military camp in Northumbria, which happened just a few days ago.
The Mercian army may attack Roydis City. Since there are some Northumbrian troops left for defense there, Rurik does not need to care about them.
Although Eynred mentioned this issue, Rurik pointed out the key points of the strategy straightforwardly.
The so-called tactic is for the army to raid Dole Village (Sheffield) directly along the river. If the main force of Mercia is still there, a decisive battle will take place.
It would be better if they go north. The coalition forces attacked Lindsay (the main city of Lincolnshire) directly along another river and looted the surrounding areas.
Victory must belong to the coalition forces, and the follow-up of the battle must end with the looting of the Lindsay area. The reason is quite simple. In the bay where the Ross Balmok fleet is located, a nearby river flowing upstream can reach the city of Lindsay. Moreover, this area is very close to the sea, making it easier for the army to load and haul plundered materials. Walk.
First attack Dole Village and seek a decisive battle with the main force of Mercia. If the attack fails, the army will march straight into Lindsay City, inducing the Mercian army to come for a decisive battle.
"How can we still fight like this?" Eynred understood Rurik's tactics. He felt that it was very inappropriate, and he was still worried that the Mercian army was approaching the city of Roydis.
Rurik was so confident that he didn’t want to talk nonsense with Eynred anymore, and he had something to say when he saw Magnut again.
"You still think my decision is too bold? I admit that there is an element of gambling here. It doesn't matter, our ships move very fast. For infantry, it takes five days to travel, and we may be able to complete it in one day. ."
Rurik glanced at Aynred again: "If you are still worried, we robbed Lindsay, and then attacked the royal city of Mercia. I heard that the prisoner said, The river can lead to Lindsay, and you can reach Tamworth, the royal city of Mercia. Anyway, their king is not in the capital, and we are very good at attacking cities. Why don't you complain that your kingdom has become smaller? Can be made from MerciaWhere is the king? ”
This is a possibility that Eynred had never imagined. It has to be said that Rurik, the Viking brat, made this unrealistic fantasy suddenly possible.
p>"Then act completely according to your decision. I am willing to obey your command. "Eynred expressed his attitude respectfully. This respect was definitely from the bottom of his heart. Magnute and Biyoni could see this clearly and were really surprised.
In fact, they still didn't understand. Rurik gave the down-and-out Eynred a big gift this time. Northumbria lost a large part of its territory and took a large piece from Mercia. Wasn't it just that he lost one for one? What?
Based on Rurik's arrangement, Northumbrian warriors were authorized to board Russian ships
Those armed cargo ships that were deliberately empty could be turned into. Troop ships, five ships carrying five hundred Northumbrian warriors, were ordered to unarm themselves and enter the enclosed cabin, as if they were carrying a herd of livestock.
They were temporarily confiscated and became weapons. A group of unarmed people
As for the others, together with a small number of cavalry, they walked westward along the Don River and headed straight for the village of Dole.
The coalition forces set off the next morning, and the coalition forces of Ross, Balmok, and Northumbria began to take the initiative to attack.
The total strength of the coalition forces was as many as 5,000 people. Of course, this was only the 5,000 people on the books. .
The main force of the army is naturally the Ross Army and the Balmok Army. Except for the 500 Northumbrian warriors who are allowed to take the boat, the other half of the so-called warriors are equivalent to the atmosphere group.
The wind direction and the narrow water channel were quite unfavorable to the large ships of the fleet, so Rurik used the old method of using a long oar boat to pull the large ship forward.
The Avora was captured. With the exception of the Mercury, which was towed by four long boats, the other sail destroyers could sail upstream with only two long boats.
The current of the Don River was quite gentle, so that the Mercury relied on it. Human propellers can move against the current, but she still needs a long boat to pull it.
Eynred was invited to stand on the flagship of the fleet. He never thought that he could ride such a large ship up close. , She is like a moving house on the water, and it must be like this, so that these barbarians can destroy their own kingdom from afar.
Wait a minute! How can they be considered barbarians if they can build such behemoths? Legend has it that the Romans also built large ships a long time ago, but now these technologies are limited to legends. However, their own kingdom can only build some tiny ships, and there is no fleet equivalent to the Vikings in the whole of Britain.
Advancing along the river is just a relatively smooth journey. In terms of speed, can it be as fast as sailing by boat?
Eynred felt that the fleet in a long formation was moving at a faster speed. It's time to catch up on horseback! From the mouth of the river to the village of Dole in the interior, it is probably a day's journey. He had to estimate that if the Mercians were still in Dole Village, then when the blood-red sunset hung in the sky line, vikingsHe arrived with his own army.
They continued to advance along the Don River, and soon left behind the Northumbrian warriors who followed on foot.
The coalition is really in name only. If there is a decisive battle, the main force will still be the Vikings. Although Aynred was a little uncomfortable, he didn't want the glory of defeating Mercia to be taken away by the strangers crossing the sea. He had to lead troops to fight no matter what. But he didn't want this. He was afraid that his own people would suffer a large number of casualties, which would worsen the already weak national strength.
Since the Vikings want to kill, let them do it!
After some mental struggle, Eynred decided to continue to sit on the mountain in humiliation and watch the fight between tigers and tigers. It’s also a good idea to see how the Vikings operate their terrifying arrows, and then watch their infantry at close range, so that you can keep it in your mind and imitate it in the future.
It is impossible for the Mercian army to be unprepared for a huge army transformed into a river fleet.
After all, Mercia is still a traditional landlocked country, and their military movements are slow. There is not even a serious cavalry unit in the country, and its overall mobility is quite limited.
After the victory in Dole Village, the army needed to take a good rest.
Continue to go north to attack Roydis? Earl Lindsay and King Wiglaf both had this intention, but in the face of reality, they and other generals calculated that this matter really couldn't be done this year.
Because Wiglaf stayed near Dole Village for a long time, although this is the border, the local area is actually the Earl of Peksat, where the King of Mercia and the Earl of Lindsay's army are stationed. Some of the supplies were paid by Count Peksat.
How many years has Mercia been restored? What's more, a few decades ago, the Earldom of Peksat was still a territory of Northumbria. Even if the ruler is replaced by a noble of Mercian lineage, many people will not reject being ruled by Northumbria again. But the people had to pay a lot of taxes to keep the king's troops stationed near their homes.
The Earl of Peksat has obviously given up his job. Although he is related to the King of Mercia, this war is consuming the resources of his fief. This involves economic problems, so naturally he is gradually slacking off.
Count Peksat is just working hard. Not only are reinforcements delayed, but recently, supplies delivered to the king's division have also stopped.
Therefore, for King Wiglaf, his raid on Dole Village was somewhat helpless. This seizure of the supplies from the Northumbria military camp alleviated some of the problems of his own army, and he could continue to conquer that country. It just lacks stamina.
The Mercian army was stationed in the enemy's camp on the other side of the Don River. According to the new plan, Wiglaf decided to wait until winter came. If the Northumbrian army came to challenge at this moment, he would not hesitate to do so. Fight a decisive battle. If the decisive battle does not happen and continues to take place until next spring, I will use a winter to reserve food supplies and troops, and then attack Roydis to have a chance of victory.
They completely ignored the information about the Viking invasion. When a group of approaching large ships suddenly appeared on the seemingly calm Don River, the entire camp was shocked.
It was evening, and Wiglaf, who had already planned to take a rest, was startled by the guards who broke into the camp.
"Presumptuous! What made you so panicked?!"
The guard was trembling all over, his right hand pointed in one direction, and he was completely frightened.
"Your Majesty! Big ships! Lots of big ships! They are moving towards us."
"That's it? Ridiculous!" Wiglaf hurriedly put on his boots and walked outside. I saw the fleet illuminated by the setting sun.
"Who is this? Is it an enemy? Or a friendly force?" Wiglaf's veins trembled first, and then he shouted loudly, but what responded to him was the projectile fired from the torque slingshot.
At the same time, aboard the Aurora.
Rurik asked Eynred: "Is your military camp in front of you? Is it occupied by the enemy? I can't see your flags, they are all strange... Well, the style and Mine is a bit similar.”
The flag of the King of Mercia and the flag of the Duke of Ross are both simple shapes with interlaced diagonal lines. Naturally, the meanings behind them are not similar at all.
"It's absolutely true. I implore you to attack indiscriminately, kill them, and help me get revenge." Eynred said fiercely.
"No! This is not revenge for you, you don't deserve it. This is just a new war, now look at my performance."
Eon Redburn feels Viking People would immediately disembark and sweep through the occupied Dole Village military camp like a flood.
He is very satisfied with the current results. Fortunately, the Mercians are here, and the royal flag of Wiglaf is flying there. Rurik, a Viking kid, guessed everything correctly. I am afraid that This sunset battle could cost Wiglaf his life.
However, the Vikings' fighting style shocked him. The big thing covered with linen on the side of the ship was actually a kind of bow!
The torsion slingshot is charged, equipped with cast iron projectiles, and then launched brilliantly.
Since the enemy is directly in front, the Aurora and most of the ships are firing projectiles at the enemy in front at the maximum elevation angle.
Almost all torsion slingshots were used, and they were fired freely, forming a terrible "hail".
From the perspective of the fleet, since the Don River runs almost east-west in the current section of the river, and the ships are advancing against the blood-red sunset, everyone on board can basically not see the effect of projectile strikes.
In fact, in the Mercian military camps on both sides of the river, the sudden iron hail immediately hit some soldiers with bloody heads.
Can you kill enemies from such a long distance? These weapons refreshed Eynred's knowledge. What's even more sad is that the heavy weapons are right in front of him, but he can't understand how they operate.
The Mercian military camp fell into chaos. Wiglaf watched helplessly as a watching warrior in the distance had his head smashed by a weapon. The red and white stuff splashed on him, and he immediately roared in fright.
The guards held up iron-covered mandarin duck shields to protect Wiglaf.There is no need to hesitate, the battle begins!
He could not see the enemy's face at all, and his army suffered losses. But what was worse than the casualties was that the army fell into chaos. The brave warriors in the past were running for their lives, because chainmail and ordinary shields had no resistance to the sudden falling "rocks". They were frantically looking for something solid to hide in.
This was not over yet. As the ship got closer, a whooshing sound suddenly came from the sky.
At this moment, Eynred saw many Vikings holding strangely flat bows and arrows, and actually started shooting arrows again. He clearly saw the clusters of wooden-armed crossbows, and he was filled with admiration, envy, and unforgettable hatred.
Arrows fell one after another, and the Mercian army had never seen such a dense attack from long-range weapons. As the chaos intensified, Wiglaf shouted: "Guards! Send me across the river immediately!"
He captured a few more guards and ordered them to pass on the king's order and ordered all the soldiers in Dole Village to withdraw. Go to the other side of the river, and then retreat to the distant woods to avoid further killings by suspicious enemies.
Wiglaf was fleeing. People saw the king's flag flying on the pontoon on the river. The king's retreat order was given, and the running warriors all had a clear direction to escape.
They swarmed to the narrow pontoon made of rafts and began to cross the river in an emergency. Those who accidentally fell into the water also swam frantically to the other side of the river.
Wiglaf escaped, but it was too late for Earl Lindsay's army who unexpectedly became the rearguard.
The long ships of the vanguard began to run aground deliberately, and the Balmok Viking warriors got off the ship in a furious manner, waving their swords and axes at the enemies in front, shouting the slogan "Blood Sacrifice to Odin" and rushed to kill... …