More than a hundred women kidnapped from Britain were all packed into the cabin. Together with Rurik's operational guards, as well as a large amount of salt and captured ironware, the Avora was actually overcrowded. .
The return journey is by no means a smooth triumph. No one is worried about the obstruction of the Danish forces. It is precisely the fact that there are too many people on the ship and men and women are mixed that is the biggest trouble.
If there had not been an order first, Rurik had no doubt that in the quiet night, the mercenaries in the cabin would definitely take action against these women.
At least Rurik is not worried about food and fresh water. The existing reserves are enough for the crew of the ship to consume for a month.
But the cabin was soon filled with a foul smell.
This is really helpless, because the ship is facing a small late autumn storm.
The sea breeze is not fatal, but the waves do become rough. Rurik noticed the accompanying large group of immigrants in long boats. They had already approached the shore one after another, and were led by the sailing ship Balmok into a small bay to take shelter from the wind.
The Aurora ignored these obstructions and just kept rising and falling among the waves, once again causing the seasick women to vomit and have diarrhea.
It’s not just them, because it’s really too cold outside, and dense snow falls on the world under the haze. This kind of day lasts for just one day, and the Aurora actually becomes a snowstorm. forward in.
Even if the cabin is full of stench, it is better than shivering with cold on the deck. The deck was already very dangerous. The sailors on duty also had hemp ropes tied around their waists, wore deerskin cloaks and wolfskin hats, and carefully controlled the triangular sail.
Rurik had no choice but to stay in the captain's cabin below the bow deck. This is a relatively spacious existence, with only him and Mary in the room.
In any era of sailing, the captain had the best rooms on the ship.
The captain's cabin of the Aurora is not luxurious at all. It is just decorated with some leather to make lying down and resting comfortable. The climate suddenly changed and the indoor temperature dropped very low.
"How long are we going to float like this?" Mary, who was tortured by seasickness and cold, muttered to herself.
"There are at least two weeks." Rurik said casually.
"Ross...is so far away?"
"Not only is it far away, but it's also cold. But don't worry, the greatness there is beyond your imagination. Even the world of ice and snow has its extremes. "Is that... still the land of the Lord's blessing? Are you living at the end of the world?"
Rurik stared at Mary's face. There was some hesitation in time: "If... if there is a greatest god, Ross will be protected by him. Do you still have nostalgia for Mercia?"
"No!" She forced herself to cheer up, "I'm just... worried about the future."
"Don't be surprised, Rus is not a place ruled by the Lord you believe in." Rurik also cheered up, beat his chest, and introduced: "In vikingIn this world, heroic men have many wives and concubines, just like Odin has many Valkyries. Among my wives, you rank second in age, but your status is not really noble. "
"Yes..." She lowered her head silently, "Because, my identity..."
"No. You are still a noble of Mercia. You have lost your dignity, and only I can give you dignity again. After returning to Ross, you cannot feel that you are different, let alone leave me and find another man. You can only be loyal to me, otherwise..."
"Yes. If betrayed, I would die. I understand. "As she spoke, in the dim light, she began to slowly pull off her leather jacket, "There is no one else here, so you treat me as a servant. If it were you, I would dedicate everything to you. "
Looking at her trembling eyes again, Rurik let out a long sigh. This woman indeed understands the principle that mother is more valuable than son, but that is all for later.
" You are weak, continue to rest. The Mercian court etiquette you have learned is very useful. When you return to Rus, they will accept you. ”
Mary’s words were really euphemistic. She actually felt that she was going to take this boat to another world.
Isn’t it? A whole new world is what the priests say. The so-called Viking home is a terrifying hell. Viking men can have many wives and concubines. What is more terrifying than this?
But he is a filth, and the so-called father and brother are actually. A sanctimonious hypocrite.
The cold outside was almost freezing to the point of cracking her bones. If she didn't want to avoid making the room stink, she wouldn't be willing to go out and dump the filth in Tao Wengli.
p>In the hazy and snowy world, Rurik was in a bad mood, and Mary was suffering physically and mentally.
The entire passengers on the Avora were depressed. I hope the wind and snow will end soon.
The wind and snow are good. The north wind has given the ship strong power, and she has successfully sailed into the Danish Strait.
The wind and snow have continued. After seven days, the cold north wind finally blew away the warmth and the warm and humid air that filled the sea turned into snow, and the sun finally came out lazily.
The time has entered October, as the saying goes. There was snow and cold, and even though the sun was shining high and the air was clear, no one dared to say it was warm.
The sea waves finally became calm, and due to the wind and snow, the fishing boats in the entire Denmark Strait almost disappeared. Even if the sun comes out, there will be no boats cruising.
Are they afraid of wind, waves and cold?
No! Their strength has declined.
Before the storm, they saw a mighty fleet passing through the coast of Jutland. They saw the white flag with blue stripes flying on the mast, and all the fishing boats that had suffered heavy losses fled.
Then came the snowstorm again, and the narrow sea suddenly became rough. The Danes who had finished harvesting their oats adhered to tradition, and the first snowfall of this winter came earlier, which was a declaration to all Danish lords: Even in the warm period.Everyone is fighting for power. Now everyone can spend the winter in peace.
The Avora was still in uninhabited territory. She quickly passed through the Oresund Strait, and the sea ahead suddenly opened up.
The waves were calm, and the sails of the big ship were swollen by the wind. Those women stood in Class A to get some fresh air, but their clothes were too thin, and they had to retreat to the smelly cabin to get some fresh air.
Rurik held Mary's shoulders, and both of them changed into furry winter clothes.
This really touched Mary. She knew that he cared about her.
But the sea ahead is shocking!
Mary couldn't help but shiver, not because of the cold, but because she had never seen the sea well after living in Tamworth, Mercia, which was essentially a landlocked area for more than ten years.
It was cold and empty, but I was so small, and this big ship also seemed extremely small.
The people in the boat quickly saw the new land. You must know that they have not made any landing and rest since they set off from Narvik Port.
Time is running out, the sea water is bitingly cold, and it is almost a step away from freezing.
The Aurora sails in the eastern waters of Oland Island. This is the fastest route northward after bypassing Burgundy Island.
She is turning against the wind and running towards the northeast. She will pass directly through the east coast of Gotland, just like a sword piercing the Tombstone Island Fortress in the Åland Islands!
Oland Island is getting farther and farther away, and all the sailors on the ship know that they are sailing on the most correct and fastest route.
But those women were full of uneasiness. This was the first time in their lives that they had seen such a vast body of water, and the fear in their hearts could not be described in words.
Fortunately, they were now under firm control. They saw that the Russians not only did not panic, but as time went on, their fighting spirit seemed to be getting higher and higher.
In fact, that was also the Russian people’s forced cheering up.
It was a sunny day and the wind was cold and biting.
Rurik stood on the bow deck, facing the brothers on the lower deck and shouted sternly: "We are finally back! I know you are extremely tired, and the fresh water on the ship has also been consumed! How much more patience can you endure? God, we are sailing at high speed now! I dare say that we will sail all night and I will arrive at Tombstone Island in five days. We will have a good rest on the island! You will take hot baths and eat greasy barbecue. Stop eating wheat. We have to rest for at least two days!"
This is the best thing everyone hopes for. People started cheering and then yelled crazily, even the people hanging on the mast with rope ladders. He raised his right fist and cheered.
Soon, the news was also informed to the women in the cabin through Princess Mary.
This group of women are almost all Mercians. Because they were deliberately selected by Magnute, they are not much older than Mary.
They learned that their future would be to serve as servants of the so-called Ross nobles, and for those lucky enough to be the maids of Queen Mary. They were promised a good future,It is said that as long as you do good things, you can get food, clothing and housing.
The uneasiness that pervaded the ship disappeared, and the ship successfully drifted to Tombstone Island as Rurik expected.
What was very obvious was that Rurik saw fine ice floes beginning to float on the sea surface, and the world around him was always white.
The snowfall that started at the end of September was described as a heavy snowfall in the area of Roseburg's hometown. The world was indeed beautiful covered in silver, but what Rurik saw was the risk of the ocean - the waves. Neah Bay is freezing fast!
The situation shouldn't be too bad.
The return of the Avora did not surprise the people of Tombstone Island. In fact, the large fleet escorted by Arik passed here recently.
A batch of cargo was unloaded, and the people of Tombstone Island shared the war dividends of Ross’s army! Of course, the left-behind people here did not take it for free shamelessly. For example, they bought wheat according to the guide price set by the Duke of Ross, which was one silver coin for ten pounds of wheat.
The Russians and Slavic immigrants who settled here bought a lot of what they needed.
They actually got a big benefit. The so-called wheat harvest in Lake Mälaren this year was not good. In addition, Gould of Ross was ordered to purchase wheat on a large scale. The tribes around Lake Mälaren were no longer able to produce any money. How much wheat is traded.
Even if there is, the price is very high.
So when the fleet transporting the spoils escorted by Aric returned, the Merlaren merchants who intended to stay on Tombstone Island for the winter might simply have received money from King Bjorn of Sweden and were ordered to monitor Tombstone Island. , were all shocked by the capture of the Russians.
Arik lacked composure the most. He carelessly promoted the great victory of Rurik, Duke of Rus’ expedition, and even boasted that the Russian army’s fleet was stuffed with two million pounds of wheat!
In fact, how can there be so many?
The people of the real Tombstone Island bought a lot of them, which made the visiting merchants jealous.
Who would question the capture of the Russians? There was a real detail. After the Ross fleet left, they quickly rowed back to the Birka Market on Lake Mälaren and reported to King Bjorn.
On a cold afternoon, the Phantom of the Aurora arrived at the Tombstone Island Fortress.
Many people saw her from a distance, and the identity flying on the mast proved their identity.
On the boat, the tired people cheered, knowing that everyone would have a perfect rest tonight.
Everything went according to plan. The ship entered the archipelago and then entered the sheltered bay on Tombstone Island.
The remaining islanders gathered together, and they saw Lord Rurik's fluttering golden ponytail, and a whole row of uniformly dressed mercenaries standing around Class A.
People were cheering as they watched them disembark along the plank.
Soon, people started a new discussion, because a group of women they had never seen before continued to walk down cautiously.
They all wear headscarves, dressed in cloth, the style is completely different from the Rus or Slavs on the island.
I’m afraid this is the new slave that your Excellency kidnapped from the British Island...
Rurik has a distinguished status, and his landing immediately attracted crowds of people to watch, and both men and women spontaneously They brought out food and water, which is what is called a basket of food and a pot of pulp to welcome the king.
But Rurik paid. He did pay some remuneration and purchased fresh meat and fresh yellow carrots from the people, as well as delicious meals and wine that were scheduled for tomorrow.
Many people are sincerely willing to contribute to the Son of God, but money still has to be given. Rurik immediately took out a sum of money, and everyone praised the generosity of the Lord.
There are still a large number of vacant houses on Tombstone Island, which were used to provide military accommodation when this place was used as a gathering place for the army.
The house housed the landed mercenaries, sailors, and even the one hundred and twenty women.
That night, the island was filled with the strong smell of barbecue, and a large number of bonfires were lit on the shore to boil hot water in pottery urns.
The aroma almost all comes from the barbecued seal. This rather greasy barbecue is sprinkled with a lot of salt. The saltiness is really salty. For those whose bodies are extremely deficient in salt and oil, it is an extreme delicacy.
The wild mercenaries feasted, and the women began to chew the oily meat. Barbecued meat can only be regarded as a hard dish, and the staple food is a stew of wheat and vegetables.
After the meal, the mercenaries began to wash off the dirt on their bodies, and then got into the sauna room filled with righteousness. When they came out, everyone had put on new clothes. As for the old clothes, they are all left to the locals for cleaning.
Now that he was back home, he sat in his palace on Tombstone Island, minding his own business and eating a delicious meal on a low table.
Prince Mary is also sitting here. After landing on the island, she changed into a Slavic-style patterned plaid gown and prepared a leather coat.
The leading figures on the island were also sitting in the house, and were ordered to report recent events to Rurik...
"Arik's fleet has returned, and Gould's The fleet purchasing supplies has also returned. My father's Eastern Sorgon team just returned a few days ago. Old Eric has also returned."
Stay here. Rick was in a happy mood and threw a few silver coins to the report.
Reporting happily, he accepted the money and asked briefly with a smile: "Sir, is the woman next to you your new wife and concubine?"
"Oh? Indeed, she is a woman of noble status, but she is my own woman. "
"Okay..." Maybe there is something hidden here, and the knowledgeable reporter chose to remain silent.
"You can retreat. Tell the others that I will rest here for two days, and I will return on the third day."
"But sir, the sea water is freezing. The fishing brothers said that the northern sea has frozen."
"It doesn't matter. Mere ice floes can't stop my ship. My people are too tired, and they are almost driven crazy after a month of sailing."
The messenger smiled: "I understand. I will entertain them."
The messenger stepped back, Rurik's joy still showed on his face.
He saw Mary from the sidelines and realized that the girl was still looking at her.
"What's wrong with you?"
"You... use two sticks... your hands are really flexible."
"Oh. It's just A kind of tableware, you should also learn it. In Ross, as my woman, you need to learn this." After that, he handed Mary the chopsticks, which were actually two freshly cut wooden sticks.
The two parties already have an extremely close relationship, and Mary has no taboos about it.
Although she suddenly made herself laughable when playing with chopsticks, Rurik could see her concentration.
"It seems that there are no tableware in the palace of Mercia." Rurik joked casually.
"Yes. We all use our hands, only spoons for soup. Sometimes men use knives to cut meat."
"Not elegant enough. In Ross, we have spoons and knives , a fork and these two small wooden sticks. Women, especially, cannot reach out to grab food.”
“I want to learn,” she said with a shy expression.
"Yes. You still have a lot to learn. For example, you have to go to a special place to use the toilet, and you must wash your hands afterwards. Eat quickly, because I will be soaked in hot water later. Get comfortable in there."
"Soak in hot water?" She probed warily.
"No, just taking a bath. This is a Roman enjoyment! Woman, you and I are speaking Roman Latin now, what's wrong with adding some Roman enjoyment."
< p>"This...ok. I feel a little strange.""This is our way of life. We are more ferocious than bears when fighting, and we also know how to live in peacetime."
"That's...ok."
After a while, Rurik soaked in hot water and washed himself clean again with the special soap full of floral fragrance.
Then, Princess Mary also came for the cleanest wash in my life. She blamed herself for being unclean, so she had no inhibitions about being rubbed on her back by Rurik. Yes, why be taboo? Only this Viking nobleman sees herself as a real woman.
She had no chance in Mercia. Now, when she found that she could rub a lot of mud grooves on her skin, she simply called herself unclean.
Rurik did not give her a chance to rest, so he closed her eyes and began frantically scrubbing her short brown hair. Rurik's movements were indeed a bit violent, but he was actually afraid that there were flea eggs mixed in her body.
After feeling comfortable, Rurik went back to the steam room and enjoyed a serious Finnish sauna. However, this extreme "post-war rest" came to an end as Mary steamed directly into coma.
Mary fell asleep and woke up the next morning. She felt that everything was a dream. She patted her face and realized that this was reality and that she was already in the new world. She couldn't help but smile knowingly when she saw the clothes she had just obtained neatly folded aside. She quickly changed her clothes, held her nose straight and sniffed, looking for the scent of wheat, and walked into the noisy restaurant of the Duke of Ross' palace.
Also here, Rurik is already feasting on his elite guards, as well as the Russian and Slavic elites who stayed on Tombstone Island.
There is indeed a Slavic population here, and the number exceeds 200 people. They all came from Novgorod and built a traditional farm here. However, the soil and climate of this archipelago were not suitable for growing wheat. In addition to diligently growing carrots and onions, they became fishermen, just like the real Russians. Fishing for a living. They are already calling themselves Rus.
Seeing that Mary Shanshan was late, this woman was also pulled over.
A large oak cup was placed in front of him with a clatter. Then he looked at the people here and entered the barbarian colosseum on his own. < /p>
Mary was really a little scared, but Rurik also urged unusually with a hint of drunkenness.
Having no other choice, Mary touched the wine glass with both hands and drank the entire glass of craft ale.
The majority of the soldiers collectively began to clap the table and applaud.
Is it chaotic? This lunch was really chaotic, but also very lively.
Two roasted sheep were brought in, and the soldiers carried steel swords to cut the meat one by one and put it on the dinner plate. After a while, a new oak barrel full of ale was brought in (purchased from the guest wine merchant in Mälaren ). The barbecue seems to be just a side dish, including the cooked wheat as a topping. The main purpose of today's feast is to enjoy the feast.
Poor Mary, she had just woken up. She was very drunk and it was the first time in her life that she drank alcohol. A large glass of ale made her drunk again, but she was dragged back to the dormitory to continue to rest.
It was rare for Rurik to get drunk for the first time, but fortunately, his body recovered quickly.
This pure Viking carnival is accompanied by the pleasure of overeating and the joy continues into the night. The islanders piled huge mountains of firewood and lit a torch as fierce as a lighthouse. This was their praise for Rurik, Duke of Rus.