Chapter 822 Rurik’s beard is stained with Danish blood

The Danish King Horik chose a desperate cavalry charge. He felt that this might be his last chance to make a comeback.

He has conveyed the essentials of the battle to his subordinates. He said that everyone should follow him in the attack, and they must not go near the beach where they march, in order to avoid the long-range arrow attacks that Ross ships will inevitably fight.

To this day, Horik still doesn’t know how the Russians can shoot arrows and javelins extremely far. He knows the power of those weapons, and now he can’t stray into the shooting range and be killed indiscriminately.

The cavalry troops advanced along the passage under the wooden wall.

There are passages in front and behind the wall, and the passage outside the wall is extremely wide. The sand and stone are mixed with black mud, and the mud exudes a faint stench. For no other reason, some residents would be too lazy to throw their excrement around. They felt that since the overall terrain of Godfrehagen was high, the excrement would be washed into the sea after a rain.

The dirt on the ground will not interfere with Horik's counterattack in the slightest. His inner city is isolated from the residential area outside the city by this wide passage. Now the passage has become a venue for Horik to gallop. .

It stands to reason that the cavalry should launch a full sprint after approaching the enemy, but now the troops are very fast, delaying for some time gives the Russians time to prepare, and the suddenness of the surprise attack is gone.

His cavalry were briefly reorganized after leaving the side door, and then charged with all their strength.

King Horik looked like he was taking the lead, holding his iron sword high and driving his horses to attack. His men followed diligently, all moving their short spears forward in unison, and their iron swords pointing straight ahead.

The chests of the leading horses are all covered with armor, and the cowhide base is riveted with a palm-sized iron piece. If hit by it, you will almost die.

Horik was about to run into Ross's army outside the city. The entire cavalry was like a heavy truck out of control, with no one stopping.

Their momentum failed and they were completely out of touch with the infantry at the rear.

The ground is shaking strangely, which has nothing to do with the fight between iron and blood that is taking place in the city.

Rurik was busy urging all types of archers not to worry about accidentally injuring the brothers fighting in the city, ordering them to continue firing arrows to consume the effective strength of the Danish infantry.

However, the Pechenegs who raised their recurve bows and shot light arrows into the sky to support them had extremely keen insights into horses and cavalry, and their feet felt the changes in the earth. movement. Soon, the noise was getting closer and closer, as if coming from the west of the military formation, and they had a premonition of the danger of the problem.

One person did not care too much and rushed directly in front of Rurik. He did not care about the superiority of master and servant, and shouted in Turkic language that a powerful enemy was coming. He pointed to the location to the west and declared the danger there.

Rurik was confused about the situation for a while. He already knew some phrases in Turkic. He always emphasized that his Pecheneg servants should learn Slavic and Norse as soon as possible. What was it that scared them so much that they broke out in their native dialect?

After a short time, Rurik’s confused face gave way toHorrified.

Look! It's the cavalry!

From the perspective of King Horik, he had already seen the Ross army arrayed in dense array outside the city. At first glance, it did not look like there were many troops. Are there really 3,000 Russians? Maybe what his subordinates said was not accurate.

He felt that these Russians were not prepared, and his opportunity had come!

"Odin's warriors! Let us crush this group of Rusians, the chance of victory is here!"

His cry was drowned by the roar of the warriors, and now it has been There is no need for the king himself to issue orders. People with a discerning eye can see that they have encountered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the comeback is now!

Rurik did not expect that the Danes would make such a move at the last moment, and his warriors were also surprised.

Those people holding torque slingshots were frightened for a moment. It was clear that the weapons in hand could be charged up to deal a vicious blow to the enemy. The thought of escaping flooded their heads, and they left their posts without permission.

Seeing this situation, Rurik had no time to complain, but he was not really unprepared.

"Listen to the order! Shield wall!"

The Russian army outside the city also has a capable reserve team, because some Balmoks are in the army, and they are also the most traditional group. A blond Viking speaking Norse.

The Balmoks were originally one of Rurik's final reserve teams that he planned to fight, and now they took the lead in building a shield wall.

Are they not the only ones preparing to engage in close combat?

Rurik had just asked for the formation of a shield wall, and ordered the Slavic reserve team: "Spearmen! Form up!"

The order was conveyed in Slavic, with long strings The spears were arrayed in the direction from which the cavalry was charging. They all unconsciously walked forward, hunched their backs and lowered their bodies.

There were a large number of Slavic spearmen, and Rurik did not trust the ability of these men to fight with swords. Previous battles had proved that these men could complete the killing by forming an array holding spears with axes hanging on them. Maximize revenue.

Perhaps the best way to deal with cavalry charges is to form a spear formation. The spear formation seems to be the optimal solution. If the spearmen themselves are afraid of the enemy cavalry and retreat, the formation will collapse.

The cavalry charge has a strong sense of oppression. They are approaching at a speed visible to the naked eye, and it seems that the impact will be in the next second.

However, well-trained warriors fired arrows to harass.

Fisk led his young brothers and worked hard with recurve bows and crossbows, but the cavalry was too fast, and they only had one chance to shoot arrows.

"They are coming! Hold on! I am with you!" Rurik is right behind the army. With him here, even if many soldiers are afraid, they do not dare to betray their monarch. And fled. Now, it seems that running away is the stupidest option.

The cavalry screamed heart-breakingly and rushed towards the spear wall organized by the Slavs. At the same time as the impact occurred, the Slavs also screamed with their mouths open.

ThisKerurik once again felt that death seemed to be a few steps away from him, but he had matured his attitude. He was no longer shocked and frightened by the corpses on the ground and the stream of smelly blood, and he could face the imminent danger calmly.

The sharp and extremely sharp and slender tempered steel spearhead hit the iron armor of the war horse and slid easily into the gap in the armor. The spearhead penetrated deeply into the horse's chest and pierced its heart.

This charging channel is indeed wide, but it seems very cramped for more than 200 cavalry charging on the wall. The frontal charge cannot form a wide offensive surface. If the frontal charge cannot tear open the enemy's defense line, the subsequent cavalry will not be able to drive straight in.

Balmok sword and shield bearers and Slavic spearmen were mixed together due to the narrow width of the passage. At this moment, a group of light infantry who dropped their bows and crossbows and picked up their swords and shields also hurriedly entered the residences in the outer city. , twisting and turning in an alley that is so narrow that only one person can pass through.

Among the twenty or so riders on the front, each half a ton, some of the torsion slingshots were directly trampled by the horse's hooves, and what followed was the most brutal collision.

The war horse was pierced by the spearhead, and the war horse with ruptured internal organs lost its vitality in an instant. The war horse continued to rush towards the array like a rolling stone, directly crushing and injuring some soldiers.

The Slavs and Balmoks were screaming in pain, and some had their chests crushed and died on the spot.

The charge of the horses in the front row was delayed! The horses that followed were still charging. The horses' hooves stepped on the body of the previous horse and jumped fiercely. The cavalry slashed with their swords.

Similarly, the Russian army, which suddenly suffered casualties, resolutely resisted, and more spearheads and swords stabbed the cavalry who continued to come like a mudslide.

Horse meat was chopped with swords and flew everywhere. It was unknown whether it was human blood or horse blood. In the cramped battlefield like a meat grinder, the soldiers were covered in scarlet and still fought.

"The momentum of the cavalry is gone. Brothers, come on! Follow me and kill without fear of death!" Rurik was so anxious that he couldn't care too much. He picked up a shield and raised his sword to go in person. battlefield.

The young Rurik was high-spirited and as majestic as Otto thirty years ago. At first glance, he looked a little thin, and his back was not impressive.

At this time, Svetlana witnessed the tragedy of the cavalry charging wildly, and her Slavs suffered many casualties. Now she doesn't care about the situation of her tribe, or even her husband.

She is not a noble queen now, she is just a basic shooter.

There are only two types of personnel in this cramped battlefield outside the city. One is the Russian army wearing white robes with blue stripes, and the other is the Danish army with gray tones and blue decorative cloth strips.

The contrast between the clothes of the two armies is huge. Even if the clothes are stained with blood, anyone can clearly see who is the enemy and who is the friend in the chaotic battle.

The fallen horses turned into stones made of flesh. The soldiers did not care about the pain of the wounded soldiers who were pressed down, and fought on the horse corpses or injured horses. The cavalry who lost their horses simply dismounted and fought, fighting with the Balmok sword and shield men.

At this moment, Rurik became an ordinary soldier. His steel sword was stained with blood. The enemy's blood splashed all over his face, and his beard turned red.

He became "Barbarossa", and it was this image that gave the Russian army a strong visual shock.

The surprise attack of the Danish cavalry was thwarted. King Horik of Denmark slowed down his horse at the last moment like a chicken thief. He saw that his cavalry was being hacked madly after being delayed. My chances are running out.

A young man held up a bloody sword. His face was red and his beard was also red.

He was Rurik, and his figure was clearly seen by Horik on horseback.

The Prince of Rus himself is here! The cavalry almost rushed forward and chopped off the man's head!

Horik, who was originally frustrated, was overjoyed. He felt that although he had very few troops, he still had a chance.

At the same time, Rurik also noticed the leader of the cavalry, a short man with a round face, who always stood out among the tall warriors. Because Horik Klarsson is short, he is born short. It is this disadvantage that drives him to do many things violently in order to show his strength.

Once upon a time, Horik was indeed very powerful in holding an army, but now, the army is under the offensive of the Ross army, like a deer with its throat cut and being bled quickly.

"King of Denmark! Horik! I see you, this is your cemetery!" Rurik shouted, "Brothers, that is the King of Denmark, shoot him, chop him down His head! A reward of one hundred pounds of silver coins!"

The soldiers covered in blood stood on the horse's corpse, with ferocious smiles on their faces.

Horik was also organizing his frightened army. He pointed his sword pointedly: "Did you see the man with the red beard? He is the Prince of Rus. Kill him and I will make him an earl ( War Chief)!"

The supreme leaders of Denmark and Russia met at the gate of Godfrehagen. According to the battles of the gods described in the oral myths, the heroes always dueled openly. Fight with sword and shield to determine the winner.

It is just a story after all, and it needs to cater to the audience's admiration for heroes.

But the reality is not like this.

Times have changed!

Sixteen years ago, the fledgling Ragnar first earned the name "Wool Pants" by winning a duel. At that time, the Danish lords often resolved their disputes through noble duels.

Now, this land in Denmark has become the scene of a fight between two groups of outsiders. The native Danes seem to have become a footnote to this high-level Frehagen battle.

The lives of the new kings of the Kingdom of Rus and Denmark have been marked with a price, and the two monarchs will definitely not use the so-called Viking tradition to perform a duel, even if it has a romantic and epic significance.

King Horik saw that his assisting infantry finally arrived, and he felt thatAlready done.

While Horik was recruiting troops to prepare for another charge, Rurik used himself as bait and stood with his warriors. The Russian soldiers stood on the corpses of the horses to build a human wall. Behind them, the shooters were preparing.

The Finnish longbowmen of Javlo, the recurve archers of Fisk's troops and the Pechenegs, and the thirty torsion slingshots that were urgently charged were all ready.

Maybe you will still face failure if you charge again, but this is also the opportunity before you to kill the prince of Rus, Ryrik Ottoson. Even if there was only a 10% chance, Horik didn't want to give up.

King Horik waved his sword and called on the cavalry and infantry: "Now! Charge with me again!"

The cavalry had lost their initial momentum and arrived late. The infantry couldn't help but be afraid when they saw the meat grinder-like battlefield. They were still attacking with all their strength, and at this time it was no wonder that Rurik didn't follow martial ethics.

The Ross army adjusted its position to see a comprehensive retreat with the melee troops.

Look! Thirty torsion slingshot trolleys are placed together, leaving a gap in the middle for passing people. Warriors armed with various types of crossbows are behind the carts.

Rurik was satisfied, but he would only laugh out loud when the enemy hit the full set.

"Brothers, get down and let them charge!" After that, Rurik turned to the shooters: "You are free to shoot! Be careful to be shot in the back of our heads!"

There are more than a hundred melee warriors lying directly on the ground, hunched up, or huddled together. Rurik also knelt on one knee, with the shield on his left arm protecting most of his body.

Behind them were warriors holding bows. The lying down of the melee troops opened up the shooting range for them.

The cavalry rushed over, and they jumped over the previous horse corpses!

King Horik saw the Russians suddenly retreating. He had no time to think. This was an arrow.

Until the vanguard cavalry saw the extremely neat formation.

The javelin fired by the torsion slingshot combined with the arrows directly defeated the vanguard cavalry. What a dense array of arrows that was! More than 400 arrows and javelins of various sizes, either fired directly or thrown, covered the already cramped battlefield with an astonishing wave of firepower.

The cavalry trampled on each other again, and the attack was once again contained. At this point, Horik had actually lost the chance to make a comeback.

But the Ross Arrow Array here is special, because the density of arrows does not seem much lower after a round of free fire.

Due to the special nature of the sea-crossing expedition, the Russian army did not bring Turkic horses with them this time. The Russian cavalry who were trained by the Turkic cavalry participated in the battle as infantry archers. Fisk and his men used recurve bows to shoot light arrows wildly using the grassland rapid fire method. The rate of fire was close to one arrow per two seconds. Although the arrows shot in this way were not very powerful, they could not be used against enemies lacking armor. Enough is enough.

Accompanying the light arrows were those fired by Finnish longbowmenThe heavy arrows and their strong momentum made the cavalry retreat one after another.

The arrows falling from the sky were killing the Danish infantry accompanying the cavalry attack. The wide but cramped alley battlefield became a place of death for the Danes who were unable to do anything.

How lucky is King Horik? His shield blocked three arrows, and he saw a sharp armor-piercing arrow almost pierce his arm.

Now he has to admit that he has failed, and he no longer even has the ability to manage his brothers in the city.

Death in battle? Pooh!

Just before he made up his mind to evacuate, a stray arrow suddenly hit his leather helmet. His head was buzzing, and if the right arm holding the sword hadn't touched his head, it would have been as if the good head had flown away from his body.

He woke up instantly and immediately stopped: "Brothers! It can't be done! Let's retreat!"

What is the king doing? He actually withdrew on his own initiative, and then his brothers followed suit. Although he didn't know why all this happened, the ordinary cavalry just blindly followed their king. Horik's run was a plan to escape to the west. Without him, the core residential area of ​​the Robard tribe is to the west, and he can regroup his army there. Even if he lost a large number of old warriors brought back from Flanders, he was still the King of Denmark. This identity was recognized by the Frankish Kingdom, and he still had a chance to defeat the Russians in the future.

Horik fled away on horseback, with a small group of defeated soldiers behind him?

At this moment, the Ross warriors hiding in the houses appeared one after another, desperately chasing those lone warriors.

Horik fled. He first escaped around the wall, and then all the way to the west. At this moment, he could not be said to have escaped with his own life, but he could also be said to be a polished veteran. Of course he was not really alone, there was another group of broken soldiers behind him.

Nothing else, because the battle in the city ended with the victory of the Russian army.

The Russian army did not complete the decisive victory over the Danish army in the city. Instead, when the Russian army's iron men chopped and stabbed, the Danish army simply competed with the brute force and defensive power of the personnel and organizations. Denmark The people always had a disadvantage, and even though the Russians suddenly suspended arrow support later, Denmark's decline still worsened.

King Horik has disappeared, this is a fact! No one could really restrain the escapees, and eventually the entire Danish front could no longer hold up.

The cavalry in the city escaped through the west side door first. The so-called king used this door to complete the surprise attack. Following the angle of the cavalry, most of the infantry evacuated through the west side door, and many went through the south door. As a result, the remaining cavalry who fled through the west gate actually saw another group of fleeing soldiers. They even saw their own king, Horik.

King Horik’s surprise attack has obviously failed. What else can the brothers do? You can only catch up with your king with all your strength. It is obviously very necessary to have multiple companions when escaping.

They fled frantically and abandoned their armor. On the other hand, the heavily armored Russians did not use all their strength.The ability to chase.

Fighting is a physical activity. Grund and his group, who were wearing the heaviest armor, had almost exhausted all their strength. They, the iron men, were unable to pursue them. Seeing the enemy fleeing in full force, they collapsed on the ground exhausted, as if they had already fought. die.

Aric and Ragnar were also very tired. The brothers were unable to chase down the cowards, so everyone taunted them with words. They thought they would make their opponents angry and turn around to continue killing, but they saw the enemy. I just want to escape from the city...

"There is no need to chase anymore." Arik panted.

Ragnar was deeply impressed and sighed with a smile: "What a difficult victory. There should be no more fighting in the city. We captured Godfrehagen."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ragna World sat down In the pile of corpses: "I'm tired! Look at those iron men, they are so tired that they simply lie down. Arik, if you want to rob, just take someone to rob. I want to rest on the spot."

"You ? Okay. I will rest on the spot and let other brothers grab it freely. I don’t care about the treasures. I just want to enjoy this victory.”