The huge sled team surged forward in the cold wind, passing through the twists and turns of the Neva River, and an icy lake with no boundary could be seen before the eyes and under the feet.
Ladoga Lake is covered with extremely thick ice, and the wind sweeps across the ice surface and blows away all the snow. At first glance, there is nothing but black under the ice, and the nameless fear is also disturbing people's hearts.
The team moved along the lake shoreline and went ashore to camp at night.
The stars are twinkling in the sky, and the green auroras are as dazzling as ribbons.
A large number of bonfires were lit on the shore of ice and snow, and more than ten people gathered at each fire, grilling frozen fish and eating cooked wheat.
More than twenty large iron pots were placed on the snow, and some specially brought stones were quickly assembled into a stove.
Bjorn was amazed just by the iron pot alone, not to mention there were many Russians. The wheat is cooked in a dark iron pot until it boils. Then someone picks up a big wooden spoon, scoops the oats into his own earthenware bowl, sprinkles a handful of salt and eats it.
Eating hot meals in the ice and snow is the most heart-warming thing. Those wheat cakes that have become cold are now strung on wooden sticks by the owner and placed on the flame to heat them again.
Bjorn and other Swedish nobles were of high status, and Rurik rewarded these guests with a unique meal.
Though it is very bizarre to make braised noodles, it is indeed braised noodles.
The venison is cut into minced meat, chopped onions and yellow carrots are added, salt and thyme are chopped, and seal oil and deer oil are poured into it, and it becomes a dish that will inevitably condense at low temperatures. A lump of sauce. The pre-made wheat noodles are frozen as hard as wire, cooked and topped with sauce to enjoy.
Rurik had no control over how those nobles ate this delicious meal. They brought their own spoons and forks, and it didn’t matter if they stuffed the sticky noodles into their mouths with their hands.
"This is also a special delicacy of the Russian people. You have to try it. The delicacies here cool down too quickly, so you should all eat them while they are still hot." Old Angreev grinned from ear to ear and leaned against the wood. I ate it with a temporary fork and a branch.
The braised noodles are overly salty and extremely greasy, which everyone thinks is just right for the taste.
The colder the weather, the more delicious food heavy in oil and salt is needed. Bjorn ate it in big gulps, not forgetting to drink some Russian spirits and even froze a small lump into semi-solid honey. Pop it into your mouth.
The nobles did not hesitate to talk about Rurik, his queen and prince around the campfire after eating and drinking.
It is really terrifying and brave for a newborn baby to brave the extremely cold journey. They also tacitly understood it, regardless of the evil thoughts in their hearts.
Just like Bjorn, how could he not be jealous when he saw the strength of the Russians? He was even more aware of the terrifying crisis. The Melalen people were indeed facing pressure from the Russians. The Melalen people, who had been powerful since ancient times, were rapidly declining.
He even hoped that the baby Osborne Slav, who was blessed by the gods, would suddenly freeze to death.
He wanted to see Rurik himself crying in his arms.This vents his displeasure as the leader of Mellaren and the current king of Sweden.
However, Rurik’s “Prince’s Sleigh” is a perfect warm nest!
Instead of calling it a sled, it would be more appropriate to call it a "moving woodcarving corrugation".
The big sled is covered with a wooden house, which is equipped with an iron carbon furnace. Iron pipes rolled from wrought iron sheets are heat-welded and nested with each other to connect to the outside.
It was as warm as summer inside, but Svetlana still curled up in the huge polar bear skin. The delicate Osborne was even more tightly wrapped.
She was well taken care of by many women, and several of Rurik's wives and concubines also chatted happily with her as the queen.
Rurik pushed open the thick leather curtain with a bowl of delicious food and committed himself to his beloved wife.
"It's time to eat, I'll feed you."
"Well, this is not good. Others...are watching."
"It doesn't matter."
Countess Nolen of Narvik Port is here. According to her seniority, she is indeed Osborne's aunt. In terms of age, she is only slightly younger than Svetlana.
The child was sleeping soundly in the cradle on one side, and Rurik also made the noise smaller. He held the chopsticks and put the noodles into his beloved wife's mouth. She enjoyed her husband's intimate care more than the soft, glutinous and salty texture of the delicious meal.
Is this love? As sweet as honey, Nolen watched quietly from the side, turning into a light bulb.
"Rurik..." Nolen was so envious that he couldn't help it.
"Huh?"
"I want to be like her. It's time, I want to be a mother too. Quick! I want a child."
She said these words without any shame. If the baby hadn't been here, her voice would have been louder.
Looking at her and then at Lanna, Rurik didn’t know what to say.
Lana cheered up, "It's time for Nolen to be a mother. Rurik, those women of yours... are all of age to be mothers. Especially those who came from the same manor as me." Girls, they are already old girls."
"Oh? As a queen, you are urging me to have sex with other concubines?"
"Poor me now. I can't serve you. I just need to raise the child well now..."
Svetlana didn't say any more, and Rurik didn't know what to say. It seemed that she had thought of a lot of things, yet she seemed as simple as a glass of water.
There were too many wives and concubines in the harem. Thanks to the previously established hierarchy, Rurik was glad that his wives and concubines did not become jealous and create a Shura field.
Is Kelana such a generous person? Do you really want your mother to honor the world? I'm afraid this matter is not simple.
Rurik didn’t think much about it for the time being, but he also did not have an intimate relationship with Nolen or other wives and concubines on the current occasion. There is no other reason than that the huge team is undergoing an expedition. Must ensure the stability of large quantities of goodsTransported to Novgorod, and then completed the transaction with the old Pecheneg-Kiev business group.
Noren and the other wives and concubines all had their own tent-type sleighs, and Rurik's big sleigh served as the residence of the prince and his wife when they were traveling.
At the end of the night, baby Osborne suddenly cried. Rurik just smelled the bad sour smell and his baby shivered. The couple woke up from the torment. Thanks to Rurik's preparations and his noble status, he threw away the diaper, washed his baby and immediately put on a new diaper.
Throughout the journey, Rurik has been personally taking care of his eldest son. He really liked this son, and such a caring attitude also declared to the whole team the prince's meticulous love for the prince.
But the fact that he changed his son's diaper was shocking to other nobles. Not to mention those Swedish nobles, even my cousin Arik never changed diapers for his children. Shouldn't those be done by the child's mother? Besides, as a great noble, it would be better to leave this kind of thing to the servants soon.
My brother really likes Osborne!
But Rurik is still worried about Queen Svetlana's remarks that she ignores the Shura field and can be called the mother of the world. Although the queen was sleeping next to him, a strange dream suddenly woke him up during an ordinary night of travel.
"Emperor Zhou...I am Emperor Zhou now. How could I have such a strange dream? Yes! It's the enfeoffment." Rurik muttered in his mind in a daze.
A faint light shines through the cracks of the iron stove, and the sleigh shed wrapped in leather and wood is not completely dark. Looking at his sleeping wife and son, Rurik guessed his beloved wife's hope.
"When they all have children, they can take some people to leave the core area. Noren took his children back to Narvik, and others went to further areas to establish villages, communities and cities. They If you give birth to a boy earlier, you can go to the new world to establish settlements sooner, and no one will threaten your and Osborne's status, right..." Rurik's thoughts were buried in his mind. If this is true, Svetlana. The hope is understandable.
Because, he thought so too.
But Rurik is even more looking forward to seeing his father see his grandson’s happy appearance, and the old man Ligus, seeing his heir grandson, might be happy enough to die.
The sled team always maintains a dense formation, and each sled has a flagpole to make the Ross flag flutter. The sleds are all temporarily numbered, and several sleds form a group, which are counted during each night's rest. According to the plan, if someone is found to be left behind, there are motorized sleds that can turn back immediately to find them.
Nothing bad happened. For example, no one was left behind during the ten-day journey, and the weather was dry and cold as always.
Even in February, warmth seems to have nothing to do with Northern Europe.
When the team entered the frozen Volkhov River that runs north to south, the team happened to encounter a large number of sporadic hunting team sleds, and began the final rush.
Bear hunting is an extremely dangerous job, and a simple sled carrying a torsion slingshot still cannot allow everyone to sit back and relax. Usually about ten people get together, nominate a boss, and go into the forest area to hunt bears with weapons such as wooden arm crossbows, short wooden bows, and short spears.
The bear hunting team has made a lot of hunts. This is because most of this area is uninhabited land and there are too many polar bears that are not hibernating.
The main force of the hunters are almost all veterans of the First Flag Team. Young people who used to be in their twenties are now in their thirties. They decisively brought their newly grown sons with them. The so-called Winter Prince’s School If school doesn't start, then go hunting bears and wolves with your family to grow into a man.
Even some of the Ragnar tribesmen who were living as guests also participated.
A group of hunters quickly gathered around Rurik, and they all came to hunt bears. The reason behind this was heartwarming.
Some people explained: "It is the Pecheneg people in the grassland who have a huge demand for leather. Those grassland people are actually involved. They hunt in the southern forest and want to hunt a large amount of precious leather. Fur. All their achievements, but their appetite is too big..."
The hunters explained a series of important matters. Before meeting Kagan, Rurik had already determined that there must be one in this transaction. Victory results.
The huge sled team was connected with flags. At first glance, it was clear that it was a huge army roaring towards the city of Novgorod.
Thanks to the extremely cold weather, the Volkhov River was frozen solid enough. If the ice layer were thinner, the sled team would have to fall into the ice cave on a large scale.
Those who endured the severe cold to cut trees noticed the sled army, and as soon as they saw the flying flags clearly, they concluded that the prince was back.
The prince must come back to participate in the spring plowing work. This is a rule he personally set, not to mention that this year involves large-scale trade with the Pecheneg people.
Although Prince Rurik did not rush back, Novgorod had spontaneously started trading with visitors from far away.
In the area around Lake Ilmen in Novgorod, most of the military forces of the Rus’ Principality are located here. In this way, nearly 300 foreign troops were stationed, and Governor Medved He was worried at first, but the old Duke Otto slapped his thigh and appointed Kagan as a distinguished guest.
Even so, Medved must be on guard. Although the grassland people came here to sell horses, they actually gathered 200 armored cavalry and traveled for three months to reach the north intact. What else could this be but a strong army? Even though Kagan and Prince Rurik drank blood wine and became brothers, this was a custom in the steppe, and the Slavs of Lake Ilmen did not have this rule.
Especially there are some businessmen from Kiev...
Makesakhi, this guy is here again. He was a native of Kiev, and by blood he was indeed no different from a native of Smolensk. They were all from Krivich, and this was what alarmed Medved the most.
Maybe it’s the old DukeIndulging in the family happiness of being with children may be the satisfaction of this life. When Medved, as a child, first saw Otto rowing his longboat with all his power, he was extremely frightened. But now, Otto is as honest as his own father Rigus. A warrior has lost his strength and vigilance.
The total of 600 horses that the steppe people and the Kiev people planned to sell, although the delivery of the products has not yet been completed, is now under Medved's care. A messenger had already been sent to New Roseburg. Medved already knew that the prince's "armed fishing" had turned into a crusade against the Danish king and achieved a great victory. He also knew that the prince would never let go of any opportunity to buy horses. Therefore, although the transaction has not been completed legally, the Principality of Rus has actually obtained 600 strong horses capable of trekking for three months in autumn and winter.
The Pecheneg warriors in Kagan were actually under surveillance. He felt a little uncomfortable. Considering that he was the owner of other people's land, he should obey the local customs. However, I came with the hope of this tribal alliance and the alliance's elite cavalry. I can't trade directly with Rurik for the time being, nor can I stay here and stare at him.
Horses and recurve bows are strategic materials that can only be traded with the Prince of Rus himself, and other prairie specialties carried are already on sale.
The goods were sold cleanly, and Kagan and the Kiev people did not get many supplies in exchange. They wanted to hunt spontaneously, but were banned by Governor Medved.
“This is the territory of the Rus’ Principality, and the forest is also the principality’s wealth. People in Kiev are not allowed to hunt. Anyone who dares to hunt is stealing the property of the Rus’ Prince. The Pechenegs can go hunting, but they must cooperate with the Rus’ People form mixed teams and can only hunt in the Volkhov River.”
Kagan understands this very well. This is like a grassland, a meadow with rich water and grass that can attract the Pecheneg people. War with the Khazars. It is reasonable that the hunting grounds of the Russians can only be hunted by the Russians. Kagan was very happy that he drank blood wine with Rurik, so that his subordinates could personally hunt the giant red squirrels that did not exist on the grassland and obtain their hides.
The Pechenegs were scattered, and they even gave up riding horses and cooperated with the locals in hunting, so that Medved felt at ease.
Kagan himself stayed in the city of Novgorod. He was fed good food and drinks, and took baths in saunas. Except that there was no beautiful girl to serve him, everything felt great. The Russian Novgorod is still very cold, but it is indeed a happy and dispute-free place.
He expected that his Rurik brothers would come to trade with him with the huge amount of supplies they had raised after receiving the news from the messenger.
No, here’s the good news!
The city of Novgorod suddenly became agitated, with drums and horns blaring loudly. People walked out of their homes and dragged their families with them, rushing to the frozen docks and snow-covered rivers.
"My son is back, hehe!"
Otto was leaning on a wooden staff and wearing a bearskin cloak, and he did not forget to buckle his iron helmet on his head. He was closely guarded by his attendants,To prevent the old prince from slipping and falling.
Rurik was not surprised that thousands of people gathered outside the city.
The huge team finally stopped, and all kinds of people got off the sled.
Rurik and his wife stepped out of the sleigh and saw his old father and mother as soon as he stood on the ice. At this moment, he held an indescribably huge object in his arms and walked straight towards his father under the gaze of thousands of people.
"You brat, I heard that you almost chopped off the head of the second King of Denmark. You are a real man." As soon as Old Otto finished speaking, his eyes were completely fixed on the thing in his son's arms.
Otto didn’t know what it was, but Niya could already guess what her son was holding just by looking at the way Svetlana was walking. She was so excited that she cried and covered her mouth and nose with her hands.
Rurik said nothing until he stood in front of his father.
"What is this? A gift?" Otto asked.
"It's a gift."
After saying that, Rurik gently lifted the thin linen cloth. It was obvious that he had caught a cold. The child closed his eyes and began to twist up. , and he was also yelling.
“Ah!” Otto’s hair trembled all over his body, and his full white beard stood straight.
"It's a boy, his name is Osborne Slav. He is your grandson."
Ecstasy struck, Otto's legs went weak, thanks to the attendant's immediate hand. Support prevented him from falling.
With the support of his attendants, Otto could no longer stand on his own. He was so excited that he couldn't stop laughing. He wanted to take a good look at his direct grandson. The more he looked at the child's face, the more he liked him.
Although Otto already has several grandchildren who have inherited his bloodline, this child is the most unusual.
He claimed that the last concern in his life was the birth of this child. Everything ended successfully! I have no regrets in this life...
But Otto also knows that his end is not approaching, and every day he lives now is a day earned. There are no regrets anymore. When to leave depends on the wishes of the gods.