In the early morning, the noise of the tribe woke up the sleeping children.
The sun has risen, purely out of habit. As the commander of the "Valkyrie Legion", Carlotta is naturally controlled by a precise biological clock. Her awakening also led Rurik to slowly sit up with his groggy body.
.
Carlotta looked affectionate, approached Rurik and said in a coquettish tone: "My leader, it's time to go to training. In fact, everyone has been looking forward to your return for a long time."
"Really? Oh, yes! I have something to say after meeting them properly." Rurik patted his face vigorously. Only when he woke up did he finally realize that everything was not a dream, everything was real.
, he was lying on his bed at home, and his mother was looking at him with gentle eyes.
Niya pretended to be angry and said: "Your father simply forgot where his home is because of the carnival. Don't worry about him, I will prepare food for you now."
It is said that Niya prepared it herself, but in fact, she asked the servant to cook it herself.
Remember those five poor Britten women Rurik bought from Gould?
Those five women had beliefs that seemed strange to the locals. Many people saw them worshiping at some wooden sticks tied with hemp ropes. It is said that the Franks also did the same thing.
Gould knew that his two pregnant British slave girls had the same problem. He believed more in gold coins and silver coins and it didn't matter to him, but some of his servants had a disdainful view of it.
Gould understood a lot. For example, as long as they were given the opportunity to do some "sacrificial" activities, people would feel at ease and go to work.
After all, they were Rurik's slaves. No, Niya recruited them as full-time cooks, and the price was to ensure that they did not starve to death. It was a very cost-effective thing.
Niya only gave them some verbal instructions, such as cooking wheat porridge, processing flour with stone mill sticks, baking bread in clay ovens, or washing clothes (naturally using soap). They were full-time handymen, living every day.
Live a somewhat poor life but never go hungry.
Niya didn't interfere with the fact that they knelt down and prayed every morning in front of the strangely interlaced wooden sticks.
Rurik noticed from the beginning that those women were "lambs of the Lord" and maybe they could be put to better use, but not now.
He thought that he still had a parchment book "Exodus" in his hand. Maybe they would find it dreamy.
The leather door curtain was opened, and Rurik knocked on the wooden wall very casually, waking up the sleeping brother and sister Tyravis, and also woke up Rumia and her longing "sister" of the same race.
"How long will you two sleep until? You're going out to eat."
This scene is like the eldest son in the family asking his brothers and sisters to get up. Rurik thinks it is very reasonable and should be an ordinary thing. For Taravis and Saipolava, it can be called a kind of magic.
.
The brother and sister's bare feet stepped on simple boots, and Rurik threw over brand-new linen-lined clothes and brand-new leather jackets.
Rurik smiled: "Put on these clothes, you will all wear these from now on. From now on you will be Russians."
Rurik actually said casually, "You will be Russians from now on", which made them tremble. Because their master did not notice anything, this kind gesture made Telavis suddenly uncomfortable.
What makes this pair of siblings even more incomprehensible is that they need to clearly understand what underwear is, what autumn pants are, and what leather pants are, and even a slightly tight-fitting leather jacket.
Rurik just took into account the existing tailoring level of the Ross tribe, organized a group of women with good skills, paid them wages and asked them to make a batch of clothes of the same style, so as to ensure that his children have uniform clothing.
.He really knows that uniforms have unexpected magic power in maintaining cohesion for a group.
This brother and sister wore pants for the first time. Under Rurik's personal guidance, they put on clothes that were quite similar to Rurik's. Finally, they simply changed into high-top leather boots with a slightly crude workmanship. They even wore
Socks made of fine linen sewn together.
In fact, in order to create this kind of "modern" clothing, Rurik paid a lot of money. Due to this kind of strange order demand, the tailoring skills of the women he recruited have improved in practice.
The clothes worn by the brother and sister were all made by the hardworking hands of the tribe's tailors in the two months since Rurik left.
So much so that all of Rurik's men wore similar clothes. Even the warm and comfortable clothes were given by "big brother", and there was no question of loyalty.
The brother and sister, who had changed their clothes, interacted with each other. Taravis gained a more heroic spirit, and Cyberlawi, who wore long braids, also became a capable girl.
The two left the room and were immediately shocked by the sight in front of them.
It was a large low table with a large number of silver plates and even two transparent glass plates on it. The plates contained some sliced meat, some wheat cakes, and a pottery urn.
, there is an aroma that seduce gluttons, but it is actually a greasy soup stewed with onions, carrots, cabbage and a little seal fat.
This is the real catering of the Russians? And their dreamy tableware.
The two sisters stayed where they were, but Lumia's little sister Lumi didn't notice at all. The innocent little girl reached out for the barley cake, grabbed it, and ate it.
Terravis could not have imagined that Rurik was not angry at all. How could a servant be so bold?!
Rurik sat down casually, glanced at the two people who were dazed, and said in the language of deer herders: "You two, don't be dazed. Sit down and eat. Don't think what you see now is incredible. I treat you as my own.
Only then will I allow you to live in my home. Do you two really think you are lowly slaves? Now sit down for me."
Travis's nose was sore. He sat cross-legged and subconsciously picked up the wheat cake and ate it vigorously. He cried while gnawing. This scene attracted the attention of all the people at the table.
Niya herself was averse to having such an outsider child suddenly come to her home. Since Rurik insisted on doing this, Niya had nothing to say.
"My son, is your new manservant a fool who still cries?"
Rurik shrugged, "I somewhat understand how he feels. He simply cannot imagine the prosperity of our lives."
"Really? I hope you can always be loyal to you."
"He will."
Rurik no longer wanted to say anything. He did not need Telavis to reiterate his loyalty with words. Rurik already knew in his heart that the existence of Telavis himself was not only a servant, but also a hostage.
Focus on training future talents. First of all, Rurik thought of using the child's archery skills, and secondly, to train him into one of the leaders of the Kovin tribe who was completely loyal to the leader of Ross.
Therefore, we must show them the Ross-style life, make them envious, and make them desire to have the same life themselves, so that their values are consistent with the Ross tribe. In this way, they are Ross people!
Let the Kovin people slowly turn into New Rus's, and let all the conquered tribes turn into New Rus's. This is what Rurik intends to accomplish.
Through the child's determined eyes covered with tears, Rurik had already sensed Tyravis's interpretation of loyalty.
Maybe Rurik, who had been wandering in the ice field for nearly two months, needed a few days of sleep when he returned. A strong sense of responsibility drove his weak yet extremely strong body to stand up and lead his young men to continue fighting
Do your last winter training in winter.
The unprecedented meal shocked the Terravis brothers and sisters. They were allowed to enjoy the meal, and their stomachs were unusually full. After eating, everyone felt energetic, as if
Yesterday's hard work is already a distant thing.
Compared to the Terravis brothers and sisters who only used wooden spoons to eat porridge and soup, Rurik's ability to use two wooden sticks to accurately hold pieces of meat and stuff it into his mouth made Terravis curious and at the same time, he
I am also thinking about some things in my mind.
The boy seems to be haunted by miracles.
This boy has a distinguished status.
So, what can I do?
Before Terravis could think about it for long, Rurik decisively announced the next arrangement.
Rurik pointed at the brothers and sisters: "I will call my brothers soon. Tyravis, you are an excellent archer. I need you to help me train more archers."
"Master...I...can I?" The boy was a little flattered.
"This is what you must do. I am optimistic about your ability, otherwise I will not reward you with such a meal. And you, Saibolava." Rurik pointed his hand directly at the younger sister of the siblings: "I heard
You also know how to shoot? Very good. I will incorporate you into my Valkyrie Legion. Even if you are a woman, when there is a war, you will need to hold a bow and arrow to fight, just like you guard your own mountain fortress."
Saipolava's face was a little stiff, because Yuryrik's words reminded her of the horror of the battlefield, and she couldn't help but feel sad.
Rurik had no intention of scaring the girl. He continued to emphasize: "You are not cowards, you are just too weak. Now you can only become strong by accepting my command. You must pick up the bow and arrow and accept my training, otherwise you will be disloyal."
."
Saibolavi was stunned on the spot. She actually knew that she was betrothed to this confident and beautiful boy, but what the boy said was really cruel.
Her heart was filled with the innocence of a child, even after seeing blood, Cyberlawi, this cute squirrel, she first received strong mental stimulation, and she did not become very determined like her brother.
She doesn't like fighting, and she doesn't even like catching squirrels. She just wants to play with those small animals, and then go to the tribe's shaman to listen to the female shaman imitate the calls of birds and beasts, and talk about psychic things.
Maybe Saipolava is more suitable to follow Rumia and become a priest.
But Rurik just wanted to turn this "concubine" into a reliable female warrior.
Under such circumstances, Carlotta, the commander of the Valkyrie Legion, was naturally moved out by Rurik.
"Carlotta!"
"exist!"
"This is Saipolava. Her name is Squirrel. She is your sister from now on. You have to train her in archery. Do you understand?"
Carlotta knew the identities of the children who were invited to serve under the leader. She simply believed that although the former Ostara tribe and the gray squirrel tribe of the Kovin people spoke different languages, the strength of both sides should be
the same.
Carlotta felt that the brother and sister could be considered "noble persons" in distress, so they naturally received preferential treatment from Rurik. She nodded deeply, saying that she would do things well.
Rurik quickly made things clear.
He sighed and stood up quickly: "Now, I want to gather the brothers, and I want everyone to know that I am back. I also want them to meet the new brothers!"
According to Rurik's own rules, children will not receive collective military training during the long winter.
Special occasions required exceptions. In the morning, Rurik sent people to inform the idlers wandering the tribe's messy and winding streets, telling their children that "boss" Rurik had issued a summons order.
Many boys suddenly had great fun in their boring winter life. They quickly put on the uniform uniforms, brought special wooden shields, wooden swords, and even some wooden bows, and headed towards Rurik's leader's house.
Gathering at the door.
Some girls moved a little slower. After finishing their sewing work, they dressed up and left the house like little female warriors, carrying wooden bows and arrows.
All poor families and their young boys and girls accepted Rurik's favor, that is, the favor of the leader. They were rewarded with some grain and leather, and a group of idle women were also asked to do some manual work.
Rurik will also pay a small amount of money or goods for this purpose, but it is a timely help.
With this blessing, the children were taught by their parents to first be loyal to Rurik, and secondly to perform their best in order to gain more rewards for themselves and their family.
Rurik didn't wait long. An army of three hundred children gathered in front of the leader's house. Their leather boots of the same standard also crushed all the snow in front of the door into soldiers.
Hundreds of people were wearing the same clothes and hats, and they were all holding weapons made of wood.
Rurik stood on the wooden steps at the door. He pulled out his dagger and held it high. Then he chanted and the originally chaotic team quickly began to line up in an orderly column.
At this moment, Carlotta and Ella, two girls, also put on velvet hats and joined the team.
Rurik looks completely like a king. Perhaps he should also wear a crown to further enliven this majestic atmosphere.
The small space in front of the door was filled with Ross's children. In the eyes of adults, these were naughty boys who were good at picking up thatch on the roof, and girls who were submissive and immersed themselves in work were difficult to train. As a result, they were the same age as them.
Rurik has trained them into a neat team.
Every time they line up neatly, it is an interesting story for the ordinary people of the Ross tribe. Everyone is saying that these children are incredible, and in ten years, even the girls among them will be legendary female warriors.
Of course, many people ridicule that in ten years' time all girls will become mothers. Some people also seriously estimate that strong and brave mothers will give birth to braver boys.
A large number of tribesmen gathered, and the older people saw Rose's future. The younger people wished that their young children would grow up quickly so that they could accept Rurik's training. Not only did they receive training,
The children have become extremely well-behaved, and this is because there is a very essential economic reason - as long as there is training today, the wealthy chief family will reward the participating children with a feast that they will never be able to finish.
"Okay! Everyone! Stand like red pines!" Rurik ordered, and all the boys and girls stood at attention. Everyone present heard the uniform sound of boots coming together.
"Take a break!"
With an order, the three hundred people moved their right legs half their bodies to the right in a group, and their shoulders, which were as tight as pine trees, relaxed.
The scene fell into an eerie silence, with only the tribal men and women watching pointing and talking and laughing.
Rurik saw many familiar figures here, including Fisk, Kanuf, and several potential future strongmen.
All the mercenaries have gathered here, and they are also arranged in a neat team. However, compared to the extremely determined eyes of the children, most of the mercenaries' faces are a bit stretched. This is not surprising. The mercenaries left behind are basically
As mere coolies, they have to carry axes and cut wood all day long to ensure the operation of many stoves, including the firewood for cooking. The mercenaries who participated in the operation have always been highly tense, but now they suddenly relaxed.
An elite warrior like Jevro, who has not had a good rest, is now feeling a little depressed.
Take a few more glances!
Of course, Rurik is most concerned about his young subordinates. Regardless of whether they are male or female, they are all his subordinates. In the foreseeable future, they will marry on a large scale.
This is Rurik's plan. He wants to create a praetorian guard for himself, an existence that is in a "community of destiny" with the leader.
He took a deep breath: "Brothers! Sisters! I'm back! I summoned you today just to see you!
I see that you are all healthy and have become stronger, but I also think that some people have eaten too much seal oil and have become sluggish seals!"
These words caused many children who lacked jokes in their lives to burst into laughter. Even the tribesmen who were watching started laughing and making fun of Rurik for being so funny.
Rurik stretched out his hands, using a downward gesture to command a pause in the fun.
"This time we explored the north and the east. Do you know where it is? Now..."
Finally, at this moment, Rurik pulled the Taravis sisters, who had been dumbfounded, in front of him.
"My brothers, these two people are from the Eastern Land. They are Covins, the people we met for the first time. Now all the Covins have joined us Rus. These two people will also be yours in the future.
My brothers are your sisters. In the future, we will also add a group of Kewen children or children from other tribes to our team."
In fact, what Rurik is most worried about is always that due to differences in ethnicity and language, his subordinates will naturally form small groups and fight against each other. It is best not to have such a result happen! Rurik feels that they grow together with each other, and in the future
If camaraderie is cultivated during training and even in fierce battles in the future, the friendly relationship between each other will last forever.
Rurik could not estimate the distant future, such as what would happen one hundred or two hundred years later. However, since the Rus had conquered northern Finland, the area must always be the territory of the Rus.
Rurikon re-introduced Terravis: "Look at this man, do you think he is a little short and a little unattractive? If you think so, you are wrong. He is a marksman and can accurately shoot thirty strikes.
His shot hit the standing hilt of the sword. He is a better archer than all of you, and I will ask him to teach you the art of archery."
Rurik’s determination was highly praised by everyone. After all, for them, starting from the time before winter last year, archery with wooden bows has become a game that both boys and girls like. Of course boys like archery, but it’s just because they
It is the responsibility to become a berserker who fights in close combat, and then he is required to learn a series of professional fighting martial arts.
Both children were introduced. As for the Terravis brother and sister, who are really as good at archery as Rurik boasted, everyone still needs to see for themselves.
Gathering a large number of children on a cold day, announcing his victorious return and reviewing them was one of Rurik's important purposes. Introducing the Taravis brothers and sisters was a very small purpose.
Another important purpose was the faint feeling of worry that flashed in Rurik's heart. He felt that his time was really important. Although he could not expect his children to grow up quickly to five or six years old, due to the special current situation,
, Children must grow up as early as possible, even if they are only twelve or thirteen years old, Rurik does not believe it. He usually orders them to eat a lot of fish and meat, but now they also need to eat wheat. At that age, they can become more mature.
strong.
Rurik's worry was nothing else.
The new spring is here in more than a month, and he feels that the temperature rise this year is a little slower. However, the Russians, who were originally huddled in the northern fjords, opened Pandora's box last year and suddenly became willing to expand externally on a large scale.
The actions of expansion and revenge still coexist, and the Russians have to pay two prices. This has led to the Russians' aggressive militarization over the past year, which has resulted in the sacrifice of as many as a hundred warriors with pure Russian blood. The price of their sacrifices is of course the Russians.
The territory has been greatly expanded, but the dead elite warriors will not be resurrected.
Before the young warriors grow up, can the Ross people withstand such a depletion of troops? Even if a large number of foreigners join the Ross tribe, most of them are women and children. As for recruiting mercenaries, Rurik doesn’t think most of them are suitable.
Flo is so loyal.
If five hundred elite warriors were lost, the Ross tribe would be seriously injured.
Rurik estimated that he would not be able to convince his old and successful father Otto to be more restrained in his "Russian expansion" for the time being, especially to avoid direct armed conflicts with foreign nations. It is difficult to think of this kind of thing, because they are just
He is the purest Russian. Once the desire to conquer is aroused, it is difficult to stop.
Faced with this situation, all Rurik could think of was training his men.
The most important thing he wants to announce is to resume training early.
"Brothers, spring is coming! I want you to get rid of the seal oil on your body through training. I want to see your strong figure. In the future, I will take you when you grow up to continue to expand the territory of our Ross people.
!To conquer more tribes!”
The atmosphere had been ignited, and the staring Fisk suddenly raised his wooden sword and shouted: "Ula Liurik! Ula!"
The sound of "Ula" immediately roared like a mountain and a tsunami. No one knew the exact meaning of "Ula". In short, everyone roared this word with a strong tongue-licking sound at the same time. It was really inspiring, and the children fell into passionate narcissism.
, full of admiration for his leader Rurik, and full of curiosity about what to eat for lunch.
After all, this is the rule. Rurik calls everyone together and just takes care of the food.