Go to the south, of course you have to go to the south!
Rurik completely regarded himself as a big leader with weighty words. Now a major opportunity related to the future development of the Rus' people was placed in front of him. If he failed to seize it, it would greatly damage the interests of the tribe.
Niya in the inner room heard all this and hurried out of the room.
"Rurik, are you going to Mälaren?!"
"yes."
"That's too dangerous. I know you want to do a business, but you..."
"Are you worried about me?" Rurik asked knowingly.
"Yes." Niya's eyes widened: "I heard your conversation. Your father is still in Novgorod. Since Olegin requires an answer from the leader, perhaps Harozolson should represent you at this time.
…”
"No! I have made up my mind. The money is mine, buying food is also my business, and selling iron is even more my business. He, Harold Zuosen, was just a war chief appointed by his father to guard his hometown. He has been addicted to women for a year
, his words can have weight."
Niya was taken aback and couldn't help but sigh at how beautiful her son's city was.
She figured that she could not and had no reason to stop her son. After all, the son had no control over his mother.
At this moment, Snoreva hurriedly promised: "Dear Madam, if Rurik goes to the south, my family will always protect his safety."
"You?" Niya looked at the fat Snoreva's narrowed eyes: "Forget it. My son must be protected by excellent soldiers when he goes to the south. Trust you? I trust my nephew more."
Niya immediately made her attitude clear. Of course Rurik can go to the south. As a mother, he needs excellent soldiers to protect his safety. She knocked on the floor: "I know you are in a hurry. When do you plan to return?"
"Probably tomorrow," Snoleva said.
"So fast?" Rurik was a little surprised when he heard Snoleva's words.
Niya suppressed the surprise in her heart, "Then call Harozhosen and Arik quickly. Rurik, you need to inform Harozhosen, Arik and Jevro, whom you trust, of this matter. I only trust these people."
Two people can keep you safe."
In a moment, the people who were supposed to come hurried away like the leader's house.
Haro Zuosen was panting: "Rurik, you actually want to go to the south. Even if you are doing a big business, maybe the big leader should take you there, just like in the past operations."
Rurik's expression remained unchanged: "I have made up my mind and no one can stop me."
"Yes, of course I can't stop you, but if the big leader comes back, how should I tell him?"
"Are you afraid that he will punish you?" Rurik asked deliberately.
"Of course! To be honest, he ordered me to protect you."
"Oh, that's really a thank you to you. But I'm not young anymore, and I must do something. Now the leader of Melalen has asked us Russians to send people to the meeting. If I don't go, how can you go?
?”
Rurik completely defeated Harozhosen's army, but Harozhosen was really self-aware. His task was only to guard his hometown. If something happened, he would handle it. That was all.
Harozolson does not have the authority to handle tribal affairs, and his power is not even as good as that of the high priest.
Arik raised his voice and said, "Going to Mälaren? It's interesting. Brother, there's nothing to be afraid of. There are many people in Mälaren, but most of them are cowards. Harold Johnson is afraid of them, but I'm not afraid."
"You...sigh." Haro Zuosen was a little angry. He lowered his head, "Aric, you still have to be careful about them. I am older than you and naturally know more. The big leader has not gone south for so many years. No one knows.
The attitude of the people of Mälaren.”
"Even so, I'm not afraid. I can easily kill ten enemies. Give me a hundred people and I'll dare to attack the Danes!"
Arik's bold words were very encouraging, but Rurik heard a hint of danger from Harozolson's mouth.
Hongmen Banquet? Not really. The Melalen people are so full that they are so full that they attack their allies? I am afraid that the leaders of the two tribes have not been in contact for a long time, and it is not unreasonable for the two sides to be wary of each other because of the unfamiliarity.
Thinking of this, Rurik felt that he needed to bring a large guard, which should be led by two generals, Arik and Jevro.
Since the leader of Mellaren intends to do business, he essentially desires to exchange food for weapons, so let's exchange it.
Since ancient times, arms trading has been a real huge profit. After all, it is a tool for a group to ensure its own security. It is worth spending a lot of money to own it.
This allowed ordnance makers to make huge profits from it.
What made Rurik very happy was that despite the cold climate, a large amount of onions from the south were shipped back.
They were all purchased by the Gould family. The arrival of the onions was a real help to the Russian people, making them think that the agricultural situation this year was not serious. It even had additional significance, that is, it made the people think that this year's situation would not be serious.
Too bad, the Gould family's ship brought the first batch of agricultural products from the south, and there must be a large fleet of ships on the way.
The situation was urgent, and Rurik estimated that he would have to rush on the sea for two to three days to reach Mälaren. If he sailed day and night, he could arrive in two days.
Rurik organized fifty people, including veteran warriors selected by Arik and his own Jingruo mercenaries. These people all have two characteristics in common. First, they killed many enemies, and second, they were equipped with
They were all well-made, each equipped with chainmail, steel swords, steel axes, and even deerskin wooden shields hardened with pine gum.
Of course, Rurik did not leave empty-handed. A large amount of leather he caught during the summer was shipped to Roseburg, most of which had been tanned, including precious bear skins.
Of course, there was also money to purchase a large amount of agricultural products. As the person who controlled the "big money box", he easily withdrew as much as 500 Roman pounds of silver coins from the priest's longhouse. It weighed nearly 200 kilograms. No doubt these were used to purchase food.
Payment.
A huge amount of wheat and vegetables will be transported back from this trip. Rurik is fortunate that his cousin has captured a large number of fishing boats, and now they must also serve as transport ships.
The next morning, after a night's rest, Rurik and his people hurried to the dock of Gould's house.
A large number of people have boarded the ships, and as many as thirty ships are waiting to set sail.
Rurik and Carlotta stood on the trestle in costumes, facing Niya, Harozolson, and other farewells.
"Well, it's business after all, and it's for our tribe. You two should be careful when you go to the south."
No words can describe a mother's worries about her children, and now, Niya is also worried about her adopted daughter Carlotta.
"Don't worry anymore, Mom, I will take care of things. When we return, we will bring enough wheat for us to eat for a year." Rurik encouraged.
"Oh, I hope so. Carlotta is going too, maybe she doesn't have to go."
"I have to go." Carlotta said, "Mom, I am the leader of the Ostara tribe after all. They think that my tribe is finished. I am going to tell the leader this time that there are other tribes, Ostara
We did not die, we were reborn under the protection of the Russians."
Niya's nose felt sore, and when there was a gust of cold wind, she covered her mouth and stopped talking.
As for Harozhosen, he had nothing to say. When Rurik stepped on the plank and boarded the ship, he waved his hands vigorously: "I will continue to guard, and I will tell the big leader everything."
The strong north wind blew fiercely on the solid sails made of linen and wool. A mighty fleet left the Roseburg Fjord. The bow of the ship rode the waves. The fleet sailed at high speed, and even many people on the ship
People are afraid.
Rurik was wrapped in a sheepskin blanket to resist the cold wind from the north, his eyes always looking ahead.
After all, this was his first time running south. He had no experience to speak of, and his knowledge of the Melalen tribe was limited to hearsay.
Compared to standard warships, Rurik still prefers a sturdy transport ship. It is wide and tough, with a mortise-and-tenon structure and sun-dried oak to ensure the overall solidity. A large amount of rosin is used to seal all the gaps, so that huge waves cannot destroy it.
its destruction.
But the only drawback is that all transport ships are still not equipped with class A, but only have some wooden boards across them to artificially separate the cargo from the place where people stand. This is already an innovation.
Yes, its speed is still not as fast as a warship, but it relies entirely on wind power and requires fewer people to operate it. In terms of cost performance, it is very high.
The whole day's sailing did not end when night fell.
The wind weakened at night. In order to avoid getting lost, the fleet deliberately stayed close to the coastline. The sailors who kept watch and controlled the sails looked at the hazy scene in the west and used the stars to navigate. The fleet continued to move forward.
A new day has arrived. No one knows how far the fleet has fallen to the ground in the past night. Fortunately, the entire fleet is in full order.
Rurik slept all night wrapped in a sheepskin. When he woke up, he nudged the sleeping Carlotta next to him.
"Ah, are we there yet?" The girl rubbed her eyes vigorously. She took off the sheepskin she was covering. When a chill hit her, she put the sheepskin back on.
"Be careful, don't get sick." Rurik said, wrapped in sheepskin.
The cold hit hard, and Carlotta's sleepy eyes disappeared. She stood up wrapped in sheepskin, ignoring her hungry belly, and looked at the foggy south with her big eyes.
She asked casually: "How much longer do we have to sail?"
Snoleva, who had already woken up and was gnawing on a dried fish, casually said: "Maybe tonight, anyway, we are almost there."
"Can't we hurry up?" Rurik urged impatiently, "This damn ship is really big but it can't keep out the cold. I will definitely get sick if I stay here for a long time."
Snoleva shrugged: "My lord, our voyages are all like this."
"How can you tolerate this?"
"if not?"
"Ah, it's really magical." Rurik patted his head vigorously: "By the way, what I have arranged for you is to invite the shipbuilders from Malaren to Ross."
"I'm already doing it. As for how many people I've convinced, I'll only know when the fleet returns."
"Well, I hope good shipbuilders come and they can build me a cargo ship that can carry the cabin."
Snoleva didn't pay attention to Rurik's mumbling at all, but here in Rurik, the plan had already been set. What he needed was a shipbuilder who could build cargo ships on a large scale. Therefore, this time he went south, whether it was with kidnapping or heavy gold
In order to bribe, several shipbuilders must be roped in to go to Fort Ross.
The sea fog has dissipated, but the north wind is still howling. Although the sun is shining high, the weather can never return to its former warmth.
There are more and more fishing boats in the sea, some of them are Ross fishing boats that go far out to catch herrings and whales, and more of them are boats from Malaren and Uppsala people.
Snoleva, who was standing on the bow of the pilot boat, saw that the time was right and suddenly shouted: "Hang the signal flag, all ships will follow us and prepare to turn!"
Rurik, who was lying in a daze in the cabin, was fed up with the ups and downs. He was very grateful that he had the constitution of a maritime nation and had no signs of seasickness.
He and Carlotta got up, and the mercenary warriors also sat upright. All the ships were turned under the control of the Gould family's sailors, and the fleet began to shuttle between a large number of green offshore islands, and finally took aim.
Plunge into a large fjord.
On some islands, low thatched mud houses appeared, as well as small fishing boats operated by only two or three people roaming around, and even people fishing in simple clothes appeared on the shore.
They looked at the sudden intrusion of the transport fleet and stood up to pay attention.
"Hey! Snoleva, what are these Malaren people looking at?"
"Of course he's watching us."
"Look at us? What do we have to see?" Rurik asked in confusion.
"Because we are Russians! Sir, there is no fleet from the north as large as ours."
Is it very large? Just thirty ships.
Rurik said no more. He stood beside the boat and tried to reach out to touch the water, but his arm was too far from the waterline.
Cargo ships are like this, they have a large hull and deep draft.
Rurik paid attention to the surrounding scene. To the west was a wide stretch of water, with islands of various sizes on both sides of the ship, and a large number of residential buildings scattered here and there.
At this time, a sailor dropped the wooden bucket tied with a rope and picked up the bucket filled with water.
Just after the sail was tilted and the rudder at the tail was adjusted and lowered, the sturdy ship turned and the sailors were sweating profusely.
Rurik was surprised to see that the shirtless sailor, who was not afraid of the cold, was holding a huge bucket and drinking water directly.
"Hey! Are you stupid? You actually drink sea water!"
The sailor couldn't help but burst into laughter when he saw Rurik talking, but he continued to drink the water.
Just when Rurik was confused, Snoleva stood up to answer the question: "Sir, in fact, from the time we entered the island group, the water body we were in was Lake Malaren. All they drank was fresh water."
"Ah?" Rurik pointed directly under the boat, "Have we entered the big lake?"
"Exactly."
"Quickly tell me when we will arrive."
Snoleva was stunned for a moment and responded hastily: "Tonight at the earliest, if you don't want to spend another night on the lake."
"Let's go! I want to arrive at your island tonight. Listen, this is an order."
The vast Lake Mälaren is more like the sea. There are many small islands on the lake. A large number of Mälaren people's fishing boats are fishing for freshwater fish. There are a lot of green fields on the lakeside, which are undoubtedly wheat fields.
It was already evening, and Rurik's energy was being consumed by the long voyage.
The thin lake fog rose again, and the setting sun softly illuminated the whole world like a fairyland.
People living by the lake call this scene "Melaren" and imagine the existence of the goddess Melalen, who is the goddess who bestows abundant aquatic products and farmland irrigation on the lakeside residents.
Such myths are full of people's hopes for a stable life.
However, the agriculture of the Mellaren people really depends on the sunshine in summer. There are more people fishing on the lake than in previous years. As the fleet continued to deepen, Rurik saw a large number of boats.
"Have we reached the hinterland of the lake?" Rurik asked.
"We'll be there soon. Oh, thanks to the damn north wind, our speed is really fast." It was also the first time that Snoleva completed the route from Rossburg to Mälarenberg in just two days.
. He had to lament that if his father's orders hadn't been so urgent, he wouldn't have worked so hard.
Rurik didn't think this was a great feat, just like when he saw the astonishing number of Melalen fishing boats, he took it for granted that they were indeed a powerful tribe qualified to be the leader of the alliance.
In fact, the real situation is that this year's wheat harvest is destined to fail, and the desperate farmers have to return to their old profession of fishermen. Tens of thousands of people rush to the vast lakes to catch fish and stockpile them to prevent starvation.
After all, most of them are tenant farmers working for the leader Olegin. The more bad the harvest is, the less hope they have in Olegin's kindness.
Because Olegin was a principled man after all, and the amount of rent he agreed to charge would not be affected by natural disasters.
The sky was already very dark, and a large number of gray shadows appeared in the distance, looming in the last glow.
Rurik was already very sleepy, but Carlotta couldn't care less. She curled up and took a nap like a golden cat.
"That's the Mälaren Market, and all the shadows are their houses." Snoleva guided.
When Rurik looked at it, he couldn't help but be shocked by the hugeness of Mälarenberg. Thinking about it, they were located on the lakeside plain and could cultivate and build without restraint, unlike Fort Ross, which was restricted by mountains and rocks.
"Where is Gould's Island?"
"It's right there!" Snoleva skillfully pointed to the dim firelight of a raptor. "Even if it gets dark, I won't mistake the direction. Sir, we have arrived at our destination, and the fleet is making progress.
"
"Then hurry up. I hope Gould will roast a lamb as usual to entertain me and my soldiers."
Snoleva replied sincerely: "Don't worry, my father will entertain everyone. Including the sailors who control the sails and rudders."