If there were no threat of war, the people living here in Borgholm, the only settlement on Öland, would surely enjoy peace for a long time.
However, on calm days, some fishing boats suddenly arrived and reported something incredible to the people working offshore, something that everyone could not believe.
No one really believed that the so-called "army from the north" of these frightened people of Port Huaskas was real.
But they were indeed frightened, so they were pushed by fishermen into the wooden castle of Borgholm until they were given to their leader.
In a huge herringbone wooden house, a man wearing a black bear skin was sitting.
He was young and powerful, holding a sword hilt in his hand, and his disheveled blond hair was covered by a beautifully carved bronze headband. He was sitting on a finely carved wooden chair, looking at a group of kneeling refugees.
This man is none other than the leader of Borgholm, Stein Saxon.
"You are all Gotlanders, how could you come to my territory? Who in the northern army would believe such a strange thing?"
The panicked Voskas refugees basically rowed all night long. The distance from their home to Borgholm was at least 60 kilometers, and the distance between the two places was not that far.
The Voskas fishermen, who were in relatively good mental condition, put on a horrified face: "It's absolutely true! They are not us Gotlanders, nor are they brothers from Götaland. Everyone believes that those people come from the north
, it was those scoundrels from Svealan, they destroyed our home! Everyone died, only we escaped."
Stein narrowed his eyes, and his brothers felt even more that these people were a bunch of liars.
"The situation you mentioned is incredible. Didn't Hafgen of Denmark defeat the Svealans?"
"Chief..." The fisherman suddenly had a thought and said immediately, "We are not madmen, so why did we flee to you in such a panic to deceive you? Has the leader forgotten the dangerous Franks? Do you really think that Bo
Is Ryholm your safe place forever?"
"You! Shut up!" Stein's brother stepped forward and almost stabbed the fishermen with the iron sword. This move shocked the fishermen and subconsciously backed away.
The tough-talking fisherman was in shock. He noticed a strange change in the leader's mood and deliberately shouted: "Chief, seeing that we also have trading members on weekdays, we ask you to take them in. Voskas is finished, the enemy in the north.
We will definitely continue to attack, and the next step is you! If you prepare early, you will definitely be able to defeat the enemy. If you still think that I am a liar, please give us some dried fish, and we will take refuge in Kalmar."
After hearing these words, Stein and his brothers had to discuss it. Looking at their embarrassed appearance, it seemed that they had indeed suffered a disaster, but what they said was too bizarre, and it was not easy to trust them completely.
The brothers need the leader's decision, and now, Stein Saxon needs to make an important decision.
He quickly made his decision, which was to take precautions!
Perhaps it was just a one-sided statement from a group of refugees. As a leader of a tribe, he should not be credulous. However, this tribe had been massacred and had terrible memories that could not be erased for generations. It was reasonable for them to leave and take precautions when they heard of danger.
Just like the name of this leader, he has a surname, which is really an anomaly in the Nordic world.
Because half of the three thousand people who settled in Borgholm were not Gotlanders, Götalanders, or Danes. They also spoke Norse, which was indeed a slightly strange Norse language.
Si language.
They come from the European continent, from the Saxony region south of the Jutland Peninsula. They actually have the most direct common ancestors with the kingdoms on the British Isles, but the people who developed westward occupied one of the living spaces of the Rus after the tide receded.
In a vacuum, kingdoms are built one after another.
The Saxons who stayed in their hometown in Europe soon began to be attacked by the Christian Frank army.
A large number of Saxons fled into Jutland, and many of them became Danes, but they were indeed different from the real Danes.
A group of fleeing Saxons migrated all the way, and finally settled on the remote island of Oland, living a life without any competition from the world.
They could not forget the pain of being expelled by the Franks more than a hundred years ago, so they built their wooden walls in their new home. I am afraid that only ring-shaped walls can make them feel safe.
"Saxon" originally means "descendants of the Saxon tribe", and the elected leader will always inherit the title of "Saxon".
After decades of operation, the population of Borgholm, originally meant as a "lowland fortress", has expanded to 3,000. A large number of Gotlanders, Götalanders, and even a small number of Danes have settled here. There are also some
A group of Finns captured from the Suomi region of the "Eastern Land" were used as slaves.
It was a thriving community that ran for over fifty years, as the locals swore allegiance to their Danish overlords and their peace was guaranteed (after all, there are many Sakassen descendants in Jutland).
The fleeing Wauscars fishermen never saw their homes being breached with their own eyes, but they saw the fires in the harbor lighting up the sky at night. They reported the fall of Wauscarsburg with embarrassment. The enemy had breached the fortress.
With such ability, Stein's pressure increased dramatically.
The outbreak of war spread throughout the settlement!
The Danes who were doing business hurriedly fled with their goods and money, and many Gotlanders and Götalanders also retreated with them. Naturally, the Danes had to flee all the way back to their hometown in Jutland, and the rest were waiting.
The evacuation target is almost to Kalmar in the south.
At least more than 500 men from Gotland decided to stay, not because they were loyal, but because the local leader Stein paid them to fight!
In this way, in almost only two days, a team of 1,200 troops was assembled. They vowed to protect Borgholm, where they depended on for survival, because they, the Saxons, had no power left.
There is a way back.
Stein opened the tribe's arsenal and distributed a large number of iron and bronze short spears. Together with the axes and harpoons widely used by fishermen in their lives, a well-armed infantry appeared.
They don't have much protective armor. Most of the soldiers still wear cloth or leather clothes, and use round shields or special square shields to protect most of their bodies.
Their bows and arrows are still short wooden bows used for hunting, and their overall performance is poor. But they have some bright spots in terms of armament.
They are Saxons, and their ancestors fought with the Roman legions. They have throwing spears and square shields, and they also have some skills in formation fighting. For example, after forming a dense formation, they will put the square shield on their heads to prevent the enemy from throwing random objects.
.Although the effectiveness of bows and arrows is extremely poor, and throwing spears makes up for some of the disadvantages, they use slings extensively, which is a wonder in the Viking world.
Of course, Stein did not sit still and wait for death. He sent a group of messengers to row wildly to report the news to Kalma, and ordered the messengers to go directly to the longhouse of the alliance leader to report this information to Hafgen himself, even if the other party was suspicious.
The so-called three men become tigers, at least the entire Borgholm believed that a huge army was coming in a boat to kill...
So, Olegin's Swedish army is really on the way?! Of course it's impossible. The Swedish coalition has been overdrawing its combat effectiveness, and they need an extremely critical rest period.
After a day's voyage and a night battle, the Swedish coalition forces occupied Voskas, and the energy of the warriors from each tribe was disappearing at a speed visible to the naked eye at the moment after the victory.
Everyone was really exhausted. Even though many women were captured, many soldiers were so tired that they had no interest.
After they received their own portions of wheat and dried meat, they hurriedly cooked the wheat in earthenware pots. Even if it was only half-cooked, they ate it wholeheartedly, and then slept soundly around the lit bonfire.
The coalition forces do not want their residence to turn into a sea of flames. The destruction of the local area will stop abruptly, and no new residential buildings will be deliberately set alight.
The entire Voskas turned into a huge military camp, and the soldiers who had stuffed their stomachs with wheat and fish fell asleep soundly. It was almost noon the next day before they gradually got up drowsily.
Warm eyes shine on the earth, and the warm south wind blows over the ruins of the war.
Those women whose husbands had died and whose lives were spared were forced to cook for the coalition soldiers, even though they suffered a lot of physical pain.
Only those Voskas women whose husbands are still alive, as Olegin promised, and the men who fought for Sweden, will have their families safe.
There were wooden houses and broken wooden houses everywhere, as small as the smoked fish of the Voskas people, and the agate amber of the Danish merchants on the Big Island, all became the trophies of the coalition forces. But the Rus did not get their trophies, just because of the contract.
In fact, let Rurik judge, he really looks down on these trophies that are worthless, that is, poor allies flock to these guys. Yes, if the Russians who hide their strength really need it, they might as well organize their own coalition forces directly
Heading straight to the island of Gotland, the "tycoons" on the island must have buried a lot of silver coins everywhere. They just like this.
The flames of the burning house were basically extinguished, and the aroma of burnt meat and barbecue filled the entire settlement.
The Rus are not like other tribes who camp in some inland locations of Voskas. They stay offshore, as if they have no interest in Voskas as a whole.
I am afraid that only the children of Voskas who were kicked by Olegin to the Rus were treated with kindness in the true sense. Rurik also knew that what he said to these children now, "Don't be afraid, I will treat you well", all of them
It's hypocrisy.
His so-called kindness is to give them food, nothing more.
Almost all the Russian soldiers landed. They ate wheat and meat and subconsciously discussed the future battle.
The king wanted to conquer Kalmar, and before accomplishing this goal, it became necessary to capture Boriholm, which he had heard of for the first time.
No, the king is going to call all the dukes for a pre-war meeting again.
In the warm afternoon, the warm breeze made the well-fed people drowsy. There were indeed a large number of Russian warriors, covering their faces with wooden shields, taking a nap on the beach.
In the tent that was set up, Otto deliberately asked his son about his views on the future war.
In the father-son battle, Otto showed no distance, and his questions were very straightforward: "Boy, do you think we can win the battle in the future quickly?"
"I have no idea."
"Huh? You don't know?" Otto looked surprised, "Didn't God give you some revelation?"
Rurik hesitated for a while, "No. Maybe because from the beginning, this battle did not belong to us Russians."
"It sounds like you are very negative."
"Isn't it like this?" Rurik shook his head regretfully, "I've thought about it a lot. Just by attacking this fortress, we lost a lot of people. It is said that we will have to conquer two more fortresses in the future war. Dad.
, we are just cooperating with the Mellaren Army in the war, and now the food belonging to them has been handed over to them, and the cabin of the Avora will soon be empty. I am actually a little confused."
"What are you wondering about?"
"Do we still need to continue participating? We broke through the wooden wall, but we didn't get any benefits. Even if Olegin promised to compensate us in the future, we still need to add a batch of food now, but that guy doesn't want to give..."
"You..." Otto really felt that there was something in his son's words.
"Dad, I don't think Olegin wants us to continue to participate. We have completed the task of transporting food. How much does the attack on Kalmar or other enemies have to do with us?"
"Hey, we can't retreat even so." Otto shook his head: "Listen to me and fight for honor! Rurik, I bet that we must participate in future battles. All tribes will participate. If we
If we don't follow the fight, they will insult us as cowards and traitors, which is unacceptable. We still need to prepare well and stop thinking about going home."
"But continuing south is not our battle." Rurik raised his head, looked at his father with cold eyes, and said slowly: "Dad, Arik still has a thousand soldiers on Tombstone Island. The wheat we provide is not
Those who feed the fat pigs of Novgorod in vain are indeed defensive troops, and they can take the initiative to attack when necessary."
"You?" For a moment, Otto noticed another possibility, and hurriedly approached his son's little face and asked quietly: "You kid, don't you want to imitate your cousin and go to Gotland for surgery?"
"It's not a bad idea. Without the restraint of Origen, we Russians can fight the war we need. Besides, who dares to say anything bad about us, who is attacking the traitors of the Great Alliance."
"Then you want to evacuate immediately? My son, I am very happy to expedition to Gotland and avenge your uncle. But we must first witness the coalition forces taking Kalmar."
"Okay. Seize the opportunity and we will also organize an army of 1,500 people to attack the Gotlanders like the Malaren Army."
In the tent, the two father-son leaders of Ross plotted a new offensive, and this round of offensive had nothing to do with Sweden.
At nightfall, Otto was still thinking about what happened in the afternoon. In fact, Olegin accepted the surrender of the Voskas people, which greatly touched Otto. Because the Russians had no control over Novgorod's military
It has been hegemonic for decades. If a group of local young people are selected and trained, they should be able to serve as combatable soldiers.
It can be said that Otto saw that when he attacked Fort Voska, those children with wooden crossbows were also able to fight very well. This incident had loosened his inherent prejudice.
Children can string a crossbow just as well, and the arrows they fire are just as deadly! Children are like this. Could it be that the prime warriors of Novgorod are no better than the children of Rus?
King Olegin planned to let the rebels take the lead in the new battle. Why couldn't the Russians let the well-trained Novgorodians charge into the battle?
Otto kept silent about the many thoughts in his mind. He participated in the so-called pre-war meeting and watched King Olegin singing a one-man show.
After all, Olegin is the king, and he made a battle plan in one day.
"Brothers, I learned from my latest mercenary that Boriholm is really rich, but unfortunately they have better wooden walls. We need to be prepared to avoid danger if we want to break through there.
I have made certain preparations! In future battles, we will use big trees to knock down their wooden doors, and then Voskas will charge into the battle. We Mellaren people and you, everyone just needs to wait in the rear. When Woskas
The Skasi and Boriholm people are exhausted from fighting, and if everyone swarms forward, we will win without paying any price..."
Olegin was the one to do all the talking. It sounded like this tactic of making the traitors and enemies fight tooth and nail and picking peaches in the rear of the coalition forces would be a great success.
The losses among the alliance's tribes were uneven. It is undeniable that all parties lost double-digit warriors, especially the Yelmalen who fought the hardest and lost close to fifty brothers. Many people certainly hope that the battle will continue.
Go down, because the living people have already made a lot of wealth, and they are eager for more, just hoping that they can safely bring the wealth back to their hometowns and lift their families out of poverty.
In the past, they were barefoot and not afraid of wearing shoes, but now they have some doubts, which is reflected on the faces of many leaders, that is, their attitude towards future battles has become ambiguous.
No one stood up to question the wishful thinking of Olegin's tactics, and no one showed any intention of "taking it as soon as it was good", but the Allies did show some negative signs.
Olegin didn't know that many poor warriors with a small structure were satisfied with the wealth they got. He felt that the warriors' momentum was still strong, so what's the difficulty in taking down Boriholm with this momentum? What's more, this
He and his men swore to fight against the surrendered Dane Francis, and they swore to charge forward to prove it. For the sake of victory and future honor, they would definitely not cheat.
No, the King of Sweden has officially set the date for the expedition, that is, after the meeting, each unit will undergo a day of very critical repairs, especially the production of a batch of battering rams specially used to "tear down walls." The fleet will
On the morning of the third day after the meeting, a new expedition to Boriholm was launched.
However, just the night before the expedition, something bad happened...