The Russians, the Mellarens and the Kovins sacked White Sands Port that night.
The mercenary warriors of Mellaren were penniless when they joined the Ross army. After this war, their simple clothes were a thing of the past. Now they not only had new clothes, but many of them also got iron helmets and armor. They
The weapons have also been updated, and their combat effectiveness has been improved accordingly.
The army captured thousands of sheep, and the conquered Baisha Port was immersed in the aroma of barbecue that night.
A group of dwellings were demolished, wooden poles and battens were piled up, and there were starry bonfires and soldiers laughing and joking by the port.
Of course, there were also a lot of women wailing.
Those young women who were captured became the playthings of the army. Fortunately, no one would kill them.
At present, all the captives have been spared their lives, and are even given the opportunity to be accepted into the Ross tribe.
The male prisoner's certificate of surrender was still to join the Russian army to attack Visby.
The female prisoner's surrender order was to lie down immediately, without any resistance, and to serve the Russian soldiers obediently.
This is indeed barbaric, and very realistically only Rurik thinks so.
The only bottom line for Rurik is that anyone who takes prisoners without his permission will be punished.
From a rational perspective, he knew that he would indulge the army to a certain extent. He would give a carrot to those who had made meritorious deeds among the prisoners.
By the campfire, Rurik, who was calming down, touched a lamb leg with his hands and gnawed it fiercely.
Harold Johnson was sitting casually, with his left hand still holding a shivering young woman in his arms, and his right hand holding a branch, trying hard to pick out the yellowing flesh between his teeth.
That's all, he spat again.
"Rurik, we will win easily. When we attack Visby, we will win quickly." Harozolson spoke with a smile, and pinched the woman in his arms so hard that the woman curled up into a ball.
"What? Ayadot, are you not satisfied with being my woman? Remember, next year you will be the mother of all my children."
Rurik glanced at Harozolson: "You already have several wives. Do you have to get a new one every time you fight a war?"
"Hey! Boy!" Harold Johnson pretended to be angry and laughed again, "Before you talk to me, take a look at yourself. Are you willing to marry your dozen maids to others? Shouldn't they all be given to you?
Giving birth to a baby?" After saying that, he laughed again.
Rurik nodded, "That's right, but I am more merciful. You see, I rewarded the soldiers with five hundred sheep, and those children are now under strict supervision."
Regarding this matter, Harold Zuosen really has his own thoughts.
"Rurik."
"What's wrong?"
"In my opinion, I will kill all those little ones tomorrow morning, but only those girls are suitable to take them all back."
"Huh?" Rurik was furious when he heard this, "No more killing! This is my order."
"You...you killed their father, and you expect them to grow up and work for you? Don't be stupid." Haro Zuosen shook his head with a wry smile and asked casually, "Isn't this war under the banner of revenge?
Do you think they are pitiful now or something? These are the people who killed your uncle, and now you are ten years old and lead us to fight for revenge. The brothers are fighting high-spirited because this is a battle of revenge. Listen, if these brats
When they grow up and gain power, they will not hesitate to attack our Fort Ross."
These words sounded really enlightening, but they were too barbaric and terrifying. Rurik immediately felt conflicted in his heart. He frowned and stared at the sandy land below him without saying a word.
Harold Zuosen sighed, "Can't do it? Then forget it, this is not a good thing in the first place, you don't have to do it yourself..."
At this moment, everyone sitting by the campfire understood Harold Johnson's intention.
Rurik felt that his heart was depressed and he hurriedly changed the subject: "Let's talk about our plans for tomorrow. We will set off tomorrow with the capture and prisoners. If we are fast enough, we can return to the camp in the evening."
"That's fine. Let's have a good rest tonight. Let's leave tomorrow morning! This place is really haunted. I really don't like it. Our army has to leave quickly," said Haro Zuosen.
Rurik didn't want to say anything anymore. He raised his head and saw a lot of firelight floating on the sea surface of Baisha Port.
It was a burning ship, and there were corpses on board, including those of enemies and Mellaren mercenaries. The ships and corpses were burning, and finally submerged into the sea.
The soldiers ended in this way, and the future battle has nothing to do with them.
On a new morning, there is a bloody dawn in the east, and the sea water in the harbor turns red.
Harold Zuosen got up early and took dozens of brothers to finish the dirty work as quickly as he could kill a chicken.
This is really not what Rurik wants to see, but he did not forcibly prohibit it. His silence yesterday was tantamount to acquiescing. Now that the matter has happened, he can’t say anything. He can only say that this is not to be a problem.
Act of.
The Russians gnawed clean the leftover mutton they had eaten yesterday, then picked up the slow-burning sticks in the bonfire and set fire to it wantonly. Soon the entire settlement was ignited with flames that reached into the sky, and there was a terrifying thick smoke that covered the sky.
The current White Sands Port has no meaning to the Russians. Even if the hydrological conditions here are not bad, when the Russians decide to colonize and build new settlements, they will have to demolish the old ones.
There should no longer be traces of the activities of the residents of the old Baisha Port here. Not necessarily. Some undamaged earthen walls can still be used as evidence.
The prisoners who were still alive, especially Walmont, looked at the burning houses and the red bay, and his heart was bleeding, but...
The male prisoners were silent, and the female prisoners cried bitterly. The more than 60 girls who survived had long been under centralized care, and their futures had been arranged. Now that they saw their hometown in this state, they all cried together.
The evacuation of the Russian army began.
When the army came, it marched neatly and quickly, but the return journey was inevitably delayed.
The prisoners had their necks and hands tied and were forcibly strung together.
The captured reindeer were used as transportation tools, and the herds of cattle and sheep were skillfully driven under the supervision of the deer herders who accompanied the army.
Even the poorest deer herders have now completely changed their clothes. They have swords, axes, sheep sticks and other tools at hand. Everything that was once scarce is now available.
For a leader like Broda, in order to commend her for her actions, this woman changed her clothes and added jewelry around her neck. She was recognized by Rurik and became a Russian.
Rurik wanted to do this in public to set a benchmark for new prisoners.
What could Wald say, walking with his hands tied dangling, if he had known he would have suffered such humiliation, he would not have committed suicide on the battlefield. At least the subsequent disasters would have been out of sight and out of mind. It is a pity that he did not have the courage to commit suicide.
Now that his daughter has become the new woman of the Russian war chief (that is, Harozolson), he is not at all pleased that his daughter can survive, because everything has nothing to do with him.
The captured men were completely alone and were now released as captives. Many of them were even sad that they were not women. At least this group of Russian pirates really wanted to take the female prisoners home as wives. At least they could save their lives as women.
For them, the only chance to escape the fate of slaves is to go to the west of the island and fight the soldiers of Visby.
White Sands Port has been unable to compete with Visby Port since ancient times, and Wald has always known it. He did not want to go to war with the Visby people, but it was a pity that he had no choice.
He could even conclude that the Ross people would win quickly. Ross's arrows were so powerful that even if Visby organized an army of 5,000 men, they would still be difficult to resist!
The Russians will win, but the three hundred surviving men in White Sands Harbor will definitely be killed by Visby's army.
"Despicable! Despicable Russians..." Walmon cursed secretly, but the vast majority of the prisoners were like walking corpses. They were dejected and walked on the streets under the supervision of the Russian army and even the arrogant Kovin shooters holding crossbows.
This is the "Road of Tears" between the mounds.
While Rurik was leading the expedition, the Russian troops at the landing site were not idle either.
If not forced by life, who would be willing to eat smoked and dried fish?
Everyone needs fresh fish! Lots of fresh fish! In Slitomo, the captured sheep had been eaten clean by the Russian army, and the fresh sheepskins stacked up against the wall told it all.
Most of the seizures were the Duke's property. Otto only wanted the sheepskin, and the mutton was naturally divided among the brothers.
The Russians used ships to enter the ocean to catch fresh fish, and five of the cargo ships have been turned into trawlers.
They do not have high technology like sonar, and fishing relies entirely on luck and limited experience. They can only throw their nets into the sea and take advantage of the south wind and the triangle sail to make large circles offshore to catch the herring swimming on the surface.
Compared with local fishermen, the Russians fish more efficiently due to the advantages of trawling.
However, there are still difficulties in supplying fresh fish to 3,000 people in a short period of time.
This is the first time that the Russians have been entrenched on the island of Gotland for a long time. What exactly this big island is like requires brave people to explore.
Arik, who couldn't bear his temper, lit a bonfire, picked his teeth with fish bones, and then ordered the slave girl to continue stringing the fish carefully and setting it on the fire for roasting.
"Duke." He asked Otto, "I have thought about it. I will take my brothers to the south to see it tomorrow."
"I don't object to this, but you have to be prepared to leave the group to explore."
"Of course, I will bring a crossbow and the most elite warriors. I don't believe that there are only a few settlements on this big island, and I can take the opportunity to plunder."
Otto nodded, threw the half-eaten fish into the fire, and turned his face sideways: "Don't bring too many people. Just bring fifty."
"Ah? So few?"
"I'm just afraid that you'll attack rashly. No matter how brave you are, it won't be good if you encounter a large group of enemies."
"Uncle!" Arik frowned as he complained, "I will take the entire flag team and demolish any village I encounter."
"Don't be impulsive. I'll let you do some reconnaissance, preferably around Visby. You can attack the village and bring back some prisoners for me."
Arik lowered his head impatiently, looking dismissive.
"Hey kid, keep your head up."
"ah?"
"Just do it like this. Remember, this is a fateful battle, and you and I must be vigilant. I have to stay here for a few more days. I have to wait for your brother to return in triumph with his army, and I have to wait for the brothers to raise their spirits.
Prepare yourself for the decisive battle."
"How many days are we going to stay! Are we going to have to fight a protracted war?!" Arik's face became confused again.
"There will be a big battle in three to five days at most. Now you choose your soldiers and leave tomorrow."
Arik had no choice but to obey his orders. Considering the special nature of this reconnaissance operation, he had no choice but to take as many as twenty powerful steel-armed crossbows and a thousand arrows and set off early in the morning.
It was also on this day that the army led by Rurik returned in triumph.
A day's grinding march wore away Rurik's will. He curled up in a reindeer cart and slept while wrapped in a deerskin. The experienced Harold Zosen became the de facto military commander.
The army dragged the prisoners for about two kilometers. They were dejected and crying. Only by constantly driving them with sticks and whips could they be forced to go fast enough.
Slitomo Harbor was already bustling with music every night, and all the captured women were forced to serve. They cried bitterly, were frightened, or their eyes were dull to the death of their souls.
It was not just the Russian soldiers who did these things, but also the Slavic warriors of Novgorod.
Otto was just a bit of a germaphobe, but he deliberately indulged his men. Rationally speaking, he was very happy to see these women become pregnant, and their children would all be future soldiers.
Rurik was awakened from a deep sleep. When he opened his eyes, he saw the sun setting in the west.
"Are you here already?"
Walking beside the deer cart, Harold Zosen pointed ahead and said, "Look, that's our camp."
Rurik jumped out of the car quickly and looked at the starry bonfire, just a little excited.
"Let the brothers walk faster and let them see our momentum."
Harold Zuosen accepted the order with a smile, then took out the lightly-dressed man and trotted all the way back to the camp to report the news.
Soon, Otto was surprised and welcomed the triumphant army.
The fishing boats are coming back one after another, and the fish they catch are being distributed. The whole port is filled with the smell of fish, and there is also the smell of burnt fish oil.
The Ross fishing boat encountered a pod of minke whales. The Aurora took two cargo ships and fired harpoons with a torsion slingshot, killing one of them in a concentrated manner.
This minke whale, about five meters long, was an unexpected surprise for the Russian people. It was dragged to the beach by the soldiers, and then the meat was cut and eaten.
This was also the first time that Novgorod warriors saw a whale. They were shocked by the size of the giant fish and followed the trend to grill whale meat.
A whale and a triumphant army, it’s really a double happiness tonight.
Otto led a group of soldiers to greet them, and soon he saw a large number of people being escorted.
Rurik hurriedly approached his father. He raised his face and seemed not very happy.
"You won the battle so quickly?"
"Yes." Rurik said calmly, "We arrived yesterday and our army won a quick victory. I captured a lot of property and prisoners, and..."
Otto was quickly attracted by the bleating sound, and saw a large number of orange sheep behind the captive army.
The setting sun shines on the sheep that have not yet been sheared, and the number is staggering.
Otto even saw cows and deer with big horns, which shows that his son gained a lot from this battle.
There were a large number of prisoners, a large number of cattle and sheep, and three large boxes of silver coins. There were also captured dried fish and a very small amount of wheat grains, which were all divided among the army.
Most of the returning warriors are jingle-dang-dang.
Many people already had multiple axes hanging on their cowhide belts, and they carried shields on their backs. There were also linen bags hanging on the shields, and some loot was stuffed in them.
Some young soldiers led the captive female captive with her hands tied like an animal, and without hesitation, cut wounds on her body with the tip of a knife, applied carbon powder on her body, and carved their names to declare their ownership.
An old guy like Harold Johnson doesn't have to use tattoos to get things done. When he was reporting his work to Otto, there was a young woman standing next to him.
This woman is not stupid. She knows that if she wants to survive, she has to commit herself to this old guy.
The old man was just good at this, and Otto really didn't want to say anything.
The captured cattle and sheep were put under guard, and Medvit and his Slavic warriors quickly built a sheepfold to temporarily accommodate all the cattle and sheep. All the captured reindeer were taken care of by the deer herders who accompanied the army.
Those captured were given dried fish to eat and were forced to sit on the ground to await their fate.
Only when a detailed inventory was completed did Ross realize that the number of prisoners actually amounted to a thousand!
Otto was not expecting this, and Rurik was also very surprised.
Otto happily gnawed on the roasted half-cooked whale meat by the campfire. Rurik didn't like the fishy smell, so he ate the delicate herring leisurely.
The returning soldiers were busy resting and eating, and when they regained their strength, they had to pick out women from the pile of prisoners to do their work.
The wild Russians never let go of this opportunity to vent their anger, and the Novgorod and Kovin people were also waiting for the opportunity.
Rurik, who was full, could only hear the wails of too many women in his ears. Although he deliberately indulged his subordinates so that the barbaric guys could continue to fight for him happily, they were too wild.
"It seems that the soldiers are very energetic."
"Oh, you mean that." Otto laughed.
"I'm just afraid that they will be hollowed out. Maybe I should order them to restrain themselves. Oh, I know it is necessary to indulge them. I only ask that they are not allowed to kill prisoners."
"You don't have to worry about this matter. I'll order them to stop tomorrow. It's not a good thing if the prisoners can't walk, just like Broda needs someone to carry her. By the way, the woman leading the way
how?"
"She is a good guide. I quickly conquered Baisha Port, and she was successful."
"If you have merit, you should be rewarded."
"Yes, I reward her for becoming a Russian."
Otto nodded, "In this way, she is a woman of our tribe. As for the other captives, they were all slaves before giving birth to children. By the way, I saw there are many male captives. It's really strange that you keep this group
What are the cowards doing if they don’t die in battle?”
"Of course, as a slave." Rurik said casually.
"It's better to execute them, these people don't deserve it."
"That's not possible, we made an agreement." Rurik was afraid that his father would change his mind again, so he said stubbornly, "Even the execution must be ordered by me. Now, I want these people to fight for us."
"Huh? A bunch of cowards fighting a war for us? That's ridiculous."
"There is another prisoner of the enemy chief who is willing to fight for us." Rurik said hurriedly.
"Is there such a thing?" Otto became more energetic, his eyes showing disdain, "A leader is defeated, but he doesn't die for his tribe, and is willing to be a slave in order to survive? What kind of thing is this? You! You actually believe that he will do it?
Fight for you."
Rurik stood up directly, "What else?"
"They are Gotlanders, a group of traitors, and their women are of some use. Listen to me, boy, you don't have to kill those ordinary prisoners. Only this enemy leader, what qualifications do you have to continue to live? Aren't you afraid that he will take him with you?
Want to rebel against other prisoners? Bring that person to me."
Could it be that I was appeasing an adulterer? Rurik asked himself, it seemed that there was indeed a hint of this.
Harold Zosen, who had listened for a while, had something to say: "Duke, I think so too. In my opinion, only the enemy chiefs should be killed, and the lives of others can be spared."
What else could Rurik say when he saw this?
"Hello Johnson, you took that man's daughter and now you want to kill him?"
"Why not?" Haro Zuosen considered himself an elder. "It's better to listen to our opinions, especially your father's advice. If you let that person charge with the surrendered prisoners, what if they turn back and attack?
"
"They...can't." Rurik's mind was already a little relaxed.
"I have long said, don't be too kind. You must be ruthless to be a real man." Otto turned around and gave Harold Zuosen the task, "Catch that man over."
Soon, Walmont was escorted and forced to kneel in front of Otto.
Rurik was holding a crossbow, followed by ten mercenaries including Yevro.
Hundreds of well-fed Russian soldiers happily watched the execution.
From time to time, someone shouted the words "Cowards must die" and laughed sarcastically. Those warriors whose family members had died at the hands of the Gotlanders shouted the loudest. It was obvious that the leader of this enemy was the source of all evil.
Walmont was begging for mercy, kneeling in front of the real Duke of Ross, shouting with a trembling voice: "I will give you my life, I will help you fight Visby. You need a guide."
Otto looked at this man with contempt like an insect, and deliberately pressed his ears, "What a filthy animal, with such an unpleasant cry. Rurik, your uncle was killed by such a person, you cannot show mercy."
Rurik didn't speak, and didn't hesitate. He pulled the trigger, and the crossbow arrow directly hit Volmon's stomach. Seeing this, Yevro and other mercenaries fired one after another.
Walmont was pierced through the heart by thousands of clean arrows, and he was executed in public even though he was still alive.
It was the first time for many Russian warriors to see the execution of noble people in Gotland. They let out a breath of evil and laughed happily, and then rushed to the women to enjoy the "last pleasure before the war" ordered by Duke Otto.
night".
Now, the captured men realized that their leader had been killed. Will they also become some kind of sacrificial lamb?
Otto sent someone to tell the male prisoners that they would not be killed, but they had to fight for Ross. As for the female relatives, they should never think about it.
Arik went exploring as a scout. When he returned, the army was about to start. Rurik knew about this and now he had enough time to reorganize the army.