The Russians evacuated with the money box, and they soon returned to the top of the mound.
Contrary to the enthusiasm of his men, Rurik had no joy in getting the "ransom".
"What's wrong? My brother, are you feeling depressed because you're tired from walking?" Arik's smile was impudent. He pushed Rurik hard and advocated: "They are indeed a group of cowards. I'm afraid they won't dare to come to a decisive battle.
"
"Then I will follow your plan. Our army will climb over or around the mound and attack Visby." Rurik said casually.
"Oh, then I still hope they send people here. I will destroy them in one go and let the brothers possess their women."
Rurik didn't care about his cousin's remarks. He knew the deceitful ways of soldiers, and he also realized the true significance of soldiers' important affairs in the country.
This was a gamble that put everything on the line for the Ross tribe. It seemed that a huge army had been assembled, but for this army, failure was the end of everything, and a tragic victory was achieved at the cost of heavy casualties. This result was also
Better than failure.
Rurik prides himself on being more sober, or more cautious, than Arik.
Don't look at the many early victories. If you become arrogant and complacent and become a arrogant soldier, will you suffer a big loss in the decisive battle?
"Arik!" Rurik thought of something and hurriedly called his cousin.
"What's wrong? What did you think of?"
"When we go back, please don't say anything about money."
"What? Why?! We have taken such a big advantage, how can we not let all the brothers know? Wouldn't it be nice for everyone to be happy?!"
"On the contrary." Rurik closed his eyes and calmed down: "We will not publicly display the coins when we go back. I will publicly declare the despicability of the Visby people."
"What is this for?"
"Tell the brothers that we were deceived by the enemy! We let the prisoners go, but they dropped the boxes and left. As a result, the boxes were full of dirt." At this point, Rurik thought of another trick: "We will immediately go back and
Take out the silver coins, stuff them with soil on the spot, and then display them in public."
Arik showed himself to be a murderous and reckless man in this war. He could not understand his brother's schemes, so he had no choice but to shamelessly ask what was going on.
"Hey, I just want to make my brothers angry! Arik, anger will bring courage. The Rus, the Novgorods, the Kovins, everyone in our team was deceived by the enemy, so that everyone has
He will have no scruples just for the sake of killing the enemy. Arik, what do you want to do to the person who deceived you?"
It was only then that Arik finally realized that this was his brother's way of boosting morale, and he laughed wildly and said: "Of course I'll chop off the liar's head."
"Then let's keep walking. I'm going to leave some people behind to do eyeliner and pile up some branches. There is some dried cow dung under the mound. Collect some and put them on the firewood pile."
"What's your plan?"
"Because burning cow dung will produce obvious thick smoke. When our eyeliners saw the enemy making a big move, they lit the pyre, and the brothers stood up and prepared to fight! It will still take some time for the enemy to arrive at our scheduled battlefield, so when
When they arrive, they will face our well-prepared troops."
My brother does have the "wisdom given by Odin". He obviously has a clear insight into the future decisive battle, and can even predict the enemy's attack and make arrangements. Arik can only admire and cooperate unconditionally.
Ten people stayed on the mound. They had excellent eyesight, were good at fighting, and were good at hiding themselves in the yellow bushes. They began to actively pile up firewood, carefully keeping flammable tinder, and staring at the west.
Visby.
Rurik and Arik led the victorious team back to the camp. It was still the evening of the 17th.
When they saw their brothers returning from a busy day building a field camp, most of them just looked at them from a distance and waved.
Some people happily welcomed the returning people regardless of their physical fatigue, but were surprised to learn that the returning people had been deceived!
Along the way, Rurik colluded with his brothers, and even the rebellious Dane Grund also said everywhere with everyone: "We were deceived by King Visby! There are no coins, only sand."
The news quickly reached Otto's ears. With this outcome, Otto felt that since those Gotlanders had betrayed the alliance, it was not unusual for them to do deceptive things. This incident
I still need to see my son and nephew and ask them carefully.
Soon, the Rurik brothers returned to the Duke's tent.
To put it bluntly, after a whole day of digging and inserting wood, the Russians dug out the earth and built a half-person-high circular low wall, which gave the camp a good wind protection function. But it is clearly not just wind protection! What if
If the brothers continue to dig in the earth, even if it only reaches the height of one person, it is equivalent to saying that the Russians have built a fortress.
When the enemy suddenly appears, it is also a good thing to let them attack the fortress in large numbers. In this way, the Russian army can take advantage of the geographical advantages and continue to fire arrows from high places to cause damage.
Even transform the camp into a star fort with multiple convex corners.
The thought flashed through his mind, and Rurik knew that he could obviously do this, but it was not necessary based on reality.
Which commander would be stupid enough to let his brothers, who were waiting for a decisive battle, be exhausted physically and mentally by insisting on civil construction the day before the battle? Besides, the strength of the Ross army is by no means a disadvantage, so there is no need to rely on the defensive properties of the star fort to make up for the shortcomings.
However, the army's camp is still a substantial tactical high ground, and the Russian army's long-range firepower has reason to take advantage of this.
Rurik and Arik were sitting in the Duke's tent. At this moment, the captains of each flag team gathered here.
Looking at the formation, it was clear that Rurik was not here to report on his duties, but that officers from the entire army were gathered together for a pre-war meeting.
Seeing that his son and nephew were safe and sound, Otto breathed a sigh of relief: "As soon as you came back, there were rumors in the army that you were cheated by the enemy. They didn't give you any money? Don't just admire it, the Gotlanders are traitors, traitors.
Promises cannot be trusted."
Rurik shook his head with a calm face, then called the people standing outside carrying boxes to enter the tent one after another, unloaded the boxes and left immediately.
Otto squinted his eyes and stared at the suitcases: "The suitcases are good, but it's a pity that... they are full of sand?"
Rurik didn't speak. He stood up and opened the box at will, showing everyone the silver coins.
All the boxes were opened one after another, and the large amount of silver coins shocked everyone.
Otto stood up suddenly and exclaimed deeply: "They didn't lie to us?! They gave us money?!"
"Yes, they paid, but..." Rurik signaled the frightened people to quiet down and listen to him explain the whole story, "I deliberately created public opinion. I think everyone outside this tent is talking about the Gotlanders.
You're a liar. This is what I need. Now I want to take out all the silver coins and replace them with soil on the spot. I will display these boxes filled with soil in public tomorrow."
Otto suddenly shot out his right hand, signaling his son not to say anything further, and then chuckled. Harold Zosen, who was also an old guy, also laughed out loud.
"What a smart boy, everyone still hates them!"
"Yes!" Rurik's face remained calm and he made a special statement: "It just so happens that all the flag captains are here. Let me tell you that I had a direct negotiation with the King of Gotland, the man named Haken. I declared
The day of the decisive battle was the 19th. We ambushed their people, killed the captured Siegfast, and brought back so many silver coins. I believe that after being so humiliated, they will definitely send troops to fight..."
Rurik said a lot, and Otto became more and more aware of the complexity of the matter. "Rurik, if their army does not appear on the 19th, what will our army do?"
"Then our army will take the initiative to attack on the 20th! I believe this is actually the real choice of the majority of soldiers. In the end we will defeat the Gotlanders in Visby. I hope that the enemy will fight with our army on the bridge village battlefield we have arranged.
A decisive battle, so that the price we pay for victory will be the smallest. I also believe that that man will carry out his words and dispatch all Gotland soldiers to fight me decisively on the 19th."
Otto looked around happily: "Look, the war is coming, we should be well prepared. You all remember that there are only friendly troops and enemies on the battlefield, there is no distinction between old people and children. When you go back, tell your people that there will be no difference in the decisive battle."
Show no mercy.”
Everyone roared in agreement.
Rurik didn't finish what he said. Of course, it is wishful thinking to imagine that the enemy will definitely infiltrate into the preset location in the decisive battle. Since this possibility has become very high, the Russians should use their own advantages to organize the decisive battle.
The place is well arranged.
As the military commander, he immediately designed the formation for the decisive battle.
The formation that was rehearsed on Tombstone Island remains unchanged, and the Ross army will still use pincer tactics to kill as many of the enemy's active forces as possible. The biggest adjustment made here is that the Ross people will back their own camps, those
Tomorrow, we will continue digging and piling up the earth-proof wall facing the west until it is as high as an adult soldier, and all the torsion slingshots will be placed on it. When the war begins, there will be no way to fight head-on.
All the crossbowmen retreated to the earth wall, especially the little warriors who were only ten years old. They relied on crossbows and slingshots to continuously output firepower.
With such strong armored men slashing from the front, and non-stop arrow shooting from the rear, the war turned into a three-dimensional battle unprecedented in the Nordic world.
No one has ever seen such a battle, and it is all based on Rurik's personal dictation. The listener can only rely on imagination to appreciate the excitement.
All the silver coins in the box were dumped, and a pit was quickly dug out of the Duke's tent. All the silver was buried in the pit, and the excess soil was stuffed into the box.
Thanks to the protection of the low earthen wall, this nasty northwest wind did not cause much trouble to the Ross army in the camp.
The Kovin people here are undoubtedly the most active in digging. They are good at building hillforts made of wood and soil, and gave the most direct technical guidance to the construction of low walls in the Ross army camp. Of course, they also dug themselves a pile of graves that were ridiculed.
There are pits in the earth, with a large number of branches placed on them to form sheds, and there is a cave inside. This is a semi-underground house, and the effect of keeping warm and windproof is really bad.
Time soon came to the 18th. On this morning, the Russian fleet arrived at the sea off the port of Visby and sank the ships of the fleeing merchants.
In the afternoon, the Russian eyeliners on the mound suddenly saw a large ship on the sea in the distance!
These people must have very good eyesight, and the air is extremely clear. There are some boats floating unexpectedly on the vast sea, and they all have unique big triangular sails.
A messenger frantically ran back to the camp where the Russian army was still intensifying their arrangements, and reported the news of the arrival of Gould's fleet to Rurik and Otto.
Early in the morning, when the soldiers had finished eating the dried meat and were about to do something, Rurik summoned his mercenaries to deliberately create a noise in the camp.
Soon more than a thousand people rushed to gather in front of the Duke's tent.
All the suitcases were opened, and the sand inside was clearly visible. Rurik, Arik and Otto spoke loudly one after another, denounced the Gotlanders as liars, which aroused the excitement of the crowd!
Soon, the angry soldiers smashed the boxes, and the chaotic scene almost led to an accident.
Two strong mercenaries used their hands as saddles, and Rurik stepped on them, keeping him at a high position.
When the excitement of the people calmed down a little, he began to announce loudly in a voice that everyone was familiar with: "Brothers! The King of Gotland is a liar! The day of the decisive battle! Tomorrow! War! Kill them!"
Thousands of eyes focused on the handsome face of the boy with a golden ponytail. Rurik's blond hair was blown by the northwest wind.
Becoming the king that attracted everyone's attention, Rurik was already infected by this exciting atmosphere. He raised his right fist high and shouted one after another: "War! War! War!"
He doesn't need to make a long speech. He could actually issue a "remonstrance against thieves" but it's not necessary.
He focused on two concepts: everyone was deceived by the enemy, and everyone should take revenge with war.
He used the simplest words to explain his tough attitude and quickly inspired people's fighting spirit.
People began to chant war. At this moment, who could question the morale of the Russian army?
Some really insignificant tool men, such as those prisoners of Baisha Port who were willing to serve as servants in order to survive, were given some shovels to dig the soil, or they just used their hands to build the earthen wall of the camp facing the west under the supervision of the Russian soldiers.
If any of them slacked off, they would be beaten and kicked by the Russians. Even though their hands were digging in the soil and were full of blood, they were still forging ahead.
If it had been left in the past, Rurik would have felt compassion for these tool people.
But now, these guys are destined to become victims of the war. Rurik only spared their lives temporarily. I am afraid that they will all die tomorrow.
Gould's fleet arrived at Visby Port and immediately imposed a military blockade on the port. Although the news was conveyed in the afternoon, Rurik estimated that the enemy must have completely given up the idea of escape by sea early in the morning.
The enemy either sits back and waits for death, or breaks out and fights to the death. With the port blocked, the enemy no longer has option C.
The day of decisive battle is coming!
On August 18th of the Julian calendar, the Russian soldiers were basically recharging their strength for the whole day.
It can be said that most of them just sit and lie around doing nothing all day long. The construction of the earth wall was done by the slaves of Baisha Port. The brothers only had to sit on the grass and use their own burlap cloth to build the wall.
I carry a sharpening sandstone in my backpack and keep sharpening my ax blade and spearhead.
The crossbowman counted all his arrows, plus the inferior arrows seized at White Sands Port. The number of bows and crossbow arrows currently owned by the Russians reached an astonishing 30,000, equivalent to all
On average, each crossbow is equipped with nearly ninety arrows. This is just for the crossbow. The torsion slingshot is installed on the trolley, and some tailed javelins and cast iron bullets are also fixed on it.
Rurik ordered the tribal women to sew the "Russian's ancient strap-shaped backpack", which basically made it possible for every warrior to have one. The bag contained some personal belongings of the warriors, and they were also asked to insert some arrows to help transport them.
Most of the arrows packaged in bundles were still loaded on reindeer carts, but now the situation has changed dramatically. Those captured reindeer were carrying supplies. Even if there were a large number of reindeer, the main force of the Russian army was carrying a large amount of supplies and equipment.
, which made marching along the way quite tiring, and we had to take a detour when encountering hills.
Every warrior carries a heavy load when marching. Fortunately, the men of the Ross tribe have developed strong endurance while rowing desperately during peacetime.
All the sweat and sweat was devoted to this decisive battle. The decisive battle was imminent. Many people were stunned and only had a short sleep all night. They were purely excited and couldn't fall asleep. However, the little warriors who had been brought to the training by Rurik fell asleep one after another.
It tastes very good. They don't know what the decisive battle means yet, but during the daily training, the girls in the team have become resistant to blood. They keep Lord Rurik's orders in mind, and each knows their position in the decisive battle.
and function.
But the agreed date for the decisive battle, August 19th in the Julian calendar, maybe today is just a peaceful beginning?
Early in the morning, Rumia built a decent altar in the camp. With all the sacrifices, they all wore flower crowns woven with wild chrysanthemums picked locally to make a pre-war sacrifice for the decisive battle.
A reindeer was sacrificed, and Rumia held the cut deer liver as usual and announced Odin's will to the gathered people—Russ must win.
This is really routine. Too much good news has come. The Russian army has long believed that Odin has given the army a blessing that will ensure victory. The high priest's actions are just a way to strengthen the belief.
In the early morning, everyone hoped that the enemy would suddenly appear after the thin morning fog disappeared, and then the two armies would fight against the Ross army and win a complete victory. In the evening, the army would be able to march to Visby and plunder wantonly.
However, the enemy did not appear. Instead, the dark clouds completely dispersed and the sun came back!
Although the west wind was still blowing, everyone was illuminated by the warm sunshine, full of strength, and urgently needed to kill a few enemies for fun.
The earthen wall facing the west has been repaired, and Arik sat on the top of the wall boredly, with all ten torsion slingshots around him in place.
He gnawed on the dried fish, his eyes facing the west.
Rurik sat quietly next to his cousin with a dull expression on his face, as if he was simply waiting for the enemy to arrive.
"Looks like we're going to be disappointed. I really thought highly of that Haken. He's going to be a turtle with a shrunken head, waiting for me to smash the turtle shell with a big ax." Arik mocked fiercely.
"Don't worry, maybe they are on their way."
"You just think too highly of them. I've been waiting for a long time, and everything is still calm as usual?" Arik shook his head and threw the dried fish aside. "I've eaten enough dry food. I have to go talk to Rumia.
That sacrificial stag is roasting, I gotta get a leg and eat it."
Arik stood up and came down the mound, looking for the aroma of barbecue and leaving.
Suddenly, Rurik stood up, turned to his cousin and shouted: "Arik! There is smoke coming from the mound!"
As if he was electrocuted, the carefree Arik suddenly turned around and looked to the west with concentration. Thick smoke was really coming out of the mound again, and it was getting thicker and thicker.
There is nothing to hesitate about anymore!
Aric suddenly pulled out his sword, ran like a cheetah, and roared like a lion: "The Gotlanders are coming! Fight!"
The Russian army immediately became nervous. After they saw the warning "wolf smoke", they began to line up according to their own flag formations, and lined up very quickly to meet the enemy.
Yes! Early in the morning of that day, King Haken of Gotland, with his army of all kinds of people, began to climb over the mounds and rush to the place where the decisive battle took place in Qiao Village.
At this point, there is nothing to worry about. The Gotland Army actually gathered as many as 6,000 people in this battle! Even though there are a large number of too young boys and a large group of female warriors, they are still a quite powerful force.
military force.
Haken saw the thick smoke suddenly rising from the top of the hill and concluded that this was an early warning from the Rus.
There is nothing to hesitate about anymore!
Separated by a hill between the two armies, the commanders of both sides and most of the soldiers had surprisingly consistent attitudes - since this decisive battle has been decided, let the decisive battle come as scheduled.
The decisive battle related to the rise and fall of the Gotlanders and the Rus's officially broke out.