There were about three hundred of them, each wearing thick leather, a velvet hat on their head, and gloves on their hands. Under the leather coat was another layer of leather coat, with a leather belt around the waist, and hand axes and daggers hung on it.
They all carried brown burlap backpacks on their backs, stuffed with a pile of wheat and dried meat, as well as small clay pots and spoons for cooking.
The linen used for pitching the tent was rolled up and tied on top of the backpack. The swords they were proud of were also hung on the backpack. Many people also carried wooden crossbows and more than thirty light arrows.
Their burdens were already extremely heavy, so each of them also carried a whistle stick with a dagger attached to it to serve as a marching stick.
Can they be considered hunters in such attire? It is not an exaggeration to say that they are an expeditionary force.
This group of people all have a pair of huge black eyes. Of course, they are not eyes, but they wear eye-protecting sunglasses.
I was really stunned to see the old Eric family who came from afar.
He never imagined that the Russians were so particular about hunting. Perhaps it was because of this that they had strong fighting power.
One big bear is probably equivalent to the fighting strength of several brave warriors.
When old Eric was exploring in the East, he encountered a group of people (actually Klivi Slavs) hunting bears. Those guys were carrying iron spears, and it took more than 20 people to kill them with a lot of effort.
A bear.
He also saw that a furious bear slapped a hunter to death.
Those guys needed to buy salt, and they happened to be willing to sell a batch of salt, but they couldn't get the money so they had to sell leather.
In Denmark, all the local bears had been killed long ago. The bear was symbolized by the so-called strength, and old Eric knew the preferences of the Danish lords very well.
The lords were all beauties, and having many wives and concubines could not be considered proud. They needed gold and silver utensils to enrich their dining tables, and the heads of beasts as decorations for their mansions.
Thinking of the bear head on the wall of Chief Ross's residence and this extremely capable hunting army, he could think of the bear's end.
This year's "Northern Hunt" of the Russians is atypical. Hunting is part of the harsh winter activities, and it has nothing to do with the hymn of courage.
The hunters are for profit, Rurik is for resources, and the servants of the reindeer herders are tasked with driving the reindeer to the northern winter pastures. At least the reindeer ignore the severe cold of the Arctic.
A huge reindeer sleigh team was organized, and the sleds were all docile doe pullers. The captured ponies with extremely long manes were not of their kind. They were not extremely cold-resistant livestock, and Rurik saw that
Hit by the extremely long mane on the horse's neck.
Compared to oil-soaked hemp rope bowstrings, horse hair is obviously a more reliable material. Those horses were shorn, and in exchange they are now being fed and fed? Until next spring? All these horses will be sent to New Ross
The fort became the driving force for plowing the fields.
More than a hundred reindeer sleighs are waiting for the Duke of Ross's departure order.
Otto himself was not part of this trip? He really didn’t need to go out in person anymore.
Otto has been aging rapidly in the past few years? He refuses to accept aging, and the great victory in the Revenge War makes him feel that his life has been complete.
A great warrior no longer wants to be an ice warrior? He is more willing to guard this thriving community in his hometown of Roseburg.
Rurik has a heavy responsibility on his shoulders, but no one doubts his leadership.
There are as many as 400 people of all kinds going to Ironburg. In addition to a group of hunters, there is also a group of permanent immigrants. Most of them are captured women. This trip is to Ironburg to settle with their new husbands permanently.
round.
A large amount of wheat and hay are piled on the sled. Is that food for reindeer and people? Especially wheat? Rurik needs to give the lumberjacks enough food to withstand the heat loss of maybe 5,000 calories a day.
"Brothers! Let's go!"
Rurik gave an order, and under the ardent expectations of the Shuqian people, the army sat on sleds and entered the frozen sea that was smooth and shiny by the wind. They advanced in the ice field? A group of dark people gradually left Fort Ross.
The fjord is obscured by white mounds of pine forest.
What awaits the Russians is a three-day winter march? Compared with the previous difficult trek, the well-trained reindeer helped everyone save a lot of consumption.
All they had to do was feed the reindeer, and then a dozen people crowded into the sled to stay warm.
The cold wind had no effect on Rurik because his sled had a leather tent.
He only brought one woman with him on this trip? Saipolava, who is as young as him.
She is the daughter of the "Governor" of Ironburgh? She is an out-and-out Kewen person.
As a big man with a lot of women? Sometimes Rurik also thinks that he will neglect others because he favors a few.
The marriage to Saipolava has a purpose, it is a measure to control the people of Kewen. I will only take her with me on this trip, and I will spend time alone with her in the future, which is to enhance the relationship and strengthen the control over the people of Kewen.
Saipolava, she naturally clung to her man, her whole head sunk in the hood.
"This will make your father very happy."
The girl hummed.
"You should grow up quickly. Your brother will be the governor of Ironburg, and our future children will be the lords of Ironburg. Listen, that is the best mine, and I must give it to
my son."
Saipolava suddenly raised her head, stared at Rurik's face, and then smiled like a flower.
Rurik likes her face very much, and to be honest, he also likes Rumia's face better. After all, they both have North Asian ancestry, and their faces and body shapes are closer to those of Orientals. Rurik just likes this kind of aesthetic.
Of course, like Carlotta and Ella, I also like these two dolls very much. As for my sister-in-law Aslaki, she is like a legendary elf princess.
Rurik, his masculinity, like the golden fuzz that began to thicken on his upper lip and chin, began to awaken!
The army moved forward day and night. Many people took naps on the sleds, but the reindeer continued to move forward under the urging of their whips.
Sometimes wild reindeer dare to run for fifty kilometers continuously when avoiding the pursuit of wolves. They have such amazing endurance, but the damage to their bodies is also great.
Rurik ordered that in addition to the hay prepared for feeding, all the reindeer also ate a batch of oats.
The plan is to arrive at Ironburg in three days, with everything under Rurik's control.
They moved forward on the smooth ice field, even as fast as a ship!
Ailon-Olawa Fort is located at the mouth of the second major river on the northern coast of the gulf. It is a geographically easy-to-identify location.
Now, Ellenburg in the ice and snow is a fortress standing in the snow!
There are obviously a group of ships on the shore of the frozen pier, and a huge "ice sculpture" stands next to it.
That is the largest squirrel cage winch crane of the Russians, and it is also the largest machinery currently owned by the Russians. Rurik can imagine that this machine made a great contribution to pulling the ship ashore.
Another part of the frozen fortress is a hot place, it is adjacent to the glacier, but the ground is black.
The chimney was spewing thick smoke, and a group of figures were moving. They were obviously working.
Saipolava on the sled saw all this clearly, and she was so excited that her whole body was trembling.
"You will see your father soon."
"And my brother." Saipolava shouted excitedly.
Her laughter was very sweet, and Rurik also smiled heartily.
To be honest, the army marched along the ice along the coastline for three full days and nights, and the short daylight was about to end again.
Sitting on the sled, Rurik was busy on his way. He often curled up into a ball, as if his whole body was rusty.
He needs to take a good walk, and his escort mercenaries, as well as those ruthless people who are eager to hunt bears, are eager to arrive at Ironburg to rest.
"I'll order it soon. I can take a good sauna and then have a comfortable sleep. If there's anything else, I'll take a rest for a day."
"Okay, I'll stay with you." Saipolava continued to hold Rurik's arm. She was still ignorant about marriage. She seemed to just live with people close to her and then give birth to a bunch of children.
She wanted to live a peaceful and safe life. At this moment, she regarded Rurik as a brother without hesitation, and she also hoped that this close relationship would become eternal. She longed to enjoy exclusive happiness.
"Okay, the army needs to take a good rest before they have the energy to hunt bears. Haha, this time I want to try the power of the torque slingshot."
How can you kill a chicken with a knife? The steel-armed crossbow is already an artifact for hunting bears. The powerful shoulder-shaped armor-piercing arrows have turned any hard cowhide armor into waste. Polar bear leather is nothing.
But Rurik wanted to try sniping.
The so-called reindeer pulls a sled carrying a torsion slingshot. When you see a bear in the snowy field from a distance, you adjust the azimuth, shooting angle, and aim to shoot.
In this era, the area near the Arctic Ocean in the Nordic region can be called a paradise. Rumia and other deer herders have introduced that they, the ice nomads, always walk around when they see a bear.
Rurik is sure that currently only the Russians dare to hunt bears on a large scale.
A blue-and-white flag was fluttering on Rurik's sleigh. People moving near Ironburg had long noticed a group of dark objects approaching. They were first instinctively vigilant, and then turned into joy and ecstasy.
"Governor" Mechasta led a large group of people out of the thick gate. Almost the entire Ironburg was out in force. Everyone stood on the ice with open arms to welcome the distinguished guests from afar!
At this moment, there were three somewhat reserved people standing next to Mechasta.
They are not Russians, let alone Kovins.
The three of them came from the west side of the Peninsula Mountains, and were distinguished guests who had come all the way to accept Rurik's invitation!
One of them is Mo Degen, who is a messenger, and the people around him, one high and one low, are people of noble status.
Rurik's sled was the most flamboyant, and he was also the first to get off the sled.
When Saipolava saw her father, she didn't care about any etiquette and ran directly into his arms.
Rurik also walked forward with a small amount of confidence, accompanied by a kind of guard. After getting up again, the hunters walked arrogantly and rushed towards Ironburg with whistle sticks.
"I'm here, Mechasta. It seems that the situation in Ironburg is very good. The blacksmith is also here this time, and our iron smelting will be better..."
Rurik still had a lot to say, but he keenly saw two very familiar faces.
He knew Modgen, the brave Norwegian explorer, and there were two people with him.
"Who are they? Mechasta, Mordgen! Guests?"
The tall bald young man with beard stepped forward holding the hilt of his sword, and Jevro and others naturally formed a human wall to protect their master Rurik.
"Don't be nervous, I'm not an enemy." The man made a big gesture, and a short boy hurriedly came over.
The man covered his heart and bowed slightly and said: "You must be Rurik, Modgen has informed our leader. I say Bjioni, and the one beside me is my brother Frokki.
.We say that the Balmoks come to your territory only to do business.”
Modgen hurriedly interrupted, "Sir, they are the sons of the chief. Our chief is very interested in long-term trade with Ross! The arrival of our Lord Biyongni is enough to show our sincerity."
At this moment, Rurik believed in them very much, and was even extremely happy to see these Norwegians from Narvik Port. The distance between the two parties was very far, and there was no possibility of conflict now or in the future. Cooperation between the two parties was a win-win situation.
In other words, when it comes to who is the most aggressive between the two sides, Rurik does not dare to expect the Balmoks to be so-called peace-loving. Rurik knows very well that Narvik is a rare ice-free port in Northern Europe facing the Atlantic Ocean. The only way to get close to them is to go deep with them.
Cooperate, and even the powerful Russians can conquer there. Then, the Russians will have the opportunity to conquer Greenland, Iceland, and even discover the American continent.
That is, the boy's name is Floki. Why is this name so familiar? The more he thought about it, the more Rurik looked at the boy who was taller than him.
I can’t believe how a boy can be bald? Is it natural, or does his brother like it?
There are still some brown marks on this young man's forehead. Is this a tattoo? But there is something strange about it.
Rurik's gaze aroused the anger of young Floki, "Are you provoking? People from Russia, I want to fight with you and let you taste my power."
"Fight?" Rurik twisted his nose, "I'm quite paying attention to the tattoo on your forehead."
"You think my forehead is beautiful?" The young man seemed to take a breath, "You're not mocking me, are you?"
"It doesn't matter, everyone can choose the tattoo they like, as long as your tattoo looks like a bird."
"You actually saw this!" The young man straightened his chest, "This is something I was born with. Odin tattooed a raven on my forehead. Our priest said that the raven flew to the distant sea.
In the unknown world, I will also conquer far away places and become the new territory of the tribe. I am Raven Floki!"
"Oh? It seems that Odin has also given you a blessing. But I am the descendant of Odin, and we Russians are protected by God. Then let's have a fight and use our own way to see who is the warrior favored by God."
Rurik was just trying to stretch his muscles. Originally, he was fighting as good as anyone with similar physique. What's more, now he had a new reason, which was to prove to the people present that Odin favored him Rurik more.
But the fight soon came to an end.
Rurik is already the supreme leader of the Principality of Rus, and the people need a witty duke, and even more, a fighting master.
As for the Balmok people, the game among boys is fighting, and after the fight, they are considered good brothers.
Although it was very strange, the first big thing that happened when Rurik arrived at Ironburg was actually a fight. Rurik easily knocked down Floki, who had no rules and no sense of martial arts and was full of bastard punches, to the snow, and then he
They clamped their legs around his neck and hugged one of his arms, causing Floki to feel uncomfortable, unable to move and breathe, and had to beg for mercy.
After meeting the "little prince" of the Balmoks for the first time, Floki admitted defeat, and then stood up shamelessly and shouted, "It seems that what Modgen said is true. The little prince of the Rus'
The leader is a brave warrior, I want to be your brother."
Seeing how frank the young Floki was, Rurik didn't want to refuse anything. This brat was reckless and straightforward and it was feasible to make friends with this person. "Okay, let's do business. If you are willing, we Rus are willing to form an alliance with you Balmoks."
!”
What else could Biyongni say? He laughed wildly and welcomed the alliance that was urgently needed. Because they traveled across mountains and rivers, what they wanted most was to form an alliance. Unexpectedly, his brother's plan was completed after "taking a beating".