The sky has fallen into haze again, and everyone is worried that the snowstorm will come again, but no matter how threatening it is, the return trip cannot be delayed.
Light snow fell in the sky, and people's leather clothes were covered with snow, including their beards, which were "dyed" white.
Rurik tried his best to cover his body and shared a huge deerskin blanket with Saipolava. The girl was completely hidden in the leather, and Rurik only exposed his eyes.
Everyone remained quiet at first, but the reindeer continued to exhale a large amount of mist and continued to move forward.
The snowfall seems to be just like this, it won't become too serious, and once everyone gets used to the current low temperature, there's nothing to complain about.
They successfully reached the very critical fork in the road, where the two main rivers converged into the wider Airon River (Kemi River).
The people who had been silent until here finally became restless under the light snow.
"I'm finally going back." Biyongni opened his leather jacket and shouted, causing the ice on his beard to fall off.
"Then keep walking. It will be completely safe if you get to Fort Fiskele as soon as possible." Rurik really didn't want to say much. He didn't want to lose precious heat, so he urged the sleigh driver to continue beating the reindeer.
The team still maintained a steady pace. They actually walked a marathon distance a day. Rurik had been silently counting the time. They had been traveling for fifteen days since setting off from Murmansk!
At this point, all the wheat had been consumed by feeding the deer, and the reindeer had to graze on hay under the snow while the team rested, and there was not much meat left in people's reserves.
Fortunately, Biyoni was followed by the best Balmok hunters, and Rurik's men were also fat and strong. They were all strong people and had enough physical strength to resist for a period of time.
Arriving at this fork in the road, it was like seeing the first ray of light at the end of the polar night.
Everyone moved forward step by step, and after three full days, the lake finally arrived.
The whip began to beat the reindeer hard, and the sleigh loaded with goods began to accelerate gradually.
The light snow has stopped, the north wind has blown away the haze, and the sky is suddenly clear. Everyone is breathing extremely clear air, and the sun is shining in the sky!
People with good eyesight can see the houses and walls from a distance. Although they are covered by pine forests, the overall appearance is still very obvious.
Rurik finally lifted off the leather blanket, supported Yevlo's arm and stood firm on the speeding sled, shouting: "Brothers, rush! Wheat porridge! Barbecue! Let the brothers over there see how good we are!"
Tell the tribesmen that Lord Rurik has arrived at the northernmost coast and is determined to establish a permanent settlement. This matter must be publicized grandly.
But now, hungry people just want to chow down on a roasted animal leg, or eat a bowl of cooked oats.
There is a group of dark shadows on the glacial lake. They are a group of fishermen. The winter hunting work is basically over, and many people are dragging their feet in embarrassment and returning with not many prey. The Ross hunters evacuated one after another when the blizzard began to appear.
.It was lucky to be able to save their lives during the natural disaster. They returned early and endured the snowstorm at Fort Fiscolle before turning into fishermen to cut through the ice and fish. Not to mention that there were really a lot of fish in this lake area.
People have to stay alive first. They have been living on fish and meat for a long time in this extremely cold place.
A few people still caught a group of ferrets and foxes, and the bass fished from the glacial lake piled up into mountains. When Rurik and his party made their triumphant return, they met them.
Ross fishermen were shocked!
Because they are not just fishing here? Each hunter also received a key mission.
The sled that appeared on the ice attracted the attention of all the fishermen. They all stood up and moved towards the sled spontaneously.
Rurik undoubtedly saw this, "Haha brothers? Other brothers came to visit us."
Rurik was in a good mood? The sled pile stopped, and there were more than a dozen fishermen who had gathered on the ice.
"Haha? Are you here to welcome me? How about hunting? I saw you... fishing?"
A fisherman's mouth trembled, he reported a very serious event in a vulgar and cautious manner without any salute.
"Lord Rurik? Something big happened in Fort Ross! It's very serious."
"A big thing? What a big thing!" Rurik's smile suddenly disappeared, and his mind was buzzing again, "It can't be that Otto... died after drinking too much strong alcohol?!"
Rurik's words were also very rough, and the fisherman hurriedly explained: "The Duke has always been very good. But the high priest? She...she is dying! She is even dead now."
"Vilia?! High Priest?"
"right!"
"Okay, I understand..." Rurik said no more nonsense. He lowered his head and breathed heavily, "My people need to get supplies as soon as possible, and I need to travel all day and night to reach Fort Ross."
"My lord? Come with us."
Is High Priest Vilia really going to end his life? Or is it that the news has come to him a long time ago, and he is in the extreme and doesn’t know it at all? After learning this, has Vilia fulfilled his previous will? It has been reduced to ashes.
?
Vilia is too old. It is a miracle that this old woman who has witnessed so much can persist until the end of the polar night.
Encountered a major event? Rurik ate some grilled bass in a low-key manner at Fort Fiskele? The group only rested for one night? After replenishing the reindeer the next morning, they started running towards Ironburg again.
A group of people stranded in Fort Fiscole were ordered to search for the missing Rurik. Some people had pessimistic thoughts, but many people cheered up and were convinced that Odin would not let his human heirs die.
Rurik came back, and the people who stayed behind were shocked by the large amount of prey they brought back! The layers of leather piled up were hard to identify for a while what kind of prey they came from, but everyone could clearly see the ferocious head of the polar bear.
.
Lord Rurik managed to withstand the terrifying cold snap and hunted countless bears! What a hero!
It was only at noon of the next day that Rurik, who no longer had any need to cherish animal power, arrived at Ironburg, where he also learned today's clear date.
It’s already February 10th on the Julian calendar, and it’s actually February!
Saipolava once again fell into the arms of her father Mechasta and told her father and brother Terravis about her experience in the "Sea at the End of the World".
That was a lot of legendary experiences, and the sea itself is a miracle. It is obviously the coldest world, but it must be the gods of the Russians who keep the sea from freezing.
However, Mechasta had no intention of listening to his daughter's description for the time being. As the "Governor" of Ironburg, he had to clearly explain to his master Rurik that something big had happened in Fort Ross.
The dinner was sumptuous, including wheat porridge, wheat cakes, roasted meat, stewed fish, mushrooms and carrots stewed, and a small amount of spirits.
Brothers Biyoni and Floki, who had never seen the high priest Vilia, could not understand the sacred status of this old woman among the Rus. They immersed themselves in eating just to entertain their weak bodies.
Rurik really couldn't eat anymore, so he hung his head and ate some wheat cakes and some soup.
Mechasta said regretfully: "Any mortal, or saint with a mortal body, will eventually leave this human world. The body of the High Priest of Rus has reached its limit and can no longer sustain a great soul. I received
The blizzard had just ended when the news came out, and a full month has passed now. Perhaps Vilia's soul has left her dead tree-like body, and she has become your Valkyrie."
Mechasta tried to speak tactfully. He knew the relationship between the old screw woman and Rurik. A woman worshiped by the gods already regarded Rurik as her grandson. He was worried that Rurik would howl.
Cried till fainting.
Rurik did not cry. Perhaps the greatest sorrow for a man is to remain silent like a piece of wood.
There was a whole bottle of vodka on the table, which was obtained by double distillation of ordinary ale. The capacity was only two taels. Rurik grabbed it, pulled out the cork and drank it in one gulp. The empty glass was thrown directly onto the wooden floor.
"Sir! You..."
The spicy taste stimulated Rurik's whole body to tremble. He regained his composure and said in a low voice: "I know everything. I want to go back immediately and leave tomorrow."
Rurik's pain was fully reflected in the suffocation of the strong drink, and Mechasta felt very uncomfortable. He hoped that Rurik would cheer up a little and report other things.
There is also about the production of ore, the production of iron tools, and the two giant spruce trees were initially processed and hoisted onto sleds, and the trunks used as masts must have been transported to Fort Ross.
Including the supervision of the Danish traveler Old Eric and his family who are staying here as guests (a kind of residential surveillance in a sense).
Rurik nodded: "I'm very happy that these things are working normally. Do you have anything else to report?"
"I..." Mechasta was stunned for a moment, "I also want to know, where have you been? Many brothers are looking for you, including the deer herder who was ordered to herd."
"Let your daughter talk about this. We followed the glacier to the northernmost ocean and saw many miracles. I'm tired and I want to rest immediately."
There is indeed a difference between Rurik and Otto. He gets drunk easily, but he sobers up faster than ordinary people.
He soon fell into a state of drunkenness. He had no intention of taking a shower and lay down in the warm mansion. He forgot all his worries and fell asleep while the world was spinning.
During the night, he sweated profusely and returned to normal. Rurik, who had changed his clothes the next day, continued to run with his men regardless of whether they were well rested or not.
Rurik has more deer pulling sleds, and the sleds are so powerful that it is not a problem to run a hundred kilometers a day on the offshore ice.
He took all the prey, as well as Kawei and Kamne who were continuously stationed, as well as Danish travelers who realized that the Russians were strong and had been stationed in Ironburg for several months. It took them three full days to rush back to Rossburg.
A wooden pole was propped up on the sled, and a small Russian flag was hung on it.
The hunters who were digging vents offshore to wait for seals were the first to meet their Lord Rurik.
Rurik asked everyone he met: "How is Vilya?"
People excitedly shouted that the high priest was still alive but in a very bad condition, and then in extreme surprise, they watched the sleigh team full of ferocious bear heads leave.
The Rossburg is already very lively at this moment. After all, it is February and there are still fifty days left before the sea thaws.
The climate is still very cold, but the life of the Russians is becoming more and more lively day by day.
Especially the shipbuilding factory in Hotla. After the mast wood they were looking forward to arrived, with the order of Duke Otto and the assistance of the messengers, they had used the scaffolding built last year to install the two masts on the two large ship hulls.
Rurik Qingyi saw the huge masts of two new ships that were urgently needed to be launched. It was naturally not a problem for them to successfully launch them.
The news of Lord Rurik's return spread wildly. When the sleigh reached the frozen coast, Rurik jumped off the ship and ran with his mercenaries towards the longhouse of the priests.
He didn't care about anything anymore, for fear that Vilia would leave before he even said a few words to her.
The thick leather curtain was violently split open by Rurik, and he rushed into the warm long room and shouted loudly, "Grandma! Are you okay?"
Rurik walked straight into Vilia's bedroom and met Rumia, whose eyes were red from crying.
After the snowstorm ended, the bad news of Rurik's disappearance was reported here in Roseburg. Otto was very worried about Rurik's safety, but on the surface he pretended that he would be protected by God, and the worry was meaningless.
Niya subconsciously thought of the two sons she had lost, and now that Rurik had also encountered disaster, she had been crying for some time.
Rumia regards Rurik as her own brother and her only man. As the next high priest, she is also suffering from the death of Vilia.
Good news came suddenly! Rurik returned in triumph carrying a large number of bear heads and bear skins?
After the messenger finished speaking, Rumia burst into tears. She was about to go out to greet him, but she collided with Rurik indoors.
She rushed up to him and held him in her arms.
Rurik was shocked by such a performance: "Lumia! Vilia..."
"I'm so worried about you... I'm afraid you've..."
"Get out of my way!" Rurik pushed Rumia aside with force, and then broke into Vilia's bedroom.
An old man who looked like a dead tree was being cared for by a group of female priests. The old man had white hair and was dressed in simple clothes.
"Is it... Rurik? My Rurik is back?"
Hearing Vilia's hoarse voice, a line of hot tears welled up from the corners of his eyes, and Rurik burst into tears. He hurriedly rushed over, knelt on the leather cushion where Vilia was lying, and tightly held her dead branch-like hand.
.
"Grandma, I'm back. What's wrong with you..."
Wei Liya laughed in front of him, "I'm about to leave, and I finally saw you before I left."
"Grandma, don't say stupid things. Everything will be fine."
"Don't be stupid, child. This is Odin's call, why should you be sad."
"I..." Rurik forced a smile, but tears were still pouring out.
The priests, including Rumia, gathered in the room, with tears on everyone's cheeks.
Vilya muttered angrily, "Rurik, where have you been? Why did you come back so late? It's a snowstorm..."
"I went to the sea at the end of the world, the northernmost sea, where Odin protects me and the sea will not freeze."
"Really!" A satisfied smile appeared on the face of the dead tree in Vilia, "Isn't it beautiful there?"
"It's so beautiful! Odin told me that the Russians were going to build a fortress there called Moorman Castle. I built a camp according to God's will and spent the coldest days."
"That's great. I have to go and thank Odin in person." Vilia took another long breath and stared at Rurik tenderly, "Let me take a look at you. Oh, you have lost weight, you need to eat more...
…”
Then the gentle cheek calmed down, and he breathed out, everything became calm, everything was over...
Rurik squeezed his lifeless withered hands hard, realizing that this great man had left.
She is dead.
The priests were all crying, Rumia cried the most painfully, and the longhouse of priests burst into mourning.
"Everyone, be quiet!" Rurik roared, causing the cries to turn into tiny sobs. "Rumia! Does the high priest have any last words?"
Lumiyali hurriedly brought a wooden board full of words, "These are her last words. She has been holding on to her last breath just to see you."
Rurik took the board and examined it, nodded in depression, and suppressed his sorrow and solemnly ordered all the priests: "You all heard that lying here is just the body of Vilia. Her soul has gone to Valha.
La, she is now the Valkyrie Sperosvilia, a Valkyrie that only belongs to us, and a Valkyrie that will only protect us. According to her will, her body was cremated, and her ashes were stuffed into the ocean."
Speaking of excitement, Rurik had tears in his eyes. He turned around suddenly and pressed his hands firmly on Rumia's shoulders, "You are the high priest. I will hold a grand funeral for Vilia, and you will become the real
The high priest! Now, let’s mourn! Tell the people that Vilia will be buried in heaven.”