After all, Paul had been a serf all his life. It would be foolish to expect this guy to have any sense of shame.
Ryuri ordered Paul to stand aside, and someone scooped out a basin of sea water and directly washed the king's stinking face.
By now, Rurik, who once had innocent thoughts about the whole world, has disappeared. He squatted on tiptoes next to the huddled Eynred, who was only wearing cloth clothes and still had his teeth bared, holding a little condiment in his right hand.
Haiyan, looking at this man still angry, deliberately sprinkled salt on the wound on his left arm.
As he moved, the king opened his mouth and shouted, full of words like "Kill me", a phrase that Rurik understood.
In Eynred's view, squatting in front of him was a fair-skinned young man with blond hair and a whip. His clothes were indeed different from those of the barbarians. In terms of the situation, maybe this young man was the commander-in-chief of the entire barbarian army?
This young man is indeed handsome, but he is so vicious in his heart that he is simply a familiar of Satan.
"You... how dare you destroy our monastery on a holy day!"
Rurik listened to everything, and it didn't matter to him what the king yelled. In his opinion, to kill a so-called nobleman, just pick up the dagger and stab it in.
The king's name is Aynred? Oh, this Aynred is just a "voucher" now. How much this person is worth is what needs to be determined most at the moment.
Ruric ordered Paul to translate his own words.
Paul still had the evil smile on his face, and said sternly: "My master said that the Viking army will attack Bamburgh."
Just mentioning the place name "Bamburgh" made Eynred start to tremble all over.
"Bamburgh! That's Bamburgh. My master said that the only way to avoid war is for you to pay a tribute of one thousand pounds of silver coins. After we got the money, we gave up attacking Bamburgh and gave up killing the people in the city and the villages.
Farmer, you will also be released."
To be honest, Eynred was a little tempted. After thinking about it, he felt suspicious, so he shouted: "This is a contract with the devil. It is not trustworthy at all. Kill me."
"It looks like something is wrong." Rurik shook his head and asked Paul: "How is the situation?"
"He...is seeking death."
"I have to be a hero?!" Rurik not only pinched his chin, but then looked at Eynred, who was baring his teeth and his eyes were filled with helplessness and grief, and shook his head: "It's scary, isn't it?"
Geiger came with an ax in hand: "Since this man is still seeking death and has no intention of paying for his life with silver coins, why are we talking here? Brothers rush to Bamburgh and kill all the locals. The treasures are all ours."
"Don't be impulsive." Biyongni stepped forward, followed by more people. Everyone still felt that the idea of "exchanging prisoners for money" could be implemented, but now the king of Northumbria had a tough mouth.
Biyonyi signaled Geiger to get out of the way, and he patted Rurik on the shoulder: "Brother, you have to make this person submit. I'm afraid it won't work if you pee on this person and wash his face, you see."
"What's wrong."
"His arm is already crippled. We just bandaged him with a strip of cloth, but he will still die if we continue like this. If he dies, we really can't exchange him for money."
Rurik nodded and followed Biyoni's train of thought to come up with a plan.
"Then treat him cruelly and force him to cooperate."
The sun has just set, and the captured Northumbrian King Aynred is in a situation like a sheep waiting to be slaughtered.
He was pushed down on the sandy beach by many people, and a Viking warrior pressed his knee against the upper arm of his injured left arm.
He held a ball of rags in his mouth and stared at the burning sword in the fire with horrified eyes.
Rurik sat cross-legged next to him, with a handsome and dull face under the soft light of the campfire.
Soon, Biyongni came over with the red-hot sword.
"Rurik, I'm going to take action."
"Do it!"
After a moment, a sizzling sound came, and Eynred shivered in severe pain. Big beads of sweat quickly wet his forehead and sweat poured down like rain.
The air was filled with the burnt smell of barbecue, and Eynred's trembling became more and more like he was suffering from epilepsy.
The red-hot sword slowly cut along the root of Eynred's left arm. This barbaric treatment method might save his life, but if nothing was done, Eonred would die from wound infection.
Biyongni took the severed left arm and threw it into the bonfire.
At this moment, Eynred was so painful that he fainted, but the torture was not over yet.
A pottery jar of sea water poured him awake again.
Eynred woke up and felt that his left arm was in severe pain. He tried to raise his left hand and found that he had no intuition. What was even more terrifying was that he was facing the sky with his belly exposed? Even the robe that concealed his shame at the end was not there.
Gone?
Rurik was still sitting next to him with a dull face, and gestured to Paul to say in the ancient Saxon language that was very Rurik: "This is the commander-in-chief of the Vikings and the Duke of the Principality of Rus. This is an inevitable war.
You! King Aynred of Northumbria, you must pay a tribute of one thousand pounds of silver coins to buy your life back and prevent Bamburgh from being razed to the ground."
He was not killed, and the other party's actions were obviously healing.
One thousand pounds of silver?!
Eynred's haggard face gasped: "Too many! One thousand pounds of silver coins."
Rurik stepped forward and asked again: "Still don't want to give it?"
"..."
Rurik shook his head and said with hatred: "In that case, I will turn you into a eunuch."
Although Eynred didn't quite understand what the young man said, he understood everything immediately.
With his belly exposed, he looked like a stallion waiting to be gelded. A shaggy-haired barbarian had already approached his vital parts with a red-hot knife. This operation was clearly a gelding.
This is the greatest humiliation for a man. Eynred couldn't care less and shouted loudly: "I'll give you money! Give me money!"
This was not what Rurik expected, so he ordered his men to stop and asked: "A thousand pounds of silver coins? Give it to me?"
"A thousand pounds...a thousand pounds is too much. There is not a thousand pounds of gold and silver in all of Bamburgh."
"You still don't cooperate?"
"No!" Aynred yelled, trembling in fear: "Two hundred pounds! Bamburgh can take out two hundred pounds."
This number has been very clear. It has been reduced from one thousand pounds to two hundred pounds. The heads of the various families of the Balmok tribe present have various thoughts.
One thousand pounds, a silver coin of this magnitude challenges everyone's view of wealth.
That is two hundred pounds of silver coins. If this money can really be collected, the brothers will be very happy.
Biyongni took everyone's attitude into consideration and pulled Rurik aside for a moment. At this moment, a few more people gathered to discuss in a low voice.
Biyongni bluntly expressed his satisfaction: "Two hundred pounds is already a lot. Based on our previous experience in looting, I'm afraid we won't be able to squeeze a lot out of this kingdom."
Many others echoed, their short-sightedness and easy satisfaction really gave Rurik a headache.
"That's it? Are you satisfied?"
"Otherwise? This guy has been so stubborn. I think it's hard for us to squeeze out any more benefits. I'm afraid that Bamburgh is indeed very poor."
The speechless Rurik shook his head and went back to sit next to Eynred: "Then give me another hundred thousand pounds of wheat. I know you have just finished the wheat harvest. Bamburgh is said to be a big town in your north, and there must be some."
Lots of wheat.”
"Are you... thinking of wheat?"
"Speak quickly! One hundred thousand pounds of wheat, give it or not."
"One hundred thousand pounds is too much. I... can only give out fifty thousand. Vikings, if you plunder all the wheat, our people will starve to death."
"You...are you begging us? Are you actually begging now? Do you think I am so kind?" As he spoke, Rurik, who drew his dagger, motioned for Paul to completely translate his words.
Forget it, the dagger was directly pressed against Eynred's ear: "One hundred thousand pounds! No need to negotiate."
"..."
It seems that this king is not unwilling to cooperate, but is trapped in substantive negotiations, and he wants to try his best to reduce his losses. This shows that this person is not a foolish king, but any of his efforts are useless.
Paul immediately began to translate another of Rurik's words, which was truly horrifying to be spoken by the leader of a powerful barbarian tribe from afar.
"Your proud cavalry has suffered huge losses and your huge army has been wiped out. Edinburgh and Lindisfarne have been destroyed. What will Mercia and Wessex think if Bamburgh is destroyed again? We Vikings want silver coins
, want food! But those people always hope to annex your kingdom. They will completely kill your family, and their methods are more barbaric than ours."
Aynred was silent for a while, then sighed and murmured: "You actually know Mercia and Wessex. You are obviously barbarians, and you are well prepared for this attack."
"Of course. We are here for wealth. Are you willing to use silver coins and wheat to buy our safe lives?" Rurik asked deliberately.
"Haha, do you have such good intentions? Even if I take the money, you will still break your promise."
Rurik naturally agreed with what the king said. Any so-called peace commitment is essentially a truce commitment for a period of time.
The tide of the Viking Age has begun, and the Russians are not only brave trendsetters in this tide, but other brave people include Danes and Norwegians from all walks of life.
Rurik could not guarantee his so-called promise. He said bluntly: "At least you can trust us now. I will take you to Bamburgh. I'm afraid you can arrive tomorrow. I know it is also located in a small bay on the seaside.
The town will be surrounded by a large army, and you will be publicly displayed. When we have obtained the required tribute, we will release you and withdraw the whole army."
Go home! Reunite with your wife and children! Just straighten out the internal affairs, recruit new soldiers to train the army, strengthen coastal defense, and strengthen land border defense.
In a few seconds, Eynred devised multiple strategies to avoid the tragedy from happening again.
First of all, he must go back alive, even if he pays some serious price.
"I agree. Two hundred pounds of silver coins, one hundred thousand pounds of wheat. Send me to Bamburgh, and I will order the local garrison to follow your requirements. I just ask that you do not attack Bamburgh."
Rurik nodded: "I can make a promise, but I have to add terms now."
"Ah?! You..." Eynred was so angry that his teeth itched, and he felt that he was being played by this brat.
"Don't be nervous. I've already estimated your strength. I won't push you to do something you can't do."
"What do you want to do?"
Rurik simply didn't care and pointed at Eynred's vitals casually: "We are all men, and as men we have men's needs. My brothers sailed on the sea for a month and came to your territory to ask for silver coins.
I want food, but I also want your women. Provide me with a hundred young women, a hundred pure women. You cannot fulfill the requirements that are too high, and a hundred pure women must be provided."
"This...am I going to use a woman to buy peace?"
"Do you have a choice?"
Eynred just raised his head and dropped his head when he heard it. He really had no choice.
"Okay! Well... they'll call me a tyrant."
"It doesn't matter." Rurik shrugged and pointed to the dark sea: "What is on the other side of the sea? They are all enemies! Do you think that all the enemies of Northumbria are on land? No! You kingdoms are just sheepfolds.
There are sheep competing for fodder, and there are wolves on the other side of the sea. We took the money and women and left, but more people would come and kill us. We are not the same group as the newcomers. Even if we don’t come, they will
Come back too, they won't even give you a chance to negotiate with you."
"So, I even have to thank you?"
"Of course you have to thank me." Rurik retracted his sword and asked his men to cover the king with a fig leaf. "We will set off tomorrow morning and are expected to arrive at Bamburgh at noon tomorrow. We will camp under Bamburgh Castle.
.Look, the stone walls of Lindisfarne can't stop them, so what does Bamburgh mean? Whether we attack the city depends on whether your tribute is provided quickly. You can't die now, you can rest for the time being."
After that, Rurik stood up, raised his head and glared at Eynred: "You are indeed a stupid king, you don't even have a warship. I expected a naval battle, but nothing happened. Your cavalry
Cause me a little trouble, and this will give my victory some glory. Tomorrow, I will show you the charm of the Viking ship."
Rather than bringing the captured enemy king with him to demand tribute, the ordinary Balmok Viking warriors preferred to carry their battle axes and capture Bamburgh on their own terms.
After losing a group of brothers, coupled with the continuous expedition in the past month, even if everyone seemed to be still as strong as they were in exchange for the spoils, their violent snoring at night could not fool Rurik's ears.
The Balmoqs and the Bergen immigrants from Shetland do not need to receive any moral inspiration from the cross at all. What they all believe in is Odin, and faith gains glory in fighting. Barbarism is actually a hymn to the berserker.
But their physical fitness as a whole cannot satisfy Rurik. The real Russian warriors have been eating wheat and meat for many years. Their strong physical fitness has shown a strong advantage in many battles where honor and the future are on the line.
If the Balmoks were allowed to storm Bamburg, Rurik would still be confident of taking the city in one fell swoop.
The price was, of course, another 200 casualties. Of course, those who died were not Russians, so he didn't need to care.
But wait! When I return, I have to pass through the waters controlled by the Bergens. In line with everyone's "sea etiquette", the fleet carrying a large amount of loot must move slowly. Will it cause the Bergens to suddenly gather and launch an attack?
A massive looting spree?
The rule of the sea is that the strong is king. The powerful family leaders of the Balmok tribe, or the children of the leaders are all in the army. Rurik found that they would not complain about their command due to the heavy loss of personnel, they would only complain.
Can't get enough baby.
Considering that this trip to Bamburgh is very likely to bring in a large amount of loot, if a large number of Balmoks are killed in the battle, who will row the large number of longships directly on the return voyage? We can't let the Avora pull too many
ship.
The key to obtaining large amounts of tribute in a peaceful way is that the captured enemy king must be alive and well.
That night, Eynred's legs were tied up, and his surviving right arm was tied with a rope to his heel. A piece of wood was thrown into his mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue and committing suicide.
Rurik was wrong, and all the Vikings were wrong. They really thought that Eynred had a high probability of trying to commit suicide. At least they thought about it sincerely. The Vikings couldn't stand such insults, and they would either die fighting or die.
suicide.
Eynred had never thought about committing suicide. Compared with the fear of death, he was more afraid of the consequences of committing suicide and going to hell. He faced the new day in an extremely awkward attitude, everything was like a dream, as if everything was gone.
It's a nightmare.
It wasn't until someone kicked the wound on his broken arm, causing him to scream in pain, that he realized there was no nightmare at all and that he was facing the darkest moment of his life.