The Ross army marched on the newly grown grass by the river, trampling over gravel and soil, and gradually came to the end of the old Gray Squirrel Fortress.
This was the second time for some of the soldiers in the team to set foot on this road. Compared to that winter war, this spring expedition has actually become a bit more strenuous.
If Rurik had not made certain preparations for the army, the army would have been running out of supplies until now, and would have had to find ways to get food on the spot before continuing to move forward.
All soldiers had a backpack made of linen, stuffed with dried salted fish, pre-made wheat cakes, and even simple oats. These rations generally weighed more than ten pounds.
They were actually carrying heavy packs on their backs, but fortunately they had strong bodies developed through hunting, logging, and paddling, so they had no complaints about becoming "mules of the principality."
This is not the first time that everyone has carried out an expeditionary military operation. The young and old soldiers have reached a consensus on maintaining enough food rations to support long-term battles.
Those children, whether they were boys or girls, were still carrying heavy luggage and panting to catch up with the team. Some children put their equipment on the carts transporting heavy weapons, which reduced some physical consumption, but the effect was limited after all.
of.
Rurik did not comfort them in any way for their encounter. Instead, he urged them harshly, forcing them to stop procrastinating.
However, the team's fatigue gradually showed, and they immediately launched an attack under the wooden wall that wanted to reach the target. Obviously this was not a clever plan.
"Attacking the city is the last resort. Maybe when the army approaches the city, I should come up with a good way to win."
Rurik walked almost the whole way during the march. He felt his ankles gradually becoming sore. He thought that most of his soldiers were also the same.
Some soldiers of the Russian army wrapped their calves with linen cloth. This leggings technique was not popularized by the entire army. Quite a few soldiers did not even have time to clean their blood-stained coats, and now the blood stains on their coats have turned black.
The image of the army became a bit sloppy. When the soft light of the setting sun shone on the earth, immersed in the tiring sunset were the swaying figures marching along the river.
Rurik kept moving, and Jevlo didn't want to make any suggestions, much less say goodbye to Arik and his men who were still moving quickly.
It was getting late, and Yevro finally approached his master: "Sir, it seems that we can't reach the enemy's mountain fortress today. Night is coming, and the brothers are very tired. We..."
"Rest? Of course. But I want to walk again."
"All right."
"Wait a minute." Rurik suddenly ordered: "Go and inform Arik in front, asking him to stop and set up camp when night falls. Run quickly."
"As commanded."
The team of Ross's army was stunned and dragged into a long snake formation of nearly three kilometers.
The current Russian army is actually quite weak. Those children who were dragged to the battlefield have, after all, suffered from the previous marches, bloody battles and limited rest that severely overtaxed their already insufficient physical strength. They have become the real tail of the crane.
On the other hand, the First Flag Team led by Arik, this group of unruly and astonishingly strong men, are still fearless bears, charging tirelessly.
The long snake-like team gradually gathered and formed a camp about 500 meters long on a relatively wide river beach.
A large number of bonfires were lit, and people who had walked the winding and rugged road all day could finally sit down and rub their feet.
Beside a huge bonfire, Rurik was busy nibbling dried fish while glancing at whether the wheat in the pottery urn was cooked.
Of course, Arik was also chewing on the dried fish he had brought with him, but he was quite critical of today's march and had his own thoughts.
"Brother, we are moving too slowly. I remember back then we rushed to Gray Squirrel Hill Castle in one day."
The parties involved in that war were sitting by this bonfire, and Mechasta felt very uncomfortable hearing this. Over the years, the defeated and surrendered leader learned the Norse language, and could basically hear the exchanges between the Rus.
Mechasta smiled bitterly and said: "That year, you pulled the sled on the glacier. The road was extremely smooth! It seems to me that the Russian army appeared suddenly, and we were not prepared at all."
These words attracted Arik's attention: "So what you are saying is that the newly arrived Tavastians are not prepared for our attack."
"Maybe. Those guys are stronger than us."
"They will be prepared! They must be prepared." Rurik stared at the flames with an extremely determined attitude.
"Are you on guard? You won't be easily defeated by me. I have some suggestions." As he said that, Arik turned to glare at his brother.
"You...are you looking at me like that? Are you afraid that you want to lead a team yourself and demolish that mountain fortress?"
"Why not?"
"You should be careful and follow my large army."
"No! We should appear suddenly and launch a surprise attack." Arik also wanted to give some explanations. After all, he actually expressed his hope to get the first victory in defeating the enemy.
Rurik had to think about his cousin's proposal. He was actually worried that the enemy would flee back the same way and then run away with Xinruansayazi. If his army delayed a little longer, it would not be good in the end.
Many people on the march discovered the traces left by the enemy when they fled, and concluded that the march was correct.
"Okay, you lead the first flag team and fight over there." Rurik sighed a little and finally convinced his brother.
"Okay, let's take a break and start moving right away."
"Huh? Are you so anxious?"
"I'm afraid that the enemy will escape quickly. I want to pursue them lightly and capture the fortress as soon as possible."
Rurik frowned slightly again: "Arriving lightly? Without heavy weapons, the mountain fortress is not easy to fight."
"Yes." Mechasta shouted deliberately: "That is the mountain fortress we built after all. In our battle many years ago, my people at least caused you casualties. If our army rushes to attack, Tavas, who is stronger than me, will
The Tia people will..."
"Shut up!" Arik was furious: "You are a defeated general."
Rurik said with a sullen face: "But what he said makes sense."
"It doesn't matter. I just want to appear suddenly and attack by force. Brother, please be optimistic. When your large army arrives, you will see our flag flying on the wooden wall of the mountain fort."
Rurik really couldn't talk about this guy, especially when it came to war issues. He knew that even if he was a real duke, he couldn't make the strong men of the First Banner Corps obey him with just one order.
The Russians, the core of the Principality of Rus, are never monolithic within themselves! Of course the young people admire Rurik, who brought everyone a prosperous life, and they also admire Arik, who led everyone in bloody battles.
Many young people are bloodthirsty guys, and sometimes Rurik thinks they are psychopathic.
Simply let this group of guys who are literally not afraid of death fight to the death. In the end, they were all wiped out in previous battles. The remaining larger group of thriving boys naturally only remained loyal to the Duke of Ross himself.
Arik didn't know that there was a lot of darkness behind his brother's seemingly straightforward agreement.
Everyone fell asleep in Ross's riverside camp. Biyongni verbally supported Arik's decision to raid. He respected Arik, a fighting madman, and wanted to bring his Balmok brothers to participate. After all, the reality was a cruel slap in the face.
They boasted of their strong physique and defeated the strong men of Balmoq in Northumbria, Britain. They finally discovered that they were not good at marching long distances in a short time on two legs. Although they had extremely strong endurance,
A long march, little sleep and a big battle are three pronged measures, and there is a limit to endurance.
Now the location of the camp is not far from the target. After all, everyone walked all day long, and if they persisted for a while at night, they would arrive at the old Gray Squirrel Hill Fort.
The glory of the first battle vanguard was taken by Arik's First Banner Corps. This group of people had the most combat experience in the Principality of Rus. Forty percent of them were veterans who had participated in all the foreign wars of the Rus' in the past five years. They woke up in the last stage of the night.
They abandoned most of their supplies and set off with only a few dried fish and a leather water bag for drinking water, as well as light weapons and equipment.
Among the five hundred brothers, there were only more than thirty light crossbowmen borrowed from the Shooting Flag Team (the thirty of them were all from Rurik's mercenary guards), and there were also more than twenty people who carried short wooden bows made by themselves.
.
What is quite strange is that they carried a batch of wooden boards that were pieced together, which were "giant anti-arrow shields". Arik needed this to cover his attack.
Arik has a set of siege techniques that are irreversible. This battle can be regarded as another attack on the Gray Squirrel Fortress. If you repeat the old techniques, you will definitely win quickly!
Soon, the first standard group of attacking Russian warriors encountered the Tavastia Forest Rangers who were stationed in the woods near the mountain fortress.
After being defeated but still determined to hold on, Watiyala became cautious and even began to place sentries.
In the dim light of the early morning, the sentry spotted the team advancing along the river beach. Feeling that something was wrong, he immediately ran back to the mountain fort.
At that time, Gray Squirrel Hill Castle had become dilapidated due to the war. After being captured by Tavastia, it was expanded, especially in that the city defense work was more rigorous.
Why strengthen the wooden wall? Dig the earth!
It didn't matter that the earth was dug to strengthen the foundation, a protective trench appeared around the entire mountain fort.
A gate and a small door were built into the mountain fort. The woods near the mountain fort were cut down cleanly, and even the humus layer on the surface was cleared.
Why? Firstly, it naturally expands the defender's sight. Secondly, some land has been simply dug up, and there are a few onions that have just been planted in it!
Although the immigrants were forced to evacuate under Watyala's order, they had already started farming before evacuating, even though the climate in this area was too cold.
The sentries ran back one after another, shouting as they ran.
Their shouts completely broke the tranquility of the morning and completely ruined Vatyala's last sweet dream.
The entire mountain fortress ended in peace, and all the Tavastian warriors stationed stood up.
Old and young, they guarded the new territory they had just taken with mixed emotions. Now a large number of people holding bows walked up the wooden wall, just like a flock of sparrows covering the branches.
Soon, after walking through the last forest, Arik could fully understand the situation ahead.
"Boss, we're here." A soldier pointed his sword at the exposed mountain fortress.
"Okay!" Arik glanced at the sun that was beginning to rise. The morning fog was quickly dispersing, and the hazy figure of the mountain fortress was also flashing.
He was carrying a round shield like a turtle shell, and with his back turned to the brothers behind him, he slowly drew out his swords.
The buzz of the sword being drawn was simply the most wonderful echo. The brothers of the First Flag Team were overjoyed. We were all lucky enough to fight under the rising sun. Glory was inevitable. The enemy had been defeated. The brothers naturally had the right to choose the spoils first.
Holding two swords, Arik and more than a dozen brothers suddenly walked out of the edge of the forest and stepped into the open space outside Gray Squirrel Mountain Castle.
Although the situation had undergone some changes, he saw that the overall structure of the mountain fort was still the same.
"Look! Brothers, look at those wooden walls. There are actually a group of turtledoves standing on them."
"Our defeated generals actually want to defend the city." Someone shouted disdainfully.
Someone also cautioned: "They are really prepared. If we attack rashly, we will still be injured by arrows. Even if we are all wearing armor, their arrows can still cause trouble when they reach the bottom of the wall."
"It doesn't matter, we are here well prepared. Now follow me up and scare them!"
Arik was really determined to win. He led more than ten people forward and walked more than ten pieces of cloth, and then screamed.
Looking at the mountain fort again, Vatyala stood cautiously on the wall with a frown.
"Are the Russians mocking us? Does anyone know the language of the Varangians?"
Poor Tavastian warriors who had seen the sea for the first time. How could they understand the cries of the heroes on the sea?
But the behavior of the Russians they saw next, everyone knew that it must be humiliating.
It turned out that Arik deliberately led his brothers to lift up their pants, and to the Tavastians, there was a group of white things in the distance. That turned out to be...
"It's time to humiliate us! Come here! Shoot them!" Vatyala ordered with bared teeth.
Although the distance is relatively far, how can you not fight back after being so humiliated?
Vatyala gathered all the archers on the wooden wall. There were nearly 200 archers under his command and as many as 5,000 arrows.
The weight of a short wooden bow is only about 20 pounds. Thanks to the light arrow it shoots, the arrow can fly a long distance.
There was a whooshing sound in the sky, and Arik hurriedly lifted up his pants. Unexpectedly, one of the unlucky brothers was hit in the buttocks. He knelt down holding the wound, and was dragged back by the combined efforts of the brothers.
Who would have thought that when the first wounded person in the Russian army appeared, the injured person would still be injured in the buttocks?
This man only had minor flesh wounds. Arik personally pulled out the bone arrow clusters and asked the warrior to stay aside and rest.
The shocked people looked at Arik and suddenly laughed again, which caused more people to giggle.
"Why are you laughing?! Damn it, I really underestimated them."
"It doesn't matter." The first laughing warrior yelled: "The big tree will be chopped down soon. Their arrows are indeed stronger than the Kovin people, but their wooden doors will be knocked open by us. Then the brothers rush in
Killing indiscriminately."
"Very good." Arik nodded, and in a moment a big tree collapsed, shaking the forest ground.
The Russians seemed to have jumped out just to humiliate themselves? Vateara felt that his counterattack had severely dampened the spirit of the Russians. The Tavastian warriors who had fought cowardly cheered for this volley.
There were more than a hundred arrows stuck on the flat ground. In fact, only two arrows took advantage of the wind, and only one of them caused insignificant losses to the Russians.
Vatyala knew that the enemy would not give up. They only appeared as scouts. There must be a large number of enemies hidden in the forest ahead, and the war would inevitably break out today.
"Brothers! Get ready to fight."
He felt the shaking of the earth and sensed the crisis. Soon, the Ross army really left the woods, which shocked all the mountain fort defenders to become alert, and the hands that controlled the strings trembled.
Arik still held up his two swords, and swung the steel sword in his right hand: "Russians! Let's go!"
More than 20 strong men wearing chainmail and black bearskin attacked and tied up with hemp ropes before carrying a large pine tree that had just been cut down.
Beside him were a group of people holding shields, and in front were more than thirty warriors holding large arrow-proof shields. A large number of ordinary warriors advanced holding shields, and people holding bows and crossbows followed closely behind the shield-holders.
.
Arik's men formed a large formation that looked loose but was actually guarding the "pine battering ram" and began to attack in the face of arrows thrown by the enemy.
Although as soon as the battle started, Arik suddenly noticed that this group of enemies suddenly became braver. He felt a little bit tired, but he was also satisfied that he could fight enemies who showed their true strength.
Because this kind of battle will make everyone's victory glorious!