More than a hundred women kidnapped from Britain were all packed into the cabin. Together with Rurik's operational guards, as well as a large amount of salt and captured ironware, the Aurora was actually overcrowded.
The return journey was by no means a smooth triumph. No one was worried about the obstruction of Danish forces. It was precisely the fact that there were too many people on the ship and men and women mixed together that was the biggest trouble.
If there hadn't been an order first, Rurik had no doubt that in the quiet night, the mercenaries in the cabin would definitely take action against these women.
At least Rurik doesn't have to worry about food and fresh water. The existing reserves are enough for the crew of the ship to consume for a month.
But the cabin was soon filled with a foul stench.
There is really nothing we can do about it, because the ship is facing a small late autumn storm.
The sea wind was not fatal, but the waves did become rough. Rurik noticed the accompanying large group of immigrants in long boats. They had already approached the shore one after another, and were led by the sailing ship Balmok into a small bay to take shelter from the wind.
.
The Aurora ignored these obstructions and kept bouncing up and down among the waves, once again causing the seasick women to vomit and have diarrhea.
It wasn't just them, because it was really too cold outside, and dense snow fell on the world under the haze. Such days lasted for just one day, and the Aurora actually moved forward in the wind and snow.
Even if the cabin is full of stench, it is still better than shivering with cold on the deck. The deck is already very dangerous, and the sailors on duty also have hemp ropes tied around their waists, wearing deerskin cloaks and wolfskin hats, and they carefully control the triangular sail.
Rurik had no choice but to stay in the captain's cabin below the bow deck. It was a relatively spacious place, and he and Mary were the only two people in the room.
In any era of sailing, the captain has the best room on the ship.
The captain's cabin of the Aurora is not luxurious at all, but it is decorated with some leather to make it comfortable to lie down and rest. The climate has suddenly changed, and the indoor temperature has also dropped very low.
"How long are we going to float like this?" Mary, who was suffering from seasickness and cold, muttered to herself.
"There are still at least two weeks." Rurik said casually.
"Rose...so far away?"
"It's not only remote, but also cold. But don't worry, the greatness there is beyond your imagination. Even in the world of ice and snow, there is ultimate warmth."
"Is that... still the land blessed by the Lord? Do you live at the end of the world?"
Rurik stared at Mary's face and hesitated for a moment: "If... if there is a greatest god, Rose will be protected by him. Do you still have nostalgia for Mercia?"
"No!" She forced herself to cheer up, "I'm just... worried about the future."
"Don't be surprised, Rus is not a place ruled by the Lord you believe in." Rurik also cheered up, beat his chest, and introduced: "In the Viking world, heroic men have many wives and concubines, just like Odin has
Many Valkyries. Among my wives, you are the second in age, but your status is not really noble."
"Yes..." She lowered her head silently, "Because of my identity..."
"No. You are still a noble of Mercia. You have lost your dignity. Only I can give you dignity again. After returning to Ross, you cannot feel that you are different, let alone betray me and find another man. You can only be loyal.
I am alone, otherwise..."
"Yes. If you betray me, I will die. I understand." As she spoke, she began to slowly pull off her leather jacket in the dim light. "There is no one else here, so you can treat me as a servant. If it were you, I would
Give everything to you."
Looking at her trembling eyes again, Rurik let out a long sigh. This woman indeed understood the principle that mother is more valuable than son, but that was all for later.
"You are very weak, please continue to rest. The Mercian court etiquette you have learned is very useful. When you return to Rus, they will accept you."
Mary's words were really euphemistic. She actually felt that she was going to take this boat to another world.
Isn't it? A whole new world is what the priests call the home of the Vikings, a terrifying hell. Viking men can have many wives and concubines, is there anything more terrifying than this?
But he is a filthy person, and his so-called father and brother are actually sanctimonious hypocrites.
The cold outdoors was almost freezing to the point of cracking her bones. If she didn't want to avoid making the room stink, she wouldn't be willing to go out with the filth in the pottery and dump it.
In the hazy and snowy world, Rurik was in a bad mood, and Mary was being devastated both physically and mentally.
All the passengers on the Aurora were depressed and hoped that the snowstorm would end soon.
The wind and snow were actually a blessing. The north wind gave the ship strong power, and she had successfully sailed into the broad Denmark Strait.
The wind and snow lasted for seven days. After the cold north wind finally blew away the warmth and the warm and moist air flowing over the sea turned into snow, the sun finally came out lazily.
It's already October, and as the saying goes, it's snowing and cold, and even though the sun is shining high and the air is clear, no one dares to say it's warm.
The waves finally became calm, and due to the wind and snow, the fishing boats in the entire Denmark Strait almost disappeared. Even when the sun came out, there were no boats cruising.
Are they afraid of wind, waves and cold?
No! They, especially the Drogba tribe whose strength has declined.
Before the storm, they had seen a mighty fleet passing by the coast of Jutland. They could see the white flag with blue stripes flying on the mast, and all the fishing boats that had suffered heavy losses had escaped.
Then came the snowstorm again, and the narrow sea suddenly became rough. The Danes who had harvested their oats adhered to tradition, and the first snow this winter came earlier, announcing to all Danish lords: Even if everyone is fighting for power in the warm period, now everyone can feel at ease.
Overwinter.
The Avora was still in uninhabited territory. She quickly passed through the Oresund Strait, and the sea ahead suddenly opened up.
The waves were calm, and the sails of the big ship were swollen by the wind. The women stood in Class A to get some air, but their clothes were too thin, and they had to retreat to the smelly cabin to get some air.
Rurik held Mary's shoulders, and both of them changed into furry winter clothes.
This really touched Mary, she knew he cared about her.
But the sea ahead is shocking!
Mary couldn't help but shiver, not because of the cold, but because she had never seen the sea well after living in Tamworth, Mercia, which was essentially a landlocked area for more than ten years.
It was cold and empty, but I was so small, and this big ship also seemed extremely small.
A group of people quickly saw the new land. You must know that they have not made any landing and rest since they set off from Narvik Port.
Time is running out, the water is bitingly cold, and we are almost one step away from freezing.
The Aurora sailed in the eastern waters of Öland, which was the fastest route to the north after bypassing the island of Burgundy.
She is turning against the wind and running towards the northeast, which will pass directly through the east coast of Gotland Island, just like a sharp sword piercing the Tombstone Island Fortress in the Åland Islands!
The island of Oland is getting farther and farther away, and all the sailors on the ship know that they are sailing on the most correct and fastest route.
But those women were full of uneasiness. This was the first time in their lives that they had seen such a vast body of water, and the fear in their hearts could not be described in words.
Fortunately, they were now under firm control. They saw that the Russians not only did not panic, but as time went on, their fighting spirit seemed to be getting higher and higher.
In fact, that was also the Russian people's forced cheering up.
It was a sunny day and the wind was cold and biting.
Rurik stood on the bow deck, facing the brothers on the lower deck and shouted sternly: "We are finally back! I know you are extremely tired, and the fresh water on the ship has also been consumed! If you endure it for a few more days, we are now sailing at high speed.
!I dare say, we sail all night, and I will arrive at Tombstone Island in five days. We will have a good rest on the island! You will take hot baths, eat greasy barbecue, and eat wheat constantly. We will
Rest for at least two days!"
This was the best thing that everyone hoped for. People started cheering, and then yelled crazily. Even the people hanging on the mast with a rope ladder raised their right fists and cheered.
Soon, the news was also informed to the women in the cabin through Princess Mary.
This group of women are almost all Mercians, and because they were deliberately selected by Magnute, they are not much older than Mary.
They were told that their future would be to serve as servants of the so-called Rus nobles, and for those lucky enough to be the maids of Queen Mary. They were promised a good future, so to speak, as long as they did good things, they would be able to get food, clothing and housing.
The uneasiness that pervaded the ship disappeared, and the ship successfully drifted to Tombstone Island as Rurik expected.
But what was very obvious was that Rurik saw fine ice floes starting to float on the sea surface, and the world around him was always white.
The snowfall that started at the end of September was described as a heavy snowfall in the area around Roseburg. The world was indeed beautiful covered in silver, but what Rurik saw was the risk of the ocean - the Gulf of Bothnia was rapidly freezing.
!
The situation shouldn't be too bad.
The return of the Avora did not surprise the people of Tombstone Island. In fact, the large fleet escorted by Aric had just passed here recently.
A batch of goods was unloaded, and the people of Tombstone Island shared the war dividends of the Ross army! Of course, the left-behind people here did not take it for free, for example, they bought wheat according to the guide price set by the Duke of Ross, that is, one silver coin for ten pounds of wheat.
.
The Russians and Slavic immigrants who settled here bought what they needed.
In fact, they got a big benefit. The so-called wheat harvest season in Lake Mälaren this year was not good. In addition, Gould of Ross was ordered to purchase wheat on a large scale. The tribes around Lake Mälaren were no longer able to trade much wheat.
Even if there is, the price is still very high.
So when the fleet transporting the spoils escorted by Arik returned, the Merlaren merchants who intended to stay on Tombstone Island for the winter, or simply received money from King Bjorn of Sweden and were ordered to monitor Tombstone Island, were all shocked by the Russians.
Seized.
Arik lacked composure the most. He carelessly promoted the great victory of Rurik, Duke of Rus's expedition, and even boasted that the Russian fleet had two million pounds of wheat stuffed in it!
In fact, how can there be so many?
The people of the real Tombstone Island bought a lot of them, which aroused the envy of the visiting merchants.
Who would question the capture of the Russians? There is a real detail. After the Russian fleet left, they hurriedly rowed back to the Birka Market on Lake Mälaren and reported the message to King Bjorn.
On a cold afternoon, the Phantom of the Aurora arrived at the Tombstone Island Fortress.
Many people saw her from a distance, and the identity flying on the mast proved their identity.
On the boat, the tired people cheered, knowing that everyone would have a perfect rest tonight.
Everything went according to plan, the ship entered the archipelago and then entered the sheltered bay on Tombstone Island.
The remaining islanders gathered together, and they saw Lord Rurik's fluttering golden ponytail, and a whole row of uniformly dressed mercenaries standing around Class A.
People were cheering as they watched them disembark along the plank.
Soon, people started a new discussion, because a group of women they had never seen before continued to walk down cautiously.
They all wear headscarves and cloth clothing, and their styles are completely different from the Russians or Slavs on the island.
I'm afraid this is the new slave that your Excellency kidnapped from the British Island...
Rurik had a distinguished status, and his landing immediately attracted crowds of people to watch. Men and women spontaneously took out food and water. This is the so-called basket of food and pots of pulp to welcome the king's master.
But Rurik paid, and he did pay some remuneration, so he purchased fresh meat and fresh yellow carrots from the people, as well as delicious meals and wine reserved for tomorrow.
Many people are sincerely willing to contribute to the Son of God, but money still has to be given. Rurik immediately took out a sum of money, and everyone praised the generosity of the Lord.
There are still a large number of vacant houses on Tombstone Island, which were used to provide military accommodation when the area was used as a gathering place for the army.
The house housed the landed mercenaries, sailors, and even the one hundred and twenty women.
That night, the island was filled with a strong smell of barbecue, and a large number of bonfires were lit on the shore to boil hot water in pottery urns.
The aroma almost all comes from barbecued seals. This rather greasy barbecue is sprinkled with a lot of salt. The saltiness is really salty. For those whose bodies are extremely deficient in salt and oil, it is an extreme delicacy.
The wild mercenaries feasted on the food, and the women also began to chew the oily meat. Barbecue could only be regarded as a hard dish, and the staple food was a stew of wheat and vegetables.
After the meal, the mercenaries began to wash off the dirt on their bodies, and then got into the sauna room, which was full of righteousness. When they came out, everyone put on new clothes. As for the old clothes, they were left to the locals to clean them.
Already.
Now that he was back home, he sat in his palace on Tombstone Island, minding his own business and eating a delicious meal on the low table.
Princess Mary was also sitting here. After landing on the island, she changed into a Slavic-style patterned plaid gown and prepared a leather coat.
The leading figures on the island were also sitting in the house, and were ordered to report recent events to Rurik...
"Aric's fleet has returned, and Gould's fleet purchasing supplies has also returned. My father's Eastern Sorgon team just returned a few days ago. Old Eric, who arranged to go to Hedebe in Denmark, has also returned. It's really a series of events.
good news."
Rurik was in a happy mood and threw a few silver coins to the report.
Reporting happily, he accepted the money and asked briefly with a smile: "Sir, is the woman next to you your new wife and concubine?"
"Oh? That's true. A woman of noble status, but she is my own woman. You don't have to worry about it."
"Okay..." Maybe there is something hidden here, and the knowledgeable reporter chose to remain silent.
"You can leave. Tell the others that I will rest here for two days and I will return on the third day."
"But sir, the sea water is freezing. Some fishing brothers say that the northern seas have frozen."
"It doesn't matter. Mere ice floes can't stop my ship. My people are too tired. After a month of sailing, everyone is almost driven crazy."
The messenger smiled: "I understand, I will entertain them."
The messenger withdrew, Rurik's joy still showed on his face.
He glanced at Mary from the side and realized that the girl was still looking at her.
"what's wrong with you?"
"You... use two sticks... your hands are really flexible."
"Oh. It's just a kind of tableware. You should learn it too. In Ross, as my woman, you need to learn this." After that, he handed the chopsticks, which were actually two freshly cut wooden sticks, to Mary.
The two parties already have an extremely close relationship, and Mary has no taboos about it.
Although she suddenly made herself laughable when playing with chopsticks, Rurik could see her concentration.
"It seems that there are no tableware in the palace of Mercia." Rurik joked casually.
"Yes. We all use our hands. We only use spoons to drink soup. Sometimes men use knives to cut meat."
"Not elegant enough. In Rus, we have spoons, knives, forks and these two little sticks. Women, especially, can't reach out to grab food."
"I want to learn." She said confidently with a slightly shy look on her face.
"Yes. You still have a lot to learn. For example, you have to go to a special place to use the toilet, and you must wash your hands afterwards. Eat quickly, because I will soak in hot water and feel comfortable later. You also
come together."
"Soak in hot water? Baptism?!" She probed her head warily.
"No, it's just a bath. This is a Roman enjoyment! Woman, you and I are speaking Roman Latin now. What's wrong with adding some Roman enjoyment?"
"This... okay. I feel a little strange."
"This is our way of life. In battle we are more ferocious than bears, but in peacetime we also know how to live."
"That's...okay."
After a while, Rurik soaked in hot water and washed himself clean again with the special soap full of floral fragrance.
Then, Princess Mary also came for the cleanest wash in her life. She blamed herself for being unclean, so she was rubbed on the back by Rurik without any taboos. Yes, why should there be taboos? Only this dimension
Jing aristocrats regard themselves as real women.
She wouldn't have had the chance in Mercia, and now, when she found that her skin could be rubbed with a lot of mud grooves, she simply called herself unclean.
Rurik did not give her a chance to rest, so he closed her eyes and began frantically scrubbing her short brown hair. Rurik's actions were indeed a bit violent, but he was actually afraid that there would be flea eggs mixed with her.
After feeling comfortable, Rurik went back to the steam room and enjoyed a serious Finnish sauna. However, this extreme "post-war rest" came to an end when Mary was steamed directly into coma.
Mary fell asleep and woke up the next morning. She felt that everything was a dream. She patted her face and realized that this was reality. She was already in the new world. She saw the clothes she had just obtained neatly stacked.
On the side, she couldn't help but smile knowingly. She quickly changed her clothes, straightened her nose and sniffed, looking for the scent of wheat, and then approached the noisy restaurant of the Duke of Ross' palace.
It was also here that Rurik was already feasting on his elite guards, as well as the Rus and Slavic elites who stayed on Tombstone Island.
There is indeed a Slavic population here, numbering more than 200. They are all from Novgorod and have established a traditional farm here. However, the soil and climate of this archipelago are not suitable for growing wheat. In addition to diligently growing carrots and
Onions turned into fishermen and made a living by fishing like real Russians. They were already calling themselves Russians.
Seeing that Mary Shanshan was late, this woman was also pulled over.
A large oak cup was placed in front of him with a clatter. Then he looked at the people here and entered the barbarian colosseum on his own.
Just as she was at a loss and trembling, a red-faced strong man with a sinister face shouted rudely in Norse: "Women of Mercia, you must understand our rules if you join us. Drink!"
Mary was actually a little scared, but Rurik also urged unusually with a hint of drunkenness.
Helpless, Mary touched the wine glass with both hands and drank the entire glass of craft ale.
And the vast number of soldiers collectively began to clap the table and applaud.
Is it chaotic? This lunch is really chaotic, but it is also very lively.
Two roasted lambs were brought in, and the soldiers carried steel swords to cut the meat one by one and put it on the dinner plate. After a while, a new oak barrel full of ale was brought in (purchased from the guest wine merchant in Malaren). The barbecue seemed to be just a drop.
Wine and food, including cooked wheat, are all added to the meal. The main purpose of today's feast is to enjoy the feast.
Poor Mary, she had just woken up. She was very drunk and it was the first time in her life that she drank alcohol. A large glass of ale made her drunk again, and she had no choice but to be pulled back to the dormitory to continue resting.
It was rare for Rurik to get drunk, but fortunately, his body recovered quickly.
This pure Viking carnival was accompanied by the pleasure of overeating, and the joy continued into the night. The islanders piled huge mountains of firewood and lit a torch as fierce as a lighthouse. This was their praise for Rurik, Duke of Rus.