Chapter 656 Vadim, Harold and the Road to Smolensk
Vadim, a self-proclaimed prince of Novgorod, his so-called notice of this lake area fell apart under the overwhelming military power of the Russian army after only ten days.
He became a literally bereaved dog, clutching his injured left arm and running away in the nearby woods with more than a dozen of his last henchmen.
It wasn't until nightfall that the group's escape was forced to come to a halt.
The woods gave them cover, and the night was perfect cover.
However, the vast forest area is not peaceful.
Vadim finally sat down with his back against a big cedar tree. He gasped for breath and subconsciously lifted up his linen shirt to check the wound.
The blood has stopped flowing, which is a blessing among misfortunes.
But he lost a lot of blood, and running for a long time consumed a lot of physical energy. But now he has no food or water. He is like this, and the situation of the brothers present is not much better.
Those ordinary and young cronies all dreamed of following the young prince Vadim to conquer the world, thereby gaining fame and tangible benefits.
Who would have thought that everyone's just act of resisting the Russian invaders would usher in ultimate destruction.
Under the cover of night, this group of people finally began to study their own futures.
They moved closer to Vadim, who was covering his wounds, hoping that the leader could show them a clear path.
"Boss, what will we do next?"
"We have lost everything now. Should we go to other manor houses? If we continue deep into the woods, we can find those who are hiding."
Someone suggested looking for the "hidden person", which was like a stone that stirred up a thousand waves. It really gave hope to confused people.
They murmured one after another and fled to the free manor farther away, relying on the fact that they were young men and an excellent labor force, so they would definitely be accepted by them.
Some people even fantasize that they can marry a local woman in their new manor. As long as they overcome the current difficulties, everything will be promising.
Following this "good idea", someone boldly provoked Vadim.
"Boss, let's go find those people. They have nothing to do with Dahu. You are the most noble person of Dahu, and you can also become the ruler of the new farm."
Vadim couldn't listen at all, and he didn't scold the guys for their unrealistic plan.
He stood up reluctantly while holding on to the captured steel sword, pretending that he was still tall. The moonlight shone through the branches into the people under the tree, and Vadim's face turned pale.
"It is useless to rely on those cowards who are hiding! They are not the daughters of the God of Lake Ilmen, and the Russians have never bullied them. It is crazy to expect them to unite to fight for me."
"But boss." Someone said again, "What else can we do besides them? If we are defeated, the Russians will probably launch terrible revenge."
"Then we can't go looking for the person who is hiding." Vadim firmly concluded that the Russians would indeed retaliate. "We are seeking death by staying here. They will look for my body and will not give up until they achieve their goal. We must continue.
escape."
"Escape? Where to go?"
"Go to the South! Go to the South with all your strength!"
Vadim's attitude was so determined that a term was ready to come out.
Many people said in unison: "Go to Smolensk?"
"That's it, to the territory of the Krivics."
This term is really familiar and unfamiliar to everyone. Vadim has no clear understanding of Smolensk. It is just that in the past days, his manor had some economic exchanges with Smolensk through merchant trade, at least
Each other knows each other.
There are even some conflicts between the two sides, but that is all in the past.
The so-called "hiding people" that Vadim couldn't believe were essentially the people living near Lake Ilmen. Those guys, like the White Tree Manor, were the weak who were squeezed out by the people near the lake. Vadim simply couldn't
He looked down upon those people and had no idea of relying on the strength of those people to fight back against the Russians and regain his power.
The only force in this world that can defeat the Russians is probably the Smolensk people.
Vadim boasted that he had made a very rational choice: "I... I am the prince of Novgorod, the ruler of Lake Ilmen. I am a noble person. As long as I arrive in Smolensk, I will definitely
You can make a comeback. Then you people can still get glory by following me."
Is there a glimmer of hope in despair? Everyone looked at each other. They couldn't make up their minds. Since the boss said so, the brothers agreed.
Still relying on the big tree, Vadim mustered up the courage to swear: "I must take revenge. I will summon an army from the south to take back everything I lost!"
He is really a hatred of his country and his family. His mind is occupied by revenge. Will the injury to his arm kill him?
Suddenly, the standing Avenger suddenly slumped down and sat down. He was really hungry.
Seeing this, the brothers also arranged a shack one after another. It was a pity that everyone fled in a hurry. They didn't even bring the bow drill to drill wood to make fire. How could they make a fire quickly?
No! Even if they had the ability to light a fire, they would not dare, for fear of being discovered and killed by the searching Russians.
They were also too tired. Once their tired and frightened bodies settled down, sleepiness would inevitably hit them like a flood.
Everyone fell asleep one after another, with fatal flaws all over their bodies.
No one stood guard for the group, they were like food in the open air, and did not attract the Russians who were searching for fleeing enemies. They naturally attracted roaming bears.
The brown bear smelled blood and a strange smell of salt.
Bears generally do not attack people unless there is something about the person that can arouse the beastly nature of these ferocious beasts.
A hungry brown bear took the initiative to attack, and everyone woke up from their sleep. They were shocked to find a terrifying black shadow tearing apart an unlucky companion. When everyone tried to save them, they realized that it was a bear!
Another person's neck was snapped by his brother, although some stabbed the bear's skin with an iron sword, which only inspired the beast to become even more crazy and cruel.
Without advanced weapons, such as steel-armed crossbows that can easily shoot through wooden boards, how can a group of young people who are exhausted from defeats hunt bears? Even if the Russians hunt bears, there are very few madmen who are so crazy that they can get up close and personal with bears.
Fight.
Vadim was trembling with shock. He was suddenly no longer hungry, and thoughts of escape occupied his entire mind.
He ran away again, this time for his own good.
How can a vengeful person become a delicious meal for a mad bear?
He didn't care about his brothers, and succumbed to his survival instinct and ran in a certain direction, ignoring his brothers.
He ran so wildly that the hemp rope at the seam of his leather boots broke. He still ran wildly, even though he fell down in the middle and kept running.
Until I was exhausted, my vision went dark and I fell on the soft humus under the forest.
…
"I...what's wrong..." Vadim slowly woke up from an extreme headache, and everything in front of him felt like a dream.
Is this actually a camp for some people by a lake?
He gradually found himself lying flat on the grass, with the aroma of barbecue filling the air.
The hungry body sat up almost without thinking. Vadim saw what seemed to be a roast rabbit on the rack? But those people wandering around turned out to be...
Intense fear invaded his mind. He huddled up quickly and tried to stand up to escape. However, he suddenly fell down just as he stood up.
This move finally attracted the attention of everyone in the camp.
A strong man with blond hair came over aggressively, carrying a small pottery jar filled with lake water, and poured the water completely on Vadim's face. Being stimulated by the cold water, Vadim woke up again.
"You...Varyags, don't! Don't kill me."
He subconsciously covered his face with his arms, which made the strong man laugh.
After a while, another strong man came over. This man sat down and stared into Vadim's eyes with a dull face: "Boy, do you still recognize me?"
"You? Are you Harold?! Damn it, you are actually here and you are actually escaping..."
"Escape is the smart thing to do. We will not fight with the Russians. You see, your entire army will be wiped out if you fight with them, and the manor will be destroyed by them."
This was a great shame. Vadim turned away disheartened and didn't know what to say.
"Look at me!" Harold reached out and grabbed Vadim's chin, and continued to describe what happened after the battle without politeness.
"We saw what the Rus did. They killed everyone. Countless corpses burned into a tower of fire. Even young children died. Even the blind and those born with disabilities could not escape death. This is you
Hope, risk everything on your estate to fight the Russians, and the result is that even the poultry raised by the Russians will be killed by the Russians. They don't even want to roast chicken and beef, they just want to kill and burn all the living creatures in Pine Needle Manor to ashes.
"
Vadim trembled when he heard this, he didn't even doubt it.
Harold looked at this kid's cowardice and laughed wildly with a group of brothers.
"I lied to you. Fool, how do I know what the Russians did after that? If I had dared to take my brothers to see it, my head would have been chopped off by them."
"You! You amuse me! You coward!" Vadim yelled.
"How dare you call me a coward again?!" Harold pouted, stood up, and deliberately stepped on Vadim's injured left arm, and deliberately twisted his boot to make it more painful, making him scream in pain.
"Your wounds are fatal. Anyway, let me tell you, I really don't know what the Russians did, but they are a group of villains. On a remote island called Gotland, the locals are all Varangians.
They organized an army of thousands of people and were defeated by the Russians. In the end, ten thousand people died! Even in our hometown of Denmark, our...our prince was killed by the Russians. Vadim, you are very brave.
, how dare you fight the most ferocious person in the world."
"Are you... are you complimenting me?"
"No. You are still a reckless fool. Your father knew this and became a docile sheep. Now you choose to fight, and this is the result. As for us, my brother and I are just armed merchants who can live here.
We are not at war with the Rus. Now all your people are dead, and your injuries are fatal. Boy, we went into the forest to hunt and found a dying person, and that was you!"
"You guys actually saved me.
"No. You are about to die." Harold said patiently, "Your arm injury is actually very fatal. Considering that you have provided many slaves, I can give you a painless death."
"No, you can't kill me."
"Are you afraid of death?"
"I want revenge!"
Indeed, there was no fear of death on Vadim's face, and his face was full of unwillingness to fail.
"Revenge? It's ridiculous. How can you take revenge as a lost dog? This is your fate. Don't worry, our brothers will remember you and tell others that there was a man named Vadim who led his tribe to resist the Russians and failed, resulting in the death of 10,000 people.
!”
This statement was still an insult. Vadim burst into tears in grief and anger. He gritted his teeth and squeezed out the words: "I want revenge! I want to go to Smolensk. I am the prince of Novgorod. I want to fight with Smolensk."
Molensk alliance."
"Are you going to Smolensk?" Harold immediately became interested. He looked at the brothers present and said, "We brothers are all planning to go to Smolensk."
"take me!"
"Why? Oh no, why!"
Vadim's eyes looked at the blue sky, and he said seriously: "I want revenge, and I can only accomplish it by relying on the power of the Smolensk people. I am a noble, and the local leader will reuse me, and!"
"Say it."
"The Smolensk people hope to get the fertile farmland of Lake Ilmen. As long as they use this as a bargaining chip, the Smolensk people will definitely gather their troops and go to the north. I can promise them that they can get the farmland if they send troops, and I will transfer some benefits.
You can still be the prince of Novgorod."
Harold only thought it was ridiculous. Wouldn't this kid's plan lead to another invasion?
He was well-informed and immediately questioned: "I have known for a long time that you people living in Lake Ilmen have some conflicts with the people in the south. Is it all because of this? You let them come, and if they win, you will be satisfied.
?You will obviously lose a lot."
"At least Smolensk and us speak the same language, and both believe in fire. If you say that the Russians kill people everywhere, then they will definitely attack Smolensk, and then other Krivich territories. I...
I want you to take me to Smolensk."
"Are you ordering me?" Harold laughed.
"No. This is a request."
"Then you are begging me? It doesn't matter, what kind of reward will you pay for having nothing?" Harold shrugged. The young man in front of him indeed had nothing, but he also had personal value.
He continued: "I am fair. If you give us many women, the brothers will be happy all the way, and they will also turn into a lot of silver coins. If you were an ordinary person, I would not hesitate to sell you. But you are
Noble. Well, if you succeed in regaining your power, give me... just give me a pound of gold. At least that's it."
Suddenly, Vadim saw hope. "Don't say one pound of gold coins, ten pounds of gold coins will do!"
"That's ten pounds! Even if you can't get ten pounds of gold coins, you can just deliver it in equivalent form such as leather."
"That's it, it's a deal."
Harold then personally helped Vadim up and asked his brothers to cut off some roasted rabbit meat and give it to the unlucky man.
The next step for this group of Viking armed traders from Pskov on Lake Chud in the west is to take their existing slaves to Smolensk in the south. Harold and his gang are very familiar with some of the customs of the southerners.
, as long as you don't take the initiative to offend the locals, you will be persecuted, and even as long as you do business honestly, you are actually very welcome in the Krivi villages.
In such an era of limited information, outside businessmen will of course be taken seriously.
Since Harold and his gang are businessmen, their business thinking allows them to see business opportunities. Vadim himself is a commodity. If he dies, the brothers will make less money.
Escort a noble from the north and the information about the crazy killings of the Russians to Smolensk. It’s not like the brothers have never done business there. If you hand over the terrible news and this unlucky guy to the local prince, the brothers will definitely get it.
A bounty. As for the ten pounds of gold that Vadim threatened, who would believe it? He'd better succeed.
The twenty young women in the camp all became slaves. In order not to starve to death, they were forced to have sex with the Varangians obediently. This was what Harold called "a happy journey." But they saw Vadim
This young prince also fully learned of the destruction of Pine Needle Manor.
One of their original thoughts was to find an opportunity to escape back to their hometown, but now that their hometown and the people there are dead, soon the whole lake area will be slaughtered by the Varangros.
They don't know their future, and Vadim has some doubts about whether they can go to Smolensk smoothly.
He ate some meat and recovered somewhat, but before his eyes he saw Harold, a crazy Varangian, coming with a red-hot axe.
A group of people held Vadim down and pinned him down on the grass. His injured left arm was deliberately exposed.
"What are you going to do?!"
Suddenly, a ball of hemp rope was stuffed into Vadim's mouth. It was so painful that he almost bit off the hemp ball, and a strange burning smell filled the air.
Harold was "welding" Vadim's wound, and the superficial flesh and blood that had begun to rot were reduced to powder by the red-hot axe.
There was no anesthetic, so Vadim simply passed away from the pain. However, the penetrating wound on his arm was now treated. This was not the end. Harold's men took some plant ashes from the embers of the campfire and sprinkled them casually.
Just wrap a circle of torn linen around Vadim's wound.
When Vadim woke up again, he was already sitting on the Varyag's longboat. He touched his waist and was surprised to find that the sword was gone. When he looked again, the Russian steel sword he had captured had turned into a hare.
The belongings of that guy Rhodes. He has some atmosphere, but he can only admit that he is unlucky to be in such a downturn.
He sat in the middle and front part of the ship, followed by a group of dull-looking women whose hands and feet were bound. Both sides of the ship were filled with Varangians, their round shields hung on the sides of the ship, and everyone was rowing hard.
Oar, it is obvious that the ship is sailing on a river. Looking at the position of the sun, the ship is heading south.