Chapter 762 When the Ross Royal Pirate Fleet Comes to the Weser Estuary
A fleet is gathering on Tombstone Island. When the people and businessmen on the island learned who the fleet was going to attack, they all gasped.
After the initial shock gradually dissipated, some people couldn't help but ask questions deep in their souls - how much benefit can they get if they win?
The benefits are absolutely indispensable! Because the prince has given the order, the brothers rented the warship belonging to the prince to carry out the robbery, and the stolen property will be divided fifty-fifty with the prince. As long as they rob enough this time, the brothers can make a fortune from the battle.
A group of jackals, tigers and leopards were ordered to use all their initiative to rob, and even did any cruel deeds, but were supported by the prince.
Let's talk about the hundred-man team led by Arik. This team was divided into four "fleet" platoon-level combat teams, but the number did not strictly reach the stipulated thirty people per team.
He first recruited a small group of Balmoks on the spot at New Roseburg.
Recruiting people is not a random recruitment, because the fifth banner team of Balmok Hellafed, which is composed purely of his tribe, has capable men who have all become businessmen because they have not received the order from the prince to assemble an army for crusade.
They are a group of guys who boarded the merchant ships between their hometown of Fort Ross and their new home in the East. They transported the best salt from the Atlantic coast to New Fort and sold it, and then replaced it with cloth, ironware and even grain.
Transported back to hometown.
The Balmok flag force was reduced to pieces. A group of merchants were delighted to hear the news of the war, and their plans to purchase supplies and return to their hometowns were put aside. They did not ask who the heroic Arik wanted to kill, and they all threw themselves into their ranks.
The powerful Arik accepted the offer so decisively that the number of the centurion instantly swelled to one hundred and fifty.
A group of people boarded a small fleet led by the Salmon Chief in New Rossburg, brought the purchased food, fresh water and weapons, and arrived at the current economic center of the Finns as quickly as possible, that is, the coastal Helminki trading port.
, which is also the actual residence of Count Gevlo.
In the past, this was just a deserted beach on the coast. The Suomi tribesmen did not dare to set up an obvious fishing village here for fear of being caught by the passing Varyag people.
Nowadays, a fishing port is rising from the ground. She is named after "jewel" in ancient Finnish and assumes the task of being a transfer station for the material transportation routes of the Principality of Rus.
Because Gogland Island in the Gulf of Finland has granite and limestone that is extremely lacking in the area, and there is also fresh water on the island, it is the only source of stone for nearby settlements. Not only the Russians living in New Rossburg came to quarry stone, but also the
The Finns themselves also came to carry the stone.
Since Javlo established a family and became a noble of the Suomi people and became an earl of Finland, it has become his unshirkable responsibility to build his hometown. He personally led his people to Gogland Island to search for suitable stones, and he was also actively looking for those "ash trees".
The ash trees that were obtained turned into thirty long bows, which were divine bows that could shoot light arrows about two hundred paces away.
A major inspection yielded a great harvest. He plundered all the ash trees on the island, and finally turned them into 60 hard and very elastic wooden poles. He did not really exhaust all the ash trees. A batch of saplings were obviously ash trees.
The "mother soil" with the roots of the trees was dug up directly and transported directly to Helminki by ship for planting. They formed their own forests. In the foreseeable future, the Finns will continue to have the energy to make bows.
Best materials.
"You want to fight the Franks? I thought you were so aggressive that you were going to fight the Danes. Since all this is the prince's order, I will naturally join in. My only request is that when we get the treasure, we must send troops according to the instructions.
Give me the number of people in proportion." Yevluo's attitude towards sending troops was very decisive.
His cheerfulness was also very popular with Arik, who only had one word of warning: "I hope you can send out the best warriors."
Jevro would naturally bring out the best subordinates, but considering his own situation, it was difficult for him to bring out a strong melee force. He selected the fifty tallest and strongest-armed men from his Suomi tribe.
People, organize a team of infantry archers.
While the fleet was resting in the port, Jevro completed the troop deployment task. Arik and explorer Spyut inspected these black-haired "dwarves".
All the top-notch Finnish archers imitate the Russians in their clothing, especially their white robes sewn with blue cloth strips, and their waists are tied with blue cloth belts. They have iron hand axes hung on their waists for self-defense.
There are also weapons that look like daggers but actually hand spears, and there are also backpacks with girdle linen bags characteristic of the Russian army. The leather quiver hanging on the waist is a major feature, and it is filled with arrows with white feathers.
arrow.
If there is the most amazing weapon, it is the main battle weapon they have on hand - the longbow.
It is said that after a winter of drying in the shade, the newly made longbow has the ability to shoot light arrows to a distance of 190 cloths. The range is indeed twice that of ordinary short wooden bows.
They are excellent fire support, aren't they? They are perfect for assisting sieges.
After this glance, the strength of the army was close to 250 men.
They rested for the last time at the gathering place on Tombstone Island. Arik took the army mobilization order written by the prince and obtained all the ships listed on the list from the local governor.
Ten ships of various sizes were assembled at the port, and Arik set out to recruit capable sailors.
When this is implemented, it will be as easy as taking off your pants to pee.
Because Blue Fox Gouldson joined the team as a warrior, he was indeed a guide, and he was even more obliged to wield a steel-armed crossbow to kill the enemy.
How could a fierce thin man appear in a family that has been obese for decades? Considering that this crusade against Frank was both to vent his anger and to be a simple robbery, how could the Gould family not get involved in such an opportunity to make a fortune?
Even if the Blue Fox is a warrior, he is alone! No, as an old father, Gould himself took out ten mercenaries from the family, both as sailors and as the guards of the Blue Fox. If a battle breaks out, these ten people can also take it.
Take up arms and join the battle.
Gould Sr. did not hesitate to take charge of the supply of most of the sailors, even though doing so might affect the family's business activities.
He is not a philanthropist. When he realized the benefits, he made this risky investment.
Because Arik is such a straightforward man, as the commander of the operation, he boldly made an extremely simple and straightforward decision on the arrangement of dividing the loot during the robbery.
In principle, the brothers and the prince must be divided 50-50, and the remaining half of the property will be divided strictly according to the proportion of each force. Among them, the identity of the sailors is quite special. In principle, they will not participate in any fierce battles, and there is a high probability that they will not use it.
Worried about life safety. The amount of wealth made is directly related to the risk of adventure. Even so, each sailor can get a certain proportion of the loot.
This was a sure-profit deal, and the aging Gould wished he could personally participate in it to witness the army's plundering of the Franks. In his memory, the Ross fleet always returned with a full load, and he firmly believed in the benefits of this risky investment.
The crusade fleet was fully formed, and ten ships left Tombstone Island in a mighty manner, heading south against the warmest south wind in the summer of July.
In the eyes of the people of Saaremaa, the fleet that suddenly appeared near the shore was like a magic weapon from Asgard. A group of people got off the ship, wearing uniform white coats, and several flagbearers holding flagpoles.
The flag of the Principality of Rus fluttered in the south wind.
Count Spuyut and the army of the Principality of Rus arrive at the loyal island of Saaremaa!
From the perspective of the Ross army, this island, which was once considered a desert island and rarely settled, is now flying the Ross flag, and a walled village chief has begun to take shape.
"Is this the pirate island you were ordered to govern? Brother, I think this place can be developed further. In the future, when we go to the west to rob, your island is the most convenient starting point." Arik's statement was very pertinent and hit Sipu directly.
Ute's heart.
"Brother Arik, I will not let you down. You should also know something. These islanders are exiles from various tribes. You must not doubt their ability to kill people. Both of them are very vicious."
"Then arm them quickly and let's move quickly." Arik finally urged.
When they first heard that the army was going to rob Frank, the islanders had no idea. Because they didn't know what Frank meant, and they seemed to be weak and subordinate objects? There was no reason not to rob.
According to the prince's order, the total number of combatants and sailors in the punitive force shall not exceed 500.
Then select people according to the upper limit of 500 people, just to round up the whole number so that it can be easily calculated when dividing the spoils in the future.
This was actually a small trouble for Spyut. He recruited all the strongest men among the islanders. Since he could not gather enough people, the half-grown boys and the old men with gray beards were all pulled on board.
Different from the uniform uniforms of the Russian army, the Saaremaa islanders' soldiers still wear a messy outfit, which is in line with their pirate image.
On the contrary, the Russian army was dressed too formally and uniformly, and it was clearly a robbery mission, making it look like a grand battle between countries.
After all, this was an expedition. Arik and others, who had mastered the map of the area drawn by Rurik himself, had no worries about getting lost. And Blue Fox, a meticulous writer who had gone deep into the Frankish hinterland, fully affirmed the authenticity of the map drawn by the prince with his experienced experience.
accuracy.
In fact, this map is "Odin's miracle." No one knows how the prince got the information to map the land, maybe it was a dream from the gods one night.
In this way, their actions seemed to open up God's perspective, and the brothers truly believed that they had received God's favor, and the map was conclusive evidence.
They organized a ritual ceremony near the shore of Saaremaa Island. They did not have a good sacrifice, so they simply used a very small minke whale that had been captured recently.
Everyone half-knelt in front of the rising sun, praying to the incarnation of Odin for a complete victory in this battle. They also swore to the sun that the so-called true warriors would fight bravely and reward the enemy with death without revealing even a single word.
A hint of cowardice.
Prayer is over!
Arik patted the sand on his knees, pulled out his swords and waved them, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Brothers! Let's get on the boat! Grab the money! Grab the food! Grab the women! Let's go!"
The purpose of the army was simply this. The expanded Royal Pirates of the Principality of Rus officially launched an attack with the most Viking characteristics.
The fleet first went straight to the waters of Burgundy Island. For this group of fishing boats that had long been caught in the "Russian Fear", they saw a group of large boats with their distinctive triangular sails raised, and they quickly paddled away, hoping that this fleet would not attack the island.
If they don't attack the island of Burgundy, wouldn't they go to attack Denmark?
The news had spread a long time ago that the new Danish king had looted everything the Russians had in Denmark, so it was reasonable for the Russians to retaliate.
But today's Denmark is also in chaos! A powerful Frankish army still relies on the north of the Great Wall, especially occupying the fjord where Hedeby is located. They rely on their cavalry advantage to make the Danish King Horik feel uncomfortable.
It was rumored that King Horik, who had once put up a no-war card, had personally gone to plead guilty and made peace with the Franks. It is unknown what price he paid.
It is said that despite the peace agreement, the East Frankish cavalry was still stationed in the city of Schleswig, and Hedebe was burned to the ground, with a small group of Frankish infantry still entrenched on the ruins.
The only regret is that the Franks are a strong army on land, and their cavalry advantage is too obvious. However, their maritime power is as weak as ants. Denmark has a large number of noble lords and people living on many islands, even if the islands are far away from each other.
The Deland Peninsula is very close, and the shallow and short strait is enough to isolate the Frankish army.
The Burgundian islanders were never worried about the Franks invading the country, but they were worried about the frequent raids and killings by the Russians. Now even the Danish allies were unreliable. Everyone was pitiful and helpless, and could only survive under the harassment of the Russians.
Unexpectedly, this terrifying fleet passed by the island and really headed towards Denmark.
In fact, it was not the case. The fleet rushed towards the Oresund Strait, passed through this narrow strait under the eyes of the Danes, and continued to sail in the broad Denmark Strait with the south wind.
The Ross fleet is too conspicuous. A few months ago, a single Ross ship disturbed nearby fishermen and fled in fear. Now that a fleet has appeared, the people in the fishing village are paying attention to the situation. If the other party intends to land, then everyone can only drag their families with them.
The mouth evacuated and escaped.
This fleet even passed by Godfrehagen on the seaside, the so-called royal city of the King of Denmark, and the fluttering Russian flag showed off in front of the Danes.
Let’s talk about the very solid King Horik of Denmark. He recently personally confessed his sins to Prince Ludwig and got peace by kneeling down and kissing his boots in an extremely humiliating gesture. He had fought, even more than his subordinates.
He also had to be full of fighting spirit, and as a result, he, a great king, had to dress up like a pug in front of strong men.
This is the great thing about Horik. When he should give in, he will give in immediately, but he is not a real pug.
The war between Denmark and East Francia had an extremely violent process, and ended in an anticlimactic ending. The rulers of both sides were rational. After realizing that they could not completely defeat their opponents, they all used their own ways to get off the road. Indeed, the road
Prince Derwig is busy encroaching on his brother Lothair's territory, but he also has to be wary of whether his old father and younger brother Charles, who were released, will make demands for the territory again. If they continue to fight with the Danes, they will waste the military essence of East Francia.
, since the opponent has surrendered, he can naturally stop attacking.
But Horik must drive away the pirates who have plundered places such as Hamburg and Bremen along the river!
As a result, a Danish civil war suddenly broke out!
Horik, who had the military support of the Franks, won this battle. He won, but his own strength was damaged, and so was the military power of Denmark as a whole. What was even worse was that some of the tribe that crazily slaughtered the Franks died.
People fled as a whole, and their escape led many lords to leave Denmark. Some went to Norway, and some rushed to unknown places...
There were fewer lords surrendering to Horik throughout Denmark, and his behavior of being forced to believe in Christ again to make peace was criticized. A group of lords knew that they could not overthrow this man with their own strength, so they could only swallow it. As for the future
Don't even think about implementing his orders honestly.
The prestige that King Horik had finally established was greatly dampened by his humiliating peace talks. As the saying goes, "I want to fight to the death, so why did your majesty surrender first?" This was good, many lords secretly abused this Horik from the beginning to the end.
Frankish hound.
He was busy coordinating the conflicts between the lords and himself. When he learned that a Russian fleet was passing by, the Russians had already run away.
What do the Russians want to do? I don’t know. The Russians actually have as many as ten large ships? Are the Russians going to attack Jutland? If they choose to retaliate, how should Denmark respond?
At this moment, Horik brought out General Stade and verbally reprimanded him for what he did in Hedeby last year. The harsh words were limited to words. He gave another piece of advice: "You burned them."
The shops killed their people. Once they attack us, you and your people must fight bravely."
What else could Stade say? His dream of making a lot of money as Earl of Hedeby was instead crushed to death by the Frankish cavalry, and now he became an ordinary warlord again. He could only verbally agree to the king's order, but there was a crack in his heart.
It was beyond repair. To be honest, he didn't want to work hard for a "king" who knelt down and kissed the toes of a Frank noble.
Looking at the Ross fleet again, many people saw their existence, but just watched numbly.
Even though he was staying in Hamburg, Prince Ludwig, who was commanding his troops remotely to continue his crusade against the Danish exiled pirates who had fled to the inland rivers, had no idea that the fleet had arrived at the offshore estuary of his own territory.
The fleet, which had been nonstop for a long time and never landed, finally arrived at the mouth of this river. It was actually the mouth of the second major river that the brothers encountered on the so-called western European coastline.
Blue Fox spoke with certainty. He pointed with his big hand: "This is the Weser River of the Franks. The river goes straight to the wealthy Bremen. We can still go against the wind and the current. When we can't go any further, we stop and anchor."
…”
He suddenly presented a tactical decision to Commander Arik, and the Ross army formally entered the Weser River in accordance with this decision. Taking advantage of the south wind, they followed the zigzag line on the wide river and drifted inland in a rather tortuous way. This was destined not to be the case.
It’s a troublesome journey, because this section of the Weser River runs almost purely north-south, so it’s best to take advantage of the southerly wind to travel backwards.
As for the city of Bremen, because the current impact plain is not as vast as it will be a thousand years ago, it is almost a coastal city. Therefore, Blue Fox patted its chest and promised that the army would camp near the shore for the night, and the next day
If you continue to move, you will reach the gates of Bremen.