Rise of Rurik

The steel swords and axes were polished and cleaned, and all the soldiers put on armor.

The white robes sewn with blue cloth strips have become riddled with holes after many battles. Most of the robes of the soldiers have pudding, and yesterday's attack was also stained with a lot of blood.

The clothes were washed by the river, and before they were completely dry they were put on by the soldiers in chain mail.

In the early morning, when the sun is about to rise, the morning mist gradually fills the whole world, and the mountains on both sides of the valley become like lakes and lakes.

The temperature was cool, but smoke billowed from the sacked town of Falklingas as they began viciously arsonating.

"Hurry up and get on board! The arsonists threw away all the torches, let's go now!" The black fox standing on the boat continued to wear the overly tight armor, clapping his hands and shouting.

Fearing that they would be left behind, more than twenty arsonists ran back to the pier in a panic and jumped onto the boat.

The big oars slid vigorously, and the warriors shouting chant drove the long boat quickly into the center of the river. A cable extended from the stern of the ship, and the other end was tied to the wooden post of the town pier trestle. The strong force broke the wooden pillars, and multiple boats were operating at the same time, and the entire pier became pieces of wood floating in the river. As for the captured small boats, the Ross army really didn't think that such small barges would be a good tool. The bottom of the boat was deliberately smashed, and all the barges sank into the Saar River.

Although it is a brand new operation with the loot that was looted before, it is just that everything has become unnecessary whether it is a barrel of wine or a captured female prisoner.

In the morning fog, the army had a hearty breakfast, including the accompanying Nassau and Koblenz militiamen.

Everyone ate a lot of boiled wheat in salt water, and slaughtered all the cattle, sheep and poultry seized in the town, and everyone ate a lot of meat.

It was during this meal that the militiamen rarely ate a lot of salt. The sea salt that the Ross army had was high in potassium, and the militiamen didn’t know why.

There is still another voyage equivalent to ten kilometers. The water flow in this section of the river is already very slow, and the fleet with such a channel length can reach it in about an hour at the fastest.

Vardy is very pleased with the current situation. He sits on the flagship in high spirits, and he doesn't have the slightest worry when he sees the black fox eager to try again.

"The fog is helping us! The whole army paddles fast, and we land and fight."

"Huh? Are you talking to me?" Heihu saw the veteran talking non-stop from the corner of his eyes.

"Who else but you? This time, you want to kill an enemy?"

"Hey, it's good to kill one. Otherwise, I don't look like a nobleman."

Vardy doesn't want to criticize that it is such a young fat man who wants to kill the enemy in vain? Unless you have to, you will kill the killer. He thought a lot, especially six years ago when the blue fox, who hadn't lost weight, stabbed an enemy to death in Hedeby's panic.

"You'll have a chance."

"Oh, I won the opportunity myself. I will seize the opportunity." Inadvertently, the black fox also clenched the hilt of the sword.

Vardy also noticed this from the corner of his eyes, and said casually: "If you can catch the so-called Earl Saar, you will execute it. How about it?"

"Oh? Very good. However, I heard that there is a saying on Frank's side that it is better for a nobleman not to kill another nobleman, and to keep it for ransom."

"Forget it." Wadi burst into laughter: "You still believe this?"

"I don't believe it. We are still flying the Ross flag, and we are the Ross Army."

Immediately, the black fox pulled out his sword sharply by accident, and the blade pointed directly at the sky where the mist gradually dispersed: "Blood Sacrifice Odin!" The thing he was holding was pulled out again, and in an instant, a crowd of people shouted, "This battle is a blood sacrifice to Odin."

The pure Viking army has been revived, and the drake fangs on the bows of their longships are even more hideous.

The round shields that were supposed to be placed on the side of the ship were all placed at the feet of the paddling warriors. When they felt that they were approaching their destination, the crossbows of various styles were all wound up.

Even the ten torsion slingshots specially carried on board have also completed charging.

Regardless of whether this action will damage the durability of the weapon and cause weight loss, what the army wants is the lore in the first battle!

However, the smoke from the burning town of Falklingas had already broken through the morning fog, and even a nearsighted person standing on the bridge in Sarabrücken could see that something big was happening to the west. It is entirely the long and winding course of the Saar River, but in fact the distance between the two places is only equivalent to six kilometers.

Although Baron Saar issued an emergency alert order, the entire stronghold has been under high-intensity military alert. How can we continue to be on alert? The knights and a large number of subordinates listened to the words, what else could they do, and the most correct thing to do was to follow the instructions step by step. As for not drinking tonight? It doesn't matter if you don't drink it.

Even mere bandits can make Lord Baron nervous? Maybe it wasn't bandits, but an attack by a small group of enemy troops. The brutal methods looked like bandits.

And this exactly corresponds to the attitude of the entire Barony of Saar towards the residents of the area north of the Rhine River.

Who are those people? A large number of the population were nothing more than Charlemagne's own military conquests, and most of them were not noble Franks at all. Saxony, Thuringia, and Bavaria are all savages. Only savages are good at doing savage things.

Baron Saar was a little puzzled, but his subordinates had already helped his lord figure out why. It is possible that the fire in the backyard was a sneak attack by nobles loyal to Ludwig. This kind of thing is not uncommon. After all, the autumn harvest is approaching, and the nobles in the north may take the lead in mobilizing.

It was still this group of vassals who brainstormed and guessed a lot. It is fair to say that they guessed it right to a large extent, but it was still too late.

All retinue soldiers, conscripted militiamen, and even local servants and women who help wash clothes are required to be vigilant and prepare for possible battles.

If walking at night is a dead end, no soldier dares to ride a horse to Falklingas at night, not to mention that in the concept of the army, any action at night, even walking at night, is "should not be impossible", unless it is absolutely necessary .

The baron had counted all the soldiers who could ride horses, and he abruptly organized a cavalry team of up to 200 men. Of course, some pack horses that simply pulled wooden carts were pulled out, covered with a layer of leather as saddles, and soldiers who knew how to ride horses struggled to sit on them as cavalry, and even soldiers didn’t even have stirrups.

Those who can really fight are his followers and soldiers, as well as a few elites under his vassal knights.

If the peasants are also armed, Baron Saar can pull out an army of 1,000 people in this small Sarabrücken!

The combat effectiveness of the same army depends on the more than 300 real soldiers in it. How about the combat effectiveness of the three hundred soldiers? It depends on the performance of more than a hundred of them.

A stone fortress gave the baron great confidence. This was the commanding height of the local area. Even the height of the only tower of this fortress was equivalent to about eight meters.

There is no stone wall, but the granary area is surrounded by wooden walls. The granary is built on a large number of wooden piles. All the granaries have roofs, so that they are protected from rain and moisture. At this moment, all the granaries are full of grain, and they are partially transported to the Kaiserslautern garrison. rations.

Today is definitely not an ordinary morning, the morning mist that is so normal has become confusing.

Wolfgang, the Baron of Saar, stands on the top of the stone tower. His eldest son Hubert has just grown up, and today he is wearing a chain mail and an iron helmet like his father, standing beside his father, with the same piercing eyes as his father. looking west.

"Father, it's really on fire over there. Bandits really appeared, and I'm going to kill a few enemies. Hurry up and run wild in our territory, they must die!" The young man bared his teeth like a little wolf.

Wolfgang, as a father, is very pleased that the eldest son is like this. But fighting is fighting, and his son has just grown up and needs experience. Of course, every Frankish male nobleman must master bravery and ruthlessness. He thinks his son is too immature.

"Don't be impulsive. We are standing in an absolutely safe place. Look below." The baron pointed.

"The knights are gathering their soldiers."

"And my personal soldiers. Hubert, when I meet God, all this will be inherited by you."

The words were a little ominous, and it was no wonder that Hubert couldn't think about it. "No way! You will die in battle?!" He stared at his father in surprise: "You regard the battle as a battle of death? We will definitely win."

"You are stupid if you say you are stupid!" Angrily, Wolfgang slapped his son's helmet, and then continued to look at the West with contempt: "We will all die, I will die, you... will die too. But not today. All It's time for the knights to prove their loyalty, look at their record! And you, my son. When I find out that the victory is sealed, I will arrange for you to take a team to fight. Remember, our family must receive the highest honor .”

In fact, the knights were lazily forming a team, and all kinds of horses were pulled out from the stables. Many riders were still grooming the manes of the horses, and they were pushing fodder to feed them as usual.

Soldiers just started to gather, and those with armor lazily put them on. As for the large number of simple civilians and conscripted militiamen, they started to gather with only civilian clothes and all kinds of weapons.

The women in the kitchen are cooking oats in a large number of pottery pots, and there are 10,000 people who make fresh oat porridge. Only the elite squires and knights want to eat exquisite wheat bread!

Even elite soldiers can't eat wheat bread all at once, and being able to eat this often means one thing—a big battle is about to happen.

The gathering of these Frankish soldiers was not really forming a formation. They gathered more and more in the open area on the right bank of the bridge (actually a material loading and unloading point). Everyone brought their own wooden bowls and beat them boringly. It was nothing more than urging the kitchen to have dinner early .

Sarabrücken is noisy, and it is this kind of noise that is another kind of tranquility.

Many bleary-eyed militiamen had only just learned that there was going to be a war. They had been nervous at first, and now they saw everyone gathering together and chatting like wild bees.

Barbarians attacking towns? There is indeed thick smoke to the west. But what about the bandits? Will it really appear? Really dare to come to seek death?

Everyone has different opinions, but their stomachs are growling, and everyone hopes to have dinner earlier. What's more, the Lord Baron was kind enough to enjoy a meal early in the morning for the first time, and the strong smell of boiled wheat already filled the air, making hundreds of civilians salivate. They knew very well that regardless of whether he fought or not, today he could bury his stomach with his own ability, and this kind of opportunity is rare a few times a year.

But the distant and heavy horn sounds like coming from **** made all the noisers hold their breath, they raised their heads and plucked their ears, and finally realized that everything was true.

The morning fog was already very thin, and the Saar River was running almost purely from east to west here. The Ross Army of the Black Fox marched towards the rising sun, and the soldiers squinted their eyes one after another.

The Russian army saw the real bridge, saw the so-called town of Sarabrücken, and was even more shocked by the large number of people gathered in the open space on the shore. Those reflecting light were weapons and armor.

"Damn it! We are really exposed! There will be a tough battle!" the black fox said bitterly.

Vardy still had a straight face: "This is what I hope. In this way, the brothers can directly annihilate them."

"Then let's do it!" With a clear buzzing of the blade, the black fox pulled out his own sword.

The longships are still in a long snake formation, which is different from the sailing formation, and the current formation has become crowded. All fighters are not afraid of the enemy's large number of soldiers. Since they remembered that they were "Odin's warriors", they are trying their best to sacrifice Odin with blood today. Everything seems to be a manifestation of the gods, and the opportunity for blood sacrifice is in front of them.

The sunlight made the entire fleet very conspicuous, especially the highly reflective helmets. Veterans are most sensitive to this. I don't know who is the first to roar like a lion in the crowd: "enemy!"

This sound was clean and neat, and the dumbfounded soldiers had never seen a strange longship before. What they knew about the Normans was only some fantastic legends, and now they couldn't imagine that the Norman fleet suddenly appeared in front of them.

The horn is still blowing, but it has turned into an attack horn.

The black fox holds the sword, he knows very well that with his bloated body, he can't rush to the front line. The more aggressive the attack is, the more it is necessary to gather a group of strong soldiers. The raid force is led by Wadi himself, and a number of "death squads" incarnate as berserkers immediately attack.

The longship docked directly, and the Ross warriors in white robes jumped onto the ground one after another, and immediately organized a relatively loose shield wall and shouted to charge.

Those who were still waiting for their meal were taken aback when a group of guys landed and charged indiscriminately.

However, the chaotic defenders were the first to encounter a round of missed arrows.

As the longships landed one after another, all the warriors holding crossbows with wooden arms didn't care too much. They just threw an arrow into the air, anyway, the enemy's target was too obvious.

The light arrow hits the head and face, and the arrow cluster is like a sharp needle without barbs. The unarmored militiamen are easily shot to death and wounded, and the elites wearing chain mail are also unlucky. , the arrow clusters are not deep.

"Unbelievable. They appeared too fast! Is the fight going to start?!" Baron Saar, who was still standing on a high place, couldn't imagine the speed of the situation.

The eldest son, Hubert, felt uncomfortable watching, and raised his broad-edged sword and shouted at his father: "What are our people doing?! I have to hurry down and command these guys to fight! I want to fight."

After speaking, the young Hubert was about to quickly go downstairs to start a fight, but was pulled back by the Baron.

"You come back first! It's not the time yet. Let's see how the battle is going!"

The knights, retinues, and militiamen were caught off guard by the arrow, which was harassment at best.

The militiamen were running around, and the elite knights and retinues began to attack the rushing people like a conditioned reflex.

"Forget about riding a horse! My soldiers! Follow me!" A knight took the lead in charging with a broad-bladed iron sword, and the followers were greatly encouraged.

The Ross army was also not to be outdone, and as the torsion slingshots began to throw javelins one after another, the terrifying killing began.

The Frankish militiamen were stabbed by javelins, and then began to suffer precise strikes from steel-armed crossbows.

The Ross soldiers who landed one after another were shooting in a general direction. The steel-armed crossbow almost only had one chance.

"Shield wall!"

While running, Vardy roared, and the well-trained veterans immediately looked left and right to adjust their footsteps, and then stacked large shields, and then pressed steel swords against the shields, deliberately and passively receiving the impact of the enemy's elite.

The chaos began.

The battle lines are extremely clear, and the shield wall divides the two sides in the fierce battle. Such a fight against the Ross Army will inevitably suffer many casualties, and Vardy has no right to hesitate.

In a short period of time, all the elite of the Ross army had landed, and the forwards were sword and shield fighters fighting against the elite Frankish defenders with the force of a shield wall. The brothers behind him, all those holding crossbows with wooden arms simply threw into the air to support them as much as they could.

Torque Slingshot is not idle either. It was indeed inconvenient for Black Fox himself to participate in the battle, so he gathered more than fifty veterans and set up an arrow array on the shore with the crossbow still on board.

Most of the militiamen in Nassau and Koblenz held spears. Under the command of the two knights Ballard and Gilbert, they temporarily stood still under the order of the black fox.

"My lord, just watch them fight? Am I just standing here?" Ballard has been encouraged by the atmosphere of war, eager to join in the fight.

"Just look at them, this is a tactic! This is King Ross' tactic!"

With a tear in his throat, the black fox ordered the follow-up troops to guard the landing field. Nearly 200 people seemed to stand still, but they were actually a tactical reserve team.

Only one person is required to operate each torsion slingshot. Pull the winch hard to accumulate power, put the javelin into the slide that has just been coated with sticky whale oil, and then pull the rope to launch.

Those warriors with steel-armed crossbows gathered together and used small winches to store power. After more than 30 people finished their work, under the command of the black fox himself, when the sword he held high fell, all the crossbowmen launched throwing shots.

The stubby crossbow arrows it fired could still fly about 150 meters, and this could completely cover the battlefield in chaos, and the arrows would fall into the enemy's formation at the risk of accidentally injuring friendly troops.

Although the strength of the arrow was weakened badly, it was enough to dent the helmet of a Frankish elite soldier, and it was enough to break the soldier's skull. Even if he was lucky, he would suffer a concussion. In chaotic battles, if you fall to the ground, you will be trampled by your companions or enemies, and you will be trampled to death without skin trauma.

The battle situation is becoming unfavorable to the defenders. How can the limited elites resist the well-prepared Ross veterans who came over a month ago? Although the army suffered losses, the shield wall array has been advancing all the time, behind it are all the enemy corpses in the **** lake, and the **** creek that is gradually forming, the **** water is leaving towards the Saar River...

"Damn it!" Even Baron Saar himself could no longer watch a show on the high platform. He stopped blocking his son, and realized that he would be finished if he didn't do anything else, so he took his angry son's arm and said, "Boy! Follow me and kill the barbarian!"

"Okay! I'll kill! We should have done this long ago!"

As the saying goes, Baron Saar also kept a small reserve team, and they were all elite cavalry.

Some cavalry didn't care about riding horses, they were fighting as infantry in the chaotic battle. However, the essence of the Frankish cavalry is still mounted infantry. All elite fighters are all-rounders, and fighting on horseback makes them even stronger.

Baron Saar, Wolfgang took over a very long spear, and greeted the more than 90 cavalry that he could muster now, including even a stable boy who didn't know what he did wrong, and they were all pulled up to check whether he was wearing armor or not. Regardless of the original owner of the horse, he wasted a little time and abruptly gathered a hundred cavalry.

Without any pre-war mobilization and preaching, the battle situation was rapidly deteriorating, and Baron Saar simply raised his spear and took the lead in charging.

And those Frankish defenders who were killed and retreated steadily, and even militiamen began to flee, suddenly saw the cavalry appear, and the front that was about to collapse suddenly stabilized.

"Oops!"

Vardy saw the moving "forest", felt the tremor of the ground, and suddenly realized that it was the cavalry! The cavalry is not terrible, if one side lacks preparation, the Frankish cavalry is an extremely terrifying life-threatening monster.

And those guys...they were there.

"No!" Wadi turned his head abruptly, and found that the cavalry had bypassed the chaotic battlefield and was running towards the landing field. At the critical moment, he could no longer separate the elite to defend, and the black fox was also shocked to see the appearance of a group of cavalry.

Shock was shock, but the black fox didn't panic, and even the militiamen were just a little confused, and quickly regained their spirits.

Frank cavalry! A gang was wiped out at Koblenz just over a month ago.

The black fox didn't care too much, and quickly ordered: "Crossbowmen! Draw your sword! Spearmen, aim at them!"

All the crossbows and torsion slingshots that had been wound were immediately leveled and shot. The impact of the Frankish cavalry was harassed, and some horses fell directly and threw the riders out.

Harassment can't stop the charge, unless it's a wall of spears.

However, even though there was a wall of spears ahead, Baron Thrall himself could no longer stop the cavalry from reining in. UU reading www. uukanshu． com

The baron didn't hesitate, and simply faced death like a martyr. Suddenly, he thought of what his son said just now, the so-called "you think you will die in this battle".

"Hehe, maybe I really want to die here. But not necessarily."

Time seems to be exquisite, but there is an instant to return to reality.

The black fox was dumbfounded. Seeing a cavalry bumping head-on, he subconsciously lay down on the ground. Fortunately, he didn't get stabbed or trampled by the horse's hooves.

It's worse for others!

However, the collisions were mutual. The frantically charging Frankish cavalry collided with the black fox's tactical reserve team. The soldiers who were knocked upside down got up in a daze, and with a kind of instinct, picked up everything around them that could be used as weapons. Into the fight. And those who were uninjured, like the two knights of the black fox, they escaped the impact with their single-digit followers, and now they are holding the Rose steel sword, killing the fallen cavalry, and assassinating the wandering cavalry. Get back on the horses, pull down the cavalrymen who have lost their impact and kill them...