It was another bright morning, and the warm wind swept across the dense forest, and the muddy ground was being blown dry quickly. roundabout

The cavalry gathered in the open space outside the city of Great Luke, with fair faces facing the south, and a pair of blue eyes under the deep eyes that were aggressive.

Most of the warriors wore plate armor with riveted iron sheets on the leather. It was just a top to protect the torso, and now they were neatly folded and hung on the right side of the saddle.

It is on the right side of the saddle that each warrior carries two quiver

The Kingdom of Ross has its own subdivision standards for arrow loss, and Rurik doesn't know the correct ratio between the weight of the bow and the grain weight of the arrow.

As the most commonly used combat arrow, the ordinary light arrow is generally classified as "one tenth of a pound", which is close to 40g for an arrow. Setting such regulations is very convenient for craftsmen to cast arrow clusters, make arrow shafts and glue feathers in batches. The weight of the final product is basically consistent, so as to achieve the required tactical effect.

Objectively speaking, the Pecheneg Turkic horn bow imported by Ross on a large scale has been tested. It always has a pound weight of about 50 Roman pounds. It's not optimal, and it's not bad.

It is easy for a mature Nordic man to draw such a bow, but many cavalry warriors are too young, and their bodies are still growing at a high speed. At present, it is a little difficult to draw their own bows, which curbs their combat time. Everything is developing in a good direction, their bodies are getting stronger and their arms are getting thicker, but they are required to ride horses to fight, and their legs are forced to develop slightly bow-legged. roundabout

A quiver contained thirty arrows, and the combined weight of two stuffed quiveres was seven Roman pounds.

Actual combat has long proved that too many arrows in a quiver are not conducive to drawing arrows, and too few are not conducive to the continuation of combat. The specification of thirty arrows is a balance found in actual combat, and now Rose's standing cavalry and Austral cavalry are doing the same.

Although they were all cavalry, the first cavalry led by "Bald" Fisk was naturally the most elite in terms of armament.

There are feathers on the iron helmet, and the warrior has a recurve horn bow and a saber that is easy to stab. As for the Frankish riding spear, he is not equipped.

Bow horse riding and shooting is their main combat method, and the scimitar cavalry of the steppe cavalry in this era has not yet emerged. Once the Ross cavalry reaches the level where they must ride horses and fight close to each other, they will draw their swords. They also found in actual combat that, for example, It is more lethal to slash and slash, or raise the sword straight above the head to launch a thrust.

The First Cavalry has the most combat experience, while the Ostara Cavalry has less combat experience and worse weapons and equipment.

The worst ones are those hundred cavalry recruited from the Great Luki raid. These boys only know how to ride horses, and they are not qualified to fight on the battlefield unless they have to. These people were planned by Carlotta as the logistics force of the cavalry. One hundred cavalry had three hundred horses, and those horses that were simply carrying goods carried heavy luggage. roundabout

From this anyone can see that the Duchess is determined to completely conquer and control Polotsk.

With seven hundred cavalry and nearly a thousand horses, the extremely powerful appearance made this kind of partial march seem like a national-level strategic main attack. ....

Warriors are young, and so are horses. A large number of war horses began to be born in Ross in 837. Not only is the new generation of foals in service, but the second generation of foals he bred has also begun to serve. Ross's horse inventory is optimistically increasing exponentially.

As long as there is grass, horses will not be hungry, they must exercise, only then will they not suffer from stomach problems.

Every spring qualified horses have to trim their hooves and install refurbished shoes. This is a normal health care behavior. In times of war, this kind of maintenance immediately shows its strong tactical superiority.

Due to the existence of iron horses, the special angular shoes not only allow the horses to walk on ice without worrying about slipping, but also have advantages in moving in muddy riverside areas.

According to past experience, if the horse is constantly urged to advance at the expense of hurting the horse, the cavalry can rush from Veliky Luki to Vitebsk in only two days. roundabout

There is no war now, although Carlotta has no intention of forcing the cavalry to run wildly, although he is marching south.

Will dawdle.

She issued a clear marching order to the whole army: "It is the most beautiful summer now, and the daylight hours are extremely long. We will use three days to march, and in the evening of the third day, we will camp in Vitebsk to rest."

The Duchess has already negotiated with General Ross Fisk. She has set up a road map for the entire army. The centurion, the thirty-man commander, and the squad leader. position in future actions.

The interlaced blue stripes are stitched on the white cloth. This is the Ross oar flag, which was interpreted by the Franks as the "St. Andrew's Cross Flag".

The abstract pattern of bull's head is stitched with black cloth strips on the white cloth, which is Ostara's bull's head flag. But in the upper left corner of the bull's head flag, a small Ross paddle flag was stitched, indicating that Ostara was a vassal of the Kingdom of Ross.

The two flags clearly showed the nature of the huge cavalry. They used the centurion as a combat unit, and finally divided into seven units, lined up on the banks of the Lovati River, and marched towards the lake at the source of the river.

Along the way, it could be described as the fragrance of birds and flowers, and the soldiers took off their helmets one after another and hung them on the buckles of the saddles. roundabout

Riding for a long time makes people's hips and legs sore, and the pleasant sunshine and beautiful scenery are no longer attractive.

The army cannot pause its advance! No rest in the middle!

In order to save horsepower, the horses are deliberately maintained at a slow walking speed, which is faster than human walking.

Such a slow horse can travel for a long time without feeling tired, and only the rider suffers.

The soldiers look forward to the evening, so that they don't have to go to the toilet in an indecent posture on horseback, they can lie on the grass and stretch their numbing strides, and they can put down the iron pots and earthen pots to cook some wheat mixed with butter Enjoy a delicious hot meal.

The Ross-Ostara cavalry, who marched like Mongolian cavalry, rushed to the source lake-Lake Lovati, which is about 50 kilometers away from the starting point of Great Luki, in just one day.

They spent the night comfortably by the lake. The next morning, the soldiers added new firewood to the smoldering bonfire, and after eating a hot meal, they did not forget to feed their horses some warm water sprinkled with salt, and then continued to be boring. Regardless of the march. appendix...

Only the cavalry marched forward in the vast land. Some soldiers saw the phantoms of large animals in the forest. Due to the marching requirements, no one dared to leave the team to start hunting.

They have been walking through the gaps in the clustered forest, and shortly after bypassing a huge landmark swamp, the wide river of the West Dvina River finally appeared in front of everyone.

Then they successfully found the shoal area where the horses could wade directly, and a wooden fortress stood by the river as expected.

Seeing the fortress and the flag of Ross fluttering on the mast on the wooden wall, Carlotta's hanging heart finally settled down.

Holding the reins, Fisk quickly arrived at the head of the team from a relatively rear position, and said to Carlotta: "It seems that our brothers staying here are all well, you can rest assured."

"Yeah. The Smolensk people I'm most worried about are a bunch of idiots, I actually think highly of them..."

Carlotta's tone was full of disdain, and so was Fisk's attitude. He deliberately asked, "Actually, do you really want those guys to attack you?"

"I hope, and I don't want to."

"Inconsistency."

"Oh." Carlota paused and glanced at Fisk's young and bearded face: "Only by fighting a battle can my cavalry grow. But I don't intend to attack them to mess with my plan. It would be best if we could play a defensive counterattack.

"You? Really want a group of underdogs from Smolensk to die on your territory?" Fisk smiled and shook his head: "I don't think they are so stupid."

"Who knows? But Vitebsk needs to be strengthened. You see." She pointed casually: "The terrain in this area is flat, and the aquatic plants are too lush. It may not be suitable for growing wheat. It will be better if you plant it." The kind of...peas from the Franks should be very suitable."

"There are also carrots in the Netherlands, the environment there is too humid. I hope the gods have mercy, these vegetables are all

Can survive on our territory. ' added Fisk.

"Alright, let's wait and see."

An old man of the Gran tribe called Jellinger Eriksson, who at Carlotta's order ended up guarding Vitebsk with some brothers.

The old guy conscientiously did his own thing, and earnestly warned the remaining brothers not to panic during the long and boring winter. Now that they return this spring, they ended their hibernation like brown bears and began to actively transform the Vitebsk fortress.

Even paddling a raft deliberately drifted towards the Polotsk village in the lower reaches of the West Dvina River. The people who landed in the village openly held the banner of Ross, so due to the shadow of defeat a year ago, facing the conqueror who was alone, The local nobles in Polotsk had no choice but to entertain the messenger with a smile, and gave some key supplies to support the Vitebsk fortress.

In any case, the peace faction in Polotsk has a complete advantage in the battle. Now that even the Latvians and local Danish immigrants who occupy the most comfortable position in the Gulf of Riga have penetrated Ross, Polotsk obviously has no second choice. Two choices.

The main combat faction is gone. Based on last year's treaty, the Polotsk people can no longer block the river and earn "ill-gotten gains" one after another by collecting tolls. ....

That doesn't mean they can't make a little more money though, and those who want to pass on the West Dvina are almost adventurous traveling merchants.

This river is a key line of communication for the "Amber Road". When the blockade ended and residents welcomed the new order under Ross, the pent-up trade began to recover. roundabout

Because the Polotsk people were originally Polish immigrants who left the Vistula River, their ancient name has never been abandoned, just like their name, busy reclamation and farming is a major feature that distinguishes them from other tribes in the region .

The native Latvian aristocrats in Riga and the Danish community leader, Stekander, who returned by boat in the spring, happily resumed trade under the new situation without hesitation.

Shipments of pickled herring from the Gulf of Riga, rough sea salt and the most precious amber and rough beeswax resumed. The image of hundreds of boats competing for merchants on the West Dvina River did not appear, but Viking longships began to dock at the small wharf of the Polotsk people.

Salt and pickled herring were extremely important to these farmers, and all they had to offer was grain stocks, and small-scale trade between the two sides resumed.

Polotsk is only the first stop for businessmen. Past frictions have made these Danish immigrants lack trust in them, but the emerging Vitebsk further upstream is more close.

May I ask who in the Baltic Sea today does not know the prestige of King Rurik of Ross?

King Ross also served as King of Sweden, and he became a sworn brother to the new King of Denmark, and was also related to many Norwegian nobles. roundabout

Mu Qiang's Danish community in the Gulf of Riga has found a tall and mighty backer. For the entire community, the boss Stekander's visit to the capital of Ross has done a great job for everyone.

Vitebsk, with its small Russian garrison, became a favorite anchorage and residence for merchants from the Bay of Riga, even though the fortress had only been lost for a year.

So as the Ross-Ostara cavalry marched on, the strange true face of the Vitebsk fortress was finally revealed.

Carlotta was surprised by the sight in front of her: "It's strange. We still have ships floating here?"

Fisk was just as strange: "I couldn't see clearly from the distance just now. There is a long boat here, maybe... it's the trick of that old uncle in Spuyut."

"Sput? Ross's greatest explorer?" Carlotta opened his mouth.

"Maybe. The name Rurik gave to that old guy is now the Earl of Saaremaa Island. Hehe, all his subordinates are pirates. According to last year's treaty, those guys in the Gulf of Riga are now Listen to him." Fisk said, also faintly revealing his disdain for that old guy. roundabout

Fisk has his own proud capital. His family has always been loyal to Ross's leader's family. His personal loyalty and his repeated achievements on the battlefield can be reused by Rurik. The First Cavalry led by him even fought alone in the hinterland of Frank, and even captured Ludwig, Duke of Great Bavaria, the Lord of the Eastern Kingdom.

How is the glorious record not the number one Ross?

There are now two "famous ruthless men" in the Ross Kingdom, one is "Double Swords" Arik, and the other is his "bald head" Fisk.

After all, the two were from the same tribe, Arik was a close relative of the king, and Fisk was a distant relative of the king. ....

The explorer Spuet is also a distant relative of everyone, but this old guy who is no longer young has no great achievements. It is this kind of person who actually governs the densely populated Riga on behalf of the king based on the treaty recognized by Rurik bay.

Both thought that the ship sent by their own people had drifted to Vitebsk. If this is the case, wouldn't it provide a very positive signal?

Carlotta's mood became more and more cheerful: "If this is the case, it means that the Polotsk people have no intention of rebelling at all. Our people are already operating safely in their territory!"

Fisk gave the old girl a blank look: "Carlotta, you have to understand what the king allowed you to do. In the end, Karl completely rules Polotsk, so don't let that old guy from Spuyut take advantage of it. "Lan

"Thank you for your reminder." She nodded, shaking her son Karl, who was drowsy from riding a horse for too long, and then raised her right fist and ordered to the rear team: "speed up! The trumpeter blows the trumpet! The standard bearer immediately Run to the river!"

The city of Vitebsk was awakened by an order.

At this moment, the old man Jellinger stationed in the city is busy making friends with the Danish merchants who floated over from the Gulf of Riga, and the two longboats placed here are also Danish.

Suddenly, a guard reported to his boss Yellinger. Because the cavalrymen who appeared suddenly had the most familiar attire, they walked out of the wooden house and stood outdoors to listen to the melodious sound of the horn in the melodious Ross tune. The old man's wrinkled face gradually filled A comfortable smile.

"Let's go." He greeted the fifty Danish passers-by with a hoarse voice: "It's our cavalry. They came to this fortress again this year as agreed."

On one side, seven hundred cavalry and nearly a thousand horses gathered on the flat right bank of the West Dvina River after leaving the forest area.

On one side, more than a hundred people walked out of the city of Vitebsk with thick wooden walls. roundabout

The two severely damaged long boats were dragged directly to the mud-filled shore. The reason for this is not a strange performance art, but because wading through the shallows is too uncomfortable to wet your clothes and pants. The pontoon bridge has been standing on the river for a year. , it facilitates north-south traffic, but interferes with inland waterway shipping.

Since the shipping demand on the West Dvina River is still too weak at this stage, it is not a problem for the longboat to be towed around the pontoon bridge. This year's Danish traveling businessman will not say anything after knowing the reason~www.mtlnovel.com~After all Every year, there are mighty overland caravans from Kiev and Pecheneg traveling north and south. They are huge in scale, and it becomes more and more important to travel by land from Vitebsk.

The Danish merchants and the southern commercial cavalry have to walk the same path at this location-the Isa River waterway leading to the south.

Arriving at the source of the Lsa River, you only need to push a long boat and walk a section of dirt road to reach the source of the Orshaza River.

Continue downstream from the Orshaza River to reach the wide main channel of the Dnieper River.

This is the crystallization of the Amber Road, from the West Dvina River to the Dnieper River. The road does not pass through the city of Smolensk, at least not in this era. Of course, Vitebsk, which qualifies as a transportation hub, was born and began to show its superior potential for land and river transportation. roundabout

The city of Orsha, which is a major trade and transportation city, has not yet been born, but with the restoration of traffic safety on the Amber Road under the rule of Ross, the birth of Orsha city is about to come out in the foreseeable future. .

reborn carambola