The round shield was dripping with blood, the steel sword was dripping with blood, and the plate armor was also soaked in blood. The smell of blood and sweat mixed together, and the sound of shouting and crying complemented each other.

Twelve warriors guarded the bridge, and behind them were friendly troops who kept shooting arrows. Although they are small in number and the soldiers are too young, they stand here like a thin but indestructible

"Iron Wall". The javelin originally used for bear hunting is a torsion slingshot, and each shot often causes two enemies to lose their fighting ability.

In order to ensure that future battles will not fall into absolute passivity, warriors with crossbows are already firing captured enemy arrows. Poor-quality arrow clusters may be difficult to kill nearby enemies, so it is no problem to throw them against enemies behind to create chaos.

There was a **** fight at the bridgehead, and arrows from both sides were flying randomly above their heads.

"Are you... monsters? You don't feel tired after fighting so far?" Vadim, who supervised the battle, couldn't understand it, and his soldiers couldn't understand it.

In other words, the marching Smolensk soldiers gradually couldn't stand the impact of the obvious lack of progress. Many people have been killed and injured. Most of the brothers who fell into the water were tragically drowned. A sneak attack with sharp arrows.

Standing back does not mean safety, although it is possible to be pierced by a deadly javelin, and such an injury means death.

The Smolensk fighters did not have any armor that could withstand the blow of the torsion slingshot. They had no medical drugs, and they had a weak concept of hygiene. However, they knew very well that once they were injured, they might suffer from fever and die in pain.

And being hit by that damned javelin is fatal. You may die suddenly anytime, anywhere, and you may die suddenly if you stand behind.

The battle that the people of Smolensk knew was not like this at all. If it weren't for the cavalry led by the big leader behind them to keep suppressing, the morale of the army would collapse.

However, the morale of the army is rapidly fading, although it is reaching the critical point of collapse. Ai Wende was out of breath, he didn't dare and disdain to show his fatigue to the enemy, but he didn't have the strength to beat Yin Hong's round shield with his sword to provoke again, the sword rested on the shield, maintaining the indestructible image of the shield wall with his companions .

"Young man, can you hold on?"

"Roar!" The battle roars of the soldiers were obviously short of breath. Looking left and right, Yellinger really felt that they were very tired.

"You are all heroes. Keep going now, it will be bad if they see our fatigue. We... just keep standing like this." The twelve warriors kept their defensive posture completely. If the enemy continued to charge, they would kill them , if the enemy maintains a confrontation, then maintain the confrontation.

It's just that the arrows of the friendly troops on the city wall are completely self-seeking in a free-firing posture, constantly weakening morale.

Crashes don't come from a split second. At the beginning, it was a large number of light arrows thrown by the defenders, which forced the follow-up troops of the attacking line to dodge. After all, those people at the rear of the team were all tribal fighters who were forcibly recruited. These people were debt slaves released by the landlords of various villages. , the marginalized people in the village, and the relatively weak, just lack of stamina.

They thought about the good thing of winning, and any victory would definitely be taken away by Vadim and his elite, and they were grateful for their kindness if they could drink soup.

That being the case, why should the brothers work hard? While seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages, the front line of the rear troops became more and more loose, and the retreat of a small number of people gradually became the retreat of more people, and finally the collapse began like a snowball.

Vadim, who was riding a horse, whose beard couldn't hide his blue veins, held his sword high and kept waving it to dissuade the soldiers from fleeing, and then turned into a curse.

Cursing did nothing to change the situation, and he saw his well-trained warrior fleeing with his bare hands.

"Ridiculous! Don't you have a blood feud with them? How can you let the people of Ross see your backs?!"

"Get back my weapon and continue the confrontation."

"I haven't issued a retreat order yet, why are you fleeing?!"... Nothing helped, Vadim hacked the deserters in public in exchange for a larger-scale rout.

Those Smolensk warriors on horseback also gradually joined the retreating army, not wanting to be exposed to the open space and become the target of surprise attacks.

A warrior on horseback grabbed the reins and hurriedly approached the furious Vadim, and bravely suggested: "Leader, you should go too."

"Let me go?! Are you going to be a coward too?"

"Oh, this has nothing to do with cowards. Chief, isn't our purpose today to harass? The general attack you planned hasn't started yet, why don't you let the brothers go back, take a rest and prepare the equipment, we will be able to break the city."

"Forget it. Just follow the original plan." Vadim slowly put down his sword, and glanced at the impenetrable fortress, the Russian shield wall at the bridge head, and the Russian flag flying on the wooden wall.

It's so hard to admit your failures! He spat hard, and said harshly: "I will find a way to destroy you! Soon, I will do it." On the other hand, countless figures are fleeing to the east, leaving behind There were a group of wriggling and crawling wounded soldiers, dead bodies trampled to death by their comrades because of their injuries, and scattered weapons.

"They escaped, we won?" Evande muttered feebly.

"Yes." Yellinger panted heavily, he responded briefly, turned his head to look at the boy, but saw Ai Wende's legs paralyzed... His eyes were quick, his right hand was still holding the sword, and he used his arm to help the boy rise.

"Stupid! Don't slack off now, stand up for me."

"Yes... yes..." Ai Wende endured exhaustion and continued to persist. The Twelve Warriors have also reached the brink of collapse. When the tense nerves are relaxed due to the enemy's retreat, the body supported by adrenaline is relaxing at a terrifying speed. At the price of standing still with the cubs of the Principality of Ostara, defending the glory of the kingdom and the faith, they will collectively collapse on the blood-soaked suspension bridge.

Jellinger was extremely worried that once the shield wall at the bridge head was gone, it is very likely that the insightful people among the enemy would organize a team of Jianyong to attack again.

Indeed, when Vadim had to give the order to retreat, his horse headed towards the occupied lumberyard. Unwilling, he stared at the fort with his eyes like a wolf, staring at the too obvious blood-stained shield wall standing at the bridgehead .

Until the enemy gradually disappeared from sight... They didn't go away, apparently went to the logging camp and nearby forests.

Now Yellinger finally signaled everyone to take a rest. Just as the order was issued, all the young soldiers fell down like arrows, and fell on the suspension bridge, splashing all the congealed Yin Hong's blood clots. After a while, he snored on his back and fell asleep.

Jellinger wanted to laugh in relief, but his tired body no longer allowed him to laugh out loud. He slowly raised his sword to signal the brothers on the top of the wall who were cheering for the victory, and said vigorously, "Open the door now, you all come out! Clean up the battlefield and seize everything that can be captured." Now that he fully knows the details and demands of the enemy, he intends to stick to Veljay The defenders of the Principality of Ostara in Busk, everyone must find a way to turn this fortress into a source of hatred.

Fly the Rose flag aloft, making sure its blue and white design is clearly visible to enemies at all times.

After all, that is five thousand enemies! This number may be deceitful. In today's chaotic battle, the few defenders did see a large army, even if the combat effectiveness of this group of guys is worrying.

Young fighters focus on being aggressive, and a few old fighters like Jellinger think a lot. Vadim and his Smolensk army didn't bring a lot of supplies?

They don't want to break through the fortress. When their food is exhausted, they must look for something to eat, or hunt or fish. The perch and woodchuck can't fill the stomachs of thousands of troops. Finally, they must go to the nearest Polotsk people. The site grabs food.

What about the Polotsk people? The local Novopolotsk fortress has a better defense level than the Vitebsk fortress, but the quality of the defenders may not be high enough.

Rescue messengers are attacking with all their strength, and the Polotsk people may have begun to realize that there is a big enemy in the east today.

After the war, the military strength of the Polotsk community itself has plummeted, precisely because it was included in the territory of the Kingdom of Ross. They are a group of sheep whose horns have been pulled out, like a pile of fat.

And the hungry Smolensk army will burst out super fighting power in order to survive, which is extremely dangerous.

To further create conditions to anger the enemy! So, on the once crowded battlefield, the scattered spear shafts were cut off by the defenders with axes, and then the sharp parts were cut out, which were used to insert the heads of the executed enemies.

Jellinger was supported by his companions back to the fort and fell asleep, and those young people who were exhausted from fighting were dragged away by their companions in their sleep.

The soldiers who went out of the city observed vigilantly, and after feeling that there was no danger, they started bloody

"Cleaning the battlefield". They don't want prisoners, and they have to slash the neck with an ax when dealing with dead bodies. Skulls were placed on wooden poles one after another, and as many as 150 were smashed on the battlefield outside the east gate of the fortress.

This at least proves that the enemy has killed 150 people, but the actual number is more serious. Some of the bodies had been washed up in the main channel by the currents in the trenches, and the West Dvina would push the bodies all the way to the sea.

However, the trench waterways on both sides of the suspension bridge have been silted up. It is the body of the enemy who fell into the trench after being stabbed and slashed, and drowned in the water without dying immediately, so that the limbs began to emerge from the water.

it is necessary

"Dredging"? The defenders tried it out, and found that the dead bodies were entangled with each other and couldn't be moved, and they were wearing plate armor, so they didn't dare to take off their armor, so they simply ignored it.

The soldiers who went out of the city looked left and right like thieves, and then clubbed the heads of all the enemies they found to create

"The ferocious wheat field", and then withdrew to the city carrying the spoils, mainly weapons. The suspension bridge mechanism has been broken, and the defenders simply further destroyed it and demolished it to expose the original ditch.

Then the east gate was closed. According to the request of Jellinger before he fell asleep, the defenders put down their crossbows and focused on taking out their shovels to dig the soil on the spot.

Not for anything else, just to seal the east gate from the rear by accumulating dirt. From the outside it looks like the gate of this fortress of the Kingdom of Ross is closed, but in fact the defenders are determined to close the road to fight the enemy to the end.

Of all the trophies, the largest number of spears was brought back. The shaft is solid oak and has been shaved so straight that it would be fair to say that this wood would qualify as a one-piece bow.

The shaft of the spear was cut off, one part was used to punch the severed heads, and the other part served as the necessary javelin for the torsion slingshot.

A big battle was anticlimactic again, and Ross's Austral army had the last laugh. What's more, because of their heavy armor and better physical fitness than the enemy, no one was killed except for a few people who were injured.

Even if the injuries were mostly minor bruises, the bravest twelve people, including Jellinger, were so tired that their bones were about to be turned into powder.

Ai Wende was wiped with hot water by his companions, and his blood-stained plate armor was taken out and washed by the well water.

The warm honey water was poured into the mouths of the twelve sleepy people, and everyone drank it in a daze and continued to sleep soundly.

And this sleep, I slept until the evening of the next day... Even after waking up and changing clothes inexplicably, Ai Wende slowly sat up from the bed and subconsciously supported his head.

"Oh, my bones are about to break. Hey, where's the person?!" Apparently hearing his voice, some companions hurried into the long room of the warm dormitory.

"Brother, you finally woke up."

"It's you, Raboi. Where are the other brothers?"

"It's all okay. It's okay..." The same young Raboi is an out-and-out Slav on Lake Ilmen. He accepted the king's order, left the farm, and became a brand-new Austalian. Now he is a Viking Slavic warrior.

This brother has more freckles on his face, so he got the nickname Laboi, which made him have to accept this nickname, and it doesn't matter if he gets used to it.

The young Raboi's complexion was obviously not good, and Ai Wende noticed the strangeness, and asked again: "How long have I been asleep? Has the enemy attacked again? Did you win without me?"

"The enemy hasn't left, and I don't know what they are doing. I'm afraid they are doing some conspiracy."

"It's better...send someone to investigate their plan." Ai Wende said casually.

"Maybe it can. Now the east gate of the outer city is closed, and the brothers have all retreated to the inner city. The inner city has strengthened its defenses. We... no matter what happens, we must hold on until the reinforcements arrive."

"That's it. Unexpectedly, Uncle Jellinger is really a berserker. I used to think that he was the city lord just because of his seniority. Haha, I defeated the enemy. By the way, how long did I sleep for?"

"One day." The freckled Raboy couldn't hide the sadness on his face.

"Don't be discouraged, don't be depressed. We have food, firewood, and food here. We don't lack anything. One hundred brothers will consume energy until next spring, and those Smolensk idiots will not be able to consume it with us."

"But"

"Relax." Ai Wende patted the brother's shoulder kindly, and suddenly felt uncomfortable and coughed.

Although the light in the room was dim, Ai Wende was also shocked to see the blood on the palm of the hand covering his mouth and coughing, so he pressed his chest suddenly and felt the pain.

"I'm coughing up blood?! Not good."

"Are you okay?" Raboy asked nervously.

"I can't die yet. Hehe, Odin won't let me die. I'd better relax. Let's go, help me up, I'll go see what's going on with Uncle Jellinger. I still have to talk to him."

"He..." Raboy's tense face showed pain.

"What's wrong with you?"

"It's time to tell you the situation. Uncle...he's dead."

"Dead?!" Feeling a headache immediately, Ai Wende asked the brother to talk about it, but what he got was the news of Yellinger's death.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Yesterday we fought side by side, killing the enemy's heads, and the ditch was choked with corpses. He was not injured at all, how did he die?! Could it be..." Suddenly a thought came to my mind: " worn out?"

"I'm afraid, this is the answer." Raboi and the other defenders were shocked that the city lord Yellinger died in his sleep after the victory, but he was indeed dead. When a soldier boldly entered his room in the afternoon, he had already found Yellinger. Lingge's body was as hard as a stone, but also as cold as a stone.

There were only eleven of the twelve warriors left, and the warriors who woke up one after another got the bad news. Just in the inner city, Jellinger's body had been carried to a small square. Except for the soldiers who stood guard on high ground and monitored the enemy's situation at the east gate of the outer city, everyone else was discussing fiercely around the body in the inner city.

Fortunately, Jellinger recruited more than a dozen young soldiers to arrange for them to defend the city while he was sleeping, considering that he was extremely exhausted before falling asleep.

"Don't take the initiative to attack. We have already sacrificed Odin with blood. If you stand by and wait for help, you are not being a coward or a coward. You must defend with all your strength, and you must persist in defense." The most critical order is exactly this.

Jellinger hopes to have a good sleep to recover his spirits, but he does not know that the battle of the bridgehead has exhausted the fire of his life, and the old soldier finally ushered in his end.

One hundred versus four thousand! Twelve warriors fought against the front at the bridgehead, and Yellinger was the bravest and the oldest warrior.

Due to overwork, his heart, which was once nearly burst, slowed down after rest, and finally failed silently and stopped beating.

The fortress is guarded by young people. Due to the innate population structure of the Principality of Aostara, the number of young and middle-aged people is very small. Nowadays, young people have a huge proportion.

A teenager with northern ancestry eats so well during the growth period that his height is 1.8 meters at a young age.

Ai Wende is indeed only fourteen years old, his figure is already half a head taller than Jellinger, but his face still retains a trace of childishness, if he wears a full set of armor, he looks like a strong Nordic man.

The stronger the Nordic ancestry in the defenders, the taller they are. Slavs like Raboi, who were forced to immigrate last year, are much shorter.

Although they are short, they are at the end of puberty because of a sudden improvement in food conditions, and they grow taller

The "miracle" was happening to them, so the hormone level suddenly increased, and the freckles and acne on the boy's face became more numerous.

Now, surrounded by crowds, Jellinger's body lies on a plank. The defenders have no leader, and the young people gather together. They must quickly resolve the affairs of Jellinger's death, and organize a small Ross Duma as soon as possible, and suddenly choose a leader to lead everyone to continue to stand firm.

Who has the right to be the leader? He has to be a warrior to be seen. When Ai Wende hurried out of the dormitory, pairs of eyes stared at him.

"Hey! What do you see me doing? Where is Jellinger? Where is he?"

"It's here." Someone shouted. Finally, Ai Wende saw the old soldier lying on his back with his sword in both hands.

He silently shed a line of hot tears, wiped them off abruptly and quickly regained his composure. A few days ago, Ai Wende was quite a simple boy, but now he is not.

There are already many enemies who have died under his hands, he suddenly grows, and the situation forces him to grow further.

Because the young people have already discussed and decided that since Ai Wende is the most valiant enemy fighter among his peers, and he is purely from the Swedish Gran tribe, it is only natural for him to be the temporary city lord and lead everyone to stand firm.

Ai Wende has no right to refuse~www.mtlnovel.com~A reality is before himfor the time being, no one is more qualified than him.

"Alright then!" Ai Wende didn't feel the slightest excitement. Instead, he felt a huge boulder on his shoulders. He felt a huge sense of responsibility and was inspired to fight hard.

He stood on a wooden box, leaned on his chest and said to everyone as loud as possible: "Jeringer Ericson! The city lord appointed by the Duke has died, and he has gone to Valhalla! The war is still going on, we The order of the Duke must be implemented, and this southernmost castle fortress in Ross must be adhered to! Now, it is me! Evanderswindsson commands!"

"Roar!" The brothers drew their swords to signal, pointing the bright white steel swords directly at the increasingly gray sky.

In this way, around the body of Jellinger, the Vitebsk fortress is still standing, a new commander appears, and young soldiers take over the withered veterans and begin to write their history.

In the warm atmosphere, Ai Wende couldn't help but glanced at the peaceful corpse: "Old man... sooner or later, we will meet in the Hall of Valor. But... not today, nor this year."