The horseshoes splashed the ice and snow, and the cavalry, under the guidance of Carl Eriksson, rushed towards the forest logging field in a wedge-shaped offensive formation.

The movement caused by the cavalry group's movement was absorbed by the fluffy snow, and they appeared quiet. Similarly, this gradually shrinking forest area is very quiet. If an ambush enemy suddenly bursts out, it will be a bit tricky to block the retreat of the cavalry.

As Fisk marched, he observed his surroundings vigilantly. So far, the world has been silent.

"Strange, the Smolensk people occupied the logging camp. Where are their figures? Could it be that they died of freezing?" He didn't have much time to doubt, because the huge camp was right in front of him.

He couldn't help reining in his horse, and the whole team hurried back around him.

"It's too quiet. It doesn't look like a camp...it's a tomb?" Fisk took off his sunglasses to see some details clearly, but he couldn't make up his mind for the time being.

"Come on?" Carl asked.

"Is this really their camp? I still can't see anyone."

"But Ai Wende did explain that there is cooking smoke here." Fisk thought for a while: "Just pretend they are all frozen to death." He raised his bow and signaled to the brothers behind him: "Let's go! If you encounter resistance, kill it! Try to catch it." Alive." There was no need to hide it anymore, the melodious bullhorn sounded, and the Ross First Cavalry rushed towards the Silent Camp.

From the beginning, the fighters expected that they would not encounter decent resistance, and they rushed into the cluttered huts at the logging camp.

They were obviously abandoned, the simple roofs were covered with snow, and there was no one in the dark doors. Like a large abandoned village, Fisk believes that this was once an enemy camp.

Suddenly, something strange was seen, like a stone stuck on a wooden pole. Only a closer inspection revealed that it was a severed head.

This is already a major discovery. Fisk's vigilance had almost dissipated, and he still rode away with a bow in his hand, but was found by his subordinates and led to the place where the head was hammered.

"What's going on, their sacrificial ceremony?" He got off his horse and observed it himself.

"The dead are our lumberjacks. Maybe there are also Danish businessmen..." Karl recalled the words of the previous captives by the way.

Fisk gently peeled away the snow, and indeed saw some heads with pure golden hair.

"Damn, it's really Danes. Our people were sacrificed by them. This place is clearly abandoned, and there is no fighting at all." Those Danish businessmen must come from Riga. They are not Ross people but allies. Their killing is enough Fisk was furious.

Because this area has belonged to Ross forever, and the Smolensk people are invaders, killing people in Ross's territory, they must die!

However, it seems somewhat incompetent and furious to say harsh words now. The brothers present were very angry. The enemy killed the Australian and the Danish businessman. Everyone really needs to execute a few enemies to vent their anger. It is also for this military operation.

"Open meat". Just as Fisk stomped his feet angrily, the cavalry warriors who searched around really caught some prisoners of war from some dark shacks.

To their surprise, the number of prisoners of war exceeded 50 one after another. They were captured without any resistance, and were dragged out by war horses like dead dogs after being bound hands and feet.

The unkempt prisoners of war were gathered together, seeing how unlucky these people looked, Fisk vented his anger and put away the knife for the time being.

The situation of the prisoners was very strange. They had injuries of varying degrees, and some of them suffered from severe fever.

Soon, another cavalry rushed to Fisk in an emergency.

"Visjorm, what are you in a hurry for?"

"Brother, I... my people found a tomb."

"The tomb?" Fisk said excitedly, "Does it have anything to do with these prisoners of war?"

"The dead are all brown-haired, with arrow wounds on their bodies. And." The cavalry centurion Bischom took out a broken arrow he found,

"It must have been fired from a crossbow. Only we have this kind of tapered steel arrows."

"Could it be..." Closing his eyes lightly, Fisk put together the collected information and interrogated himself without trouble. He had already guessed a lot.

He suddenly opened his eyes and raised his arms and shouted: "Come here! Take out the feverish captives! Behead them!" Some prisoners of war were taken out, without any resistance, they were dragged to the forest where the cavalry carried them to the wooden stakes that could be seen everywhere. The ax quickly chopped off the head, and then was stuck up by a wooden branch to pay blood for blood.

Witnessing the execution of their companions, the other prisoners of war could at most glance. They don't even act fearful! Is it courage?

Pooh! Obviously numb.

"Brother." This Bischom continued: "My people searched as much as possible, and they didn't even have food. People who were hungry and crazy, even..."

"Isn't it going to eat the corpse?" Fisk, who had just supervised the execution, turned his head.

"Maybe...at least I found wolf footprints."

"That's what the wolf gnawed. At least, I understand why they are so weak. This kind of prisoner..." Fisk glanced at the dull prisoner again,

"Bring them all back to the fortress, give them something to eat, and we'll ask another question." Ross didn't need many prisoners. Maybe Rurik would treat these people kindly here, but Fisk had no reason to do so.

The living captives were still chained like dead dogs, and the cavalry dragged them directly on the ice and snow.

As the cavalry returned to the fort, the dismounted soldiers kicked and kicked the prisoners of war, and some died. The soldiers reported this situation, but Fisk was unmoved: "Throw the dead bodies at random, and we can't deal with them for the time being." Indeed, there are human and horse corpses everywhere around Vitebsk, even the collapsed east gate of the fortress. They all use frozen dead bodies as bricks and stones.

Now the debris blocking the north gate has been cleaned up one after another by the defenders, and the north gate, which has been completely sealed for more than ten days, finally opened, and the Ross cavalry with feathers on their heads entered in a mighty manner, and the fortress was completely saved!

The horses were temporarily managed centrally, and the soldiers were able to rest. The warehouses in the inner city were still well stocked. Iron pots were set up, the defenders boiled snow and wheat, and the dismounted cavalry leaned against the wooden wall to sit and rest.

Accompanied by Ai Wende, Fisk looked at the fort after the battle from a new perspective. The two stopped at a large wooden box.

"Jelinger. This is Yellinger's coffin. He led us to fight against powerful enemies, and finally died of exhaustion. And I was almost exhausted." Saying this, Ai Wende looked vicissitudes, and he age does not match.

"You only have a hundred people. Actually, there are almost no losses?"

"Yes." Evande nodded,

"All the wounded brothers were healed. No one died of fever, but they were temporarily unable to fight because of their weak muscles and bones."

"So you exercised great restraint, and you stayed behind closed doors in the inner city. In the end, you watched the enemy army move towards Polotsk?"

"You scold me?"

"I didn't mean that." Fisk corrected him, and then talked about himself: "If it was me, I might go out of the city and fight with them. By the way, there are still twenty prisoners of war alive. How do you plan to deal with them?" Ai Wen De suddenly looked at Fisk's face: "Kill! There is nothing to say."

"I have the same intention, but I can't make them cheap for nothing."

"Could it be a blood eagle?" Ai Wende trembled violently,

"Their guilt is not enough?"

"Blood Eagle? Yes, if you like, but it's really unnecessary. Kid." Fisk suggested: "The corpses are covered in snow, and the king can't see your achievements in defending the city. You hang the enemy's corpse on the city wall, As long as the king can see clearly."

"Okay! Thank you for the captive you brought back, I will do it now."

"But don't be in a hurry. Feed them the last meal, and it's not too late to ask about the situation." It would be useless for the captive to tell everything he knew, but Fisk gave the living captive cooked wheat, and Promise to tell what you know and live.

The captives didn't think much, they recognized the Ross flag, and the Ross cavalrymen who suddenly killed them gave food to the wounded Smolensk soldiers who had run out of food and were quietly waiting to die of cold and starvation. They ate instinctively, and expressed their willingness to cooperate after recovering some physical strength .

Now, Fisk and the defenders finally figured out why. What these captives said was significantly different from the information they provided before!

In order to prevent his memory from ignoring some important details, Fisk simply took banknotes, dipped a quill in some frozen ink, and recorded key information one after another, so as to submit it directly to the king.

There are three important pieces of information here: First, the main force of the Smolensk Army still has 3,000 soldiers, and it has already attacked Polotsk with all its strength.

Second, the leader of the army is Vadim. Third, there were no ambushes around the Vitebsk fortress, and hundreds of wounded soldiers were abandoned and dying slowly.

There were also some miscellaneous information, and Fisk even asked the specific identity of the prisoners of war, whether they were ordinary farmers, servants loyal to the nobles, or even mercenaries.

The living prisoners of war were all peasants, and all the villages of the Smolensk sent people to fight. The purpose of Vadim's war is to cut off the line of communication and revenge.

This year plans to capture a Ross town, and if all goes well, we will continue to expand the war next year. The Smolensk people had reasons for revenge, but when it comes to Vadim, the situation has changed significantlyrevenge has become a struggle for hegemony.

It's a pity that a group of honest farmers are fighting for Vadim's ambitions, and there are some debt serfs who can't even think about it.

Fisk didn't feel sorry for these people, seeing that they were full, he also achieved his purpose of interrogation. A bald giant stood in the sun. Fisk looked down at the captives sitting on the ground, pointed to their faces and suddenly shouted in Slavic: "Since you are fighters, you should pay the price of death in battle. Now, go to Die! Come!" As soon as the voice fell, a group of soldiers with bows appeared quickly.

"Take an arrow! Shoot! Shoot all your quiveres!" The soldiers listened to the order and mechanically shot at the unknown prisoners... The prisoners had no possibility of defense, they were all shot like hedgehogs, and this Exactly what Fisk needs.

Twenty prisoners of war were covered with arrows, and their corpses hung upside down on both sides of the north gate wall, becoming terrifying decorations to welcome the king.

There is nothing to worry about, the cavalry will stay in the inner city for the night. Who is the hero?

Carl Eriksson, who once wanted to succeed Old Man Yellinger as the next Vitebsk City Lord, now has to admit that the unknown young player Evande has become a big celebrity after a big battle.

Any idea can only be given up. Because Fisk admired this kid very much, he was willing to guarantee Aiwende and recommend it to Rurik.

Currently, the person with the highest status is Fisk, and Ross' bald general guards here, so anyone can feel at ease.

Fisk specially invited the young Evander to have dinner. After discussing the boy's original hometown, Fisk raised his chest like a big brother.

"With your talents, you should go to the standing army. The king is now employing people, and the king will definitely use you when he learns of your achievements."

"Brother Fisk, you want to promote me?" Ai Wende was shocked, his body trembling involuntarily.

"Boy, can you ride a horse?"

"certainly."

"I'm very optimistic about you. You can stay by my side for the time being. Be my follower for now. In the future... maybe the king will give you the position of captain of the cavalry standard."

"Great! But..." Ai Wende slightly hooked his head: "I am really qualified?"

"You are not confident? Kill the enemy decisively, and lead the brothers to defend the fort after the death of the city lord. If Vitebsk misses, Ross will be ashamed, and the king will be ashamed. What do you think this fortress means?"

"What?"

"In the eyes of the king, there is no room for loss here. This is the fork in the Amber Road. Both the enemy and us know its importance. We all thought that Vitebsk had fallen, and we didn't believe that a hundred defenders could hold on, but you!" Fisk said. I didn't go on talking, I patted the kid on the shoulder silly.

Ai Wende is not stupid, he knows that he has no reason to shirk. His father was dead, and his mother was ordered to herd sheep in a meadow near the city of Novostara. I really didn't have much to worry about, and I didn't complain about being sent to Vitebsk to guard.

What Ai Wende lacks is the opportunity, and now he will never give up the opportunity. The cavalry stayed in the fortress for only one night. At noon the next day, the Russian army followed the traces left by the cavalry and arrived in Vitebsk smoothly.

The ice of the West Dvina River was getting thicker day by day. At first, Rurik was still worried that the sled would fall into the ice cave. However, with nearly 6,000 troops, nearly 10,000 reindeer and war horses, the huge team did not want to advance in the cramped riverside area. The road is the best path, and since no one has fallen into the river, this gray-and-white army is moving forward like a wriggling on the ice, and the speed is really fast.

Rurik, who was in Vitebsk for the first time, had complained that Carlotta's move southwards was too aggressive, and now he had nothing but approval for her move.

"Our flag is flying on the city wall! The fortress has not fallen, haha!" Rurik was in a good mood, and Carlotta, who had been nervous for a while, finally let go of her hanging heart.

"It seems that Vadim is an idiot, and he can't win by playing more and less beans." Carlota said casually.

"You can't say that." Rurik corrected, "It's because your soldiers are too brave!"

"It's Rose's fighter." Carlotta also corrected.

"It's our soldier! It's mainly yours. Carlotta, you should reward that guard Jellinger."

"That's natural."

"And Carl Eriksson, the messenger."

"Naturally." They were all from the Principality of Ostara. Rurik felt that as the king, he could just reward them with a sum of money. The real reward related to status was suitable for the Duchess Carlotta.

The Chinese army's sleigh had arrived at the north gate of the fortress, and all the soldiers were sweating from the shock of the hanging dead bodies at the gate.

What kind of strange sacrificial activity is it? The ragged corpse was covered in arrows and was actually illuminated by the winter sun?

No! Obviously to show off to the new brothers.

"Haha!" Rurik, who had already left the sled, saw this,

"Carlotta, look, your people are already claiming credit." Carlotta couldn't hide a smile: "I just don't know how many enemies they killed. After all, it was a siege of 5,000 people..."

"Go into the city and have a look, and we'll see the outcome soon." Rurik intends to summon Jellinger. It is said that this is a steady old man who can lead the defenders to complete the defense, and he will be rewarded with ten pounds of silver coins.

The traces of the battlefield are difficult to cover up with the snow. Rurik can notice the chaos in the east of the fortress. As he enters the city, the Guocheng area is indeed in a mess. There are even many arrows and javelins stuck in the high places of the wooden house. was ripped off.

Fisk brought Ai Wende, and the two changed their clothes and came majestically. In the eyes of others, the current Ai Wende is Fisk's entourage, like a member of the cavalry.

After a brief negotiation with the king, Rurik naturally didn't pay attention to the little entourage around Fiske.

"Fisk, where is Yellinger, the lord of this city? I want to meet this heroic defender." Rurik said enthusiastically.

"He...he died in battle."

"Huh?" Rurik was slightly surprised, but Carlota was the most surprised one.

"Then who is defending the city?" Carlota shouted impatiently.

"It's him." Fisk immediately pulled Ivan to him.

"Aiwende, you kid..." Carlota couldn't hide her surprise.

"It's him. After Jellinger died in battle, Evander was in command. Carlota, you still have young heroes under your command~www.mtlnovel.com~ It's just that you...may underestimate the abilities of these young people." Carlota Ta surprised and delighted, without the slightest doubt.

Rurik squinted his eyes, staring carefully at Ai Wende's face. The two looked at each other, Rurik looked at the boy, he saw the boy's perseverance, even...

"I understand. This kid can't tell lies. Those who have killed people have different eyes. Fisk!" Rurik looked at his old buddy again: "I guess you still have something to say."

"Of course! I am optimistic about this kid. Your Majesty, he is qualified to serve you as your soldier."

"Oh? That's a good thing. Good! As long as his merits are confirmed, the king wants it. This kind of young man has the qualifications to be the captain of the banner." Although Rurik noticed a slight change in Carlotta's mood, If this person has the qualifications of a brave general, as the general of Ross's standing army, wouldn't he poach Carlotta's corner.

It doesn't matter! Excellent generals must be placed in the standing army. As for Carlotta. Rurik felt that he had effective ways of comforting her.

She is a wife after all, a Rose in the harem. high status wife