Since the early morning, the entire Smolensk settlement has fallen into a general panic.

The Viadzic people started to evacuate first, and it was clear that some fearful people left.

The leaders of other alliance towns also evacuated with their own people. Since the leaders came to Smolensk with a small number of cronies for a meeting, these people came and evacuated very quickly.

Who will save huge Smolensk?

The nobles who don't know the specific situation will definitely not give up the family business they depend on for a living, and it is impossible to abandon their glory. They temporarily sealed off their manor, and ordered all kinds of people in the manor to evacuate into their mansion.

As a result, a group of noble manors became fortresses surrounded by low walls in one morning.

Those nobles who claimed to be of Roman blood decisively ordered all to be armed.

"All men and women, old and young, who can afford a stick, stand up. I will not support idlers, I want to see an army! Even if it is to protect your own lives, take Take up arms and protect yourself."

The local aristocrats made such publicity and factual claims, and everything was completely different from their previous attitude towards Vadim's expedition. Although I don't know what the reason is, it seems that a powerful enemy has killed him. It is entirely out of the need for self-protection. The nobles decided to fight their lives!

Those people who were at a loss saw the tough attitude of those arrogant nobles, and the panic ended immediately.

The manor surrounded by low wooden walls became a barracks. The people wanted the protection of these nobles, and the nobles also needed armed peasants to protect them.

Then a large number of wooden fortresses appeared in Smolensk in an instant, and they were not densely distributed and not scattered enough.

The manors kept their distance. Fortunately, the forest in this area had been cleared long ago, and the roots of the trees had been pulled out to open up a large area of flat farmland.

The manors can only see each other's existence, so if one party is attacked, the other manors will be informed immediately and take some countermeasures.

But all this happened in the noble manor.

The Smolensk community has a larger free farm, which is a union of mutual aid farmers. The entire farm does not have the most noble leader, only a male from each household, and a storyteller is regularly elected in a house. Man is really a kind of classical democracy.

Free collective farms have communal fields, communal granaries, and communal farm implements, and even a large number of houses are communal.

"Are we really going to fight those bandits on horseback? We can't beat them at all!"

"Yes. Vadim abandoned us, only ghosts and gods know where he took the four thousand army?"

"No! In my opinion, Vadim is defeated. Those Ross bandits invaded our place. Let's run away! We still have the chance."

"Escape? Where are you fleeing to?"

Pairs of eyes stared at the person they recommended. The person who plays the role of the village chief is also the leader of the army. Whether he fights or flees, his attitude is very important.

Just look at the anxious faces of the people who were about to cry, and the village said decisively: "The Viadichs have run away! We ran with them, but we cannot settle in their territory. We will follow in their footsteps first, and then go to Lezov Ka (Rzhev)."

Now that there is a road map plan for escape, the villagers just ran away.

Such villages are not alone, and even when some collective farms began to flee collectively, it spread like an epidemic throughout Smolensk.

Those nobles failed to protect the villages in the west from bandits in the past few years. Regardless of the results of Vadim's expedition, now that the bandit army has even destroyed the altar, why should they stay in their homes and be slaughtered? ? !

During the winter that lasts for half a year, it is absolutely impossible for each village to plant on its own farmland. The oat and rye seeds are not sown again until the next year's mulching period is over.

Ordinary collective farms, though free, faced a life of poverty like no other. The poorer you are, the more you have to bear children. Children have a high mortality rate. Only

Mass births offset death. When young children can afford wooden tools, they have to participate in collective labor. This is the case for the entire farm, relying on extremely limited metal utensils and a large number of wooden utensils to do agricultural production with difficulty.

It is difficult for these people to get a share of the trade with the Varyags, and they have always lived in poverty, but it also makes them a group of barefoot people who are not afraid of wearing shoes. Ben didn't have many properties, and the silent cost of abandoning them was not serious.

At worst, everyone would drag their sleds along the frozen river and flee with tools, food and limited livestock. Everyone evacuated to Lezovka and started logging and reclaiming new land, and life could continue. As for being in poverty for a while? Everyone is poor.

As the first farm moved its stored wheat on a large scale, took away the cattle and sheep in the stables, and left openly, the second and third followed suit.

There were more and more fugitives, a situation that the nobles who were determined to evacuate were not expecting.

Is this all a disaster?

"You just fled? The crisis will be over, we can endure until the bandits leave on their own. It only takes one more blizzard to overwhelm them. You will freeze to death on the way to escape, and your mansions and farmlands will die Let me take over." Some nobles thought so, and even used the topic to cheer up the armed peasants under their command.

For farmers, especially those in debt or especially poor families, to fight their way through, there really needs to be some tangible benefits for them.

Then some nobles made a high-profile publicity: "Those people abandoned their farmland and fled. Their fields are unclaimed land! We won the battle, and you people took the land. Don't worry about the fugitives coming back to **** it. You prove it. Those lands are my reward for you!"

What Kang others said was really a trick, but the nobles had no time to be complacent, because a large number of fleeing people began to appear. They staggered and ran in the snow, seemingly wanting nothing but their belongings, as if the army of bandits had arrived.

Some farms are abandoning everything and fleeing the village, while others are packing up their belongings.

Those farms living in the forest, because of the lack of information, neither knew that the great altar was brutally attacked, nor did they know that the main settlement of Smolensk had become a mess.

There are quite a few such forest farms, the woods are like barriers, they live like frogs in a well, they don't care about things outside the forest, and they don't know anything about the approaching danger. There is one good thing, if the conqueror wants to be gentle, such a forest farm will also accept it.

Just as they are all willing to accept the rule of the riverside nobles, they regularly provide the big chief with a small amount of cowhide and sticky lake pine resin (they can only come up with such high-value property) as a tribute.

And those Varyags who lived here... decided to defend their wealth, intending to launch a "blood sacrifice" against the intruding enemies.

The Ross cavalry, with their blue feathers on their heads and flags fluttering on their saddles, followed the guidance of the old man Galai there, and rushed to the micro-community of the Varyags among them.

It is said to be a community, but in fact there are only twenty or thirty households. Compared with the entire Smolensk Krivich community, it is really insignificant.

After all, it is the winter of 842, and the Amber Road has not yet opened up a branch of the Eastern Front.

Even these gem sellers have not yet figured out that the so-called source lake of the Kaspria River, a tributary of the upper reaches of the West Dvina River, can directly reach some creeks and streams as long as they walk a certain distance from here. Turned into a small river, the river flows directly into the Dnieper River next to Smolensk. Even if some people try it, it is not widespread enough.

After all, the current Amber Road is not prosperous.

Although there have been Danish merchants selling gems, they can only reach Kherson (Savastopol) under the Eastern Roman rule in the end. Gems can be sold secretly, and even slaves can be sold secretly, but if caught, they will all be executed by the Roman army. As for selling goods through the official route, these Varyag merchants in the north must pay heavy taxes. One of the reasons is that they do not believe in the Lord.

Because not believing in the Lord is the reason for being heavily taxed, but even if you throw away this heavy tax businessman

Still make some money. Naturally, if they collude with local Roman merchants by smuggling, they will naturally be able to sell the amber and slaves at a lower price. Governor Kherson.

But the elite cavalry led by Fisk stood impressively on the ice.

As long as you see the phantoms of those cavalrymen, the blue and white intertwined flags are enough to send a large number of local villagers to fleethat is the flag of the horse bandits who attacked the village and plundered the population, and it is also the flag of the so-called Ross people.

Of course, the Varyags living here have heard about Ross, and learned that the Danish world has changed.

But what does all this have to do with you?

When they saw the cavalry appear, they took out the round shields and battle axes from their homes without thinking, and organized their children, even their own local sons and daughters.

Men and women went into battle together. They wore thick cowhide clothing, and the middle-aged men all wore a rusty leather helmet with a strong Nordic style.

There are paintings on the round shield, most of which are domineering words written in rune script, or some runes drawn radially.

Fisk could understand the meaning of these runes just by squinting. He took off the wooden framed sunglasses and took a closer look. He stretched out his right hand and ordered the whole team: "No one can attack without my order. Violators will be fined."

The Ross cavalry lined up in a thick wall. The horses had thick brown-black manes, and the cavalry soldiers were generally blue and white. Everyone wore eye-protecting wooden-frame sunglasses, and polar bear fur hats even covered their cheeks.

The cold wind swept across the frozen river, the warrior's feathers shook violently, and the flags fluttered.

Fisk and his fighters are here, no matter how you look at it, it seems that a surprise attack will be launched in the next second.

They just stood here, using silence as a serious deterrent, forcing those Varyags who lived here to come out.

Not far away, those aristocratic farms protected by low walls began to watch from afar.

The armed militia stood on the battlements, watching nervously.

The aristocratic lords in chain mail were all ready for the defensive battle. When they saw the ghostly Ross bandit cavalry, they ordered their own men to hold out. The Russians fought.

The two sides have a common origin, and it is only normal to fight because of different interests.

For thousands of years, there have been constant disputes in the Baltic Sea. These Varyags defaulted to the enemy on horseback.

The shield walls were arranged tensely, with strong men in front, and weaker men and women behind with spears.

The Varyags are also determined to stick to it, because they have heard the legend about the Roman armored cavalry, and they are also very aware of the strength of the Ross horse bandits, so they know that infantry has a natural disadvantage in fighting cavalry.

So the two sides froze suddenly, and the soldiers kept quiet, only the wind whistled in their ears.

Fisk was quiet for a while, and motioned for the old man to come. He tilted his head slightly and asked, "Old man, you said that there are not many Varyags here, is there only so few?"

"What do you think? I've been saying that there are very few Danes living here."

"It's too few." Fisk clicked his tongue: "If there is a real fight, my soldiers will be able to destroy them with a single salvo."

"But you don't have to," said the old man hastily.

"That's natural. How about it? Uncle, go to persuade you to surrender?"

"Fine. Maybe you should come with me, though."

"Just go." Fisk smiled, and took off his hat, exposing his intentionally shaved bald head to the cold wind, probably making him shiver for a moment after taking off his hat.

He put the soldiers on high alert, and dismounted himself, determined to chat with them peacefully.

Therefore, in the eyes of the Smolensk Varyags who formed an array to protect themselves, the big bald head standing in the wind is particularly unique. This man is tall, with a round shield on his back, a sword hanging from his waist, and an iconic Nordic hook ax hanging from his belt.

Although the overall attire is somewhat strange, this big bald man still has a strong Nordic style.

The more this is the case, the more everyone should be on guardthe real Nordic strong man has always been brave and ruthless.

Is this man planning a duel?

And the old man from Canada Bay went ahead of Fisk, he staggered towards the high-security shield wall with his arms outstretched, and shouted out of breath: "Don't fight! We don't want to fight! We are all brothers, we are not enemies. "

Those Varyag people who were so nervous that they almost went into cardiac arrest suddenly heard "We are friends". to listen.

The old man continued to open his arms and screamed: "Brothers, don't be nervous, I'm Sven, I'm from Riga, and our boss is Strkander. Brothers, remember carefully, Strkander is our Danish community Boss. Even if you leave Riga and settle here, we are brothers!"

To put it bluntly, everyone is out for profit, and heroes from all walks of life live together in Riga to form a Danish community, which is essentially a huge material distribution center.

Everyone lives together for profit rather than brotherhood and tribal glory, or people living in Riga have long betrayed their old tribe.

Gathering because of wealth can also disperse because of wealth. These people settled in Smolensk because of wealth.

After some explanation, the old man named Sven has been emphasizing the name "Stekander".

All the Varyags who built the shield wall here knew that there was indeed a warrior named Stekander. As for the fact that this man became the boss of the Danish community in Riga, many people were a little surprised.

After all, many people have already had some thoughts about leaving Riga. Their Slavic female slaves have given birth to many children, and those children who can afford weapons have already stood here fighting side by side with their fathers.

The old man Sven was still persuading, and finally Fisk didn't want to dawdle any longer. He cleared his throat and opened his arms, facing the public with a smile: "Friends, join us! Smolensk is not worthy of your allegiance! We are Russians , even the Swedes. Now that the whole north is at peace, there is no need for us to fight.

Now, the Strkander you may know is at the Gnezdovo Altar, and our King Rus is there too.

Ross is a coalition! Vadim in Smolensk has been defeated and captured, and now Ross united with the Danish brothers in Riga to avenge Smolensk.

Join us! Smolensk will be defeated, but you still have to live and do business, don't you? You will be rich under King Ross, now join us with your families and your wealth.

I'm Fisk! Bald Fisk! I am an intimate friend of King Ross, and a friend of the Strkander you know.

My army will not attack you. Join us! "

Fisk said a lot, but the Varyag who organized the shield wall would not listen easily.

It was also a hole in the shield wall, and a middle-aged man with a gray and white braided beard walked out.

This person is not tall and obviously has a hot personality. He raised his hooked ax and pointed it at Fisk's face: "Why should we trust you?"

That being said, the Varyags are really tempted. After all, we are all businessmen. Since we all speak Norse, it is better not to fight each other.

"The Ross people are trustworthy." The old man Sven hastily mediated with them.

Fisk smiled and shook his head, raised his hand to make Swain step back temporarily, and continued to walk towards the previous posture full of flaws very boldly.

"Why should you be so vigilant? King Ross has six thousand troops. If you really fight, you will definitely lose." As he said, Fisk had already pressed his chest almost directly in front of the opponent. Indeed, Fisk was quite tall: "My friend, I have no No hostility. I just regret that you are so brave, why are you fighting for the Smolensk people who are about to be defeated? They don't believe in Odin, Thor, or even God Frey.

"You? Why do you think we are fighting for Smolensk?" The short man spoke disdainfully, and his vigilance was indeed relaxed.

Fisk reiterated his order again, and introduced himself and those

The intimacy of a noble task.

He even emphasized: "Vadim has been captured, and his 4,000-strong army has been wiped out. Many Danish brothers in the Gulf of Riga were killed by Vadim's people. For this reason, Stekander is extremely angry."

"But what does this have to do with us?"

"Maybe it doesn't matter." Fisk shrugged: "But the trade line will be fully opened, and the entire northern gate will be opened for you. You will definitely not work for them for the sake of making money."

"You are arrogant! When are we working for the Smolensk people? They deserve it too? We are just merchants living here."

"Dare to ask my friend, do you have a famous name?"

The little man opened his mouth and said, "No name. I'm Hagen, that's all."

"Well, Hagen, my friend... then join us and follow us with your warriors, and you will be rewarded by King Ross."

"I can't believe...you guys..."

Fisk looked at the situation again, and he didn't want to spend any more time here, so he cleared his throat: "You are free. I just hope you can choose the right camp. You may not fight for anyone, but you are here It's dangerous~www.mtlnovel.com~Once Ross's army rushes over and accidentally injures you, it will be bad. You should think about it! We will leave soon. If you must join Ross and your friends in Riga Bay And, when you figure it out, take Xiruan and walk towards the altar."

Speaking of which, Fisk ordered his subordinates to deliver a flag: "Hagen, friend. With this flag, you should know..."

Hagen did understand, he accepted the flag and glanced at Fisk again, everything was unspoken, and everything was answered.

Fisk didn't dawdle anymore, he intentionally took the cavalry around the villages of Smolensk to show off his might, and then quickly mounted his horses. The cavalry abandoned all the prisoners of war and walked away.

And those prisoners of war who got the chance to escape also fled like crazy with "gifts".

In the end, the shield walls of these Varyags who lived here were left behind, and the middle-aged Hagen, who was holding the Ross flag and fluttering in the wind, was left behind.

Looking at this nicely made muslin banner, he already has a choice.

In the final analysis, they are still going to the Gulf of Riga to purchase goods, and they will never betray their own interests.