The cargo ship hauled the Balmerk's boat and set up a landing camp at the mouth of the Oulu River.

The beaches here are full of fine sands, and there are even some sandbars suddenly emerging from the sea. Cargo ships with deep drafts can take advantage of the north wind to directly rush towards the east-west river. The people who put it on set up tents and lit bonfires on the shore. The thick hemp rope was withdrawn from put it on and tied to some big trees nearby. The iron spears on the boat were also thrown into the river.

Modgen landed, and he stood on the "Eastern Land".

This place is unfamiliar to him and his brothers, but not to some of the expedition predecessors in the tribe. It is a pity that those seniors did not leave a map carved on the wooden board, making him ignorant of this place.

The only thing he learned was that the Corvins lived in the upper reaches of the river, and the Russ had become their masters.

I have lived in the camp at the mouth of the river for more than two days, and the days are getting colder every day. The thin linen tent is by no means a treasure to keep out the cold. Sleeping in this place is really a test.

"Damn, I really have to leave this wild place sooner."

The only thing that comforted him was that the Ross people brought some ale. Alcohol warmed his body temporarily. It could not change the cold nature of the north wind like a knife. Until one morning, he suddenly saw that some small riverside ponds with water began to freeze, so is it still far from the freezing of the entire sea area?

The surrounding scenery was bleak, and the Balmerks didn't care about what was on the big island not far away.

That is Hailuoto Island, it really has nothing to develop. It does have an occasional spectacle, that is, in autumn and winter, when the sea ice is still freezing, a large number of "ice eggs" will be born on its beach. When the sea ice is frozen, not to mention the existence of icy roads from the island to the mouth of the river. The entire Gulf of Bothnia north of the land Islands will be frozen by thick sea ice, especially the northernmost sea area, again due to ice. It is not uncommon for a ten-meter-high ice tuft to emerge from the squeeze.

Everyone wanted to get from this place of killing soon, and finally, three full days later, the five long boats that collected tributes returned.

Hearing that the Ross people collected a huge tribute of as many as 10,000 squirrel skins at once, Modgen's outlook on wealth was completely subverted.

Those sacks filled with leather were thrown directly into the cargo ship, Modgen just couldn't figure out that they didn't take care of such a valuable thing.

An idea of possessing them spontaneously arises!

After all, reason took over Mordgen's mind. He did not dare to steal, because he and his guys were on the ship of the Rus, and he had a mission. If the business between the Rus and the Balmerk tribe stabilized, who It is self-evident that the hero is.

The sea was already freezing and biting, and both Otto and Lurik noticed the ice formation on the riverbank.

Against the increasingly bitter north wind, the fleet headed north along the coastline on the east side of the bay. Otto, who had a new and deep understanding of the local geography, gave important instructions to all the disturbed subordinates: "You don't need anything. Worry, when we see a big estuary, it is Fort Elon Orava."

The north wind allowed the ship to move fast against the wind, but it was like a knife, forcing Ric to just curl up in the warm deerskin. Sepolawa, who was destined to be his woman, was very happy that she was about to meet her father and the people on this trip, and now it is reasonable to hug Rurik to keep warm.

In addition, Otto did not dare to resist the cold. Almost everyone was on blankets. Only the sailors who controlled the sails. After drinking the ale, they put on the leather vests and moved the Range Rover through different walks to ensure themselves. The warmth.

From the estuary of the Oulu River to the estuary of the Kemi River in Elronburg, the straight-line distance between the two places is only 70 kilometers. Due to the principle of running more roads against the wind, the fleet is in a broken line at a speed of about five knots per hour. Going forward, I stopped at night to rest, and then floated at sea for another two days.

The more north the climate is, the colder it is, and the more it makes Rurik understand the importance of repairing the **** of the cargo ship. To put it bluntly, it means trying to ensure that the navigator will not be frozen to death.

"When my Aphrodite is launched, I can stay in the cabin and even burn some charcoal for warmth."

The coldness made Rurik drowsy, and suddenly he got out of the deerskin, and he was energized by the air-conditioning.

The journey is finally over?

He found that the people on the cargo ship were restless, and the sailors were cheering.

Wearing a thick leather hat, Rurik squinted on the side of the ship and saw the distant bay.

Taking a closer look, something different from the natural landscape appeared on the coast.

"Haha! Seporava, come and see!"

The girl endured the cold and leaned beside Rurik: "Have you reached your destination?"

"Look! That is Fort Elon Orava, and all your people are there." Rurik pointed to the location of the wooden wall. Sepolawa, who has a deep knowledge of the mountain fort, recognized it at a glance. The architectural style is based on the actions of the tribe.

Just a little surprised her, the wooden wall of the mountain fort is too long, right? !

Also surprised was Otto, his aging eyes still maintained good power. He had long learned from his son that Elronburg had a wall that was about the same length as Shilla Fort. Today, it really deserves its reputation. He couldn't help thinking about how hard the people of the gray squirrel tribe had put in to build this wall.

More importantly, Otto perceives a hint of danger almost instinctively.

Yes, if this group of Kewen people really rebel, then what a terrible price the Rus people should pay for breaking this huge mountain fort. Could it be that as Arik said, holding the big wood and smashing the wall open? I'm afraid it's not that simple.

Fortunately, Otto thought of another thing. Some tribesmen moved here as early as the summer. The Rosses and Corvins were in a mixed state. I hope that under the supervision of the Rosses, the Metzasta will remain. Respectfully.

Otto's association is completely unfounded, and the canonized City Lord Mezzasta has essentially entered the core of power of the Ross tribe.

Today, Roseburg has a tendency to be promoted to a city-state, but in the process of upgrading, a number of colonial points have risen. The power structure of the Ross tribe is already very loose and vague. Except for a tribal chief with the highest authority, the second authority is the "war chief", who is in charge of only the duties of the battlefield commander. The invention of the concept of the city lord, the so-called "settlement leader", is already a huge innovation.

Even so, the relationship between the settlements and the mother city of Roseburg is still very vague.

At first, Otto saw a huge wall, but when the fleet rushed into the Ayron Orava River (also known as the Kemi River), they found that there was not only a permanent wharf for supply ships, but also at the wharf. Not far away, there are actually some fast-rotating things being blown by the north wind.

He approached the Elon Orava Fort that he saw. There were not only high wooden walls, but also a raised tower at intervals, all of which were indeed the craftsmanship of the Corvins.

Could it be that in the construction of settlements, the Rus people were actually compared to the weak Kewen people?

Do not! This matter is not simple!

A fleet of Ross people suddenly arrived at Fort Elon in the early winter. Mechasta, who stayed in the fort and only wanted to survive the winter, clearly realized that his fate was now.

The Ross people came, or it was Rurik who came with Sorgon's army.

He has nothing to worry about, because not only did the task that Rurik confessed was successfully completed, the tribe, whether men, women, old or young, went into battle, until now, the work of smelting and ironing is going on, and even the previous rainfall has no effect on the work. .

Is severe cold resistance? The big axe dug a path leading to the mine in the forest, and now a small fort built at the foot of the mountain also rose from the ground. The wooden wall of the mountain fort is relatively short. It only provides a place for mining people to sleep peacefully at night, and beware of attacks by polar bears or wolves.

A wooden house is full of finished axes and spearheads, especially the axe heads, and they have installed the axe handles made of pine wood. The axe and the spearhead are actually not carburized, the essence is to catch up with the construction period and not time-consuming to do this process. Even so, relying on ferrochrome is naturally hard, and the surface hardening process of quenching makes it even harder. Although it is hard, the finished tools are not brittle. Those ordinary wrought iron products, when chopped by a chrome axe, naturally appear dents, and the damage of the chrome axe itself is minimal.

Just so, for the Iron Squirrel Tribe, it is a magic weapon that has never been conceived.

Is there anything to worry about now?

The river has signs of freezing, the water flow has also weakened, the hydraulic forging has been affected to a certain extent, and it can continue to work for a period of time.

In fact, the most worrying thing about living in such a cold place all year round is the lack of food.

Originally, Mezzasta was worried that the whole family would live in this boundary. If they really didn't rely on the material resources of the Rus, the future wintering would be a severe test.

Is the food problem solved by fishing? There is indeed a lake upstream, and the Russ who migrated here caught some of it, but they were unwilling to give it to the Corvins. The iron squirrel tribe has hunted down beasts large and small by means of hunting, and any meat after skinning is the key food.

When Metzasta planned to endure the winter and complained to Lurik by the way, their food crisis ended because of an incredible good thing.

"It's really a huge mountain fort!" Otto on the boat grew his mouth. He saw that some people had gathered on the shore, obviously his previous worries were completely stupid.

Rurik took it for granted that his father's exclamation was a question for him, so he leaned forward and asked, "What do you think of my results? I ordered them to build a wall. I think they did a good job."

"It's you? Of course it's you. Only you can do such a great thing, but you don't know what's going on inside the wooden wall?"

"Haha, you will be pleasantly surprised. Because, mother...she has been here."

"Niya? She?" If the son doesn't say, Otto doesn't even know about it. Since my wife said that this place is wonderful, it must be a fact.

Otto quickly saw that some roads were mostly paved with wooden boards, extending from the open wooden door not far away to the trestle bridge of the pier, and some people were walking out of the mountain fort.

A person in a hurry is Mezzasta, even though he is wearing thick clothes, he is recognized by his woman from a distance.

At this moment, the disembarking planks on the cargo ship have been laid on the trestle. The cargo ship sailors are certainly not visiting for the first time, they know the most about how this settlement has risen from the ground. They were once involved in the task of transporting personnel and escorting supplies. This time it was obviously a revisit in the cold period. Of course, they really wanted to complete the loading and unloading of everything, and return to Roseburg to survive the winter safely at the last time before the sea freezes.

Otto began to disembark. He stepped on the hard trestle bridge, but he jumped a few times subconsciously.

"Dad, don't you think you are funny?" Rurik grumbled deliberately.

Otto jumped a few times like a child: "Hey, this trestle is very strong."

"Of course it's strong, you can understand it by just looking at its stakes."

"It's really thick." Otto straightened Twokba's neck and quickly stepped onto the boardwalk on the shore.

The last time I came here was almost exactly a year ago. The former campsite was turned into a solid settlement. Standing under the wooden wall so close, he felt that Rurik was going to build Fort Elon like Fort New Ross. That's huge.

A very familiar figure hurried over and took off his hat in front of Otto.

"Big Chief, are you here?!" Mezzasta hurriedly looked at Rurik again, and said: "I've done all those axes and spearheads."

"Good job." A stone in Rurik's heart fell to the ground.

Mechasta was canonized as the city lord of Elronburg. This matter was directly authorized by Otto. Otto was in a good mood. He was just about to ask some questions. A girl couldn't stand his temper and rushed forward.

It was Seporava, who screamed at her father in the language of the Corvin, and threw directly into Mezzasta's arms, and then, like a little squirrel of a relative, twisted her little head to act like a baby.

"You...you actually came."

The sudden appearance of the youngest daughter subconsciously made Mezzasta feel that his son Telavis had also come to visit relatives, and his inquiry was immediately denied by Rurik.

Metzasta let go of his happy daughter and formally greeted the master who had come from afar.

"Big Chief, and Rurik, welcome to Fort Elon Orava."

The compliment of this person is not threatening at all, Otto nodded: "It's too cold outside, take me inside the wooden wall and see. My brother and I are going to live here tonight. You must provide excellent accommodation."

Otto gave an order, but this order can be executed very well in an instant.

Mezzasta smiled without saying a word, and continued to arch his hands: "Please come with me, big boss, you will be satisfied."

Everyone gathered and walked under the wooden wall, curiously approaching the interior of the wooden wall.

For an instant, including Otto, everyone who first arrived here felt that they were in another world.

Perhaps this analogy is too far-fetched, but the fact is that all the wooden buildings within the wooden wall were made by Rurik himself. They are all woodcut in the Novgorod style, and there are some differences between the houses, but if you look at them from a distance, you will be shocked by their neat arrangement.

After all, Rurik instructed his subordinates to build a nearly circular town with a diameter of more than a hundred meters. Civil engineering construction continues to the present, and there are still some carpenters meticulously carve the accessories of the house within the wooden wall.

Even if their technological level is backward, as long as they have the ability to pursue the pursuit of beauty, they will continue to do it. The carpenter is processing some gorgeous woodware, either to decorate the house, or simply tableware and drinking utensils.

Otto did not tremble in this situation, he felt that all the houses were so familiar.

"It's really unexpected that you went to learn the architecture of Novgorod people in such a cold place. No! You are obviously scientific scholars, where did you learn it?"

Mezzasta smiled proudly: "These are all Rurik's achievements. It was he and his men who taught us to build houses and smelt iron. Please look over there, the chief." Mezzasta pointed to the settlement. An area, especially a piece of house: "Those wooden houses are vacant, they were built by Rurik's order, and now they finally come in handy."

"Huh? Let my men live?" As he said, Otto slapped the ferret hat on Rurik's head: "Your kid is really thoughtful."

Rurik was excited about his identity. He calmly said: "This is the role of Elon Orava Fort. In my opinion, when new people move here, they can live in empty wooden houses, but their living condition is to pay. A tax, because those wooden houses are my property."

Rurik quietly put forward the basic concept of real estate, he said casually, and did not arouse Otto's major interest. After all, the subordinates brought this time have a warm place to shelter, so what about yourself?

Otto got a very satisfactory answer immediately, and Metzasta pointed to the largest and beautifully structured wooden house: "That is the house of the chief, the great chief, and now you are its owner."

Finally, Otto's beard began to tremble. He felt that Mezzasta really deserved to be a good hunting dog, the level of flattery was really high, and he was really happy.

At this moment, Liu Rick broke the mystery and deliberately asked: "Dad, that is our home in Elronburg. I designed the house they built. What do you think? My mother has lived for at least a while, and she said it feels like a home. ."

"Niya? Huh? Rurik, it's actually you. Hey, I thought that Kewen shouldn't be so witty, it's really you. UU reading www.uukanshu.com, you really will please your father." Otto happily pinched Leuric's neck. He felt that standing in a town full of order and quite tidy, he was the most noble man, and what he saw now must be actively restored in Shilla Fort. engraved. Oh, in fact, it doesn't need to be reproduced.

Otto thought, Rurik planned the mountain fort, and he also made a detailed plan for the layout of Shilla Fort. Elronburg is an orderly place that has risen from the savage land. Presumably the "Harp City" will be even more beautiful.

He went straight to the leader's residence, and he sat down to rest, drink some wine and eat some people, and then took his son non-stop to chat with Mezzasta. It was already late, and Otto made a calculation in his heart and put the tribute on tomorrow.

Seeing that the construction here is so sturdy and tidy, isn't the construction plan of the "Northern Rallying Point for Winter Harvest" successfully completed?

Fort Elon Orava, it can now serve as the best rallying point. Large-scale northern hunting is the immediate thing. Otto had planned not to lead the team personally this year. I didn't expect Elronburg to be so graceful. He is always strong and strong. With this fort as a strong backing, why not come again?

He deliberately talked to Mezzasta about this, and Mezzasta also had many good things, and wanted to find a good opportunity to inform his master.