Rise of Rurik

The core area of ​​Tombstone Island has completely become a wooden fort with good defense.

Even when night fell and Noren opened her eyes wide, she could clearly feel that a wooden fort in this area was a large and orderly existence.

She doesn't want to belittle her hometown, but the fortress of the "Ocean Branch Road" of the Rus is really a very good place.

On the island is the Duke's "palace", which is the place of discussion and the residence of the noble tonight.

The wood-cut corrugated wood made of pure wood not only has a thick wooden floor, but its walls also have interlayers, which are stuffed with fluffy dry moss.

It was originally a traditional herringbone-shaped house, which looks a little dazzling to the insiders when they look up and see the central beam.

It was constructed with a wooden floor, which allowed the creation of a small roof compartment, with access by a wooden ladder.

The lamp panel is suspended from the roof, and a large number of bronze lamp sockets light up faint flames. Coupled with the firelight of the bronze lamp sockets installed on the wall, the whole room is warm and brightly lit.

That is, it was a little too warm.

Noren took off her leather hood, and in the warm room, she only wore a simple gray and white linen gown. The stained glass and lapis lazuli pendants on her chest made her pure and beautiful.

But true beauty doesn't need a lot of jewelry.

Under the light, Rurik's eyes inevitably glanced at Svetlana.

This Slavic girl is the daughter of the leader of White Tree Manor, and the forces behind her are the most reliable supporters of the Rus people in the huge Novgorod region.

Her face is the most delicate of all her wives and concubines. Of course, she is an eighteen-year-old girl. When the girl is really eighteen years old, she can only be more beautiful.

She was delicate and delicate, and with her general perception of women, Rurik felt that the sense of obedience she showed when she met him was not a pretense.

This is the best! Which monarch would tolerate his queen being a tigress (except for special lovers). The queen must obey the king completely, and so must all the concubines.

Rurik, from the very beginning he had no objection to Papa choosing himself a Slavic wife. purely from political considerations,

In the world under Rus' rule alone, the population of the Slavs has an overwhelming numerical advantage. For Rus, which is desperately expanding, direct control of the Slavs will become more and more important.

Rather than believing that the alliance is unbreakable, I am afraid they believe in the ties of blood.

The Svetlana sat quietly on her side on a leather cushion, in her long traditional floral sackcloth dress, with her braids draped over her chest. Look at this profile, it's really attractive! The temperament shown by the quietness seems to be described as gentle.

But wait, she's a Slavic woman.

Otto's side is a cheerful and free image. This old guy's hair and beard are almost gray, and there are obvious age spots on his face. His complexion was originally pale and rough.

"You don't look like a duke, you're still a chief!" Rurik's thoughts naturally suffocated.

The great merchant Gould is here, as is the loyal mercenary bodyguard Yevro.

The room was full of cronies and relatives, except for the two young girls who had just arrived, who lacked an intuitive understanding of Ross.

Otto doesn't care about the latter, they can put their beautiful clothes aside, lie down peacefully, and their son will tell them everything.

Now, he just wanted to hear about the achievements of his son Rurik's expedition.

He shouted casually: "I'll ask the rest later. Rurik, tell me what you've been through."

"Ah...don't you just want to hear about the battle, Dad?" Rurik was a little embarrassed.

"What? There's still a fight? Come on! Let me see if you're a real man."

"So, where should we start?"

"Let's talk about your expedition with the Balmer army." Nolun Micro interjected deliberately.

"You?" Otto suddenly glanced at the girl with excited eyes, and hurriedly ordered Rurik: "Let's start with this!"

"Okay! Okay..." Rurik shrugged, coughed hard again, and with a very calm expression, folded his fingers and listed them.

"Number one, I got to Balmer, and I married Noren, and she's now my wife who goes by the rules there, even though she's not of Ross's age.

Second, the leader of Balmerk has recognized our alliance, but it will take a war to prove the blood alliance of our two races. I led a thousand Balmerk warriors on an expedition to the island of Britton's slaves, and on the way I also recruited a hundred Shetland warriors, oh, they were actually Norsemen from Bergen, in Mera The guys who sold slaves at the Birka fair in Lun.

Third, I attacked the British island country called the Kingdom of Northumbria, I destroyed two of their cities, and the army I led killed at least 3,000 of their soldiers! Three thousand soldiers! I have captured their king Ernred, and I have broken his arm myself. At last I freed him, and in order to survive, he surrendered five hundred women, and the wheat that filled the entire hold of the Avlora.

Because of this victory, I was fully accepted by the Balmers and I gained a lot of prestige. From then on, they will climb the mountains every year, into our Northern Territory, and trade with us the best salt. Because of this alliance, our northern lands are no longer just snow, wood, and game. "

Otto sounded like a dream. He at least made one thing clear. His son was naturally an excellent leader. prestige.

The so-called acquaintance Moruofu, Otto directly attacked a very core problem in joy.

He gently put down the brutish oak glass, serious and emotionally refreshing, and said bluntly: "You brat, you are calmly speaking about your own achievements. You didn't lie, and you didn't feel complacent about your victory. Some people will think that you are calm. No! They're wrong! You...you're crazy. You!"

Otto stretched out his finger sharply and pointed directly at Rurik's nose: "You don't want an alliance with Balmerk, you want it to be under your direct rule."

A bullseye in a stream of arrows!

Even if Noren is here, Rurik doesn't need to hide anything when he sees that his father understands his new ideas.

Fake a pretense to cover up your ambitions? You don't have to.

What kind of momentum did the Rus and their leader show? Once you understand it, you will understand it all.

Rurik proudly said, "Yes! I will directly rule Balmer! The port that never freezes in the north will forever be a part of the Duchy of Rus. Me! Or the son of me and Noren, will be Balmer. ruler of the gram."

How could your husband be so arrogant? ! Noren was trying her best to be a wife on this occasion, but when she heard these words, she stood up suddenly.

Under the strange gazes of everyone, he sat down very speechlessly, then lowered his head and said nothing.

What else could she mean?

Rurik stretched out his right hand at will, and lightly pinched her neck: "Are you worried about Ross' invasion? How is it possible! I was the greatest war chief of your native people, and I led them to an unprecedented victory. The son also got five hundred women and a lot of silver. If I become the leader of Balmer, all Balmers will be strong."

"They? I don't care. Where's my family?"

"You!" Rurik suddenly realized, "are you worried about this? Your son is the new leader of Balmerk. Don't worry about your two brothers, think about yourself. You're a Balmerker, and The woman of Ross. Our son is the true heir to the power of your biological father. In the future, the Balmers will not have any leader elections. Our son and his descendants will always be the leaders of Balmer."

Rurik said the same thing, and Noren nodded his head, seemingly incomprehensible.

Otto admired his son's words very much. This kid showed a little bit of fangs and said hideous words with a calm face. It was really good.

But to tell Noren's ambitions now, to be honest, Rurik suddenly felt a little premature.

That's it! That's it! As the monarch of Ross, there is nothing wrong with leaking.

But I was afraid that this girl, Noren, didn't keep the door open.

Rurik was still pinching her neck, and the strength increased sharply, making the girl scream in shock.

"Noren, you are my woman, you gave birth to my son. This son of ours will rule the people of the entire Narvik port area, and our son will be more noble than your father and brother. Therefore, keep our this secret."

"I! I...I dare not say it."

"That's fine."

Svetlana saw this scene in her eyes, although they both spoke Norse, from the few words she could only understand, it seemed that it had nothing to do with herself. She didn't care about these things at all, after all, she came to Ross with a major mission.

She was originally a naive and naughty girl, but after her sister married Rose, she was forced to become calm. In the past few years, her personality has changed a lot. She was instilled by her parents and brothers with a very pure truth, that is, "No matter what time you must support Rurik, you must never disobey Rurik."

Unexpectedly, Rurik, the handsome young man's right hand directly grabbed his neck.

"Lanna, I will directly rule the entire Novgorod with the Rus army, and I will ... also hit Pskov, hit Smolensk, the place name you know in your hometown will eventually be me territory. The children you bore to me will rule the greatest lands."

These words were all in Slavic language, and the girl didn't understand it, and then said almost instinctively: "I will, I fully support you"

Rurik shook his head: "Really, both girls gave me a sullen face..."

He let go of both hands, and then scratched the armpits of the two girls, shaking them all while dodging and laughing.

"That's right. You are all my women, and I want you to laugh."

At this moment, Otto held up the empty wine glass and laughed out loud. He knows that his son never brags. Since this kid can talk, he has been clamoring to conquer the known world and expand his power to the unknown world. Rurik only looked young, and the wisdom in his head was the gift of Odin.

This kid has always kept his word, as for starting from Novgorod and conquering Smolensk in the south. If he accomplished this feat, the ancestral spirits who drank in Valhalla would also be inspired by it.

The two girls were still amused by Rurik, and Otto watched, enjoying the moment. He stroked his gray beard and threw it to the soldier guarding at the door: "Go! Have another drink."

That's all, Otto coughed twice, stopping Rurik's laughter.

"Is this the whole fight? That's great! You killed three thousand enemies with only one thousand men. It's a pity that you didn't bring back the five hundred slaves."

"Slaves? Five hundred indeed. Only they were given to me by the Mellarens. They were all local serfs."

"Huh? There is such a good thing?" Otto was drinking, and the movement of the probe was very violent, and the whole person became very good at performing physical movements due to the excitement after drinking.

He danced and said, "Oh, five hundred slaves! All of them are ours. They were all thrown to New Roseburg to open up wasteland for me."

"Dad, that's exactly what I thought."

"Wonderful! As expected of my son. I know that a lot of things happened over there in Melalen, and Karl died! Well, it's a good thing that Karl and his father died. The new guy, The man named Bjorn, I knew right away that he was a mediocre man. That man wouldn't dare attack Denmark, but Rurik, you should also think about it, we destroyed Gotland's power, and the Danes would Seeking revenge." Otto's kind reminder, but saw his son put on a very strange face.

"What is your expression? Very confident? I advise you not to be too exaggerated. We lost a lot of elites in last year's battle. Don't think that you can defeat the Danish army if you have the opportunity to recruit Balmer valiant."

"But Dad, everything has changed!" Rurik really showed a wicked smile, clearly holding back a major positive event.

"You! You?" Suddenly, Otto understood again, "You brought the Balmerk army and attacked Denmark by the way? You still won?!"

"Yes." Rurik did not evade it, because it was the truth.

"This..." Otto didn't ask his son for a while, and then raised his finger to Yevlo: "You! My most trusted Finn! Tell me! You fought with your master, did you attack Denmark?"

It was only with great trust that he could enter this room, and Yevlo, who knew that his identity remained serious and cross-legged, immediately half-kneeled to Otto to perform warrior etiquette.

"Lord Duke, it's true. It's just that it may be a little different from what you think."

"Oh? What's the difference?"

Seeing Yevluo's hesitant look, Rurik waved his hand: "Just say it directly."

"Yes! Fifty sturdy Balmerk men worshiped Lord Rurik, and they became new mercenaries. Nearly eighty of us were on the Avlora to attack the sea level guarded by the Danes. We and Denmark The flagship of the alliance leader, it is said that the big ship called the Red Dragon met."

"There is such a thing?! The result?" Otto asked hurriedly.

"As you can see, we won." As he spoke, Rurik finally showed the smile that a winner should have.

Gould was completely uneasy when he heard this, the plump seal stood up, and this guy suddenly changed.

"Rurik, you...you say the Avlora defeated the Danes' red dragon?"

"Exactly!" Rurik waved his hand, as if he had won for granted, "it's just a very long ship with many oarsmen, but our Avlora is the god of war at sea. What's the use of that blood-red bow, like the red serpent of Yemengard is only a decoration of wood after all. God loves us Ruth! I sank that ship, and I deliberately killed all of them The drowning..."

Before Rurik's words were finished, Gould grabbed the words again: "You didn't tell me these details when you were in Melalen. So, you killed their leader Hafgen by the way? These are all real?"

"This... who knows? If I knew the guy's face, I might be able to capture him directly. Seriously, I want to take that guy to Roseburg and have Sister Carlotta kill him with her own hands."

This was the second time I heard Rurik mention this encounter, and there must be too many details in it. Gould listened again, his heart beating more violently.

Looking at Otto again, this old man was already like a child, his huge and aging body suddenly lay down, and then he danced with his limbs, laughing and muttering: "My son killed the lord of Denmark! Odin! Thank you for your gift. !"

Rurik continued to speak until Otto calmed down.

"I'm not sure I actually killed him, I heard that the red dragon was dispatched, and its lord must be on it. I also sank two hundred Danish fishing boats, and our Avlora is far more than it seems. Mighty. Dad, we'll have a huge navy of ships like this. I'll also sell one to the Balmers on contract, and we'll make a fortune and a stronger alliance for it "Instead of worrying about the Danes attacking us, we can take the initiative to attack Denmark, and now the initiative is in my hands."

"I see, you make the Danes fearful. They fear Ross, so they dare not send troops to interfere with our operations. I am old, and I am completely relieved that you are in charge of Ross. Ah!"

Otto lay down suddenly, laughed suddenly, and shouted after a while: "We will stay here for a day, and we will all return to the ship tomorrow morning. Back at Roseburg, I will organize people to publicize your achievements. Really! Morning! Knowing that Denmark is so weak, we should raise our troops and we will make a fortune this year."

"Okay! It's honorable to let everyone know."

Otto, who was lying down, raised his head slightly again and asked with a smile: "So, is that man named Havgen dead? It should be dead."

"It's... maybe Snowreva, who arranged to infiltrate Denmark, we'll know when he comes back."

"Okay. Rurik, you should think about the war with Denmark. Really, it makes me worry about the future for nothing. I'm afraid that your trip this summer will be a provocation and will make Denmark angry. Unexpected! We can actually take the initiative to attack. I'm tired, I'm sleeping. Take your woman to rest."

Otto was really exhausted, but Rurik was still in good spirits. After all, Otto was escorted by the guards to a separate room, where he was served to take off his boots and leather jacket, and wore a fine linen trousers.

That's all, Rurik held the hands of the two girls and said in two languages, "Let's go, don't be restrained. I want you to be close sisters and share the same bed tonight."

This is the monarch's order. Noren and Svetlana, they both know their own destiny, and they naturally want to know about each other. They are both the monarch's wives and concubines, but they stubbornly insist on sleeping by themselves.

In fact, Rurik didn't mean anything special. He just wanted to have a big bed tonight, and tossed left and right without any worries.

However, when he woke up in the morning and heard the soft breathing of a woman from his left and right, he understood.

"I'm also naive. You two don't get jealous of each other, that's a weird thing." Thinking of this, Rurik simply sat up and woke the two girls up.

As for the two sneaking into his bed last night, Rurik said nothing. He patted the back of the sleepy eyes of the two of them: "Be awake, we still have to return today. When we arrive at Roseburg, I will show you the new sisters."

Let's look at Svetlana, she grabbed Rurik's left arm casually, pressed her cheek directly to it, and murmured in a stammering Norse language: "You love me the most. This is fate."

Not to be outdone, Noren also grabbed his right arm and greeted him with a small face, as if he was deliberately provoking Svetlana: "I just want to give you a son, I want to be a mother sooner. Our son and the leader of Balmerk are waiting to inherit."

Rurik stopped talking nonsense, he jumped up violently, broke free from the double-team of the two women, and slipped to the ground again, kicking his feet into his leather boots, "Get up! Hurry up!"

Hearing these two simple words, the two girls on the bed smiled knowingly, and then hurriedly went down to the ground and changed into their own distinctive clothes...