Rise of Rurik

When the lake ice is brittle, all farmers should prepare for the new year's spring plowing.

The frozen Lake Ilmen was the first to thaw, and the swimming fish that had been holding back all winter began to stick their heads out, cruising to the surface of the water to get more oxygen, and even jumping out of the water.

The snow that covered the world then melted, soaking the ground in huge quantities, and the muddy conditions made it difficult for people to move around.

New Ostara, the southernmost settlement of the Duchy of Ross, where the snow melted first, and as soon as the snow and ice disappeared, the grass seeds in the mud couldn't wait to germinate, and the cattle, sheep and deer that had endured the winter became emaciated, and the livestock waited. The grass germinates desperately, and people are anxiously waiting for the cattle and sheep to be full to improve people's lives.

Undoubtedly, Carlotta knew that his man organized an army to attack Karelia again. Due to the distance, when the messenger conveyed the message, he had lost the opportunity to gather his troops.

The settlement of New Ostara has been turned into a fortress, and although the livestock pens are all on the periphery, if there is a serious war, the safety of the livestock will naturally be handed over to others, and everyone will retreat to the fortress and persist in resistance.

Regarding the town of Bear Festival, a settlement on the northern shore of Lake Ladoga, and the large-scale war that accompanies it, when Carlota knew the news, he had to think about whether his fortress could stand still if it encountered the same situation. The strategic value of New Ostara is important, and the Rus Principality has a high probability of encountering merchants from the Krivic Slavs in this direction. Peaceful commerce is acceptable, lest the Krivics, who find it profitable, will invade in large numbers along the Lovady.

The contact between Lake Ilmen and the Kriwiches in the south could not be cut off because of the conquest of Lake Ilmen by the Duchy of Ross.

The Lovati River has thawed, and the spring's snowmelt has turned into a flood, making the otherwise peaceful river violent.

Five flat-bottomed rowing boats are drifting on the turbulent river. It is clear that the river is cold and bone-chilling. Once someone falls into the river and flutters for a while, they will freeze to death. Businessmen would rather take risks for profit.

More than a dozen leather-clad men formed a trading gang, and they were transporting an important commodity, probably popular with the people of the North, horses.

Their boats are not large. In order to prevent the crew from being left behind and to ensure the stability of the boat, the boats are simply connected by ropes, forming a long snake array on the river.

They only sell ten horses, two stallions and eight mares.

Compared with the foals in the hands of the northern people, what they sell is the real Turkic horses bought from the Pecheneg people. The merchants are pure Krivicians.

But the source is not the Smolensk community, but the Kyiv community further south.

The news of a group of Varyags named Rus establishing a powerful power in the far north spread like wildfire. The name of the Rus has already spread to the Dnieper Valley, but whether they are rich or profitable to trade with them, these are all unknowns.

Although it is unknown, the biggest variable comes from a group of fugitives and the description of the Rus by the free mercenaries.

"Russians have a lot of wealth, and they have very good iron tools. Bringing the right goods can get some good things."

Businessmen in the Kyiv community would have such an attitude, but the Smolensk community felt more military pressure from the so-called Rus Principality and the fertile land controlled by the other party.

At least the leader of the alliance in Smolensk took in Vadim, a refugee from the north, and listened to his description that while coveting the northern land, he also ordered the tribes and other alliance tribes to exercise restraint. The so-called greatest restraint is to cut off trade with the north. contacts.

Smolensk adopted a "trade blockade" against the north, and Kyiv's Krivich people were forced to not dare to be too aggressive.

Because Kyiv itself is a "great altar of blood" standing on the riverbank, which is the original intention of Kyiv and the original intention of the Krivic people. The people living near the altar faced a more complicated international situation. They exchanged a batch of horses from the Pechenegs, but they could not buy iron of good quality from Eastern Rome, and they could not buy good salt.

The attitude of Eastern Rome to all Slavic merchants was subjectively exclusive. One reason was the difference in beliefs, and the other was the main reason. It was the war behavior of the Slavized Bulgarian Empire against Eastern Rome, which caused Eastern Rome to oppose various Hostility of the Slavs. There were even many restrictions on Slavic immigrants who surrendered to the emperor in Eastern Rome. The Greeks and Romans were ordered by the Roman emperor to be relocated to various cities, the poor countryside was thrown to the Slavic immigrants, and the empire squeezed the wealth of the peasants to make the city The Romans here, especially in Constantinople, continued to live prosperously.

A Krivicslav businessman from Kyiv named Sakyi decided to take the plunge. He took his brother and some friends and rowed north with the horses he had purchased. In winter, there was no ice in the center of the main channel of the upper Dnieper River. They dared not enter the city of Smolensk. They found a small river covered with thin ice and plunged into it.

They groped their way through the icy swamps of Valdai, risking their legs and toes being frozen for commercial gain, and forcibly finding the upper reaches of the West Dvina River.

The important cargo was the horses, and these horses were now pulling ships over the ice and snow.

It was a rather difficult journey. Thanks to the season being the end of winter, they dragged their boats for nearly 50 kilometers on the snow-covered swamp and managed to find the upper reaches of the Lovady River.

The later journey finally became smooth, and when people saw the river that could be rowed and extended to the north, everyone burst into tears of joy.

Sackey knelt on the snow and washed his face with ice water. He ignored the cold dirt on his body and yelled at the guys, "Push the boat down the river so we can float to the territory of the Rus and the Ilmen."

The five boats were connected in a line, and the river in front became wider and the current became turbulent.

There are extremely dense forests on both sides of the strait, and people are always vigilant, for fear of being infested by awakened bears, and to beware of boats being smashed by crushed pine trees.

After all, this is the first time the Kyiv community has taken the initiative to do business with the Rus, some are full of unknowns, and their actions have not been officially authorized.

This is a tentative trade, and if the Middle Way is hindered by force majeure, everything will be over.

Suddenly, the world to go to is bright, and it is clear that a huge body of water appears in front of you.

"What is that? A huge camp?" A man squinted and yelled.

The vigilant Sakyi looked up, and it was clearly a wooden fortress, exactly like the big altar surrounded by wooden walls in his hometown Kyiv.

Another person asked excitedly: "Is that the village of the Rus? It is the village of the Ilmen no matter how bad it is."

"It should be. Brothers, we have been on the road for a long time, and we should be able to get in touch with them." Sakyi is on guard, but everyone is too short of supplies, and they are willing to buy some supplies peacefully from the locals.

Only as the voyage continued, they not only saw the fortress clearly, but also noticed several boats cruising on the lake.

The bow and stern are lifted up, with a mast in the middle.

That's a ship unique to the Varyags! This is indeed the fortress of the Rus!

A fleet drifted down from the south with some large livestock?

The Ostarans, who are very good at raising cattle, are keenly aware that the horses standing on the boat are actually horses, and looking at the sailors, they have nothing to do with the hostile forces.

Carlotta now has a big belly, and theoretically she will have a baby in April. Rurik gave Carlotta the right to name the child, and for this reason the woman came up with all kinds of names, but she still couldn't make up her mind.

Her physical fitness is very good, otherwise she would not have been able to take her sister to endure leg disease to escape all the way many years ago.

It was also that disaster. Her knees have been suffering from old problems, and she can't see anything on weekdays, but now she has an amazingly big belly, and she needs a wooden stick to help her when she walks.

A group of strange people with their horses landed at the dock outside the city? Already a man has those guys under control?

"Probably a businessman. Take my word for it, quickly tell the men not to be rough, and I will meet them in person!"

Carlotta held a wooden staff with her stomach outstretched. She put on a fat polar bear robe and white fox fur to show her bravery and beauty, and to cover her stomach.

She arrived at the pier under the escort of a group of women, speaking in Norse with an old Swedish accent.

Apparently, these languages ​​are not understood by the Sakyi group.

The visitors danced and gestured, and spoke some incomprehensible Slavic language. It is indeed Slavic, and there are certain differences with the Ilmen dialect.

There is no real language barrier between the two sides. Some local Slavs temporarily live in New Ostara for the purpose of trading. The necessary communication between the two sides makes the locals also learn some Norse languages.

Finally, Carlota frowned and probably heard some doorway from the translator's description.

"Kyiv? A city in the far south? You come to do business with Rus? Think I am the territory of the Rus?"

These things cannot be explained clearly in a few words. Carlotta simply refused to explain, and ordered a translator who knew their language to send a message: "Show your goods, show your gold and silver coins, and I can trade with you."

They sailed and walked, trekking thousands of kilometers across Eastern Europe just to trade.

Sakey hurriedly showed his most precious horses. As for the price, he glanced at the people here with a quick look, suddenly changed his tone, and asked very politely: "Young and smart female leader, you will take out the price. At what price can I buy my horses?"

This question stopped Carlotta.

She said casually, "One horse, one pound of silver, no more."

"Ah? Are you there for my entertainment?"

"What? The price is too high? A good milking cow is a pound of silver in ours. Are your horses worth more than your cows?"

"That's natural. If cows are used as a measure, according to the habits of our Kyiv people, a horse is worth ten cows!" Sakyi's words were firm and firm, and his eyes were full of fortitude, reflecting the pride of a businessman.

Can a businessman be rebellious? Carlotta was not frightened by this acting, but she was certain that businessmen from foreign countries were very concerned about their horses.

"I want to see the horse first."

After all, Carlotta simply checked the horses. She examines these horses with her family's experience of raising cattle and sheep, and strokes the delicate velvet cap and slender mane of the horse's neck. The delicate touch proves the health of the horse. What surprised her was that these horses were all tall, and the male horse had an even more amazing shoulder height.

When it comes to height, Carlota is not low. She is a pure Nordic blond woman. She lived in the top aristocratic circle of the Rus and entered adolescence. She has been eating and drinking for so many years, and her body has actually reached a height of 175 cm. . Look at these horses, including the mare, are close to their shoulder height, and the horses are taller with their heads raised.

Mrs. Ilmenslav had some horses in her hands, all of which were far inferior in size.

Carlotta's eyes widened, her thoughts abounded. First of all, his clan was still in a period of stable life and had no financial resources to buy these horses. Secondly, these horses arrive in the Principality of Rus, and they must be digested and absorbed by the Principality! The businessman Bu Lao explained that Carlotta has understood that these horses are not livestock for spring ploughing, they are riding horses and are born war horses!

And even the merchants sold horses in March when the ice and snow had just melted, and they still sold two males and eight females!

The special parts of the two stallions have undergone specific changes, and no one understands this better than Carlotta, who is good at animal husbandry. "April's bull" is a Norse slang term for a man's lust, as does a stallion in April. The merchant is simply selling ten horses? Is it a business to sell ten horses that are about to enter the breeding season, and most of them are adult females? Carlotta had never seen such a situation.

There must be a huge hidden secret, and the motives of these businessmen must be very simple.

Carlotta stepped back with his back on his back, and casually summoned his cronies to whisper a few words. It took more than a hundred men and women with spears to surround the merchants with their goods and horses.

"Ah! What does this mean? We are peaceful businessmen, and we just want to sell horses." Sackey insisted on explaining, although he felt that he might be stabbed to death and looted by the other party.

The translator stammered to describe the attitude of the Duchess of Ostara: "Your motives are very complicated, you will be detained, and you will be escorted to Novgorod, north of the lake, with your horses, and you will have the whole of Russia. The prince will interrogate in person."

Will you be imprisoned? Do not! Just under house arrest.

Carlotta kept the merchants in a small warehouse, offering them dried fish, oatmeal, and even some ale with honey.

With such a meal, the wise businessmen immediately sobered up from their initial fears. The food is quite salty, which is something that Kyiv's hometown can only enjoy during festivals. They even provide sweet wine. Obviously, the young Varyag female leader who is clearly pregnant is not a villain.

Even if the horses are impounded, can they take good care of them?

When it comes to taking care of horses, there are already horses in New Ostara, but they are some local native horses. They are all ponies with a shoulder height of 130 cm or even shorter. Brought from the home of the Swa River, even if immigrated to Lake Ilmen, the ponies are still ponies.

The merchant's horses were bound to be bought by the wealthy prince Rurik.

But the horse fell into his own hands, and Carlotta felt that he would suffer a big loss if he didn't prostitute for nothing.

Even native-bred ponies enter their breeding season when the snow melts.

The overall intelligence of horses is very high. Ten horses were tossed all the way, and they did not eat well along the way. Naturally, even their desire to breed was wilted by hunger, and they were all obedient. Carlotta picked up the treasure, and the two stallions were immediately fed a lot of oatmeal. The weak stallion immediately became manic, and it took five or six people to pull the reins to barely control it. When the stallion quieted down, knowing that the humans would provide food, the manic cues subsided.

How pleased Carlotta was to see the stallion so majestic!

The warm wooden shed served as a temporary stable, and she happily signaled to her men: "Go! Bring all our twelve mares here."

New Ostara used local horses for spring breeding as originally planned, and the arrival of extremely high-quality southern stallions was clearly a gift from the gods. Excellent horses can produce better foals and can greatly improve the quality of native horses. All kinds of livestock are bred in this way, and the Ostarans are very good at this, but they have come to these conclusions based on experience, and the biological principles are unknown.

Twelve mares moved in one after another, and the stallion was really unable to hold it. In the public eye, everyone witnessed the connection between horses and horses with laughter, and everyone was chatting, looking forward to giving birth to high-quality foals in February next year. Although February is still a very cold period, foals are at great risk for birth at this time. Everyone also knows that the time that he can control two high-quality stallions for free is too short, and he can only wait until next year to take good care of the foals, and even pull them into the house where people live to protect them.

Carlotta's purpose was thus achieved, and all the businessmen under house arrest were released.

Today's climate is getting warmer, the snow is entering a rapid period of melting, and spring farming is about to begin around Lake Ilmen.

As the female leader, Carlota knew that she was about to become a mother, and the father of the child would definitely be in Novgorod, so let the child be born beside the father.

A small Ostara fleet was put together, and the businessmen would be personally treated by the female leader in front of the supreme ruler of the Principality of Rus. Only the supreme ruler has the right to decide any commercial activities or other purposes.

People and horses are all floating on the lake, and it is a wonderful feeling to be in the same boat with the real Varyag. With real close contact with them, Sakyi and other Kyiv businessmen increasingly feel that the Rus's methods are a bit rough, and they are still good trading partners, and they are even hospitable.

During the period of house arrest, the food and drink were delicious, and the Sackey group did not pay even a single copper coin, even though they stuffed some Eastern Roman copper coins and Russian silver coins into their pockets.

Or that Carlota has already collected profits, and the mare she controls will give birth to taller horses. In theory, the Ostarans can even train their own cavalry for this. This matter is not too far away.