Chapter 1,392 The Semigalian Army and the Oakshtet Army

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The refugee army looked like a torrential flood to the big leader Namsis. Although Pasvalis City was relatively rich in resources, it was really a lot of pressure to suddenly accommodate such a large population.

In this way, all suspicions became unnecessary, and all those who were locked in wooden cages due to suspicion were released.

The refugees came, and they gathered in the largest settlement and lay down in piles. Everyone was exhausted and in urgent need of food to meet their urgent needs.

The leader's serious-looking horseman walked through the refugee group. He maintained a high level of vigilance. This time he gathered all his cavalry to guard against refugees taking advantage of the chaos and plundering. He even sent people to nearby villages and temporarily asked the village leaders to immediately form a stronghold to protect themselves. If armed refugees launched an attack, they would resolutely resist.

After all, Semigalia is a large tribal alliance, and the big leader, Namsis, is not yet able to complete his personal rule over all the forces in the alliance.

However, as he personally entered the refugee camp and inspected these haggard people, he saw women and children everywhere, and the strong men seemed to disappear en masse.

It was here that he happened to meet the leader of Shangzemi Village.

I saw the leader crawling on the ground to the horse's hooves, kneeling down and crying with snot and tears about his unfortunate experience.

"Damn it, did the Varangians destroy your village too?!"

"On the contrary. Chief, these are the people." The tearful Chief Shang Zemi pointed at the refugees casually: "The Mezotne people are crazy, they are a pack of hungry wolves, they ate everything when they arrived in my village. Even if Mezotny was destroyed by the Varangians, and these refugees have no reason to destroy my village.”

In the end

Namsis already thought about what happened. He narrowed his eyes and said disdainfully: "But your village is too far north."

"Did...did we make any mistake?"

"You are right. It is the Varangians who are at fault! You should be more open-minded! If the Varangians continue to attack along the river, your villages and towns will be razed to the ground by them. All your people have withdrawn to me. ?"

"All withdrawn."

"Very good. The village can be rebuilt after it is destroyed. You immediately select qualified men and women from your crowd and arm them. Listen, we can't just sit back and wait for death. We are going to counterattack!"

Those imprisoned were released, those who reported the news were restored to their identities, and the captured Latvian prisoners had their heads chopped off.

Since the enemy is the Varangians, as long as those guys start taking action, they will move very fast along the Lielupe River. Namsis did not dare to gamble with his own life. He now at least knew that a large number of Varyag warriors had already entrenched themselves in Mezot. As for whether those people had already started to continue the strategy...

The urgency of the war was like a huge boulder, weighing him down and almost suffocating him. He felt that he had almost no time. The only thing he could do now was to mobilize immediately.

Tribes that were too far away had no time to send people to notify the mobilization. While Namsis was mobilizing his own troops, he also sent people to screen the refugees.

The truth he quickly figured out was that his daughter and the leader of Mezotne had obviously been killed in the battle, which also explained why there were very few young men among the refugees. These young men are feeling guilty for not participating in the defense battle of Mezotene. Now they are standing on the territory of the great leader, and Namisis has given them

Their chance for revenge.

The last young men and women of Mezotne must take up arms and fight, and have a reason to take the lead in future battles, so that other refugees can receive food supplies.

This was a sudden disaster, and Namsis did not hesitate to think that it was a continuation of the war ten years ago.

The Semigalian Tribal Alliance has tens of thousands of people, and the population is dispersed among multiple tribes. But even if they gathered together, the total number of men, women, old and children would only be 50,000 or 60,000.

These tribes must have a core settlement. Generally, if the population gathers in one place, it will have strong defense capabilities.

However, when the enemy is well-equipped and has more than a thousand troops, the defensive capabilities of a single tribe are basically unstoppable.

Mezzotne, who was considered to be powerful, was defeated in one day. The arrogant enemy killed all the warriors and then looted all the villages.

There was already hatred between each other, and now they also have irreconcilable hatred. It is absolutely impossible to make peace with the murderous Varangians and cunning Latvians. It is better to fight to the end in blood.

"As long as I mobilize enough people, I have a chance of winning. It's not enough to just rely on my own troops. Now I must find a way to increase the number of troops. That's right! Let's go to Oakshtet to ask for troops."

Namsis made several of his relatives responsible for organizing the army in his own tribe, and he took the time to lead the cavalry south.

The sudden departure of the big leader certainly made the people of Pasvalis worried. After hearing that the leader was going to the south to ask for reinforcements, they were relieved but also worried.

Allowing refugees to arrive in Mezotne has already caused a lot of pressure on people. Is it possible?

Do we really want to allow the Okshtet people from the south to cross the border? Those people have not yet officially merged with Semigalia, and besides, they are also divided into factions internally. It is precisely because some tribes do not agree to merge with Semigalia, so the merger of the two tribes into one grand alliance still needs to continue. Discuss.

At least there is no conflict between the two parties in normal times.

The Okshtet people are divided into north and south, and they use the Neman River as the dividing line. Some tribes are close to Semigalia in the north, while others have ambiguous relations with the Utvin (Lithuania) people in the south.

But this time the big leader Namsis will not run too far. His goal is very clear-the city of Upyte in the south.

The city of Panevezh in present-day Lithuania did not exist in 843. However, the flat area along the river was very suitable for farming, and the nearby mounds also had stones that could be used, making this area very suitable for settlement.

Upet, in the dialect of the Okshtet people, means "big mound", just like what is done in Mezot in the north. The locals build an altar on the top of the mound, and a large number of The people built villages of various sizes around the mound altar.

Upet is the center of activity for the Okshtet people in the north. The leader who controls this place is named Streva "Staff". He is not only the leader but also the local priest.

After the death of the previous priest, the leader Streva refused to recognize the new high priest elected by the lower priests.

As the leader, he violently took away the "bent wooden staff" passed down by the priests from generation to generation. Not only did he claim to be the high priest of Upet, he also personally presided over the cremation of the old priest.

So far he has been nicknamed "Wooden Stick". The city of Upet is a northern Orc

The sacrificial center of the Shtet people, when this leader enjoyed religious power, his dominance over various tribes became stronger.

However, the more powerful one was in the north. Due to his own strength, he had to show goodwill to the leader of the Semigalians. Coupled with the fact that he is usurping the power of the high priest, this move cannot completely convince the public, so it becomes necessary to use the support of external forces to consolidate his rule.

As a result, Namisis and Streva of Upet became in-laws.

If one were to walk on two feet, it would take two days and nights to walk from Pasvalis to Uppet City.

Namsis's cavalry rushed to their destination in just one day's rush. The locals in Upet were no longer surprised by the sudden visit of the cavalry. The leaders of the north always appear in this way. Because the relationship between the leaders of the two sides is relatively close, the locals do not feel that the powerful Semigalian cavalry is a threat at all.

The cavalry entered the undefended riverside city and rushed collectively to the leader's residence.

Under the observation of a group of washerwomen and bored urchins, the cavalry dismounted one after another. They held the reins and stood by. They saw the leader of the north, Namsis, holding the hilt of his sword and rushing in with more than a dozen guards. Stewart's residence.

The people who stood guard for the leader had not experienced this scene before. They recognized the leader's face from the north and saw him approaching with great momentum. No one dared to block him but all had to make way.

Streva, who was busy having dinner and soup with his family, was shocked when the wooden door suddenly opened.

"You? Namsis, why are you here at this time? It's already evening."

"Why can't I come?" Said Na

Misis looked around and saw that her daughter, son-in-law, and even her young grandson were here.

After all, it was the leader's house. Even though they were in-laws, it was better for his attendants to avoid it immediately. Namsis raised his hand to signal, and after the guards left quickly, he shook his robe vigorously and sat on the wooden floor as if he were back at home.

In the eyes of everyone's doubts and surprises, he asked politely: "What? You don't want me to have dinner with you?"

"This..." The awkward atmosphere was slightly relieved, and leader Streva immediately greeted him with a smile: "You should have told me earlier, so that I would kill a sheep for you and prepare a pot of good ale."

"No need." There was no smile on Namsis's face. He continued with a sullen face: "My good friend, now is not a good time to discuss whether to kill sheep and drink wine."

Streva's face darkened in response: "Did something happen to you over there?"

"War! War broke out!"

"War?" Streva's heart tightened, he adjusted his mind slightly, and put down the soup spoon: "Is there any other enemy that makes you feel pressured by the greatness?"

"Friend, are you kidding me?"

"I can not."

"I am a Varangian." Namsis said with an old face: "Damn Varangians!"

As he said that, he looked decisively at his married little daughter who was sitting here and was obviously in a good mood, and said bluntly in an emotionless manner: "My child, your sister and your brother-in-law are both dead. They were killed by Varyag. People were brutally killed.”

Now, any mood for eating is gone.

The woman couldn't believe what her father said, and the young boy couldn't understand what his grandfather said.

Now Si

Treva's face turned livid, "What happened? The Varangians?! They...did they launch another attack?"

"That's right. My Mezotne has collapsed, and at least three thousand warriors died in the battle. Through the confessions of prisoners of war, it is now said that the commander-in-chief of all the Varangians launched a war against our Semigalia, and their goal He wants to kill us all, not even... women's lives.

When the Varangian army succeeds, the next step will be to attack your Upet. They will repeat the brutal killings. This is a disaster that none of us can avoid. "

In the eyes of "Wooden Stick" Streva, the northern leader and his own in-laws are an arrogant man. Of course, this guy has arrogant capital. He has a cavalry and can quickly mobilize a large number of militiamen.

Is it really necessary for a force surrounded by forests and lakes to organize a standing cavalry and continue to maintain a militia mobilization system?

In a sense, the actions of Semigalian leader Namisis are quite similar to Rurik's, but Rurik's purpose of organizing the army is to expand and plunder, while Namisis's purpose is to protect himself.

The war ten years ago ended in an anticlimax and the two sides did not reach any form of armistice treaty. Of course Semigalia wanted to control Riga, annex Latvia, and make a fortune by monopolizing the amber trade. The efforts of the predecessors failed, and for this reason, a gap was formed. Even if Namsis did not continue the war, he still had to maintain an army to avoid the enemy's revenge.

Ten years is enough time to paralyze many people, but the war that was suspended this year has resumed with unprecedented ferocity.

A large number of Varangians on horseback and

The rowing Varangians led the way, and the larger number of Latvians followed.

The executed prisoners of war claimed that such an "army of five thousand people" was still just the vanguard of the so-called Kingdom of Rus, and that the follow-up army was still on the way and would wipe out Semigalia with an army of ten thousand people.

Prisoners of war know that they will definitely be killed. After experiencing torture and beatings, they know that begging for mercy is meaningless. It is better to be tough and brag to scare the enemy.

To a large extent, the boastful words of Latvian militiamen who know little about Rus still underestimate the true strength of the Rus' kingdom. A person has ten fingers, and the largest number in people's minds is "thousand". A thousand warriors are considered to be giants, and "ten thousand" warriors can probably destroy the world.

Here, the strong sense of fear and depression made Streva, the leader of North Okshtate, sweat all over his body. He felt nauseated again and vomited all the food he had just eaten.

Is it necessary to continue eating now? have nothing left.

Although the Okshtet people have no intention of going to war with anyone, because they have nothing to do with the Varyag merchants, their understanding of those people has always remained as "traveling merchants who can do business."

Only the local nobles have a deeper understanding of the Varangians - they can also be a group of brutal mercenaries.

It must have been the war started by the Semigalians that forced the guys farther north to prepare for ten years to retaliate. In these years, Semigallians have been exploiting the Varyag merchants who passed through the border. After all, they are in-laws. Streva believes that it was Namsis's series of actions that triggered this war. Any accusations now are meaningless. The top priority is

Urgency is how to save your life.

Let go of home? Too passive and too useless.

The Semigalian side must take the initiative to attack, and even without asking, Streva understood that his in-laws were here to move reinforcements.

There is no need to struggle and discuss when life and death are at stake, not to mention that his daughter-in-law's sister has died in this war. Although it is a bit far-fetched, Streva has convinced himself that he has found a series of reasons to prove that it is very easy to gather militiamen for the expedition. Is necessary.

But gathering an army will take some time.

Namsis waited for three days in the city of Uppet. He was delighted with Streva's sincerity. Many tribes in the northern Okshtet responded to the call. Within three days, more than 3,000 militiamen gathered in Uppet. Under the special mound.

A sacrifice was held at the altar on the top of the hill. The two leaders slaughtered a cow and burned it completely to declare war to the gods.

Now that the time has entered June of the Julian calendar, the Okshtet army from the south, led by their leader "Staff" Streva, arrived at the city of Pasvalis with all infantry. ——It was also the first time that southern military forces arrived in the large city of Semigalia as guest troops.

Namisis had reached the limit of his abilities, and his cronies mobilized a militia of up to 5,000 people with all their strength. Five thousand people may seem like a lot, but in fact they are a mixed bag.

The last one thousand Mezzotene militiamen were among the five thousand, and the rest included young and old. There were even some young women who brought weapons modified from farm tools to join the battle.

Terrifying rumors spread in various villages. The so-called Varyag army in Riga is a being that is even more ferocious than hungry wolves and mad bears.

They will kill all living creatures, including women and children. It's not like the rumors are false, just because Mezotne has already encountered bad luck, and the refugees are so numerous and have very consistent voices, it really makes people believe that the Varyag army is a monster that eats people without spitting out their bones.

The assembled five thousand troops gathered in Paswalis, and they had to bring their own dry food to wait for the big leader to return and launch an all-out counterattack.

At first, everyone was troubled by fear, but after seeing the dense forest-like spears, the militiamen suddenly felt confident.

As the great leader on horseback arrived with three thousand southern reinforcements, an unprecedented army stood on the banks of the calmly flowing Lielupe River.

Never had!

Semigalia and Okshtet conducted their first military alliance. The cavalry and infantry were mixed together with nearly 9,000 militiamen. In order to defend their homeland against invasion and avenge the deaths of their compatriots, the two closely related ethnic groups united. , it seems as if they have merged into one country.

At least in terms of military command, this coalition has unprecedented unity.

Namsis, the great leader of Semigalia, is looking for Shuyuan www.zhaoshuyuan.com. He never thought that he could command an army of nearly nine thousand soldiers.

An unprecedented number of warriors filled their city of Pasvalis. When they gathered together and began to march, a large forest of spears was advancing.

After Streva, the "Staff", led his entire team of priests to conduct a grand ceremony on the riverside, the coalition forces formed a long queue and marched toward the lower reaches of the Lielupe River.

Now, in the balmy weather of early June, Semigalia counterattacked as quickly as possible.

In this regard,

The Ross-Latvian coalition forces, which have completely occupied Mezotne and have fully established contact with Riga in the rear, are mentally prepared to block the enemy's counterattack.

Not only that, the Russian general Fisk, who had experienced hundreds of battles, specially sent the scout cavalry to occupy the so-called intersection of the two rivers (today's Bauska City). If the enemy counterattacks, this position is the only way for the enemy to pass.

On one side are the nine thousand people who marched with rage, and on the other side are the Ross coalition forces who are waiting for work.

A new war is about to break out...