Chapter 880 This Is a March Against Warmth

Compared with big cities, Herminki was not only small in size, but also a bit run-down. This made the soldiers who were used to big cities like Novgorod and Novorosberg quite disdainful of the Finns.

Helminki is a trading city located at the mouth of a river, while the core Finnish settlement is inland.

Nowadays, it was the Rus' conquerors who gave the Suomi people the official name of Finland, and the territorial scope of this count country was also delimited. The County of Finland only has the southern coastal area and the internal lakes. The area further north is the area controlled by the Kingdom of Rus Principality. The so-called territory directly under the jurisdiction of King Rurik, even though that vast area is actually a no-man's land.

The northern forests can only be used as hunting grounds. Now that they belong to Russia, the majority of Finns are more willing to move to areas closer to the ocean.

Because they were allowed to go to big cities like New Roseburg to do business, and because they were citizens of the Servant Earl Kingdom, they only had to pay a very low error tax to sell their leather in exchange for important iron tools and salt. The Finnish Counties have long been economically controlled by the Rus, and Rurik has no worries about their possible rebellion.

On the contrary, when the economy is manipulated, they will maintain Ross's hegemony for more benefits.

Nowadays, Javlo is middle-aged. Since he has lived a stable and increasingly prosperous life, his originally angular face has now become much rounder.

Rurik finally met the mercenary captain from the past at the frozen dock, where the sled team now stops.

"Jevlo, you are fat."

"Indeed, many things have changed since life got better." As he spoke, Yevluo specially introduced his female relatives.

"She is your... Hermi?" Rurik was surprised, and rationally told himself that this woman was Hermi, the daughter of Chief Suomi. Now she has changed the appearance of a woman with a small memory, but Lived like a ball of suet.

Hermi was still so shy. Now she was holding her eldest son in one hand and holding the younger one in her arms. She must have had too much good life. She was so gorgeous and well-dressed, and she had gained too much weight from eating well and eating well. But she was not very fat, so she might not be pregnant with the third child in her belly.

When she saw Rurik in the past who was a tall man with a golden laurel crown on his head, she was also shocked. The memory of Rurik was a beautiful boy. Since the Suomi people served Rus, she had rarely had the opportunity to witness the king's honor. Now that the king was tall and mighty, she still stayed away from him.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yevluo deliberately brought his son to his side.

"Look, this is my eldest son. Kelha, call me the King."

This child's black hair has a hint of brown, and his face is very similar to Jevro's. The boy clearly looked six or seven years old. This son Rurik knew that, and calculated the years, the child was at most seven years old.

The child seemed very reserved, but the voice calling for the king sounded comfortable.

"Child, come here." Rurik waved his hand and insisted.

Behind the king was a huge army, the feathers of their helmets swaying in the wind like summer reeds, and the flags pieced together to form a forest.

The boy was pushed over by his father in awe.

Rurik looked at his face and pinched his chin, "I know your name is Kelha. Do you... know who I am."

"I know. It's the king."

"Inaccurate, but appropriate. Your father was my loyal subordinate, and we fought side by side in many tense moments. Kelha, do you know your identity?"

"Me?" The boy's big eyes flickered: "It's the Count of Finland."

"Yes. It's my Count of Finland. So, have you made the decision to join my army expedition?"

"I have done."

After hearing this, Rurik rubbed the boy's face again and put him back.

It was already obvious that in this war, Jevro was naturally ordered to lead troops to fight. He would bring his eldest son to fight for gold plating, and Kelha really needed some merit.

Helminki is not Gevlo's mansion, the count's palace is in the inland lake area. He no longer knows where his former village is, and now uses his father-in-law Uko's home as his residence.

The Suomi people, or the residents of Finland in a narrow sense, all live in a small area in the lake area, and the other part settles in the trading port of Herminki.

This small trading city has a guest house and a parliamentary court built by the Mill Rus Duma.

The Ross army finally took a critical rest after marching here. They camped on the spot and immediately started trade with the local residents.

In the evening, swarms of bonfires illuminate the darkness, as if the snow-covered forest is burning. The army formed multiple bivouac arrays according to the formation of the flag team, and all the reindeer pulling the sleds had their bridles removed and were fed a large amount of oats.

On the other hand, the parliament court in Herminki was brightly lit.

Rurik took his flag captains and some senior followers to sit among them, asking about Yevlo's recruitment situation.

He was very direct and straightforward when he heard the news: "Five hundred people. You must bring out at least 500 people! The Suomi warriors in your hands are all short in stature. I don't expect them to face the enemy head-on. You must bring out at least 500 bows and arrows for me." Hands. Can this be done well?"

Rurik's words were exactly what Yevro was thinking: "If it were five hundred archers, I would be able to take them out now. However, the situation is a bit special."

"How is it? Are you having difficulty?"

"The special thing is that my people are not only in Helminki City. They all carry longbows and will be a support force that His Majesty is pleased to receive."

"This is a good thing." Rurik patted his thigh.

"It's just that they don't have uniform clothes, and the arrows I have are of poor quality. And since we have to go on an expedition, my team doesn't have much rations."

Some difficult problems were suddenly placed in front of Rurik. He thought for a while: "When I ordered you to send troops, I naturally thought of all the losses you suffered during the battle. Don't worry, arrows and food are not a problem, but uniform clothing is a problem. Forget it, you guys It is enough to tear some white cloth into strips and tie them in an eye-catching place on the body.”

"Okay. I will assemble the army for you to review tomorrow."

Yevlo's perfect cooperation saved a lot of time, and such a large army would not stay here for too long.

But when Rurik pointed out the next action plan of the army, most of the people present were confident, except for Jevlo who was shocked.

"Is this army going to cross the frozen ocean? It's already March! This is crazy!"

"Are you questioning me?" Rurik narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I can not."

"No. You just lack experience. Yevlo, you have really stayed in your hometown for a long time. You have forgotten that the ice in the northern ocean will not melt until early April at the earliest. The current life is not so bad. We can hurry up and catch up with the sea. Arrive in Sweden before the ice thaws.”

Jevro still felt that this matter was too risky. He also pointed out that he had prepared a group of longships. Since the king was in a hurry, he did not ask.

He showed full cooperation and completed the concentration of Finnish troops the next day.

Take a good look at these short black haired men!

Let's take a look at them walking sideways with their hands behind their backs. The Finnish soldiers were wearing leather jackets sewn with various kinds of leather. Most of them had white cloth strips of different sizes tied around their bodies as required, which was a huge difference from the gray-brown leather jackets. They all held long bows. At first glance, they looked like they were holding a long bent wooden pole, with a bowstring made of animal intestines taut.

If they are the enemy, the people themselves are not enough, but the tactical advantage of holding these longbows will cause trouble to the Russian army. Fortunately, the existence of their servant army can indeed greatly enhance the efficiency of Ross's long-range attacks.

It was Rurik who was curious about where Jevlo got a huge amount of "ash trees" to make bows. He only asked Javlo and he told him everything. The matter couldn't be simpler - Finns are planting trees intentionally.

This incident was a wake-up call for Rurik. "I asked the Slavs to look for oak trees everywhere and cut them down. Maybe I should change my mind and open up a piece of land on the shores of Lake Ilmen, uproot the small oak saplings I found and transplant them. Otherwise, I can just sow acorns..."

The Russian army only stayed in Helminki for one day and two nights. In the early morning of the third day after arriving, the Finnish army, led by Javlo, boarded their own reindeer sleigh, brought a large amount of dried fish and meat in reserve and Join the army and participate in the Western Expedition in the form of the Finnish flag force.

Currently, the Finns who have joined the team are the last additions to the army on the eastern journey. They have been marching for five full days again, with the frozen ocean and the island groups surrounded by ice in sight.

Things were far better than Rurik thought, because ahead was the huge and trivial Åland Islands, and the sea ice surrounding them was still hard.

There was a strong man holding a double-edged ax and pounding the ice continuously. After all his efforts, he finally broke the ice.

At this moment, the army's attitude towards the frozen sea was very complicated. After all, it was already March. Although there was a layer of ice floating on the sea in front of them, was it safe?

Measuring the ice layer based on the holes dug in the ice shows that the current thickness of the ice is still as long as a man’s forearm.

Such a thickness can already ensure the smooth travel of a manned sled.

Do you still want to hesitate?

The soldiers who were looking forward to seeing their king standing on a high place, holding a sword in his hand, shone brightly in the sun.

"Warriors! Odin's command grants victory to the brave! Compared with the feats you will create, what is the fear of crossing the ice sea? I! Rurik! I have crossed the ice sea, now follow me and do it again."

This is an inspiring slogan that must be shouted, and the words that follow have a special effect.

"We need to get supplies again from Tombstone Island. We're going early so we can have wine and barbecue!"

No matter what his subordinates thought, Rurik ordered his sled to rush towards the Åland Islands. Seeing this, the defenders had no choice but to rush forward.

After all, it is March, and the European world is gradually entering a cycle of the Little Ice Age. Crossing the ice sea in March is indeed a challenge. The Åland Islands guard the throat into the Gulf of Bothnia. The dimensions here are very high. The entire northern gulf is destined to be a big pile of ice, and even some exaggerated ice packs will be squeezed out by the expansion of sea ice.

There are no such wonders here in the Åland Islands. Considering the safety of the march, Rurik also deliberately rushed to the islands, taking advantage of the fact that most of the waterways here are only two meters deep, so that even if a sled falls into the ice cave, it can be pulled up easily. He made two preparations. After arriving at Tombstone Island, if he found that the sea ice on the westward path was too thin, he would have to wait on the island until it was enough to break through. If it is safe enough, we will naturally rush directly to Helsinki, Sweden without stopping.

This is a march that races against warmth. The soldiers have never been so eager for spring to come later than they are today.

The huge sled team rushed across the island group in just one day, and suddenly appeared on the frozen Tombstone Island like a ghost, shocking the island residents.

But at the same time, it also brought excitement to other people on the island.

The so-called "other people" are not ordinary. They have a thousand people. They are essentially two flag corps!

Those were the Third Banner, which was mainly composed of Mälaren immigrant men, and the banner captain Herriger, and the Fourth Banner, which was composed entirely of Balmok people, and the banner captain Hellafed Bringodson.

They also arrived at Tombstone Island in the past few days, also riding sleds and carrying a large amount of supplies and weapons and equipment.

This thousand-man army was also accompanied by a group of personnel to assist in the war. There were even hundreds of businessmen who ended their traditional business of purchasing furs in the north ahead of schedule, and happily headed south with the substantial escort of the Russian army. Many thieves' businessmen think more. Any war is an opportunity. Moreover, the King of Rus's plan to devour the Jotaland region is no longer a boast. Businessmen can make a fortune in the process.

Look! A huge army has been assembled on Tombstone Island. Their troops are neatly organized and equipped with uniform equipment. Can those Jotalans really be able to withstand the blasting hammer of such an army?

It would be no problem to convince the merchants that King Rurik could annex Denmark.

The so-called third and fourth flag teams, in the final analysis, they are not from Old Ross, they are indeed Vikings by blood. Everyone believes in the same gods and speaks the same language. Now that Rus has unified the entire northern Scandinavia, everyone is willing to call themselves Rus. After all, anyone who dares to oppose Ross will still be eliminated no matter how far he hides.

The ordinary Balmoks living in the port of Narvik ushered in a moment of glory. Their flag team merged with the army and began to accept the king's review.

They were extremely happy because their Countess Nolen was also in the army and was dressing up as a female warrior to review the hometown soldiers who had crossed the central mountain range and arrived at Tombstone Island.

Rurik was extremely proud of his military might.

Not only was the combat force swollen to more than 4,000 people, but also those former playmates had now grown into adults. Especially Kanuf, this kid is already fulfilling the duties of the governor of Fort Ross.

There is also Kawei, who is basically the same age as Arik. Now, as the "Master of Engineering Weapons", he has specially brought some craftsmen to join the army. They are torque slingshot operators and can also repair heavy equipment from crossbows to large slingshots. With enough tools, they even repaired the sled. There is also a small figure among the craftsmen, and that is the ten-year-old Kuzneslav, nicknamed Kudya, who is Rurik's nephew.

Finally, now, the army under the direct command of Rurik from the Kingdom of Rus has finally assembled on Tombstone Island.

The first, second, third, fourth, and sixth flag teams have a total strength of 2,500 people.

There are 500 Finnish flag troops, 50 people from the Vips-Lüdi Allied Army, 100 people from the Kovin Allied Army (including a group of boys who were just twelve years old), and a total of 650 people from the Pan-Finnish Allied Army.

The King's Guards had 300 infantrymen and 300 Cavalry Guards.

There are more than 100 craftsmen accompanying the army.

There are also some special non-combatants whose origins are very mixed. Many of them were taken out of state-owned breweries, and their current status is undoubtedly military doctors.

After all, injuries in battle are almost traumatic injuries. Debridement, cutting off the contaminated flesh and blood, suturing the wound with twine, or cutting it off with a small tree saw can be done by these barbaric carpenters. But the only way to anesthetize is to make people drunk with strong liquor, and it is better for brewers to do this kind of thing.

There are military doctors, a team of cooks and even a military band for ceremonial purposes.

The total number of miscellaneous personnel is close to 5,000.

And this is not the end.

The Gurdot is currently frozen on Tombstone Island. A number of standard armed cargo ships and some honest cargo ships are also parked here. There are also a large number of traditional long ships parked on the snow-covered shore.

When the sea ice completely melts, all Russian warships will take action, carrying a thousand Slavic warriors eastward, and the fleet will gather in Sweden. By that time, Rurik expects that all preparations will be completed. Find Shuyuan www.zhaoshuyuan.com and you can go south without any worries and keep pace with the actual records.

By that time, it is entirely possible to expand the number of troops to 10,000.

"Since I may have a thousand soldiers, why should I wait for Ragnar to fatten himself up and join forces to attack the King of Denmark? I can do it myself."

Rurik's determination swelled with the expansion of his troops. Looking at the final ice sea, there was no need to worry about the thinning of the sea ice.

The main army of the Kingdom of Rus began to line up in a long snake formation and rush towards Stockholm. On only the third day, the mighty sleigh army was like the Jörmungandr python on the ice, with countless white and blue faces flying. With the flag tattooed, we reached the end of our journey.

The army marched into the still-frozen Lake Mälaren, headed straight for the settlement of the Mälaren tribe, and set up camp under the astonished attention of the locals, high and low.

Look! Ross flags were flying everywhere. In this way, the abdicated former King Bjorn had to admit the fact that King Rurik had occupied Mellaren.

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