Rise of Rurik

This evening, the Mercians finally remembered that they were once the hegemons of England, and they were one step away from unification.

More and more warriors jumped off the city wall and fought the Viking army on Tupo.

Those Mercian warriors in chain mail really turned into flesh in this meat grinder-like battlefield, and the Balmers also suffered losses.

But the Mercia Army, whose overall strength was inferior, had few of the most elite soldiers left, and then there were those armed farmers in commoner who resisted desperately.

The prince Bottwoolf, who had just been pulled to the rear, broke free from his subordinates again, ignoring the wound on his face, and ordered his subordinates to counterattack. His stubbornness or bravery is unstoppable.

The sun was almost setting, and the west was cautiously dimly twilight.

The whole world became dark, and under the stars and the moonlight, the bloody battle around the slope of the city wall continued.

Until the two sides were exhausted from fighting in this pool of blood, the intensity of the battle gradually decreased until a strange confrontation was reached.

The Mercians had actually rushed down the soil slope, but the so-called soil slope was already covered with two layers of corpses.

The fallen soldiers were stacked on top of each other, and the Mercians stood on the corpses of their own men, spears of different lengths moving forward in unison.

They stared at blood-red eyes, each trembling with vigilance, blood dripping from rusty spearheads. They are just a group of armed farmers, the individuals are naturally fragile, and now they are united as one, like five fingers clenched into a heavy fist.

A large number of spears formed a hedgehog array, but they lacked defense.

More than 20 steps away from them were the Balmers who formed the circular shield wall, and even Grund and the others who were almost paralyzed in heavy armor.

Both Rurik and Magnut were on the front lines. The bizarre confrontation and the scorching battlefield really made people feel that such a tragic battle should not have occurred in Britain of this era.

"Warriors! Continue to charge forward!" Magnute roared again, but the tired warriors looked at each other and didn't rush forward at all.

"You...what are you doing?"

Rurik directly shoved the old guy Magnute, and shouted: "No more fighting! Brothers are about to die of exhaustion, and our army needs to be repaired."

"But,

We are one step away from victory. "

"Bah! Even if we are tired, we will be killed by the residents of the city with wooden sticks and dung forks. I have to retreat for the time being! I warn you, continuing to advance will lead to death!"

Indeed, Rurik deeply felt the fatigue of the coalition. Those Balmerks with tattoos on their bare backs, covered in a mixture of sweat, blood and mud, smelled really bad, and the whole image was sloppy.

Even the well-dressed and well-equipped Ross First Banner Team, the robes of the melee until now are all severely damaged, and even the chain armor that protects the body is broken.

How many people died in this bloody battle? Rurik conservatively estimated that 200 people had to be turned into stepping stones on this slope.

The natural enemy's losses are bound to be more serious, but the Viking coalition can no longer suffer such losses!

If the warriors were still full of energy, the bloody battle would continue, and the reason they didn't even stop Magnut, King of York, was precisely because the coalition was running out of steam.

"Russian! Let's retreat first!" Rurik held his breath, and deliberately said this aloud to tell Magnut, and then the Rus soldiers who were mixed in the army retreated cautiously.

Their retreat immediately caused the Balmers to retreat, and the standoff gradually dissipated.

Even if the barbarians with large round shields evacuated, the Mercians who were frightened were still standing in the "Tower of Flesh and Blood".

Prince Bottwoolf stood on the city wall again, watching the enemy who besieged the city wall retreat, he couldn't smile at all.

The enemy has retreated?

Pooh! Simply avoid it for the time being. He saw this ferocious and terrifying slope, and deeply realized that this was the fatal flaw in the whole of Tamworth.

"Order... Order the soldiers, not to attack. Go check if there are any wounded, and bring them back for treatment. Send it to the injured enemy, and pull it back for interrogation."

The attendant beside him was still shivering.

The prince was furious and kicked abruptly: "Still in a daze? I now accept you as my captain of the bodyguard! Do things for me, and defending the city will give you glory in the future."

From the very beginning, Rurik didn't think that the city would be destroyed today, and it would be completely beyond his expectations if things turned out like this.

The script for shooting by yourself shouldn't be like this. How did the Mercians suddenly become such brave people who are not afraid of death?

The Rus people took the lead in withdrawing, and immediately gathered at the Weng side of the fragrant glutinous rice, and soon the Balmerk warriors also withdrew.

They started to eat, and that crazy eating is like tearing gifts with wolves, and like a pig in a house, there is no respect for it.

Those who were stuffed with food felt thirsty again, and ran to the Tam River where the boats were moored. They had no time to take care of their dirty clothes and mud, but stuck their heads into the river and gulps water.

After eating and drinking, many warriors swayed and approached the bonfire, and suddenly they were all soft again.

Looking at the tired figures of his subordinates, Magnut finally understood the advice of his son-in-law Rurik.

Such a warrior, already weak enough to be easily killed by the weakest of enemies.

In the core army tent, the brave Arik and Biyonni were both exhausted. Other family leaders came with bad news, claiming that an old friend died in the chaos of the army.

Everyone was not depressed, their hatred for Mercia reached a new peak, and they hated that they could not immediately break the city because of exhaustion because of the huge fighter plane.

People are hoping that Rurik will come up with a countermeasure, and some even question his decision.

Rurik didn't get angry at all, and he openly taught all the rash people present.

Even if the Balmers are now allies, their loss will indirectly damage the strength of the Rus army.

"You are too impulsive! My plan is to build a soil slope today to attack the city tomorrow. Even if the soil slope is built until more than half of the enemy launches a counterattack, can you use it as a decisive battle signal? I really think you are too clever! You are indeed brave warriors, But you have to use your brains too."

After being preached to Magnut, he felt bitter and asked, "What should we do now?"

"What else can we do? Rest tonight, I hope we can recover all our strength after a night's rest. But I am very worried, if our army's strength is greatly damaged, will the Ernred rebel? The weakness of the Mercians is just pretending Yes, they may be suddenly brave, and so are the Northumbrians. If they join forces and fight us recklessly, perhaps we will have to withdraw."

"That's impossible!" Magnut didn't want to exclaim. "I'm the King of York."

"That's right, but those who really want to work hard can't care so much. The battle this evening was untimely, and we were accidentally frustrated. You all go back to rest, count your forces, and we will attack tomorrow afternoon. Friends, thank me for my cleverness, The captured wheat will continue to feed the army, we are not short of food now, and we only need another day off to regain our energy and continue to fight."

Having said this, Rurik explained the possibility: "Maybe tomorrow we will meet reinforcements from Northumbria. As long as we maintain enough troops, they will not dare to rebel. I advise you to remain vigilant tonight, I will also guard our camp."

Magnute shook his head with a tight mouth: "Are you... worried about their night attack?"

"It's very possible. You are so reckless today, and the enemy is exactly the same. The enemy has more advantages than one person."

"What is the number of people?" Arik said disdainfully.

Rurik immediately glanced at Cousin Bai: "Brother! I can't wait to send the army from my hometown here to fight them decisively."

Then he said: "You all go back to rest, and I will guard the camp tonight. I wish they would intercept the camp, so that our final siege tomorrow will be much smoother."

Rurik remained very restrained in his words, because the situation of the coalition forces, especially of the Balmers, was very bad.

Once the general Viking army lost its mobility and initial strength, and was dragged into a war of attrition by its opponents, it would be a great disadvantage.

The Ross Army was different, because Rurik paid great attention to logistics, and the army had a good stamina. It was also because of this focus that the Balmer army could eat wheat under the city and have the basic ability to besiege the city for a period of time. The Balmerks fought with the Rus and by the way became an atypical Viking force. .

In this battle, 200 Balmerk soldiers were indeed killed, and the Rus army also suffered losses.

Ten members of the First Flag Team of the Ross Army were killed, and nearly half of Grund's mercenaries in iron armor were also killed.

The death of Jing Rui's subordinates made Rurik feel distressed, so he will personally raise a group of orphans whose father died in the future.

This chaotic battle plus the previous losses, the coalition army left York after the expedition originally had 2,000 people, and now has lost almost 400 combat power. Do not! There are still a group of wounded here, and they need to be taken care of.

The loss of the coalition forces is not small, but the essence still remains.

What Rurik feared most was that the enemy took advantage of his weakness to intercept the camp, and he immediately began to set up defensive positions. Whenever he was camping in the wild, Rurik had to set up the most basic fortifications, and now, the defensive power of the fortifications had to be maximized.

The trolley no longer has to carry earth, and a torsion slingshot is placed on it. Three mobile torsion slingshots form the core of the defense, and each side guards ten crossbow archers.

This is how all the archers and crossbowmen arrange their positions, and whether they are tired or not, they must ambush like this.

Due to the high consumption of cast iron bullets, the projectiles are now directly replaced by short spears, and the close-range killing power is even more terrifying.

Rurik created ten defensive cores directly around the camp, which could form crossfire with each other.

The torsion slingshot is not good at accumulating power for a long time, even if it is alternately accumulating and unloading, the entire line of defense is always vigilant.

Of course, several soldiers with reeds on their bodies were ordered to leave the camp. They were lying on the road leading to the blood-colored soil slope.

Rurik almost expected that the enemy would launch a night attack, and looking at Tamworth, people were really being agitated by the prince.

As many as a thousand people were incited!

There are more than 100 soldiers left in Jing Rui's kingdom, and only the last 2,000 men are armed.

More than a thousand people were summoned by the prince. They all knew the tragedy of the bloody battle, and they knew that surrendering now was nothing but slaughter.

They were shivering, but their fear was not apparent on the surface, or most of them were numb.

The prince stood on the platform where the prisoners were executed. He resented that he had not caught the wounded enemy. Looking at his soldiers, his heart was bleeding.

"My subjects, this is not God's punishment. I already know who they are, they are Vikings. They are not Satan's demons, they are more abhorrent beings. Now, the price of hundreds of people dying in battle has finally paid for their exhaustion. This is where God has given us a chance to win! Follow me! For your wives and children, for your lifetime wealth, for your great faith, we will fight them tonight! If you want to run away, run to Darkness. Only by fighting with me can the provincial level be exchanged! God bless us to win!"

However, no one cheered.

The priest also took the stage to announce that the so-called killing of these indescribable villains was not a crime, and publicly announced that the soldiers present had been eliminated from their sins in this life.

In fact, they care more about the lives of themselves and their family members. This has nothing to do with sacred beliefs. Even if they really die in battle, at least their family members are still alive.

The crown prince also solemnly announced: "The most mediocre peasants, I allow you to be soldiers of the kingdom now, all my squires! Even if you are serfs, I will cancel your debts, restore your freedom, and now give you as squires! We Let's go!"

The peasants and even the serfs became the retinues of the royal family, and the rank was much higher, which made many people a little relieved, at least they died no longer humble.

No one cheered, and they followed Prince Bottwoolf to the battlefield with tragic emotions.

Looking at the Crown Prince again, he was mentally prepared to die.

In fact, he did not hesitate to die, even if his entire family was killed, his own younger brother or cousin would still be the heir to the throne. He is just sad, where are the reinforcements of his father, brother, and other lords? I really don't know that the king's city has suffered a disaster?

Soon, the Russ people lying on the ground noticed the strange shaking of the earth, and they all woke up after a nap, clenching the horns in their hands.

Sudden! In the moonlight, a figure appeared on the city wall where the corpses were stacked.

First a few, then a group, then a large group.

A large number of soldiers with spears filed out, so shocked that the dark whistle all climbed up.

The Dark Sentinel fighters blew their horns like crazy, and at least 200 Mercian soldiers walked across the slope at this moment.

"Oops! They found us! Warriors of Mercia, follow me!"

Bottwoolf actually took the lead in the charge! The last armored bodyguard followed. The prince was so heroic, and a large number of Mercia armed peasants followed closely. Those who kept silent suddenly began to roar, emboldening themselves and boosting the morale of everyone. They held up their torches, endured exhaustion, and charged to the death.

However, this is courting death.

Rurik was awakened, and saw a large number of people with torches rushing towards the camp.

"How did I see a large group of people launch a long live charge?"

He was shocked, and even felt that his defensive firepower was not enough to stop them.

The Ross warriors who had been prepared for a long time immediately counterattacked, and the charged torsion slingshot launched a deadly attack on the dense enemy.

The sharp short spear slag pierced through the charging armored servants of Mercia, and even stabbed two people to death with one spear.

Crossbow arrows flew, causing heavy casualties all at once.

Even the shipboard weapons of ships anchored on the Tamm River were also firing projectiles and javelins.

The nearly 100 torsion slingshots currently owned by the Ross fleet are now outputting frantically, even if the projectiles are a little tight.

"You are very brave! I will do my best to treat you! Die all of you!"

Rurik's heart was beating wildly, and his fierce shouting was the best encouragement to his subordinates. In the end, he simply shot with a crossbow himself.

The awakened Arik and other Rus warriors immediately brought their weapons to build a shield wall, as did the tired Balmers.

They still need a lot of time to sleep, but now everyone is flooded with adrenaline, ready to fight at the cost of overdrafting their lives.

However, the night attack tonight was really a disaster for the Mercians!

"Ah! Your Highness hits the arrow, protect him!"

Bottwoolf was surprised that a stubby arrow had pierced his neck, he had trouble breathing, and his nose was bleeding, and he widened his eyes to realize that he might be dying.

die? Also kill the enemy.

Many of his subordinates were ruthlessly shot and killed. The prince was fatally wounded and pushed away his entourage with the last strength, and continued to charge with his iron sword.

He became the target of public criticism, and the chain mail could not stop the crossbow's crossbow's crossbow shooting at close range.

But the prince Bottwoolf did not fall. He was nailed to the battlefield with a javelin. He vomited blood and continued to hold the sword in his right hand. Suddenly, the iron sword dropped...

The Mercia's attack failed, corpses were thrown on the ground, arrows and javelins were all over the ground, and the Ross shooters who were in charge of defense carried out this deadly counterattack without any loss.

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The Mercians evacuated again. They didn't know that they lost their prince tonight, but they were shocked that their companions died beside them inexplicably, and they ran away crying and screaming.

But the Rus and Balmers were also powerless to pursue them. When the battle situation is no longer tense, the people who are ready to fight suddenly feel extreme exhaustion, and the strong sleepiness overcomes the will of the soldiers. The stars and the moon are above, as if the gods are looking down on the battle. The soldiers look up to the sky and lie down on the spot. fall.

The world has returned to quiet, and the land is filled with the blood of fallen soldiers, but the battle continues.

Rurik was not happy either. He knew that the city would be destroyed tomorrow, and the bravery of the Mercians really awe-inspiring him, and he was equally pitiful. They can think of the night attack to show their wisdom, and their courage to dare to charge to the death proves their courage.

"These brave men have followed the wrong monarch. As my warriors, you will always be great, not just a flash in the pan." Thinking so, Rurik wanted to capture their commander and kill him with his own hands.

Because, even a respectable enemy, such a good enemy commander must die. At least, the benevolent self can grant it a decent departure.