Rise of Rurik - Chapter 655

[Chapter 656 Vadim, Harold and the Road to Smolensk]

Vadim, Novgorod’s self-proclaimed prince, his so-called notice of this lake area was only ten days old, and it fell apart under the absolute military might of the Ross army.

He became a bereaved dog in the actual sense, clutching his injured left arm and more than a dozen last cronies, fleeing in the nearby woods.

It wasn’t until nightfall that the escape of their group was forced to stop.

The woods gave them cover, and the night was perfect cover.

However, the vast forest area is not peaceful.

Vadim finally sat down with his back against a big fir tree. He was panting desperately, and subconsciously lifted his linen jacket to check the wound.

The blood has stopped, which is really a blessing in misfortune.

But he lost a lot of blood, and the long-term running was also exhausting, but now he had no food or water.

He was so, and the situation of the brothers present was not much better than that.

Those ordinary and young cronies are all trying to follow the young prince Vadim to conquer the world, so as to gain fame and tangible benefits.

Who would have thought that everyone’s just act of resisting the Ross invaders ushered in the ultimate destruction.

Under the night, this group of people finally began to study their own future.

They leaned closer to Vadim, who was covering his wound, hoping that the leader could show everyone a clear way.

“Boss, what shall we do in the future?”

“We have lost everything now. Should we go to another manor? If we continue to go deep into the woods, we can find those who are hiding.”

Someone proposed to look for “hidden people”, as if a stone stirred up a thousand waves, it really gave hope to the confused people.

They muttered one after another and went to the Liberty Manor farther away, relying on being a young man and an excellent labor force, they would definitely be accepted by them.

Some people even fantasize that they can still marry a local woman in the new manor, as long as they overcome the current predicament, everything is hopeful.

Following this “beautiful idea”, someone dared to provoke Vadim.

“Boss, let’s find those people. They have nothing to do with the Great Lakes. You are the most honored person in the Great Lakes, and you can also become the ruler of the new farm.”

Vadim couldn’t listen to it at all, and he didn’t snap at the guys for their unrealistic plans.

He barely stood up with the captured steel sword, forcing himself to be still tall, and the moonlight shone through the branches into the people under the tree, Vadim’s face was pale.

“It’s useless to rely on those cowards who are hiding! They are not the daughters of Lake Ilmen, and the Ross people have never bullied them. It is crazy to expect them to unite and fight for me.”

“But Boss.” Someone said again, “Aside from them, what else can we do? We have lost the battle, and the Ross people may launch terrible revenge.”

“Then you can’t go looking for people who are hiding.” Vadim firmly concluded that the Ross people will indeed retaliate. “We are looking for death here. They will look for my body and they will never stop until they achieve their goal. We must continue. escape.”

“Escape? Where are you going?”

“Go south! Go south desperately!”

Vadim’s attitude is so determined that a term is ready to come out.

Many people said in unison: “Go to Smolensk?”

“That’s right there, to the land of the Krivichs.”

This term is really familiar and unfamiliar to everyone. Vadim does not have a clear understanding of Smolensk. It is just the past days. His manor has some economic contacts with Smolensk through merchant trade. At least Each other knows each other.

There are even some conflicts between the two sides, but that is a thing of the past.

The so-called “hidden people” that Vadim could not trust were essentially people living near Lake Ilmen.

Those guys are like White Tree Manor, they are the disadvantaged people who were squeezed out by the people near the lake.

Vadim looked down on those people at all, and had no idea about relying on the power of those people to fight back against the Rus to regain their power.

The only force in this world that can defeat the Russians is probably the Smolensk people.

Vadim claimed to have made a very rational choice: “I… I am the prince of Novgorod, the ruler of Lake Ilmen, I am a noble person, as long as I arrive in Smolensk, I will definitely You can make a comeback. At that time, you people will still be honored by following me.”

A glimmer of hope amidst despair?

Everyone looked at each other, they couldn’t make up their minds, since the boss said so, the brothers agreed.

Still relying on the big tree, Vadim plucked up the courage to swear a poisonous oath: “I must take revenge, I will gather an army from the south, and take back everything I lost!”

It’s really the hatred of the country and the family, his mind is occupied by revenge, but will the injury of his arm kill him?

Suddenly, the standing Avenger sat down limp, he was so hungry.

Seeing this, the brothers set up a shack one after another. It’s a pity that everyone escaped in a hurry, and they didn’t even carry the bow drill for drilling wood to make fire. How can they make a fire quickly?

Do not!

Even if they had the ability to start a fire, they didn’t dare, for fear of being discovered and killed by the searching Ross people.

They were too tired, and once their exhausted and frightened bodies settled down, sleepiness would inevitably hit them like a flood.

Everyone fell asleep one after another, with fatal flaws all over their bodies.

No one stood guard for the group, they were like food in the open air, and instead of attracting the fleeing Rus, they naturally attracted roaming bears.

The brown bear smelled blood, and a strange smell of salt.

Bears generally don’t take the initiative to attack people, unless there is something about people that can arouse the bestiality of these beasts.

A hungry brown bear attacks, and everyone wakes up from their slumber to a terrifying black figure tearing apart a hapless companion.

When everyone tried to save them, they realized it was a bear!

Someone else had his neck broken by his elder brother. Although someone also stabbed the bear’s skin with an iron sword, it aroused the beast’s crazier brutality.

Without advanced weapons, such as a steel-armed crossbow that can easily shoot through wood, how do you hunt bears with a group of young men who have lost battles and are exhausted?

Even if the Ross people were hunting bears, there were very few madmen who would be mad enough to fight a bear at close range.

Vadim was trembling with shock, he was suddenly no longer hungry, and the thought of running away occupied his mind.

He ran away again, this time out of his own heart.

How can a vengeful person become a delicious meal for the mad bear?

!

He didn’t care about his brothers, succumbed to his survival instinct, and ran all the way in a certain direction, causing his brothers to ignore him.

He ran so frantically that the hemp rope at the seams of his boots broke.

He still ran wildly, and fell down halfway and still ran.

Until he was exhausted, he fell on the soft undergrowth humus in front of his eyes.

…

“What’s wrong with me. In the end…” Vadim slowly woke up from the extreme headache, and everything in front of him felt like a dream.

Is this actually the camp of some people by the lake?

He gradually realized that he was lying flat on the grass, and the air was filled with the aroma of barbecue.

The hungry body sat up almost without thinking, and Vadim saw that there seemed to be a roasted rabbit on the Y-shaped shelf?

But those wandering people are actually…

Intense fear invaded his mind, he quickly curled up and tried to stand up and run away, but he just stood up and fell down suddenly.

This move finally attracted the attention of everyone in the camp.

A strong blond man came over aggressively, carrying a small pottery urn filled with lake water, and poured the water on Vadim’s face.

Shocked by the cold water, Vadim regained consciousness.

“You… Varyags. Don’t! Don’t kill me.”

He subconsciously covered his face with his arms, but the strong man laughed loudly.

After a while, another strong man came, and he sat down and stared at Vadim’s eyes with a wooden face: “Boy, do you still know me?”

“You? You’re Harold?! Damn, you’re here, you’re running away…”

“It’s wise to run away. We don’t fight the Ross people. You see, you who fought with them were wiped out, and the manor was destroyed by them.”

This is a great shame, Vadim turned away disheartened and didn’t know what to say.

“Look at me!” Harold reached out and grabbed Vadim’s chin, unceremoniously continuing to describe what happened after the battle.

“We have seen what the Rus have done. They have killed everyone, and countless bodies have burned into a tower of fire. Even young children have died, and even those who are blind and handicapped from birth. This is you Hope, bet everything on your manor to fight the Rus, and the result is that even the poultry is killed by the Rus. They don’t even want to roast chicken and beef, they just want to kill and burn all living things in Pine Needle Manor. ”

Vadim trembled when he heard it, he didn’t even suspect it.

Harold looked at the boy’s cowardice, and laughed wildly with a group of brothers.

“I lied to you. Fool, how do I know what the Ross people did afterwards? If I dared to take my brothers to see, my head would have been chopped off by them.”

“You! You amuse me! You coward!” Vadim yelled.

“You dare to call me a coward again?!” Harold pouted, stood up and deliberately stepped on Vadim’s injured left arm, and deliberately twisted his boot to make it more painful, making him scream in pain.

“Your wounds are fatal. Well, let me tell you, I really don’t know what the Rus have done, but they are a bunch of villains. On a remote island called Gotland, the locals are all Varangians, They organized an army of thousands of people to be defeated by the Rus, and eventually 10,000 people died! Even our homeland, Denmark, our… our prince was killed by the Rus. Vadim, you are very brave , dare to fight with the most ferocious person in this world.”

“Are… are you complimenting me?”

“No. You’re still a reckless fool, and your father knows that to be a docile sheep. Now you choose to fight, and that’s what happens. As for us, my brother and I are nothing but armed merchants who can live here, We don’t fight with the Ross people. Now your people are dead, and your injuries are fatal. Boy, we went hunting in the woods and found a dying person, and that is you!”

“You guys actually saved me.

“No. You are dying.” Harold said patiently, “Your arm injury is actually fatal. For the sake of the many slaves you provided, I can give you a painless death.”

“No, you can’t kill me.”

“Are you afraid of death?”

“I want revenge!”

Indeed, there was no fear of death on Vadim’s face, and his face was full of unwillingness to fail.

“Revenge? It’s ridiculous. How can you get revenge as a bereaved dog? This is your fate. Don’t worry, our brothers will remember you and tell others that a man named Vadim led his tribe to rebel against the Rus and failed, resulting in 10,000 people being killed. !”

This remark was still an insult, and Vadim burst into tears in grief and anger. He gritted his teeth and squeezed out words: “I want revenge! I am going to Smolensk. I am the prince of Novgorod. I want to marry Smolensk.” Molensk allies.”

“Are you going to Smolensk?” Harold immediately became interested. He looked at the brothers present and said, “Our brothers are all planning to go to Smolensk.”

“take me!”

“Why? Oh no, why!”

Vadim’s eyes looked at the blue sky, and he said seriously: “I want revenge, and I can only rely on the strength of the Smolensk people to complete my revenge. I am a nobleman, and the local chiefs will use me, and!”

“Say it.”

“The Smolensk people want to get the fertile farmland of Lake Ilmen. As long as they use this as a bargaining chip, the Smolensk people will definitely gather troops to go to the north. I can promise them that they will get the farmland by sending troops. I will sell some benefits. You can still be the prince of Novgorod.”

Harold just found it ridiculous. Didn’t this kid’s plan lead to another kind of invasion?

The well-informed, he immediately questioned: “I have long known that you who live in Lake Ilmen have some conflicts with the people in the south. Is it because of this reason? You let them come, and if they win, you will be satisfied ? You will obviously lose a lot.”

“At least the Smolensk people speak the same language as us, and they all believe in flames. You say that the Rus people are killing people everywhere, so they will definitely attack Smolensk, and then the territory of other Krivich people. I… I want you to take me to Smolensk.”

“Are you ordering me?” Harold laughed.

“No. It’s a request.”

“That’s asking me? It doesn’t matter, what kind of reward will you pay for having nothing?” Harold shrugged. The young man in front of him does have nothing, but he has personal value.

He went on: “I’m fair. You give us a lot of women, and brothers have a good time, and they’ll turn into a lot of silver. If you were an ordinary person, I wouldn’t hesitate to sell you. But you are Nobleman. Well, if you succeed in restoring power, give me… just a pound of gold. At least.”

Suddenly, Vadim saw hope.

“Don’t talk about a pound of gold, ten pounds of gold are fine!”

“That’s ten pounds! Even if you can’t take out ten pounds of gold coins, you can deliver them as equivalents such as leather.”

[Recommended, changing the source app to chase books is really easy to use, download www.huanyuanapp.com here, everyone can try it soon.

】

“That’s it, it’s a deal.”

Harold helped Vadim up himself, and asked his brother to cut some roasted rabbit meat for the unfortunate man.

The next step for this group of Viking armed businessmen from Pskov on Lake Chud in the west is to take the existing slaves to Smolensk in the south.

Harold and his group knew some customs of the southerners very well. As long as they didn’t take the initiative to offend the locals, they would be persecuted. Even as long as they did business honestly, they were actually very popular with the Krivich people from all walks of life.

In such an era of information occlusion, foreign businessmen will of course be valued.

Since Harold and his group are businessmen, the business thinking in their minds allows everyone to see business opportunities.

Vadim himself was a commodity, and if he died, the brothers made less money.

Escorting a nobleman in the north and information about the crazy killings of the Rus to Smolensk, the brothers have done business there, so hand over the terrible news and this hapless guy to the local prince, and the brothers will definitely get A bounty.

As for the ten pounds of gold that Vadim threatened, who would believe it?

He better be successful.

The twenty young women in the camp were all enslaved, and they were all compelled to have submissive intercourse with the Varyags in order not to die of starvation.

But they saw Vadim, the young prince, and they learned about the demise of Pine Needle Manor.

They originally had one thought, which was to find an opportunity to escape back to their hometown, but now their hometown and the people in their hometown are dead, and soon this lake area will be killed by the Varyagros.

They don’t know their future, and Vadim has some doubts about whether he can go to Smolensk smoothly.

He ate some meat, and his body recovered a bit, but he watched Harold, a crazy Varyag, come with a red-hot ax.

A group of people held down Vadim, who was about to be pressed on the grass, and his injured left arm was deliberately exposed.

“What are you going to do?!”

Suddenly, a ball of hemp rope was stuffed into Vadim’s mouth, and then it was so painful that he almost bit off the hemp ball, and there was a strange burnt smell in the air.

Harold was “welding” Vadim’s wound, and all the flesh and blood on the surface that had begun to rot were roasted by the red-hot ax and turned into powder.

Without anesthesia, Vadim just passed out in pain.

However, the penetrating injury to his arm has now been dealt with.

Before that was over, Harold’s men took some ash from the embers of the bonfire and sprinkled it on Vadim’s wound, wrapping it around a torn sackcloth.

When Vadim regained consciousness, he was already sitting on the longboat of the Varyags.

He stroked his waist, and realized that the sword was gone. Looking again, he found that the Rose steel sword he had seized belonged to that fellow Harold.

He has some atmosphere, but he can only admit that he is unlucky when he is so downcast.

He was sitting in the middle of the front of the ship, followed by a group of dull-looking women with their hands and feet tied up.

Both sides of the ship were full of Varyags, their round shields hung on the side of the ship, and everyone was paddling hard. Obviously, the ship was sailing on a river. Looking at the position of the sun, the ship was heading south.

This is the road to Smolensk.

[End of this Chapter]