Chapter 873： Carlotta, Duchess of Ostara and the Pecheneg Khanate too…

There was a lot of delay along the way, and it was already November when Kagan's cavalry arrived on the southern frontier of Ross.

They walked in the vast world and carried their weight in the cold.

The butter and cheese in the barrels were frozen as hard as stone, and the water in the soldiers' stomach sacks became a lump of ice. The recurve bows to be sold are all unloaded, and the bows are curled up and wrapped in a large mass of wool to resist the ravages of the extreme cold.

The Pecheneg-Kiev Armed Merchant Group wasted a lot of time during the sneak attack on the Smolensk village. Today, the heavy snowfall and the temperature are extremely low. The bone-chilling cold makes these children of the steppe terrified.

The winter in the grasslands is also very cold, but not as cold as in the north.

Of course, Kagan had already taken a countermeasure against this. His subordinates changed into leather coats deliberately, and also wrapped wool felts on the key parts of the horses. Thanks to the exaggerated winter manes of these Turkic horses, and the plundering of a batch of oats to feed the horses in the middle, the road to the north can be hard against the horse team.

But among those slaves bound by ropes, 20 out of 100 were frozen to death!

Every slave could be sold for a pound of silver, so he was frozen to death, and Kagan was heartbroken. What else can be done? The remaining 80 people can still buy a lot of money.

The horses did come too late, and the only advantage was that they could use the frozen Lovady River as a passage. The cavalry's mounts are all replaced by carbon steel horseshoes here. There are deliberately created grooves under the horseshoes. It has good grip and is most suitable for activities in ice and snow areas.

The collapse of the horse's hoofs caused a large amount of ice debris and also caused a lot of noise.

They were a mighty force, and as the cavalry could already see the gray-white wooden walls of New Roseburg eroded by the wind and snow, a Ross flag was suddenly erected.

Kagan used this to show his identity as an ally, but before he set up his flag, people who were hunting in the forest had already noticed this horse team.

On their last night of camping in the riverside snow, the location was exposed by a lot of fire.

The Ostaran mink hunters noticed this and hurried back to Duchess Carlotta.

At this time, all the Gran people have completed their immigration, and the current situation is not suitable for building settlements. It just so happens that there are a number of wooden sheds that act as warehouses in the city of New Ostara, or even spare stables. The Duke of Gran Swar Although Gard felt that living in a stable was really bad, he was forced to settle the people in this way.

The population of the city has suddenly increased, and since the two tribes have lived side by side since ancient times, it is quite harmonious to meet again now.

The sudden report of the hunters seriously interfered with the winter construction of the Ostara-grand, and the sudden appearance of a large number of fires is alarming.

The matter was thrown to Carlotta, and she had to make a decision after returning and not having many days.

The hunter half-kneeled in front of him and made a report, but he didn't make it clear.

"A lot of bonfires, can't it be those Pecheneg friends? It's been two days in December, and they're here at this time? I'm very worried."

Svalgard doesn't know anything about Pecheneg, and he is a general who is just like a general. If there is a war, he will follow Carlota's command. Recently, Assault learned to ride a horse (it's just a galloping horse, although he often fell into snowdrifts during his learning period), and now he is eager to try it.

"You can't make up your mind, saying it can't be an enemy attack. As you said, this is the southern border of Ross, and there are still enemies in the south."

"There are enemies, but Pecheneg and Kiev are both old businessmen." Carlotta rubbed his hairless chin into contemplation.

"Actually, this problem is very simple. You can order the army to prepare in advance. We are ready whether it is an enemy or a friend. We are united now. There are hundreds of people who can afford weapons. The enemy from the south is attacking. Don't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid of the enemy really coming." Carlotta settled his thoughts, "Then prepare for battle."

The cavalry of Rus was stationed in sub-regions, the main force was stationed in Novgorod, the second largest city, and the secondary force was in the city of New Ostara, the southernmost of Lake Ilmen. The main cavalry is still undergoing training, and although there are only a hundred cavalry left in the southern border, half of them are veterans.

The cavalry wore polar bear leather jackets, with polar bear skins on their helmets, a lot of blue stripes, and geese flying feathers on the top.

The cavalry stationed were all standing troops, and their salaries and fodder for their mounts were provided by the king in principle. However, due to the particularity of the garrison, some of the supplies were supplied by the Ostarans.

The Ostarans and Grans, who were better than herdsmen, turned into horse herders, and a new batch of foals had grown up to be able to ride, and the two tribes were not far from turning into cavalry. It's just that these Vikings who assault horses are not as gorgeously dressed as the country's standing cavalry.

The cavalry warriors who are busy raising horses are on standby at any time, and all available horses are in a state of war.

Carlotta found that this was an opportunity. He estimated that the visitor was a late friend, but if it was a Smolensk person, he was not unprepared. She saw her rally as a military exercise, and the speed with which people moved was heartwarming.

The regular cavalry and those who could ride horses made up the number, and an army of more than 300 cavalrymen assembled impressively.

The soldiers guarding the city wall were staring at the frozen river, watching the specially set up roadblocks on the river—the felled red pine.

As for Kagan, he never imagined that he would encounter obstacles on his final road. The city of Ostara was in front of him, but his horse team stopped at the roadblock?

"What's going on? Did the Ross people misunderstand us?" Sackey muttered vigilantly.

Kagan, who was wearing sunglasses, gritted his teeth, "Maybe it's the woman's private behavior."

"How can you see it?"

"Who knows? At least my Rurik brothers don't play such tricks."

At this point, the misunderstanding is completely resolved, and just by looking at the faces of the visitors, you can tell that they are Pecheneg people. The people at the hand-barrier went to the culture, and immediately pulled the rope to pull all the pine trees blocking the road away.

At the same time, the gates of the confinement were opened, and a group of cavalrymen filed out. This scene really surprised the dusty horse team.

There was only one short man without a hat, with golden hair and a ponytail flowing in the wind.

"Sure enough, it's you, Ostara Khan." Kagan muttered to himself.

His words were indeed heard by the startled Bejahir: "Brother? Did you just say khan? What khan?"

"It's Ostara Khan. A woman. You'll see it soon."

It is not uncommon for a woman to be a tribal leader on the grasslands, especially when the khan died suddenly and has no brothers, and the khan's son is young. At this time, the khan's wife or concubine will be elected as the female leader, which can be called khan. .

Kagan and his sister spoke Turkic languages, and also used the custom of their own people to call the duchess Carlota Khan.

In terms of age, Carlotta is over twenty years old, and as a standard Viking woman, her body is at its peak. She is a female warrior and a duchess. Although she has chronic ailments on her legs, she can see nothing wrong with this ride.

She led all the cavalry towards Kagan in a forceful fight, forcing all the steppe cavalry to subconsciously clench the hilt of the sword, and even the spear tilted forward.

She hurriedly closed her hand again, and ordered the cavalry to line up. The regular cavalry in gorgeous clothes lined up in a row, almost filling the frozen Lovati River.

Carlotta was pacing in front of the battle clutching the reins, and she could see Kagan's face at a glance, even though the prairie man was still wearing sunglasses.

She rode on her horse, met in person with the horse team that came from afar, and settled directly in front of Kagan.

Before Kagan could speak, she spoke first: "I thought it was a stupid sneak attack from the Smolensk people, but I didn't expect it to be you. Brother Kagan, you are too late."

With the right words to say, Kagan took off his sunglasses, first deterred him with sharp eyes, and then joked: "Indeed, we are late, but we are still here. Do you know the reason why we are late?"

"Of course, the road is too long, and this world is covered in snow. It must be a blessing from the gods that you can reach Ross safely."

"No need to be polite. To tell you the truth, the Smolensk you Ross is worried about is not strong. We attacked them in the middle and caught a lot of slaves." Saying that, Kagan twisted his neck back: "We caught it or not. Girl. How? Sister Carlotta, we can make a deal."

"Hey? You call me my sister?"

"What's wrong? Rurik and I are brothers, and you are one of her wives, so we are also relatives. You are the khan of Ostara, I am the khan of Pecheneg, and we are equally noble, Business should be done well."

Kagan's so-so set almost made Carlotta want to laugh, but he didn't mean to lift up Carlotta, who was actually still short of people, because his horse team was carrying a group of dying prisoners, and now it can be considered as finding Of course, the first vest must be released quickly, so as not to freeze to death and lose money, and even have this opportunity to quickly get rid of it at a low price to make money.

When it was, a short girl came up with the reins. She is Bejahir, who has been baptized by blood and finally became a female warrior. When she saw her elder brother talking to other beautiful women, she couldn't help but feel a little weird in her heart.

Carlotta looked directly at these prairie girls, and the two women seemed to be in a dialogue.

"Oh, let me introduce you, this is my sister Beja Hill."

That's all, Kagan introduced Carlota's noble identity in Turkic language.

"She? A female khan?"

"At least on the same level as Roth Khan. Also a wife of Roth Khan."

The blonde woman has dual identities. Obviously, after she married Ross Khan Rurik, the woman in front of her became her sister. Bejahir ignorantly tried to explain his identity in Turkic language, but unfortunately, Carlota did not understand it at all.

Carlotta looked at Kagan: "She is your sister? A very nice girl. You are still too late, it is very cold now, all follow me into the city. You can rest in my castle."

The only advantage of being a city in southern Xinjiang is that it can be the first to contact merchants from the south. Carlotta saw clearly the size of this year's Pecheneg-Kiev consortium, which was smaller than last year's.

Although the trade group is small, the goods on it are too tempting.

woman! Plenty of women!

Although Carlotta was also a woman, she treated these female captives as a strategic resource to expand Ostara-Gran's power.

The female prisoners who were shivering from the cold were all "rescued", their ropes were replaced by metal shackles, they were all stuffed into a warm stable, and thrown into the thatched pile like horses.

The female prisoners, regardless of their age, were rewarded with hot wheat porridge, and they didn't care if they were tossed and damaged. Seeing the thick oatmeal porridge boiled, they all gave themselves a chance to have a full meal. Round belly. They were also given leather blankets. Although they had shackles and iron rings on their bodies, they couldn't escape. They were able to wrap themselves in blankets to eat, drink, and sleep soundly, but it was a rare enjoyment these days.

They still don't know their fate.

Those Pechenegs and Kievs who finally ended their long expedition and entered the city of Rus, settled in the frontier city and received "good hospitality" from their local masters.

Because they are also a resource, so-called bypassing Kagan and making small transactions directly with these Pechenegs.

Carlotta provided the armed merchants with hot meals and warm shelter, as well as hay and oats for the horses. Of course, these materials are not free. Kagan and his party need the coins or materials to exchange.

However, for the Kagan brothers and sisters and the old acquaintance Ma Ke Sakyi, they are simply entertaining guests.

The wooden attic was warmed by the fireplace, where Duchess Carlotta prepared a surprise banquet.

They ate barbecued meat and drank beer. Although Carlota was a woman, this time, she was no less than a heroic hero.

She was slightly drunk and talked casually: "I have good news to tell you that Rurik is no longer a duke. He was first the king of Ross and the king of Sweden."

The concept of "Sweden" sounded unfamiliar to Kagan, but he was not completely unfamiliar. "I know, it's the hometown of you Rus people."

"Yes, we are also from Ostara. And..." She pointed to Svalgard, Duke of Gran, who was a transparent person even though she was present: "He is Duke of Gran, and now he is a servant of Rurik. . The west is our homeland."

Kagan rolled his eyes and glanced at it, not feeling what the so-called Duke of Grand was. He knew very well about Carlota's poor past, and now that she has become a female leader, he has to admire it. This reminded him of his younger sister, Bejahir, who was obviously still too far away from Carlotta.

Taking advantage of the fact that everyone is in a good mood now, Kagan finally introduced the major events that came this year other than normal business and trade.

He helped Carlotta to recall the past a year ago, something that the nobles of Rus knew.

"My sister will marry Rurik. She is my biological sister and the youngest sister, the little daughter who is favored by my father. This marriage is supported by all our nobles in Pecheneg. I hope..."

Carlotta smiled: "Do you want me to do something for you?"

"There is one." Kagan was so daring through the wine that he burst into tears: "We still have to leave, my sister is alone in Rose. I know, you are Rurik's wife, Also her sister. I just want you to think of my sister as your sister. She worships warriors, especially female warriors like you. She wants to be cavalry, just like you…”

"That's it? Why are you crying?" Carlotta felt that Kagan's performance was too funny, so he had to smile: "I thought so, there is no problem. You should know very well that Rurik is now the king, and his There are seventeen wives and concubines, and your sister is eighteen. It is unrealistic for eighteen women to share a man's favor, but I can be her sister. Just..." Carlotta stared straight at Bayahir, "I want to hear what she has to say."

Bejahir didn't understand Norse and knew nothing about Slavic, but he just learned a little Slavic vocabulary by surprise.

After listening to her elder brother's translation, she stumbled out a phrase, emphasizing a word "Valkyrie".

"Are you Valkyrie?"

Carlotta laughed after he understood the translation, but Ross only has the soul of the old priest Veria upgraded to the new Valkyrie to be worshipped by the people. What qualifications does he have to overstep? She did understand the meaning of Bejahir's words. The heroines who co-authored the North are considered Valkyrie. This understanding is funny and cute.

Looking at Bejahir again, her face is reminiscent of the current high priest Rumia, and she is also a woman with a flat face and black hair. It is this fat face that is more harmonious and comfortable. Bejahir is not too young, her stature is much shorter than that of Viking women, and her face has a strong sense of immaturity. She is like a child, but she is clearly not a child.

My own sister Ella is not by my side, and I will spend less time together in the future. If I have a little sister by my side, life will be fun. On the other hand, it is because the strength of the Ostara people is animal husbandry, which is exactly the same as the economic model of the Pecheneg people. People who have the same production and lifestyle have affinity with each other.

Kagan praised herself, Carlotta really floated, she promised to treat Carlotta kindly, and further claimed: "In Ross, only wives and concubines who have given birth to sons can get real status. I am a traditional nobleman and don't have to stick to this, But I still have a son, and no one can question my noble identity. Bejasil must give birth to a son to Rurik as soon as possible, so that he can have a weight in the huge kingdom of Rus, and it is possible to seal a territory in the future."

Although Carlotta said it after drinking, her statement is a kind of truth.

Kagan is not a drunkard, and when he heard the last sentence, all the hairs on his body stood up. Although the sister married to Ross is considered a Rossian, the children born are half of Pecheneg's blood. If a Rus nobleman in the north was of such blood, he should have a close relationship with his southern cousin. In the final analysis, this is a political marriage. My sister's personal happiness is nothing to the interests of the Pecheneg Khanate. What she has to do is to have children of mixed blood and consolidate the relationship between the two countries.

If Duchess Carlotta can do her sister's responsibility well, her sister will be happy in the future too!

Kagan is approximating this time, and Sakyi is also approximating. They hold Carlotta very high, so according to the original roadbed, Carlotta can also approximate in reverse.

Carlotta banged on the table to attract the slightly drunk Kagan's attention: "I like the female slaves you sent. Rurik is now in New Roseburg, you know, if you go to him directly, you have to go through the promise. Vgorod, Ladoga Town (fishing village), and then Novo Rosburg at the mouth of the Neva River. The fastest time to get there is half a month. If you don’t have enough time, you might as well stay here with me. You can rest assured that Rurik will be back after Hanukkah and will discuss some major events with you."

When Kagan heard what was a big event, she didn't say anything.

"So, you have to sell all the female slaves, which is very good! Why don't you sell them all to me, and I will exchange them for you with leather, linen, silver coins, and food. How many do you have?" Carlotta asked.

"Eighty."

"I want it all."

She promised to treat her little sister kindly in the future. This promise is worth believing. In addition, the city of Ostara provided a lot of provisions for the business groups from afar. Kagan, who cannibalistically short-sighted, did not want to owe favor. In the final analysis, the slave trade is not as good as selling good horses to make money. Kagan made a package price for all female slaves according to the payment he agreed with Rurik last year.

"Just give me fifty pounds of silver or the equivalent."

In this way, Carlotta didn't want to make a decisive deal, she was afraid that Kagan would raise the price after he woke up...

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