While something was happening in the wilderness of Suzdal, on the other side, the Bulgar army had arrived at the Volga River.
If you want to go to Kashen, you must cross the upper reaches of the Volga River. This is the last difficulty for the Bulgar army to go to Kashen. There must be a blockade by the Russian army here.
Naturally, Rostislav also set up defenses here. Although he has made the decision to abandon Kashin, if he gives up so simply, there is no chance that the enemy will take the bait.
Therefore, we still have to give them a small victory, and then give them a sharp blow.
And now, it’s the small victory part.
In mid-September, 1054, there was a village on the Volga River. This village was usually very prosperous because it was located at a ferry. It is said that "Saint" Vladimir crossed the river here when he conquered Bulgar. No one knows whether this is true or not.
, everyone just talks about it while drinking.
But now the village is quite depressed, and the war has stopped the business travelers who usually pass this road.
But now the village is quite lively and crowded with soldiers. There is now a 500-strong Rus army here, which is composed of the prince's North mercenaries and farmers recruited from nearby village communities.
Originally, they planned to build a large number of fortifications at this ferry to better defend the sandbars and shoals in front of them, but war never waits for anyone, and it will always come at an unexpected time.
The loud blast from the trumpet signals the start of war.
"The war is on!
"The Bulgars are crossing the Volga!"
"Quick! Get armed."
The loud sound of the horn was like a roar, making the whole camp boil. The few cavalrymen jumped on their breathless horses and went to convey the news of the attack. The Russian infantry buckled their sword belts as they ran and picked up the
Spear.
"Bring me my armor."
Thorgil, who was in charge of the army, said that his subordinates helped him change into armor. Thorgil put on a double-ring chainmail. This weaving method of chainmail is stronger and more reliable.
On the river bank, archers were shooting continuously at the enemy troops crossing the river, and relied on the favorable terrain to effectively avoid possible enemy arrows. The arrows fell into the water from time to time, causing splashes of water.
The Ross and North infantry stood ready behind the crude fortifications with swords and axes in hand, forming a solid shield wall as usual, waiting for the enemy's arrival.
Every soldier knew that the Bulgar army on the opposite side was far outnumbered by them, but the big river and the favorable location allowed them to overcome the fear in their hearts and stand in front of the enemy with their shields raised.
The trumpet played, and the exotic Bulgar cavalry took heavy steps. There were also many horse archers from the grassland mixed in the queue. They had already stepped onto the sandbank, and they only had to cross the shoal in front of them to reach the other shore. The war horses splashed
Flying water splashes.
Behind them are a large number of Bulgar and Ugric (Finno-Ugric) infantry, and even behind them are a large number of civilian archers.
"Odin, this is too much."
Thorgil muttered that the number of his army could not be compared with that on the other side. Fighting against such a huge army would be like hitting an egg with a stone. He did not want to go to Valhalla so early.
Fortunately, his mission was nothing more than a delay. If the situation was not right, he could lead his men away and flee. The Prince of Moscow did not expect them to achieve any purpose at all. Delaying the enemy was the greatest help.
"Soldiers, hold still."
Thinking of this, Thorgil used his proud loud voice to calm the soldiers' emotions. To complete the mission, these soldiers must be stabilized first.
Opposite the Rus', the Bulgars charged. The prophet's knights raised their painted shields and trotted to the fortifications. They easily jumped over the scattered sharpened stakes and rushed to the tight front of the infantry.
Bulgar's heavy cavalry relied on their thick armor and approached the defenders' front line without scruples, slashing and killing them without restraint. However, the spears and swords of the military formation could hardly cause any harm to these armored monsters.
The horse archers mixed in with the heavy cavalry also took this opportunity to fire arrows into the Ross army formation. At this distance, every pull of the bowstring would kill a human life.
However, from time to time, you can still see cavalry being hooked off their horses by the long Dan ax protruding from the shield wall, hooked into the shield wall, and then being wildly greeted with swords and daggers.
Ross's archers fired arrows at the cavalry at close range. At such a distance, they could always cause damage to an undefended part of the enemy's body. There were also harpooners who smashed their spears into the Bulgars and were thrown.
Even if he is wearing heavy armor, he will lose half his life if hit.
With their help, the offensive of the heavy armored cavalry was once contained. However, as the Bulgar archers arrived and started shooting, the Russian archers were quickly suppressed and could not raise their heads, while the javelin men's spears soon disappeared.
Already.
Then a large number of enemy infantry also entered the battlefield, making the fighting more intense. Swords, axes and spears kept coming and going, and the sounds of metal and iron clashing were mixed with the sounds of war cries and wails.
As the battle progressed, Thorgil's disadvantage of insufficient troops gradually came to light. Unlike the enemy who would be replaced by three men immediately after he fell, on his side there was one less dead man.
In such a war of attrition, the defenders found that their strength was getting smaller and smaller, the enemies were fighting more and more, and their morale was getting lower and lower.
"Damn, it looks like..."
Of course Thorgier was aware of the deterioration of the war situation, and he still had reserve troops on hand. He was training Riga's elite and his main force.
But, why would he put this force into battle? Without this force, his dominance in Riga would be overturned in minutes, and his employment period is about to expire, so he will sacrifice it for a prince who may not renew his contract.
It's really not worth it to go to the elite.
Thorgil quietly made a gesture to the men next to him, and the men immediately understood it. The meaning of the gesture was very simple, and they were ready to run away.
Anyway, the prince also said that he would not blame the failure, so in that case, he should run away as soon as possible with his strength.
And there is no psychological burden for escaping Thorgil. He is not a fanatical believer who wants to go to Valhalla. His days are still long, and it is not time to go to the Hall of Valor yet.
As for those abandoned sons and soldiers, these farmers who were recruited at will and cannon fodder pulled from the streets, what do they have to do with him after they die?
Thorgil's men moved very quickly, and soon they fled into the dense forest. The whole process was very concealed, so that the fighting soldiers did not notice it, and even a few Norsemen who were behind were left behind to show off.
But the illusion they maintained only existed for five minutes. When the soldiers on the front line discovered that the generals and elites at the rear had disappeared, their morale immediately collapsed and they immediately collapsed, and the shield wall collapsed in an instant.
The Bulgars immediately began to pursue them. The nomadic light cavalry slashed in the sea of broken troops, cutting down the Russians or Norsemen one after another. Some soldiers grabbed the ground with their fingers, trying to escape from this terrifying battlefield, but
The final outcome is to have their heads cut off.
In this scene of defeat, Rostislav's battle flag of St. George Slaying the Dragon smashed to the ground with the death of the flag bearer, and was trampled by pairs of steel military boots, becoming extremely dirty.
And flying above it is the fire-breathing Bulgar dragon.