For marching on such a strange land, both Rostislav's personal entourage and his uncles' personal soldiers were very adaptable.
They are professional soldiers. They have long been used to seeing all kinds of scenery while fighting in various places, so they will not have any worries because of the unfamiliar scenery.
The military servants were quite adaptable to all this. They walked leisurely on this land, as if the surrounding environment was still their hometown.
These military servants have gone on many expeditions with the army. After a long military career, no matter how amateur farmers are, they have become experienced and adept soldiers.
However, those businessmen were not very good. They were always worried about possible enemies. After all, this was an area full of Pecheneg horse bandits.
Even the Pecheneg herdsmen who occasionally ran by could scare them into confusion. If the soldiers and the princes hadn't behaved the same as if they were walking on their home soil, this group of people would have been in chaos.
The daily movements of the army are very regular. During the day, they advance on this land under strict control and formation, and in the evening, they set up complete camps and construct fortifications sufficient to cope with the attack. On top of these defensive facilities
Stay protected through the night.
When setting up camp in the evening, Rostislav and his second uncle Sviatoslav would lead their respective troops to patrol around the camp to check for potential ambushers.
The same is naturally true today. As the sun sets, Rostislav rides his horse through this land that gives him a gloomy feeling. The prince is wearing a long-sleeved chainmail, and behind him are groups of heavily armed soldiers.
Follow me personally.
Looking at the scenery around him that he had seen countless times in the past few days, Rostislav could not help but yawn out of boredom. The novelty always came and went quickly. Now he was really tired of seeing these scenery.
.
However, the appearance of a team made Rostislav instantly tremble, because the leader of that team was none other than his second uncle, Svyatoslav Yaroslavich.
There is no doubt that the second uncle is a heroic Russian warrior, with a tall and powerful figure and a resolute and powerful face. He has not only the martial arts of his ancestor with the same name, but also the cultural level of his grandfather. He is an extremely outstanding person.
man of.
But for this reason, Rostislav was very reluctant to see him. He and his second uncle knew some things about each other, and they also knew that sooner or later they would be on the road to hostility.
But now, both sides still have to compromise.
Behind the second uncle was the heavy armored cavalry team under his command. Those cavalrymen were obviously very skilled in riding, and from the movements of the horses, it was obvious that they were a group of people who were proficient in cavalry warfare.
Rostislav controlled his expression and nodded to his second uncle, who also responded in kind.
However, neither party said a word after that, and the atmosphere seemed quite awkward.
A lot of thoughts were coming to both of their minds at the moment, but they both kept their mouths shut.
The entourage all noticed something was wrong in the atmosphere, but no one said a word. The prince's affairs were not something they should interfere with.
They are just swords in the hands of princes. Swords do not need to have the ability to think, they only need to have the ability to perform tasks.
As they moved forward, the Ross camp soon appeared in front of them. Since they had just climbed over the low hillside, they could clearly see the entire camp from their current position.
At this time, the sun was about to set, and darkness was coming. Countless flames had been lit in the camp, and the perimeter of the camp was covered with sharp wooden stakes.
These wooden piles were made by the Russians after they came to this land. After setting up camp, they can be pulled up, transported away and reused.
Although the protection fee has been paid, the necessary vigilance must still be maintained. After all, who knows whether those Pechenegs will break their promise, and how many people dare to believe in the credibility of the nomads.
Behind the pointed wooden stakes were horse-drawn carriages filled with supplies, forming a large protective wall.
These carriages were also equipped with arrow-proof baffles, and archers were always guarding the backs. This was Rostislav's opinion.
The enemies they are most likely to encounter on this trip to Wallachia are the Pecheneg nomads, and the people in the felt tent are well known for their proficiency in bows and arrows. Shooting around the camp is a basic skill, so
Naturally, you have to be prepared for arrows.
Behind this are the livestock that have been driven together and the neatly organized camp. The rows of tents are neatly arranged, which is a feast for the eyes.
The best of Rose are gathered here, and it is not difficult to maintain strict discipline.
Those businessmen were also controlled, and they naturally cooperated fully with the prince's control. After all, they were now guarding others' honors, so they naturally had to obey their orders.
As Rostislav's team gradually approached the camp, the sun became lower and lower.
Finally, the sun set directly. Fortunately, Rostislav's subordinates did not suffer from night blindness. They were princes and princes who ate wine and meat every day. How could they have insufficient nutritional intake?
The moon in the sky is so big and round, how could they not see it? And because the firelight in the camp also provided them with guidance.
The closer he got to the camp, the more Rostislav became more relaxed. The tense inspection was finally over and he could have a good rest when he returned.
"Sir, look over there quickly."
Just when Rostislav was thinking about how comfortable it was to sleep on his camp bed covered with soft furs, Vasily's voice suddenly reached his ears.
The voice was full of anxiety, which made Rostislav immediately look in the direction.
Then he saw torches appearing on the hillside he had walked on before, first one, then two, three, four...
In the end, it even grew to thousands, and seeing this scene, no matter how dull people are, they will understand what this means.
So many people were sent out in the middle of the night, it could only be for that matter.
"Enemy attack!"
After reacting, Rostislav roared. He had clearly seen the figures under the torches. They were nomads wrapped in furs, and the identities of these enemies were self-evident.
Svyatoslav also noticed the enemy's appearance. His panic lasted only for a moment, and then he also yelled to inform him of the enemy's attack.
"The Pechenegs betrayed us!"
Rostislav ordered his men to speed up, and Sviatoslav also ordered his men to speed up. They were not far from the camp, and they could reach the camp in a little sprint.
Now that the enemy situation is unclear, it is safest to return to the camp, where there are so many complete fortifications.
The Pechenegs just looked at the Russian cavalry as they sped away. They knew they couldn't catch up with the Russians, so instead of chasing them they might as well maintain their power and prepare for the next battle.
Seeing the two princes leading their troops, the soldiers on duty in the camp did not panic at all. They were all people who had been tested in battles. They consciously moved the gate and allowed the princes' team to enter.
Then they sealed the door as quickly as possible, and the whole process was smooth and smooth. This is a style developed in countless battles.
The panic of the military servants only lasted for a moment, and then they started working under the shouts of the captain or soldiers around them, and piled various supplies onto the carriage.
As the work got on track, the panic completely disappeared. After all, they were already eating this, they just needed time to adapt.
As for those businessmen, it was very bad. They were confused and panicked.
However, the princes of Rus had anticipated that these guys would get in trouble, and had already arranged for personal troops to rectify these guys.
And then, without the prince shouting, more soldiers climbed out of the tent. These soldiers even slept in armor and held weapons in their hands, just to prepare for the enemies they might encounter.
The soldiers holding bows and arrows consciously climbed up to their respective posts, while those who did not know how to use bows and arrows lined up in order and raised their shields, preparing to meet the enemy's shooting and impact.
After Rostislav and Sviatoslav's subordinates placed their horses, they naturally got off their horses and joined their ranks. Then the uncle and the third uncle also came out wearing armor and joined their brothers.
Nephews stand together.
The Pecheneg cavalry who came through the night did not have any gorgeous equipment. Almost no one wore armor, and most of them wrapped their bodies in furs. Most of the people who made up this army were settled with Rostislav in Northeastern Rus.
There is no difference between ordinary herders.
The most valuable parts of their bodies are the compound bows in their hands and the various weapons on their saddles, and their mounts are also very ordinary, making them typical nomadic cannon fodder.
There were also some nomads carrying javelins, but even in the dim light, Rostislav could see that they were just crudely made goods, but such goods could also kill people.
Only a few nobles rode fine horses, held shining scimitars, and wore armor, but the armor was very messy.
Rostislav saw at least several styles, and even styles from a hundred years ago, but in this era, weapons from a hundred years ago did not affect killing.
This group of people was very undisciplined, and the entire formation was extremely disorganized. Even the Polotsk people's formation was much stronger than this.
There is no doubt that this is a ragtag group with mixed strength in all aspects. This is why these cavalry did not forcefully charge into the formation. They do not have the ability and cannot do it.
However, Rostislav noticed that there were still a large number of torches on the hillside. Many cavalry were standing there, and there was no lack of armor shining under the firelight. It seemed that the elite force of the Pechenegs was waiting here to watch what happened.
These cavalrymen stopped in front of the formation for more than ten seconds. In this strange peace, they quickly spread out and semi-surrounded the Russians, and even shouted a few curses in the language of the barbarians.
The Russians did not attack because the enemy's situation was unknown, but chose to stick to the camp. They could only endure the enemy's provocation. Provocation was part of the nomads' tactics.
After confirming that the Russians did not dare to leave the car barrier, they immediately showed their weapons. The merchants who had finally been stabilized exclaimed and were immediately covered by another burst of sound. Countless arrows dropped from the sky and pierced the wood, the ground, and the tents.
, the different sounds in armor and flesh.
In just a few minutes, the Pechenegs fired arrows and threw javelins at the camp from all directions. Thousands of bows, arrows, and javelins fell into the camp like raindrops. Everyone seemed to be bathed in arrows.
In the rain and javelins.
This scene made the archers who were waiting for a counterattack have to hide their heads behind baffles or shields. The firepower was too dense, and if they exposed their bodies rashly, they would be shot into a sieve. Even if they were wearing armor, they didn't want to do this.
However, the casualties caused by these arrows were not very large. After all, the soldiers and servants were huddled behind their shields, and they all wore armor.
Those businessmen died the most. Faced with the overwhelming variety of projectiles, they began to run wildly in fear, and then were shot down one after another. Nomads liked fools running around like this best, and shooting them down was also the easiest way.
Create panic.
It's just that most of the people present are people who are skilled in battle formations, so how could they be frightened by this scene.
But the next behavior of the Pechenegs slightly increased the trouble, that is, they ignited the arrows and released rockets.
The flaming arrows are naturally more obvious and more deterrent than those invisible throws in the dark, and they can also set the tent on fire to create more chaos.
It's a pity that what they encountered was the best of all Russia. Under the shouts and orders of their superiors, the soldiers worked desperately to extinguish every possible source of fire. The flames could not burn at all, and the casualties could not make these people who had experienced
Many battle-tested warriors flinched.
As for those small fires, they had no effect, but rather illuminated the battlefield.
The casualties of the Russians were not large, obviously not as good as the Pechenegs expected. They shouted in annoyance, and their rockets were basically used up, but then they began to throw arrows harder, shooting more arrows.
arrows shot into the camp.
Like most nomads, these Pechenegs are skilled with bows and horses and can effortlessly shoot bows and arrows from their mounts, but this is where most horse archers stop.
Their tactics do not pursue precise shooting, but shoot their bows and arrows at extremely fast speeds, trying to shoot the arrows into the camp in front of them as much as possible. This is obviously a tactic developed during the battles between these nomads.
However, the Russians would not just sit there and be beaten. Following Izyaslav's orders, the personal archers stood up and shot without hesitation.
With a twitch of bow strings, a group of Pechenegs fell down unexpectedly. Facing the long bows and crossbows in the hands of the Ross soldiers, the protection of the furs had no meaning.
In addition to the archers, there is also a group of crossbowmen who are outputting. These are Rostislav's subordinates. He brought these soldiers as military servants. The crossbows in their hands can shoot through the armor without any obstruction.
.
The most important thing is that both the archers and the crossbowmen are all wearing iron armor and wearing iron helmets. It is difficult for the nomads' arrows to penetrate the iron armor. Many of them continue to fight vigorously with dozens of arrows hanging on their bodies.
The Pechenegs were shot down one by one by the archers. They fell like wheat. Some people and horses were shot to death. The whole people fell down together with their horses, and then they were trampled to death by their comrades.
Or on the contrary, the war horse is also made to stand on its back.
Under such circumstances, the Pechenegs were shaken. They had not encountered such a counterattack for a long time.
Even when they plundered Hungary or the Eastern Empire, they entered and exited quickly, without encountering any fighting at all. Furthermore, their plundering was small in scale, and the plundered did not organize large armies to resist.
"Damn, this group of people is too hard to chew. Tatus, I shouldn't believe your lies and get involved in this mess."
On the hillside where the Pecheneg people poured out, the Pecheneg chiefs who led the attack looked at the increasingly unfavorable battle situation, and their complaints became more intense.
They were not complaining because of the death of their tribesmen, but only because of the loss of property - in the eyes of these chiefs, their tribesmen were all their property.
The object they were besieging was really too strong. The nomadic riders whose numbers were far greater than theirs were of no use to the team below. Instead, they were like fish in the face of the enemy's powerful bows and crossbows.
They fell down, and there was nothing they could do against those shooters.
"We shouldn't do this. Those people have already paid the toll, so we should let them pass. The Wallachians simply didn't come to participate in this attack. This has a great impact on our reputation and loses credibility in future business."
How else to do it?”
An old man wearing a typical herdsman's peaked hat said. His expression was full of dissatisfaction with the attack on the Rus' people. He opposed it from the beginning. Is the head of the Prince of Rus' so easy to get?
And as an old man, he is very clear about the fighting capabilities of the Pechenegs today, and he knows that attacking the Rus will not be a favor.
But those juniors who were possessed by greed didn't care so much and insisted on launching an attack, so he had no choice but to accompany these people to risk their lives.
"Tsk, Tatus, we came here to take the heads of those Russians, you said now..."
"Yes, Tatus, these enemies are too strong. We really can't defeat them. Just don't let the boys die anymore..."
"We'd better retreat, we can't get over this situation..."
The old man seemed to be very authoritative among these people. Following his words, others began to waver. The Russians in the camp looked too strong, and they were completely disappointed.
Therefore, the Pecheneg tribes came here to make money and do business, not to fight with others. Another reason was the power of the person in front of them.
Standing on horseback in front of the Pecheneg chiefs was Tatus. At a glance, we could see a young man who was no more than thirty years old.
He was wearing a robe fully embroidered with patterns, a pointed leather hat on his head, the hat was decorated with gold and silver chains, and he had a luxurious silver-inlaid scimitar at his waist.
Tatus is the most powerful Pecheneg ruler in the land of Wallachia, but his power is a big problem for the surrounding rulers. After all, he makes other chiefs bow their heads.
It's just that the mobilization of so many chiefs was the result of him spending all the favors he had.
However, no matter how much he coerced and induced, the Wallachians did not join the attack. The reason was very simple, they were unwilling to break the rules.
They believed that attacking that heavily armored team would be unjust, and the most important thing was that the nomads facing the Wallachians were no longer as cowardly as they used to be. They had the courage and confidence to reject Pecheneg.
people.
Tatus listened to the weak words of the chiefs in his ears, and his expression became more and more ugly. These guys wanted to eat meat, but they didn't even dare to take any risks. However, after losing some cannon fodder herdsmen, they became so weak.
How can one obtain such a fruitful result as taking off the head of Archduke Ross without paying the price?
If they hadn't been so cowardly and incompetent in the past few decades, how could the power of the Pechenegs continue to shrink.
This group of people are full of motivation when fighting among themselves, but shrink back when doing things for the entire group. They are the leaders of the Pecheneg tribes, but they are so selfish and narrow-minded.
If it weren't for their internal fighting, how could the situation have developed to the point where even the Wallachians dared to say no to them, and the entire Pecheneg group was constantly deteriorating in these low-intensity, even village-scale battles.
, the current reputation is still supported by the prestige of decades ago.
And this battle is the most important to him, because if he takes off the head of the Grand Duke of Ross, then his dream can be fulfilled and all the tribes can be unified.
His dream is very simple, that is to become the Khan of the Pechenegs, leading this nation to once again become a cavalry that spreads fear in all directions and restore its past glory.
They obviously still have a large number of elites on hand, but these guys are unwilling to join the battlefield. Damn it, they can just gather a large number of troops and rush into a wave. As long as they pry open the turtle shell of the Russians, everything will be easy to catch.
The person who wanted to be the Khan cursed in his heart, he really hates it. He has prepared for so long for today, summoned these people and almost spent all his favors and gave so many gifts, only for these guys to treat him like this.
he?
Tatus's anger was actually visible to everyone present, but they all chose to play dumb.
His gifts and favors were not enough to get this group of people to fight for him, and some people just sneaked away, planning to leave with their troops and horses, far away from this place.
Really, who would use the elite of the tribe to live and work as cannon fodder for this guy? Do you think that if you defeat them in a powerful battle, you can let them die? Who does this guy think he is?
There are also people who are insulting Tatus in their hearts. Damn it, they don’t even look at how much they weigh and still want to be a khan. It’s really ridiculous.
What's critical for Tatus is that he now needs the combat power of these chiefs. If they are unwilling to put their elites into the battlefield, then there is nothing he can do to the following Rus.
Tatus felt that everything collapsed, everything was not good, everything was not going according to plan, and the Ross people were unexpectedly strong.
However, his subordinates and the friends he summoned were unexpectedly weak, and the impact of all this was too great for him to accept.
And just when Tatus was thinking about what to do next like an ant on a hot pot, he suddenly saw a scene that surprised him.
The Russians actually took the initiative to open the gate that was blocked by them, and then groups of heavily armed Russian cavalry ran out from inside and rushed towards the nomadic cavalry who were shooting arrows.
And looking at the flags and armor, it turned out that two Ross princes rushed out on their own initiative.
"Everyone, the opportunity is right in front of you, are you going to miss it? Those are the two princes of Rus. Whether they are captured or killed, they can bring glory and money!"
Seeing this scene, Tatus felt that it was the immortal God who really favored him. The Russians actually took the initiative to attack, and looking at this, they still planned to challenge them in a riding battle. Isn't this a gift to him?
Tatus's words made everyone who had just wanted to run away immediately become excited. Just as Tatus said, this is an opportunity. If the heads of the two Ross princes can be taken off, the future will be great!
Gradually, one chief after another joined Tatus, indicating that they were willing to join the attack, and with the leadership of these people, others immediately followed.
However, there are still some people who are determined not to participate, such as the old chief who always said that the attack was not good. Now he looked at those people and sighed, it is true that good words cannot persuade the ghosts who are looking for death.
So he quietly left with the chiefs who were willing to follow him. He was not that optimistic. He knew that these people would not end well, and he planned to run away with them when he returned to the tribe. His intuition told him that the Russians would not give up.