Rise of Rurik

The ceremony needed witnesses. After Arik woke up, he ran to his uncle's house without hesitation and picked up Rurik, who was still sleeping.

"Ouch! What are you doing, brother? It's just dawn, and I have to wait for the sun to rise before going to the hillside."

Arik shook his head: "I know about you. I will teach you fighting techniques in the future. Now I need your help."

Otto, who was still sleeping soundly on the animal skin on his side, was disturbed by the noise. He slowly started to do it. He saw his eldest nephew in a hurry, and Peravina, who was standing cautiously behind his nephew.

"Arik? Looking for your brother urgently?"

"Yes! About that ceremony, I need witnesses."

As soon as Arik mentioned it, Otto fully understood.

He quickly got up, grabbed a piece of salted venison from the clay pot and stuffed it into his mouth, while putting on a deerskin coat and wrapping a cowhide bag tightly.

He chewed hard, then swallowed, and said quickly, "Niya, after I finish the ceremony of burying the sword, you should prepare breakfast first. I'll come when I go."

This morning, all the newlyweds are doing some ceremonies, which are actually part of the wedding.

Those small families do these things with their immediate family members without the presence of a priest.

Only after the official wedding, the tribesmen will gather on the stone boat altar in a large scale.

Arik is Otto's nephew, and he took his son Rurik to participate in the ceremony of burying the sword this morning as a witness.

Otto was the leader after all, and soon, his close friends also became Arik's witnesses.

A simple and short ceremony was suddenly made into great pomp.

Just in front of Ogier's grave, Aric and his wife Peravina knelt down on one knee.

Next, Arik used a bronze shovel that reflected golden light to dig out a long pit. Finally, Peravina used both hands to open the soil and dug the wide-bladed iron sword that had been polished to a glossy finish. came out, and finally returned to Arik.

Rurik clasped his father's large rough hand, and only glanced at it, and saw a tear welling up from the corner of his wide-eyed father's eyes.

"Dad, you're crying."

"Ah! Yes." Otto tried to control his emotions, holding back his tears. "Rurik, the year you were born, your uncle died in battle. Remember, the Danes who lived on Gotland did this, and we had a grudge against them. Finally, your brother grew up , he has the right to take revenge."

Rurik's mood was a bit complicated: "We... we must go for revenge?"

"It was the Danes who provoked the war against our southern allies, and we are also part of the Thinkian Alliance. Children..." Otto subconsciously stroked his son's little face: "In the future, our allies may launch a counterattack against them. Remember , a good leader can not betray the alliance, but also show courage in the alliance on behalf of the Rus. You must remember that if cowardice is betrayal, the result of betrayal will be sanctions. Therefore, we must pay tribute to Gotland revenge."

Rurik listened silently, and at this moment he knew very well that the tribe was part of the Swedish Siyan tribe alliance. Father's words are very serious, so, as the leader, father will lead his own warriors and allies to form an allied army to fight against the Danes?

It's all inevitable! This is their way of life.

After a ceremony is over, a whole day will pass. Tomorrow night, when the clouds dissipate, the Aurora of Yingyu and the bright moon will illuminate the sky. Witnessed by the Valkyrie, the largest mass wedding of the Ross tribe in decades will be held. conduct.

The promised day has finally arrived!

As the winter sun gradually sinks into the horizon, the stars begin to dominate the sky.

The time is too early now, and there is still enough time for those new people and priests.

"Check a lot of things, get my antler helmet, let's go."

With a hoarse voice, the priest Verias,

Leaving her high priest's house on crutches, dozens of lower priests were behind her.

Those lower priests carry wooden boxes, or hold pottery altars, and even other ritual utensils.

They wore small antler helmets in their rituals, and only one priestess named Bona, whom Veria trusted most, was holding the largest pair of antler helmets.

Undoubtedly, this Bona is the successor chosen by Villa.

The priests marched solemnly, and they soon encountered a group of people carrying torches, led by the leader Otto himself.

"Great priest, look." Otto pointed at his hand: "The deer has been brought over, and we can do things at any time."

"Right now! Let's go to the altar first!"

"As ordered." Otto nodded slightly to show respect, then made a gesture, ordering his subordinates to lead the deer.

Villa suddenly asked again: "Those young couples should be there as soon as possible. When Aurora flashes, the ceremony will start immediately."

"I have ordered them to go ahead."

Hearing this, Villa let out a sigh of satisfaction. She added one more word: "Remember, they must be there. Of course they can do their own wedding ceremony at another time, but tonight's ceremony is very important to them. Valhalla will judge our actions, those Newly married couples who do not participate, they will be punished by Odin."

"I totally understand!" Otto nodded deeply, "I will seriously implement this matter."

I'm afraid, this is pure superstition, which is also their belief.

Vilia was full of awe for Odin and Valhalla. She fantasized that because of her devout work for so many years, her life would finally enter the momentum, and her reverence for Odin would eventually be recognized, then the soul after death would also be Will enter the sky, and finally cruise the night sky as a new Valkyrie, examining his beloved tribe.

It was a joyous night for the young men and the common people of the tribe.

Only the priests maintained absolute vigilance, most afraid that some omissions would blaspheme Odin.

But tonight's Roth clan fell into a sea of ​​joy.

On the snow-covered hard soil road in Roseburg, a large number of bonfires were lit, and the clansmen who sang and danced spontaneously lit torches soaked in pine oil.

They have been deliberately collecting pine oil, firstly as an adhesive and leak-proof agent for the crevices of ships, and secondly, to make torches.

The sky is full of stars, and so is Roseburg Fjord.

Those newlyweds who will attend the ceremony wear the most modest clothing of the tribe under their thick fur coats.

Tonight, Arik put on a plain linen tailored suit, and a knee-less skirt made of linen. His new wife, Peravina, was dressed even more simply, a long dress.

All newlyweds are dressed in a similar fashion. If it is summer, they will be able to cope with it. In winter, if they don't put on thick fur coats, people will quickly fall ill.

It is the ceremony that requires these, forcing the newlyweds to dress absolutely modestly.

Before the priest came, there were more than a thousand people crowded near the stone boat altar. Hundreds of torches and more than twenty bonfires illuminated the woods in this area. After all, the flames brought a certain warmth that made the plainly dressed newlyweds feel much better.

Tonight, Arik did not become a little special because of his identity.

He, his wife Peravina, and even his immediate family are waiting anxiously.

He waited for the priest and uncle, and looked up at the sky, looking forward to the appearance of Aurora.

Finally, when people began to drive until a fire dragon approached the stone boat through the woods, everyone knew that the priests had arrived.

The bonfire bakes everything near the altar comfortably and brings enough light. After all, today is a big ceremony, Otto wears a full set of armor, and his wooden shield, which is covered with copper skin, reflects golden light. The same is true for the warriors behind him, as if they were about to step into the battlefield, their heroic spirit brought cheers from the onlookers.

As Villa, wearing an exaggerated antler helmet, entered the altar with a cane, her astonishing image brought a huge shock to the ignorant, and the boiling crowd quickly fell silent.

Villa first looked up at the sky, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Based on her rich experience, she concluded that Aurora was about to flash and stay for a long time tonight.

She suddenly said to Otto: "Boss, you ask everyone to step back, and then gather all the newlyweds. I want to count them first."

Otto can give orders to his people in a high-spirited voice with a strong and vicissitudes of voice.

Everyone, no matter how high or low, understood it. Niya also took the hand of Rurik, who had a monograph on "Watching the Big Play" and drinking honey water. As the crowd retreated continuously, they all knelt down. Everyone did this.

Only the newlyweds approached the stone boat altar and waited for the priest to inspect them in person.