Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 152 Suppressing Bandits in the Mountainous Area
In this operation, Vig planned to deploy 2,500 men, divided into three groups, to attack three canyons where rebels were stationed.

He personally led the central force, which included fifty armored guards, two mountain infantry companies, and over four hundred conscripted militia, totaling eight hundred men. The remaining two forces were led by Joron and Shrike, each numbering eight hundred.

For supplies, he temporarily gathered one hundred short-legged packhorses suitable for mountain transport to carry grain and armor.

With everything ready, Vig led his men out of Stirlingshire and along winding roads deep into the mountains.

In the summer, the Scottish Highlands resemble a crumpled green velvet carpet. More than two thousand people lined up in a long column, walking deeper into the peat trails, their boots sinking into the rain-soaked humus, and the damp wind carrying the smell of mud into their nostrils.

It was the season when the photinia flowers were in full bloom, and the crimson flowers could be seen everywhere along the roadside. Vig glanced down at them a few times, then turned his gaze to the distant mountain valley, where several crooked thatched huts stood, with blue smoke from burning sheep dung billowing from their chimneys.

After walking for most of the day, they finally came across the houses of local residents. He ordered Detective Connor to lead a small team of two men to gather information.

"Remember to be polite, don't scare people."

"Yes!"

Connor quickly climbed up to the distant ravine and returned half an hour later with a dull-looking young Gaelic man, claiming that he was a guide hired for five silver pence.

The young man was wearing a tartan kilt, a signature garment of the Scottish Highlands, which reached his knees and was made of wool. It is said that different tartan patterns represent different identities, but Vig observed for a long time and found no such information.

Five silver pence? What a cheap price.

In this operation, eight unused agents, including Connor, were responsible for providing navigation. With professional intelligence personnel available, the importance of local guides was reduced, making them a dispensable role.

Over the next two days, the army hired a total of six local guides and, while passing through a settlement of a highland clan, purchased large quantities of oats and sheep with silver coins.

According to the scrolls left by missionaries, the inhabitants of the Scottish Highlands formed clans based on blood ties, with a structure roughly as follows:

The first group consists of the clan chief and his trusted warriors.

The second tier consists of freemen, who are entitled to a plot of land for cultivation or grazing. The highland climate is relatively cold and unsuitable for wheat cultivation. Barley and oats are the main crops, and unused pastures are used for grazing cattle and sheep.

The third category consists of prisoners of war and slaves, who lack personal freedom.

During his stay at the settlement, Vig keenly observed a crucial piece of information: the clan chief's power, as the clan leader, depended on personal prestige, not strict hereditary succession. If the old chief died and his son was too young, the position of chief was very likely to be taken by another member of the clan.

"After eliminating the rebels, perhaps I should convene a meeting of the clan chiefs to acknowledge and guarantee their hereditary rights. In this way, for the benefit of their descendants, their loyalty will increase significantly."

This idea originated from the Land Act of 17th century by the British Crown, which registered all clan lands under the name of the clan chief, causing clan members to become the chief's tenant farmers.

In addition, the patriarch's children had to be sent to the Low Countries or England for education.

Over time, the new generation of patriarchs became accustomed to living in England, gradually weakening their ties with their hometown members. In order to satisfy their growing material desires, they might even sell their land to the rising capitalist elites.

On the fourth day of the march, the group came to a fork in the road and split into three groups according to the pre-arranged plan, each heading toward its own destination.

Along the way, Connor's gaze was fixed on the piles of stones by the roadside, occasionally lying down to carefully examine the scratches on the stones, deducing the messages passed by the undercover agents. On the morning of the fifth day, he delivered bad news to the Duke:

"Sir, one of our undercover agents is dead!"

Vig was both shocked and furious: "His identity has been exposed?"

Connor looked at the messy scratches on the stone's surface. "Unsure, it seems to be some kind of accident."

With the objective within reach, Vig was unwilling to waste time and led his soldiers to continue advancing.

Soon after, the sharp whistles of the Mandarin Duck Formation squad came from the northwest. Then, more than ten infantrymen hurriedly crossed the ridgeline, followed by a large number of rebels in disheveled clothing.

"They've finally arrived." Vig nodded slightly, signaling the troops to deploy.

Upon noticing the movements of the clearing forces, the rebels had two options: flee or fight.

It is June now, and crops are in their growing season. If the rebels abandon their camp, it means that farmland and livestock will be at the mercy of the Vikings.

Without food, they could only raid the camps of the surrounding highland clans, which would still inevitably lead to battles, so they might as well take the initiative and fight the Vikings.

As more and more rebels crossed the ridge, Vig arranged his troops in a formation facing northwest. Fifty armored guards and three hundred conscripted militiamen formed the front, two mountain infantry companies guarded the left and right flanks respectively, and the remaining one hundred and fifty militiamen guarded the rear, forming an irregular hollow trapezoid.

Inside the formation were flocks of sheep and herds of ponies carrying supplies, as well as intelligence personnel and guides.

"Five hundred Pickett rebels, plus over a hundred Highlanders in short skirts—are these the local mercenaries they recruited?"

After scratching his head, Vig ordered the longbowmen of the mountain infantry company to fire freely in front of the lines.

After firing five volleys of arrows, the rebels charged to within fifty meters. The longbowmen hastily fired their last volley and then retreated into their formation to avoid being struck by the short spears thrown by the enemy.

At a distance of thirty meters, both sides simultaneously threw their short spears. Following the Battle of the Tweed River three years prior, Viking shield-axemen began to be equipped with standard short spears for close to medium-range combat.

The Viking warriors suffered fewer losses after throwing two volleys of short spears at each other because the rebels lacked iron weapons and mostly used wooden spears, which were less effective at piercing shields but not the iron armor worn by the warriors.

After being wounded by arrows and spears, the enemy lost more than a hundred men, their morale dropped slightly, and the cowards slowed their pace, allowing a few brave warriors to crash into the Viking shield wall.

Vig was no stranger to armor these days; in this battle, more than half of the conscripted militia were armored. With their overwhelming equipment advantage, the Viking warriors withstood the enemy's ferocious charge. As the Indigo Raiders grew exhausted, the Viking warriors began to gradually push back.

Seeing this, the mountain infantry companies deployed on both flanks moved out. They did not rush to join the battle, but instead tried to flank the enemy as much as possible, attempting to cut off their retreat.

Realizing that the odds of victory were slim, the highland soldiers guarding the rear were the first to retreat, suffering no casualties whatsoever, like a group of battlefield cheerleaders.

With their teammates fleeing, the remaining Picts were surrounded and had no choice but to band together and charge. A little over a hundred managed to break through, but the remaining three hundred were all taken prisoner.

(End of this chapter)