Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 312 Asturias
On September 25, 864 AD, a court messenger arrived in Caen, Normandy.

Gunnar opened the sealing wax from the envelope and read it aloud sentence by sentence. The majority of the content described the wars on the Iberian Peninsula.

Beginning in March, the Umayyad Caliphate amassed its forces and launched a full-scale attack on Asturias in the northwestern mountains. King Odonio could no longer hold out and was forced to appeal to the Franks for help, begging Charles the Bald to lend him a hand out of consideration for their shared faith.

After being persuaded by the church and some nobles, Charles the Bald issued a decree calling on nobles within his territory to voluntarily go to Iberia. Due to financial difficulties, the war expenses would be borne by the participants themselves.

"Fighting in Iberia?"

Gunnar stroked his thick beard and spread a parchment map on his desk. In his mind, the most prosperous region in Europe was undoubtedly the Mediterranean coast. The Moors controlled the sea and trade in the Mediterranean. If he were to conquer their cities, he might be able to make a fortune and use the money to build defenses and supplement the treasury.

Moreover, the British Channel is often stormy in winter, making it unsuitable for large-scale amphibious operations. During his expedition, he did not need to worry about Wieg launching a major landing.

"Let's set off now and return next summer, aiming to acquire enough spoils within six months."

Gunnar muttered to himself, finally making up his mind to assemble a force of over seven hundred men, including two hundred knights and an equal number of mounted mercenaries, as well as three hundred support staff, including grooms, cooks, and a few craftsmen.

To speed things up, the support staff were also equipped with packhorses and traveled south along the ancient Roman roads. After more than half a month of travel, they crossed the Pyrenees mountain pass and entered the neighboring country.

Following the local soldiers, the column advanced westward along the coastline to Gijón, then turned south, crossing the fog-shrouded Pix Pass.

Finally, a valley nestled among the mountains appeared ahead, opening up a view filled with apple orchards and wheat fields.

It's late October now, and the fruit on the trees has all been picked. Local residents are used to making wine from apples, and the air is filled with the aroma of fermenting fruit.

After crossing the stone bridge over the Nora River, the caravan followed the road into Oviedo, the capital of Asturias. Gunnar ordered his troops to choose an open space outside the city to set up camp, while he himself went into the city to meet the king.

The city is relatively small, with only one main east-west road and three secondary north-south roads. Judging from the number of houses, Gunnar estimates that there are only about two thousand residents.

The main hall of the royal palace.

Upon learning the number of reinforcements, the king expressed his deep gratitude to the Duke of Normandy. Gunnar responded fluently in Latin, and soon, the brown-haired boy beside the throne caught his attention.

The young man had a dignified air about him, with a calm and thoughtful look in his eyes. His name was Alfonso, the crown prince of Asturias. The king was ill, and the crown prince was in charge of most affairs.

After a brief conversation, Gunnar unconsciously compared Robert to him. To be honest, his eldest son was utterly useless, only suited for luxury, less learned than Alfonso, and less brave than his illegitimate son Henry.

It's all bald Charlie's fault for spoiling him.

Gunnar dismissed the dangerous idea and asked the King and Crown Prince about the enemy's strength and tactics.

Based on past experience, the Umayyad Caliphate could assemble an army of 2 to 3 men for field battles.

The most elite force was naturally the Royal Guard, whose main members were nobles, sons of rural landowners, and the "Sakariba." The Sakariba were slaves or prisoners of war from Eastern Europe, purchased and trained in large numbers, and loyal only to the monarch of the Córdoba court. This group lacked political power and had no possibility of usurping the throne, thus enjoying the monarch's deep trust and gradually replacing the influence of the local nobles.

Secondly, the Umayyad Caliphate could conscript tribal forces and acquire a large number of light cavalry, who were skilled in harassment and reconnaissance.

Finally, there were the militia temporarily recruited, which were numerous, poorly trained, and suitable as cannon fodder.

In battle, the Moorish army typically dispatched light cavalry to harass the enemy, then feigned a retreat to lure them into a pre-arranged ambush, where heavy cavalry and the main infantry force would encircle and annihilate them. Alternatively, they would employ a flanking maneuver, using their superior numbers to break through the enemy's lines in one fell swoop.

"Your Majesty, do you mean that next spring, 2 to 3 Moors will launch a general offensive? This is going to be difficult." Gunnar frowned, his expression revealing a hint of hesitation.

"Duke, we have a considerable number of men. In an extreme scenario, the kingdom can provide eight thousand soldiers, and Frankish reinforcements are continuously arriving. We are absolutely capable of defeating the Moors!"

Alfonso turned to look at his father and presented the terms they had already agreed upon, attempting to retain the renowned Norman nobleman.

After much discussion, the king agreed to make Gunnar the commander of the Frankish reinforcements and grant him priority in the distribution of spoils.

“It is an honor to fight for you, Your Majesty.” Gunnar bowed and accepted the temporary task of organizing the Frankish Knights’ intensive training.

"Don't stop, there are still two laps left. We'll have breakfast after we finish."

A biting north wind blew, the sky was pale gray, and the bastard Henry, carrying a shield, ran in circles on the training ground covered with a thin layer of snow, the urging of the knight Oliver ringing in his ears from time to time.

Henry persevered and finished the last lap, but his knees buckled, and he knelt on the snow, panting heavily. After a few minutes, he returned to his tent to have breakfast.

For the past two months, Crown Prince Alfonso has been collecting large quantities of grain and cider from the populace and has also ordered fishermen in Gijón to increase their fishing frequency in order to barely feed the guests who have traveled from afar.

Bread, fish, and cider—it was the same every day, and Henry had long been used to it.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you." Oliver held a glass of warm cider, gazing at the wooden castle atop the distant mountain.

After wolfing down his bread and fried fish, Henry carried his cloth bag containing books, quills, and ink to the tent of a chaplain who was serving with the army, where he began to learn Latin, the common language of the upper class.

At noon, Henry finished his class, had lunch, and rested for an hour before practicing swordsmanship under Oliver's guidance.

This was the most grueling time of day. Henry, dressed in specially made training armor and wielding a blunt sword, imitated the swordsmanship of Knight Oliver. The two occasionally sparred, and despite the protection of the armor, Henry still inevitably got injured. He repeatedly got up from the ground, picked up the fallen blunt sword and wooden shield, and endured until four o'clock in the afternoon.

After training, he changed into dry clothes, led an old and docile packhorse from the stable, and rode it slowly, clumsily swinging his sword to chop at the scarecrows.

In the evening, Henry returned to the stables and personally brushed and fed the packhorses. He was also responsible for Oliver's two mounts. After feeding the horses, Henry returned to his tent for dinner. Day after day, this busy life continued until the beginning of 865.

(End of this chapter)