Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 329 Rangers

After the delivery of supplies was completed, the British fleet began transporting horses, a complex and extremely time-consuming task. The fleet worked for a week, but many horses still had not been loaded onto the ships.

"Hurry up, don't dawdle."

The Viking captain's gruff voice echoed in the cold wind, urging everyone to hurry up. After confirming that fifteen horses and three nomads had boarded the ship, he ordered the sailors to untie the mooring ropes tied to the dock.

The next moment, four nearby rowing longboats received instructions to row eastward across the sea, slowly pulling the two-masted sailboat away from the dock.

The nomads were familiar with the habits of the steppe horses, so Yoren distributed over two hundred people among the ships to help care for the horses. However, the Vikings and nomads did not understand each other's languages ​​and could only rely on gestures, making communication inefficient.

After many misunderstandings, the nomads gradually got used to life on the boat. The three of them took turns on watch and cared for the fifteen grassland horses in the cabin. In their spare time, they would lean on the gunwale and look eastward towards their homeland, only to see an endless expanse of gray sea.

Ten days later, the sailboat arrived at Bornholm Island, where two poor steppe horses and a sick nomad remained to recuperate.

The sailboat then passed through the Kattegat Strait and entered the stormy Atlantic Ocean.

"Gods above, why did the Vikings endure such torment?"

In the cold drizzle, the nomad Santan leaned against the gunwale, vomiting. If only he had let go of his hatred and joined the Eastern Roman army; after the war, he could have returned to his tribe with his possessions. Now, sailing to the far west, he figured he'd never go back.

In early November, the fleet entered a river mouth, and the crew became increasingly restless. Santan knew that this long and arduous journey was about to end.

Compared to my hometown, the climate here is warmer, the land on both sides of the river is flat, and you can see patches of winter wheat seedlings.

In the afternoon, a stone bridge spanned the river ahead, and a large number of buildings were scattered on the north bank. Everywhere you looked, there were crowds of people. This was the most bustling settlement that Santan had ever seen.

"What a prosperous country. I hope our employers won't delay paying us."

The fleet was moored in an orderly fashion on the river, and the horses were unloaded at the dock in turn. Santan and the remaining two hundred companions gathered in the open space at the dock, waiting for their employer's inspection.

Soon, thousands of Imperial Guard soldiers arrived at the scene, escorting a middle-aged man. Feeling the oppressive presence of the army, the nomads' clamor subsided, and they wisely showed their submission.

Vig rode Greywind II around the mercenaries once: "That's all?"

Yoren produced the roster: "There were 228 people when we set off. Twenty stayed on the island to recuperate, seven died of illness, and 201 arrived."

Vig recalled his memories from over twenty years ago. The group's attire remained unchanged; they still wore pointed leather hats with brims pulled low, almost obscuring their eyebrows. They were wrapped in tattered, yellowed sheepskin coats, with leather belts around their waists, and wore equally thick fur trousers and high leather boots.

"I am Vig Tynburg, King of Britain. From this day forward, you shall be loyal to me, and your treatment shall be as follows."

Vig explained the Rangers' treatment and precautions, emphasizing military discipline, and then pointed to the corpses hanging on the stone bridge across the river, saying, "It is strictly forbidden to plunder the villagers near the garrison. Those who commit this offense will be executed and will suffer the same fate as them."

After making his harsh remarks, Vig's gaze swept across the crowd. "I've finished speaking. Do you have any other questions?"

He then instructed the War Department to handle the follow-up matters. A Ranger battalion consisted of four hundred men, with only three hundred and twenty combat personnel, divided into three companies, and the remainder being various support staff.

According to the plan, these mercenaries were to be used to form the Fourth Ranger Battalion, which would be stationed in the open grasslands north of Cambridgeshire, where the purchased steppe horses would also be housed.

After the king left, the nomads formed loose four columns and headed to the eastern outskirts camp for a temporary rest. On the way, Santan quietly asked the translator, "Is an annual salary of eighty silver pence worthwhile?"

The translator replied: "Your food, clothing, and daily necessities will be provided by the War Ministry. You will eat meat (mostly fish) at least once a day without having to spend your own money. Eighty silver pence can buy ten pigs, and if all of it is used to buy alcohol, you can drink four large glasses of beer every day. Once war breaks out, you will receive additional subsidies and spoils of war."

They were well-fed and clothed, and even had meat every day—this was equivalent to the treatment of a chieftain's guard. Sangtan and the nearby nomads nodded to themselves, thinking that this treatment was quite good.

Along the straight, flat gravel road, the mercenaries and herds of steppe horses headed north of Cambridgeshire, where stables and barracks had already been set up.

The barracks are arranged in a grid pattern, with twelve rooms in each row. The company headquarters office is located on the west side, and the public toilets are located on the far east side.

In the middle are the rooms for each squad, divided into inner and outer sections: the outer section has a fireplace for heating and simple cooking, while the inner section is the bedroom, with wooden plank beds for the squad leader and nine soldiers.

Urged by their instructors, the mercenaries took off their tattered clothes and took a bath in the bathhouse on the east side of the camp, where they had to bathe for at least half an hour.

After leaving the house, they gathered in the open area, dressed in their newly issued uniforms. Santan eagerly awaited his warhorse and equipment. The translator had repeatedly promised that every soldier would receive standard cloth armor.

Iron armor—that's equipment only the leader's personal guards possess!
However, something seemed amiss. For the next period of time, they were engaged in formation training, and they inexplicably had the feeling that they had been reduced to cannon fodder.

After enduring a month, the Pecheneg people finally completed their basic training and went to the warehouse to collect their equipment.

The crowd was agitated, and Santan couldn't help but stand on tiptoe to observe the iron helmets and black cloth armor.

"Second Company, Fifth Platoon, Santan."

"Finally, it's my turn." The young man eagerly stepped forward. The Vikings across the long table, expressionless, took out cloth armor, an iron helmet, a cavalry saber, and a single-piece recurve bow in turn.

The single-piece recurve bow has higher manufacturing requirements and a shorter bow length, making it suitable for use on horseback and a standard piece of equipment for rangers.

"next."

Santan returned to the ranks with his equipment and, mimicking the instructor's movements, put on his armor. The Rangers' lightweight cloth armor, which omitted some of the iron plates, weighed only twelve pounds, thus having little impact on the user's movements.

Clang!
Santan drew the cavalry saber; its blade was long, light, and curved, offering excellent handling, and the hilt had a handguard. According to the translation, this type of saber was designed by the king himself (referencing the light cavalry sabers of the Napoleonic Wars, with a blade length of 82cm, a total length of 97cm, and a weight of 920g).

"Hey, put the knife away!"

Over the past month, Santan had come to deeply understand the terror of the instructors. He immediately sheathed his sword and followed the procession to the stables to collect their respective mounts.

(End of this chapter)