Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 384 Freedom
After the Battle of Nice, the Eastern Roman Empire declared victory, claiming to have sunk fifty Viking warships.

However, before the Italian people could even celebrate, another piece of bad news followed:

Large quantities of grain from Toulouse, Burgundy, Provence and other regions are being transported to Marseille. It is said that the Serpent of the North's army of 100,000 is about to arrive, and he plans to emulate Hannibal Barca by waging a series of bloody and brutal wars in Italy.

When the news reached a high-class mansion in Ravenna, the lady of the house was not surprised but delighted. She ended her chat with the ladies and hurried back to the garden, where she smiled at her husband for the first time in a long time.

"The Viking army is marching through the Rhône Valley and is expected to launch an attack within half a month. Your chance has come. You must perform well this time and wash away your shame."

shame?

Gunnar put down his carving knife and small wooden carving, looked up at his wife of twenty years, and had a lot to say, but he forced himself to suppress his emotions and replied calmly, "I know."

For the past two years, he has been under house arrest, but his wife, son, and daughter-in-law are free to move around. The three of them enjoy life in the former capital of Rome, frequenting various banquets and social gatherings.

Occasionally, Gunnar would hear them mention news from the outside world, such as the situation in Iberia, and how the illegitimate Henry had married a distant cousin of King Alfonso, thus solidifying his position in Zaragoza.

Most of the time, Gunnar spends his time alone in the garden, whiling away the hours with carving.

Most of the wood carvings depict Viking raiders wearing Germanic helmets and sporting beards, and each carving corresponds to someone he remembers: Ragnar, Ivar, Bjorn.
After Vivian left, Gunnar picked up the carving knife and wood carving again, and began to carve instinctively with both hands. When he came to his senses, he found that the wooden face he was holding in his palm was actually his own!
"In the end, I am still just a Viking barbarian."

Gunnar returned to his bedroom on the second floor. The room was messy, with many wine bottles piled up in the corner. On the large oak desk, more than two hundred wooden carvings were neatly arranged, like a Viking army about to set off.

He observed for a moment, then placed the wooden carving representing himself into the battle, positioned precisely to Ragnar's side and rear.

At that moment, the sound of Robert and his friends talking and laughing drifted in through the window, and Gunnar looked out.

In the courtyard, the ground was paved with colorful marble inlaid with intricate and ornate geometric patterns. Robert and his companions chatted idly in their chairs, while five servants gently fanned them. Another servant used a copper jug ​​to draw water from a rectangular reservoir to water the flowers. The bottom of the reservoir was covered with blue glazed tiles, and the clear well water rippled gently, reflecting the azure sky and the surrounding Corinthian colonnade.

Through the light-colored window glass, Gunnar gazed at Robert with a complex expression. After a long while, he sighed, found a package in the corner of the bedroom, and carried it on his back.

Gunnar then observed the nearby guards, timed it carefully, and cautiously climbed up the roof of the main house by stepping on the edge of the window. He then tiptoed toward the edge of the roof.

Below, the voices of the two guards could be heard intermittently, seemingly complaining about the tavern's price increase.

The opportunity is fleeting.

Gunnar took a running start along the sloping roof, then leaped onto the top of the two-story building where the servants lived. He walked more than thirty meters on the scorching hot tiles and jumped into a flower bush.

After crawling through the flowers for a while, Gunnar was surprised to find that the guard who was on watch not far away had fallen asleep. He changed his route on the spot, took the key from the guard's pocket, and nervously opened the gate in front of him.

Outside the gate was a spacious open area, with a warehouse on the left and a stable on the right. Gunnar observed for a few minutes and noticed a carriage about to leave. Without hesitation, he seized the opportunity to hide under the carriage, clinging tightly to its underside until it disappeared through the gate.

As the carriage passed through a bustling market, it would stop from time to time, giving Gunnar the opportunity to roll out from under the carriage and join the crowded and noisy throng.

The sun was scorching, and the humid heat enveloped Ravenna. Sweat soaked Gunnar's coarse linen shirt. He wandered around the dock for about ten minutes, found a merchant ship about to set sail, and exchanged five silver coins for a seat in the cabin.

Gunnar is tired of fighting for others, whether it's Bald Charlie, Alfonso, Basil, or Vig. He doesn't care who wins or loses; he just wants to find a quiet mountain area to live alone.

His war was over.

That afternoon, a court attendant arrived at the residence where Gunnar had been under house arrest for a long time, representing the king to pardon Gunnar's crimes and to summon him to serve as the commander of the Frankish army, ordering him to go to Genoa immediately to await orders.

Vivian was right; she excitedly walked towards the garden and called out Gunnar's name.

Was drunk?
The Duchess entered the second-floor bedroom of the small building, pushed open the door, and a whiff of sour wine made her frown. The room was empty, the dim light of the setting sun streaming in, the curtains swaying slightly, a large pile of neatly arranged wooden carvings on the desk, the Duke's magnificent sword, which he had used for many years, hanging on the wall, the bed in disarray, and a silver cross pendant casually placed on the pillow.

Where is this drunkard?

Vivian guessed that Gunnar had passed out drunk in some flower bushes and ordered the servants to search for him, only to find that he had already run away.

The news spread, and the gates of Ravenna were quickly closed. Large numbers of soldiers searched house to house, but still could not find the Norman nobleman.

"On June 6, 872 AD, on the eve of the Italian War, Gunnar, Duke of Normandy and Duke of Zaragoza, the designated commander of the allied forces, disappeared in Ravenna and has not been seen since."

This is the last trace Gunnar left in history.

Two days later, the Viking army arrived at the northern outskirts of Marseille.

This field force consisted of 52,000 men, divided into a direct subordinate division, the First, Second, and Third Field Divisions, a cavalry division, and an artillery regiment (equipped with eighty bronze cannons).

The troops assembled by nobles from various regions numbered 28,000 and were organized into 28 garrison regiments to perform various auxiliary tasks, including logistics and transportation, and garrisoning strongholds.
In the morning, the Duke of Provence led his family and the people out of the city to welcome them. After waiting for more than two hours, a few scattered rangers appeared in sight. Behind them was a marching column stretching for several kilometers, with dust and mist filling the air, and spears and lances flashing with a blinding glint.

Not long after, the emperor arrived on horseback with a retinue of attendants. His first question to the emperor was, "How much baggage is in the city?"

The shrike responded: "We have received orders to gather all the grain in southern Frankish territory toward Marseille. The grain we have stockpiled can last for twenty months, and more is on its way."

West Francia has fertile land and a suitable climate, which not only provides food but also a sufficient number of high-quality warhorses. This time, the number of heavy cavalry exceeded five thousand, making up for the last shortcoming of the Vig army.

(End of this chapter)