Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 77 Surprise Attack
Bathed in many suspicious gazes, Theowough recounted his experiences at the Wessex camp, claiming he had a way to help the Vikings win, provided Ragnar accepted his allegiance.

“Win this battle, and there will be plenty of land to go around.” Ragnar walked up to the other man. “The key question is, why should I trust you?”

Sensing the contempt of the crowd in the hall, Theowough hardened his resolve, "Because you don't have time!"

He held up four fingers. "Four hundred Frankish cavalry, two hundred dead, that's at least eight hundred of your men gone. Wessex didn't attack; they're waiting for reinforcements."

Moreover, besides the Franks, His Majesty has also selected over a hundred gentry who can ride horses for intensive training. Even if this continues for a while, they will still be somewhat useful. How will you deal with them then?

Faced with the facts, Ragnar was powerless to refute them. In order to increase his chances of winning, he agreed to return Nottingham to the other party.

"Nottingham is too insignificant compared to your grand ambitions. How about this: after the war, you can grant me a fiefdom commensurate with my contributions."

No sooner had Theowough finished speaking than Ragnar abruptly drew his longsword, placing the cold blade on Theowough's shoulder. "Kneel down and pledge your allegiance to me."

Without hesitation, the latter knelt on one knee, recited the oath of allegiance, and then took Ragnar's right hand in his hands and kissed the face of the gold ring deeply.

After the ceremony, he went to the map table and explained the battle situation to the new boss:

"The replenishment of horses is expected to arrive within four days. Last week, floods washed away the bridge, forcing the Wessex supply convoy to cross the river by boat in this fishing village. Given that the horses are not used to the swaying boats, they may also choose to ford the river at a shallow ford thirty miles upstream."

Ragnar: "You mean, we should set up ambushes at both locations?"

"Yes, and quickly. I ran away from the camp on my own. Ethelwaugh may have guessed that I have defected to the Vikings. We can't hesitate any longer."

Theowuff's plan was very risky, and Ragnar did not make a decision immediately, but instead consulted other nobles in Northrend. Vig offered two options:

First, take a risky attack to seize Wessex's horses and cripple their cavalry advantage.

Second, withdraw to Tamworth, or even back to the border, and have the rear quickly produce spears to use spear phalanxes to resist the enemy's charging cavalry.

Producing spears and training spearmen would take too long. In comparison, Ragnar felt that the first option was less risky.

Determined to fight, he ordered Ivar and Vig, his two most capable subordinates, to each lead several hundred men to the ambush site.

"As ordered."

Time was of the essence, so Vig selected three hundred men overnight, a third of whom were experienced hunters. After preparing supplies, the group left the camp before dawn.

To conceal their movements, they took a long detour to the east, choosing a dense oak forest for their march. The terrain was rugged, making it impossible to carry supplies by wagon, so they had only thirty packhorses to accompany them.

"We're deep in enemy territory, and our supplies are insufficient. If Theowuff is a spy, not only will we lose our territory in Mercia, but we might even lose Northumbria as well. Sigh, it's really unpleasant to have our lives and fortunes in someone else's hands."

After a long journey, Vig arrived at the swamp that Theowuff had mentioned. He sent people to search around and found an abandoned manor nearby.

Using this as a reference point, the commando team adjusted their direction and headed south for about ten miles, where the hunters found a stream. At this point, all they had to do was drift downstream to a shallow area where the water was knee-deep. The following evening, the team reached the ambush site. Perhaps due to the lack of fishing, many trout and bass swam beneath the surface.

When some people excitedly pulled out their fishing hooks and lines, Vig issued a very discouraging order—fishing and lighting fires were prohibited to prevent smoke and fire from revealing their presence.

As elite troops selected from the military, the commando unit was fairly disciplined and did not mutini over this minor incident. Listening to the babbling water, they ate their cold, hardened rations, waiting for the enemy to arrive at any moment.

On the morning of the fourth day, when everyone was getting really bored, the hunter who went out to scout finally brought back good news.

"Sir, the enemy cavalry has arrived, estimated to be three miles away."

Upon hearing this, Vig leaped to his feet, shook off the tattered leaves from his body, and donned his armor. He ordered most of his men to lie in ambush on the north bank, serving as the main force for the ambush. The remaining forty men were to lie in wait on the south bank, responsible for cutting off the enemy's retreat should the two sides engage in battle.

As time passed, the information he received became more detailed: the enemy had two hundred horses, one hundred soldiers equipped with shields and axes, plus eighty accompanying servants.

Having the advantage in numbers, Vig instructed his men to avoid harming the horses as much as possible.

“Smuggling warhorses from the Franks is extremely difficult. If nothing unexpected happens, we will have to rely on captured horses to build our cavalry force in the future. Before we set off, His Majesty specifically instructed that he would pay five pounds of silver as a reward for each Frankish warhorse captured. Whether it is for the collective interest or personal gain, I hope you will be careful when you take action!”

Finally, he added, "Whatever you do, don't kill the coachman!"

"Yes, my lord."

As carefully selected ruthless individuals, the commando members did not take these enemies seriously, but were eagerly anticipating the bounty after the battle.

Each horse costs five pounds of silver. If one hundred and fifty horses are captured, that's seven hundred and fifty pounds of silver. Divided equally, each person would receive 2.5 pounds—enough to buy four handsome young slaves or twenty oxen.

Driven by desire, everyone went to the designated ambush location to await orders.

After a long while, the Wessex cavalry reached the south bank. The commander sent a small number of soldiers across the river to scout and to let the horses stop to drink water.

Warhorses are a delicate species, requiring a large intake of grains and 20-30 liters of water daily. They are prone to illness and weight loss if not properly cared for.

On the shore, after finally finishing tending to the horses, the grooms hastily stuffed a few mouthfuls of dry rations into their mouths, and before they could even swallow them completely, their rest time was over.

Despite their exhaustion, the groom led the warhorse across the shallows. Along the way, a few river fish occasionally leaped out of the water. Whether it was the splashing water or the flicking of the fish's tail, it could agitate the warhorse, wasting more than an hour to finally cross the river.

"it is finally over."

After crossing the shallows, before everyone could catch their breath, several shrill cries came from not far away. A large group of Vikings equipped with shields and axes surrounded them from three directions and shot more than thirty soldiers dead in the first encounter.

Outnumbered, many Angles fled to the south bank. When they reached the middle of the river, dozens of fierce-looking Vikings emerged from the bushes on the south bank, shouting in broken Angle, "Surrender and you will be spared!"

(End of this chapter)