novelraw Chapter 126: Dispute
Chapter 126: Dispute
Ch 126: Dispute
“Thank you for your care.”
The Raven Speaker did not refuse the lord’s kindness. He had lived in Uppsala for more than ten years, was familiar with the ways of his comrades, and acting cautiously would not hurt.
In the following days, Vig was busy reviewing legal articles and took the time to offer some suggestions for Stirling County’s railroad cars. Until late April, he received a letter from the Orkney Earl.
“The Shetland Islands refuse submission? How daring!”
Sailing from Northern Europe to Britain, the northern route is relatively safe. Departing from Bergen on the west coast of Norway, heading west to reach the Shetland Islands, then sailing south to the Orkney Islands, and further south is the Scotland region.
The distance from the Shetland Islands to Scotland is about 200 kilometers. Located in the North Sea fishing grounds, it is suitable for fishing.
According to last year’s trade agreement, Vig needs to pay Gunnar with pig iron, pickled fish, tin, and fur in exchange for high-quality Frankish warhorses.
Among them, pickled fish accounts for nearly forty percent.
According to the medieval church’s classification, fish are cold-blooded animals and are not considered “meat.” Therefore, during Lent, fish is the only legal source of animal protein, leading to an unwavering high demand for pickled fish in Western Europe. Considering the Shetland Islands’ fishing tax and potential shipbuilding orders, Vig wrote a reply to the Orkney Earl, requesting him to settle this matter as soon as possible.
In early May, Vig received bad news: the envoy dispatched by the Orkney Earl was killed by the locals.
“Unbelievable! They dare to kill my men?”
Sensing her husband’s anger, Herigifu leaned over and glanced at the letter. “The Shetland Islands have a sparse population, and the local chieftain is taking a tough stance. I worry someone is behind this.”
Vig unfolded the map. Northwest of the Shetland Islands is Iceland, and to the east is Bergen.
His relationship with Bjorn, the Lord of Iceland, is harmonious. Grain, ironware, timber, drinks, and other supplies all rely on Tyne for supply. From both an emotional and practical perspective, Bjorn has no reason to do such a thing.
He turned his gaze to the west coast of Norway, staring at the black dot representing Bergen.
“I’m ninety percent sure this has something to do with Ohr, the Lord of Bergen. Oh well, I have an old score to settle with him anyway.”
Their old grudge originated four years ago, AD 846.
At that time, King Eric, following the advice of some merchants, decided to emulate Charlemagne, the great king, to achieve his grand ambitions. After preparing military supplies, he went around conquering settlements in Norway. Vig took advantage of the situation to sell military supplies, with Bergen purchasing the largest share.
However, after selling the military supplies, Vig did not receive the payment for a long time. He repeatedly dispatched envoys to Bergen to collect the debt, but the reply was always something like, “We’re a bit short of funds recently, we’ll definitely pay next time.”
After the war ended, the Lord of Bergen simply defaulted, claiming that the military supplies sold by Vig were of poor quality, including the insufficient range of the purple-clothed bows, the poor quality of the arrow fletching, and the round shields unable to withstand the chopping of double-headed axes.
Ultimately, he even blamed Vig for the defeat and demanded a large amount of compensation.
In the following years, Vig was deeply involved in many wars, and this memory gradually faded. Now that the old matter is brought up again, his anger is rekindled.
Seeing her husband’s appearance, Herigifu understood that he had murderous intentions. “Nominally, the Lord of Bergen is Eric’s vassal. Before taking action, why not write a letter to Eric first?”
“Improper!” Vig paced back and forth in his study,
“Eric is greedy and cowardly. If he were to rule, the old man would surely seize the Shetland Islands for himself. It’s better to strike first and resolve the chieftain and the Lord of Bergen in one fell swoop. I’ll see if Eric dares to wage war against me.”
Her husband’s mind was made up. Herigifu yawned and walked to the bedroom. She was pregnant again and had much less energy. She didn’t have time to stay up late with him.
“Whew, I’m really tired. You sleep with our son tonight. Remember not to tell him nonsense.”
“No time. I don’t plan on sleeping tonight. I’m gathering troops, preparing military supplies, and setting sail tomorrow morning.”
Currently, most nobles do not have a standing army, relying only on dozens of guards to maintain appearances. Vig intends to launch a surprise attack on Bergen at the fastest speed. The more time they delay, the more troops the local lord is likely to gather.
Coincidentally, the Tyne shipyard’s first carrack recently finished sea trials. It had carried pickled fish to Francia and back without any problems, making it suitable to serve as Vig’s flagship.
After a busy night, Vig led fifty shield-bearers aboard the carrack—the Bluefish.
While the sailors were still carrying supplies, Vig took a quick look around. This carrack is the same size as the Gothenburg, twenty-five meters long, six meters wide, with a fifteen-meter-high mast, and a huge square sailcloth made of wool. Its speed is fast with the wind, and against the headwind, the sailors need to row. There are twelve oarlocks on each side.
Going down to the hold, there were many wooden barrels piled up, and the smell of salt and pickled herring hit him in the face. Sleeping bags were tightly arranged on both sides of the passage. Due to limited space, some people even had to sleep on the deck.
As the lord, Vig did not need to squeeze into the dark and damp hold. He naturally stayed in the captain’s cabin at the stern, and the swaying hammock would be his bed for the next few days.
Returning to the deck, a long-handled wooden rudder was placed on the stern deck, controlling the stern rudder below the ship.
In Vig’s impression, three-masted ships in later generations used wheel rudders. Unfortunately, he didn’t have detailed memories about this, otherwise, the Bluefish’s maneuverability would have been further improved.
In addition, there was a small wooden structure at the stern, similar to a watchtower. During engagements, it could accommodate four crossbowmen to shoot down at the enemy.
Half an hour later, the supplies were counted, and the captain requested to set sail. Vig nodded in agreement.
“Weigh anchor!”
Following the captain’s order, two sailors worked together to turn the capstan and raise the heavy iron anchor from the bottom of the sea. At the same time, the rowers rowed carefully, guiding the Bluefish away from the dock.
Reaching the center of the river, the carrack hoisted its sail and gradually disappeared from the view of the people on the dock.
After two days, the Bluefish, along with dozens of Viking longships, docked at Edinburgh. Vig drew a total of six hundred mountain infantry from Edinburgh and Stirling counties, and another hundred garrison troops from Orkney. Including the sailors, the number was exactly one thousand.
Following an east-northeast heading, the fleet reached the main island of the Shetland Islands. Jagged fjords are everywhere. The soil is poor, trees are scarce, and a small number of sheep are scattered on the hillsides.
“Gather the locals. I have a question to ask them.”
Following the lord’s orders, the soldiers gathered over four hundred commoners at the dock. Upon seeing the famous black serpent banner, the locals instantly understood the identity of the newcomers and dared not resist in the slightest.