Viking: Master of the Icy Sea

Chapter 298: Command of the Allied Forces

As the two cavalry units routed one after another, Frankish morale plummeted to rock bottom. Their entire center was completely penetrated, and Carloman, along with Charles the Fat, fled the battlefield under the escort of their knights.

In this battle, the Vikings lost four hundred men and saw eight hundred wounded. The Franks suffered nearly three thousand five hundred casualties and captives. Their remaining two thousand men were reduced to disorganized stragglers, highly unlikely to be of any further use.

When the battle concluded, Wigg thought of the light infantry with their bizarre hairstyles. He had his men inquire about their origins, and the truth was quite surprising.

They were also Franks, but they hailed from the remote forested regions of Bavaria. Due to their isolation, they had retained ancient traditions from their tribal era, including their customary axe-throwing tactics.

In contrast, their kin living on the plains of West Francia had grown accustomed to an agrarian lifestyle, shedding the old customs of their tribal past as their martial traditions gradually faded. This trend was irreversible. With population growth and the rapid expansion of their territorial domain, the original Frankish tribal system could no longer adapt to the new environment. They had no choice but to piece together a new system of governance modeled after the cultural customs of Rome.

"So that is how it is. I thought they were foreign tribes from Burgundy or Swabia," Wigg remarked, suddenly losing interest. He waved his hand to dismiss the captives and took Fridleif for a stroll around the area.

"What mistakes do you think the enemy made? Suppose you were commanding the Frankish army, how would you make your decisions?"

Fridleif calmed his nerves and replied based on his existing knowledge, "Carloman should not have changed his formation at the last moment. While our army was maneuvering westward, his forces were stuck in the chaos caused by that shift.

If it were me, I would have dispatched all my cavalry in a desperate strike against the flanking Viking main force, buying time for the infantry to deploy their formation."

Wigg replied, "That is a judgment you made based on hindsight after the battle. Suppose you were in the midst of the fight, with forests to the west and north obstructing your vision. On what grounds would you determine that the forces on the western flank were the Viking main body? If you sent out all your cavalry, only to catch an insignificant unit, how would you handle the aftermath?Cavalry possesses formidable combat strength, but their flaw lies in how easily their formations scatter. Lose focus for even a moment, and they disappear completely. Take our ranger battalion, for example. Even now, half of its members have not returned to the ranks. At this rate, I expect some will still be straggling outside by dusk."

This question exceeded Fridleif's ability to answer. He turned to glance at nobles like Butcherbird and Viper, but the men wisely kept their mouths shut. Left with no choice, he pondered the matter alone, unable to find an answer even as he went to sleep that night.

The following day, the Vikings buried the bones of their comrades and enemies alike before heading south toward Schleswig. Upon catching sight of that iconic black banner, the two hundred or so routed enemy soldiers stationed there scattered and fled.

After taking over the defenses, Wigg was surprised to discover that there were still fifty households residing within the town. "Having suffered through multiple ravages of war, how did they manage to survive?"

He ordered his army to level the abandoned ruins within the town and erect orderly barracks in their place. He then sent messengers to notify the navy, instructing them to sail around the Jutland Peninsula and deliver supplies directly to Schleswig.

Simultaneously, Wigg dispatched envoys to invite Viking rulers such as Erik Jr., Halfdan Whiteshirt, Rekker, and Farvel, aiming to form an allied force to deal with the Frankish threat.

In response to Wigg's summons, the two kings and a host of powerful nobles showed immense respect, arriving by ship at Schleswig one after another.

On April sixth, wasting no more time, Wigg convened a meeting with everyone.

As Erik Jr., Halfdan Whiteshirt, and the others took their seats, he dispensed with any pleasantries and immediately stated his position. "I want to assume command of the Viking allied forces. Who is in favor? Who is opposed?"

Farvel declared, "I am in favor."

Rekker echoed, "I am also in favor!"

Viking society worshipped martial prowess, and across the entirety of Northern Europe, no one understood warfare better than Wigg. Thus, the proposal garnered the support of the vast majority of the nobles. Erik Jr. and Halfdan Whiteshirt exchanged a glance before stating in flat tones, "I am in favor."

With his command officially recognized, Wigg had each faction report their numbers. In name, the Viking allied forces could muster thirteen thousand men, but in reality, there were only ten thousand, with many soldiers still in the process of assembling.

After the meeting concluded, Wigg began reorganizing the troops belonging to over thirty powerful lords. The task was mentally exhausting, and he eventually abandoned the highly inefficient endeavor. Two days passed, and he suddenly felt a sense of unease, burdened by an urgent desire to end the war as swiftly as possible.

Fearing that delays would breed complications, Wigg stopped waiting for subsequent reinforcements. He left the Northern European nobles in the south to repair the Danevirke defensive line, while he personally led over nine thousand soldiers north, determined to crush the army of Louis the Younger at the earliest opportunity.

On April twelfth, the allied forces arrived at Vejle.

Gazing out at the dilapidated palisade and the Saxon banner fluttering atop the watchtower, Halfdan Whiteshirt wore an expression of profound daze.

Back when Louis the German invaded, he and his fourth brother had garrisoned Vejle. Now, times had changed. His fourth brother was dead, and the roles of besiegers and defenders had been completely reversed, filling his heart with a bitter sense of sorrow.

"Leave Vejle to me!" he demanded of Wigg.

Wigg rode his horse in a circle around the palisade to observe the defenses. He then sent men to question the surviving locals nearby, learning that the garrison inside only consisted of slightly over three hundred men.

Since Halfdan Whiteshirt was willing to do the dirty and grueling work, Wigg was happy to oblige. He allowed the man to lead over a thousand soldiers to initiate the siege, while the main force continued their march north.

Following the road, they reached Aarhus, which was similarly garrisoned by several hundred Frankish soldiers. Following standard procedure, he left behind a mixed force of over a thousand men to handle it.

Two more days passed before Wigg arrived at Randers. Compared to the previous two towns, the gates here were left wide open, and the palisade was entirely deserted. Only a handful of Viking residents remained, hiding within their homes and observing the arrivals with caution.

Upon inquiring, he learned that the Frankish army seemed to have sensed the threat from the south. Although unaware of the specific details, Louis the Younger had decided to consolidate his forces to avoid being defeated in detail.

"What is the situation in Aalborg?" Wigg asked.

A commoner replied, "Aalborg fell five days ago. Louis had his riders parade around with Ubbe's banner and royal artifacts, putting them on display to flaunt his might."

Leaving a few hundred men to garrison the town, Wigg pressed further north. A day later, he encountered Louis the Younger's army, numbering roughly six thousand strong.

Seeing the military formation of the North's Serpent with his own eyes, Louis forced himself to remain calm. Utilizing his supply wagons, he similarly deployed an extremely conservative defensive formation. The battlefield was wide and open, meaning Wigg could not rely on the terrain to deceive his enemy. He had no choice but to lay out his own formation and engage the foe in a direct, honorable, and decisive battle.

The Viking side possessed seven thousand soldiers. The vast majority were elites patiently trained by Wigg, boasting morale, equipment, training, and organization that were unmatched throughout the Northern European world.

Only ten minutes into the clash between the two armies, Louis felt an indescribable pressure. The shield wall was steadily losing ground, and his infantry commanders consecutively begged for reinforcements.

On the eastern flank of the battlefield, the cavalry forces he had placed so much hope in performed abysmally. Thwarted by the enemy's pike phalanx, they attempted to detour, only to be suddenly entangled by Viking cavalry. Subsequently encircled, a mere sixty or so Frankish cavalrymen managed to escape by sheer luck.

"We cannot hold them! Retreat!"

With the battle turning against him, Louis beat a hasty retreat. Fortunately, a small river stretched across the land not far to the north. After crossing it, he burned the bridge behind him, leading his remaining three thousand men to safety and finally shaking off Wigg's pursuit.