Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 78: Immediate Decision
Immersed in the icy river water, the unarmed grooms were the first to yield, and under their lead, the soldiers also laid down their weapons.

However, this was far from over. More than 130 humans had accepted the surrender offer, but the warhorses couldn't understand human speech. Seeing a few of their kind wounded by arrows, the herd instantly descended into chaos, fleeing desperately in the east, north, and west.

Faced with the rampaging horses, Vig immediately climbed to the treetop and shouted to the trumpeter nearby:
"Quickly, send the signal to have them pull up the tripwire!"

The farce continued until sunset, resulting in 27 casualties among the commando, all from being charged and trampled by the horses. Fortunately, Vig had anticipated the risk of the horses getting out of control and had arranged for more than 30 people to be stationed at six intersections.

Upon hearing the horn, these men intercepted the herd of horses as planned, ultimately capturing 140 warhorses.

With the reins secured, the Vikings crafted numerous palm-sized wooden boat models using axes and chisels, and set them adrift on the river. According to the agreement, if the Ivar tribe downstream detected this signal, it meant the upstream forces had succeeded, and they should flee as soon as possible.

After resting for a night, Vig refused his subordinates' suggestion to continue the search and resolutely withdrew from the forest with his warhorses and prisoners.

Returning to Latworth along the same route, Vig found the camp outside the castle sparsely populated, and far fewer flags were flying on the walls, with only the flags of Ulf, Pascal, and Leonard remaining.

"Pascal is a civilian official, and Leonard is injured, which means Ulf is the only one left to defend the city. With the army mobilized, could something have happened to Ivar?"

Upon entering the city gate, Vig handed the horses over to the stables and asked Ulf, who had rushed over after hearing the news, "What happened?"

“Last night, Ivar’s men ran back with news that they had received word of the success upstream and immediately withdrew. On the way, Ivar changed his mind and decided to lie in ambush behind Wessex’s main force, waiting for us to launch an attack, and then launch a surprise attack on the enemy’s rear!”

The eldest son was willing to take the risk, which angered Ragnar but also left him somewhat helpless. He left Latworth and a group of wounded men with Ulf and led four thousand men south along the road.

After traveling for half a day, the Wessex scouts noticed the Vikings' movements and launched a frenzied attack while sending someone back to the manor to report the news.

"Ragnar took the initiative?"

The horses and supplies sent from the rear had not yet arrived, and Esserwolf was unwilling to act hastily, repeatedly rejecting his subordinates' requests to go into battle.

"Your Majesty, the Vikings are only six miles away from us."

"Four miles left."

As they drew closer, Esserwolf had everyone fully equipped for battle, adopting a relatively conservative formation and relying on the trenches dug around the manor for defense.

Climbing to the top of the mill, he observed the number of enemy troops coming from the north, which was about the same as his own—four thousand men, with fewer than thirty cavalrymen used for reconnaissance and relaying orders, and about eight hundred heavy infantrymen.

"With equal numbers of men, but three hundred fewer suits of armor than me, what makes him think he can take the initiative to attack?"

Esserwolf listed his advantages, including eighty Frankish riders who remained in action, and did not believe he would lose to his opponent.

In small-scale skirmishes, the Vikings, with their superior physical strength, could defeat an equal number of Angles. However, as the size of the army increased, the importance of formation and discipline rose dramatically.

Winchester Palace houses the complete Gallic Wars and several other military books, which mention that Roman soldiers were generally shorter than the Germans and Gauls, but often achieved victories against superior numbers through good formations, training, and equipment.

From Esselwolf's perspective, the Viking army was filled with raiders from all over the world, and was undisciplined, much like the Germanic barbarians of the past (he overlooked the fact that the Angles were also a branch of the Germanic people, originating in Schleswig in southern Denmark).

Summoning his commanders, he confidently issued orders: "Once the battle begins, use the trenches to hold off the enemy and wear down the Viking barbarians. Judging by the time, the warhorses should arrive in the next couple of days. Once our cavalry numbers have recovered to two hundred, we will launch a counter-offensive." "For Wessex!"

The commanders shouted a slogan and left the mill to direct their respective troops. During their stay at the manor, the Wessex soldiers dug a trench two meters deep and three meters wide around the perimeter, and the excavated soil was piled up behind the trench to form an earthen embankment.

When the Vikings were three hundred paces from the trench, Wessex had assembled his troops and waited quietly behind the earthen embankment for the enemy to launch their attack.

"It seems that Esserwolf is not a fool."

Ragnar, with a solemn expression, led his troops in a circle, avoiding the most well-defended northern side, and prepared to launch an attack from the west.

Under his command, the Wessex soldiers shifted their defensive focus to the west, where the trenches were not yet completed and a section of ground about fifty paces wide remained.

Just as the attack was about to begin, Gunnar suddenly shouted a call to halt, “Your Majesty, do you remember the trick Vig played outside York? He deliberately let the Northumbrian army into the camp and used traps to ensnare nearly three thousand men. I fear the enemy will use a similar tactic.”

Sensing that morale was slowly eroding, Ragnar asked in a low voice, "What do you suggest we do?"

“Make a big show of force, but only exert three-tenths of your strength. Once they learn that the supply route has been attacked and the horses have been hijacked, they will naturally reveal their weaknesses.”

At Gunnar's suggestion, the Vikings converted their supply wagons into shield wagons, pushing them into firing range to cover the archers behind them as they engaged the enemy in a firefight.

Braving a hail of arrows, hundreds of infantrymen slowly pushed shield carts toward the breach. After a brief and fierce battle, the enemy behind the breach showed signs of fatigue, as if another charge would defeat them.

"Sure enough, these guys were putting on an act."

Seeing this, Gunnar halted his advance and instead focused his attack on the enemy's left and right flanks. Sensing his intention, the Wessex army suddenly increased its resistance, with elite armored warriors replacing the militia and driving the Vikings out of their camp in one fell swoop.

Mill.

Esselwolf gazed out the window at the battle raging outside, deeply annoyed by the Vikings' vigilance. "What a disappointment! Why are the strategies in the military treatises not working?"

Suddenly, a guard ran up to report that the cavalry had been attacked in the shallows, and the troops sent to search for them had only found ten warhorses in the woods.

"What did you say?"

With his prized bargaining chip now worthless, Esserwolf grabbed the guard by the collar, paused for a few seconds, and then shoved him away. "Keep the news under wraps for now, don't let it disrupt morale in the army."

"Yes!"

“Wait a minute,” the old king called to the guards, “We were attacked at the shallows. Could the Vikings have set up an ambush at the other crossing point as well?”

Looking at the woods at the end of his field of vision, Esselwolf had a premonition that he was trapped.

(End of this chapter)