In mid-July, thousands of Vikings arrived at the gates of Glasgow, a settlement on the north bank of the River Clyde. Vig planned to take it within a month.
After several days of digging trenches and constructing a siege camp, Vig entrusted the construction of siege engines to Jorun, who himself planned to lead two thousand warriors to clear out the surrounding small and medium-sized settlements.
As Vig neared departure, he received an unexpected guest: an envoy from the Alliance of the Isles and his son-in-law, Helgi.
Waiting for them outside the camp were Helgi and about twenty of his followers. This was their first encounter with an army of this size, and
they were deeply impressed.
"So much armor! I had no idea the Serpent of the North was so rich."
"Hey, look at their warhorses! They're much bigger than usual.
They must be a joy to ride." Embarrassed, Helgi simply closed one eye and stared blankly until Vig came out to greet him.
"Welcome! We've sent plenty of beer. You can try this new stuff; it's much better than the ale we've been drinking."
Inviting his son-in-law and the rowdy young men into the tent, Vig ordered his men to prepare food and drink. As they ate, he watched the men's faces closely and had a rough idea of his son-in-law's intentions.
As expected, the Isle Alliance learned of the unrest in the North and decided to take advantage of it. However, fearing the reputation of the Serpent of the North, they sent Helgi to gather information.
Vig thought, "It was because these people were constantly harassing the west coast that the Gaelic nobles became more cautious and eventually allied with the Picts, making this battle much more difficult. Even after all this trouble, they have the gall to ask me for favors?"
He paused, swirling his glass in silence. Soon Helgi coughed twice and offered his services. "Everyone heard that you were conquering the North, so they offered to help. They were afraid of misunderstandings, so they asked me to come and gather information."
Setting down his glass, Vig sighed. "What does the Island Alliance want, or what does Stein want?"
Seeing his son-in-law's evasiveness, he straightened up.
"My goal in this war is to conquer the North. Stein intends to take this opportunity to seize several settlements. I do not object. But he has no right to seize land. When autumn comes, he must return to the island. If he dares to invade my territory in the future, the only consequence will be death."
After countless battles, Vig had long ago abandoned the so-called Island Alliance.
He was not going to compromise with this motley group that could not muster even five hundred warriors. If Stein continued to cause trouble, he would march through all the islands except Skye, which belonged to his brother-in-law, killing all troublemakers and sending the remaining prisoners to Stirling, to me.
"Please convey this to Stein in full, so that he will understand his place," Vig said.
After the harsh words, he asked about the health of his sister Britta and nephew Leif. When he learned that they were both well, he invited his son-in-law and his family back for a change of scenery.
'There is a port in the Ayr area south of Glasgow and vast, level, open lands, ideal for farming and grazing. What do you think?'
"Well, let me think about it," Helgi replied without a clear answer, apparently still too embarrassed to work for him.
Seeing this, Vig gave in and sent Helgi some jewelry and wine, entrusting them to Britta and Leif.
For some time after, Vig led a campaign against the small and medium-sized settlements that refused to surrender. He spared the common people and slaves,
instead striking hard at the lords, confiscating their lands and property.
This move undoubtedly destabilized the North and greatly increased the likelihood of future rebellions, but Vig had no choice.
In the aftermath of the war, trusted men like Yoren, Bafous, Miham, and Torga were stripped of their fiefs, and many of the soldiers were knighted. This large group would inevitably take over the existing nobility, and conflict would inevitably flare up, so it was best to take advantage of the opportunity to settle the matter at once.
As each village came under his control, he sent out shamans and a group of fifth-grade students to register the population and lands,
which would serve as the basis for future taxes and fiefs.
The Lowlands are the quintessential Scottish Highlands. Hmm, three counties perhaps...
As the war progressed, Whig came to understand the lands more and more. Once the situation in the Lowlands had generally stabilized, he sent a detachment to Edinburgh to relieve Shrike, commanding the Highlanders and awaiting deployment.
After three months of training, Shrike's unit was reorganized into a mountain infantry battalion, consisting of three companies of nine squads each, for a total of 140 men. In addition, the battalion headquarters had 20 armored soldiers, 30 archers, and 30 heavy cavalry, for a total of 500 men. They also had over 20 ponies suitable for mountaineering.
As the mountain infantry trained, Vig smiled and pointed to a small dot on the map. "The enemy numbers in the Central Lowlands are decreasing. It is time to clear the southern mountains. This is Lenark, a valley to the south. You will lead your troops to capture it and test the mountain infantry's fighting ability."
Shrike readily accepted the task without further comment, looking at the scribbled parchment map.
The next morning, five hundred mountain infantry set out south. After half a day's march the terrain became increasingly rugged, and the horizon stretched to an endless forest. The mountain wind rustled the countless branches and leaves, creating a sea of green.
"Disperse,"
Shrike commanded. The soldier pulled out his horn, puffed out his cheeks and blew vigorously.
If necessary, the detachment divided into twenty-seven squads, each of which advanced in turn into this unfamiliar and dangerous forest. The air was hot and humid, and the sun shone through the tangled branches, casting countless patches of light in all sorts of shapes. Nearby grew heather bushes with low-hanging purple-red flowers. From time to time a brightly colored hazel grouse flew by, attracting General attention.
Every ten minutes or so, Shrike had the soldiers repeat the bugle call and inquired about the status of each unit. According to protocol, the three company commanders responded with flutes, and the squad leader with a brass whistle.
As they advanced deeper into the mountains, the echo of the horns, flutes, and whistles scared away the birds and animals, creating a strange and dangerous atmosphere.
After lunch, the troops continued their advance. As they passed a stream, Shrike heard a rapid whistle from the east, announcing: "The attack has begun, the fight is in progress."
A few seconds later, the sound of a flute was heard from the forest to the east. The company commander ordered the squad under attack to remain where they were, and the surrounding troops to reinforce. At the same time,
Shrike called on the rest of the troops with a bugle call to assemble and prepare for the coming attack.
While they waited anxiously, a messenger arrived at battalion headquarters with the news that the enemy had been repulsed, twenty men had been killed, and one of their own had been killed. Four were injured.