On the wooden wall, Uncle Vsevolod gritted his teeth as he looked at the nomadic army with light yellow banners fluttering in the wind. He had been trapped in the city before he could gather the forces from the border areas. A large number of people who should have been firm defenders of the city were thus scattered outside. He could only hope that they would reach other fortresses and towns in time, otherwise the nomadic army would not spare them.
On the city walls, soldiers were busy transporting all kinds of war materials. Most citizens wore armed clothing (cotton armor) and leather armor, and some wore chainmail—the city's handicraft industry allowed them to obtain better weapons.
Farmers, however, were much shabbier. The better-off ones wore armed clothing or leather armor, while the less fortunate went into battle directly in cloth clothes, with fur hats on their heads.
But now, under the pressure of the Polovtsy army, everyone seemed very nervous. Although many had experienced numerous battles, this was the first time many had seen such a massive army, and they were inevitably awed by it.
Uncle Vsevolod's personal guards were better equipped. They wore lamellar armor, ring mail, and leather armor inlaid with iron plates. Some wore iron helmets with chainmail veils, but their numbers were too few, barely one-tenth of this army.
Outside the city walls, herders dressed in fur clothing and equipped with scimitars and bows formed the main body of the nomadic army. However, their nobles and warriors were well-equipped, with iron masks and excellent armor. Some of their mounts were also covered with leather barding, and light yellow banners fluttered among them.
"Have the envoys sent to Kiev departed?"
Uncle Vsevolod wore a silver spired helmet inlaid with bronze inscriptions. He looked solemnly at the army below. The Polovtsy were using their language to boost morale, and the barbarians' savage words echoed through the sky.
The archers calmly adjusted the bows and arrows in their hands by the battlements. These archers were veterans of the border, and such a display would not scare them.
Among them, one person even had a crossbow. This powerful weapon was very useful against heavily armored Nomads at close range. He was one of the wealthiest citizens in Pei City, which was why he was able to acquire such a rare item.
"The men have already left, Prince," the attending personal guard replied, which made Vsevolod breathe a sigh of relief.
"Since that is the case, then we shall focus on facing the army of the steppe."
Uncle Vsevolod bit his lip.
"May God protect us, and may father arrive soon."
Under the overwhelming light yellow banners outside the city, the flags with Orthodox crosses inside the city seemed so small. The pagan army had already reached the city walls, but although small, it still flew firmly in the sky.
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"War! War has come!"
A mounted envoy galloped through Kiev's Golden Gate, shouting the news of the impending battle.
"The Polovtsy! Tens of thousands of Polovtsy are besieging Pereyaslavl!"
The Polovtsian invasion was not something that needed to be concealed. Kiev was extremely close to Pei City. Nomads could reach Kiev from Pei City within a day of full-speed riding. It was impossible to hide, and there was no point in doing so.
This caused a wave of panic among the people. Citizens of Kiev had grown up hearing about the tragic state of cities besieged by the steppe wolves, and many elderly people still remembered the fierce battles with the Pechenegs in the early reigns of "Saint" Vladimir and Yaroslav.
The news of the Nomads' invasion spread like a whirlwind through the streets and alleys of Kiev, at a speed unmatched by any other news.
— — — — — — — —
When Rostislav received this news, he had just finished training at the Kiev training ground.
After a day of training, the young Prince was bathing his warhorse, scrubbing its red fur clean.
Near him, the cavalrymen either tended to their warhorses or organized and maintained their weapons. Some of the Nomads under the Prince were still whispering to their warhorses, exchanging secrets between Nomads and horses, while the Greeks were organizing their armor.
These Greeks were part of his wife's "dowry." Most of the warriors here were from Southern Italy, skilled in archery and horsemanship, and had even witnessed Norman knights' charges.
Therefore, the Prince brought these men into training. The Normans undoubtedly represented the direction of cavalry development in this era. While these warriors fought against the Normans, they also absorbed much of their combat style, and these experiences were extremely valuable.
As for the clerks led by Leo, Leo sent them to manage the properties his father left in Kiev. He currently had no better place to settle them, so he could only make them underemployed. After all, having a group of Greek bureaucrats do what a few Rus people could handle would be a waste of talent, but for now, this was the only temporary arrangement.
The infantry, meanwhile, continued their shield wall training. In this era, from the wooden cities of Rus to the imperial capital's bulwarks, infantry combat in various regions was not particularly complex.
Shield wall clashes were common. In such battles, maintaining the integrity of the formation was crucial. Once a gap appeared in the shield wall, the enemy would exploit it to break through. Conversely, how to break the enemy's shield wall was the biggest problem every commander faced.
The personal guards were professional veterans supported by the Prince, so forming a shield wall came naturally to them, even for the younger members. Layer after layer of shields stacked up smoothly under Gvaran's commands.
Behind the shield wall were basically elite personal guards armed with Danish axes. These elites were the reserve force of the frontline, either rescuing the front line from danger or delivering a powerful blow to break through the enemy's line.
They often carried a set of javelins, which would provide support to the front line when necessary.
Some newcomers were also being trained among them. These were mainly the offspring sent by his father's remaining forces. They were happy to have their descendants join "Alexander's" army, after all, wouldn't it be a waste to just keep repeating training for the old veterans?
They were also the most scolded people in this shield wall, as they simply couldn't compare to these seasoned veterans skilled in the art of war.
The cavalry training, however, was personally led by Rostislav, and the training for these hundred men was much more complex.
Rostislav demanded that the entire cavalry unit advance in a wave-like, orderly fashion. The focus of the training was on discipline, which was what he cared about most.
In Rostislav's plan, these men would become the seeds for the future. When he truly had the conditions to establish a large cavalry force, these men would serve as the backbone, building the massive and disciplined cavalry force of the Prince's dreams.
The Rus and Greeks were fine; after all, the "Companions Cavalry" had grown up under Rostislav's training since childhood. As for the newcomers, though their skills were poor, at least they followed orders.
And the Greeks, being unfamiliar with the place, naturally gravitated towards Rostislav and obeyed his commands. Moreover, these Greeks clearly understood the importance of discipline and formation.
But those Nomads were annoyed. These proud sons of the steppe didn't have that much patience. If Rostislav hadn't personally defeated them one by one in duels, convincing them wholeheartedly, they would have caused a huge fuss long ago.
Just as the Prince finished washing his warhorse, a hurried cavalryman came into view. He carried a trident banner symbolizing the Kiev Grand Duke, representing the Grand Duke's command.
"Lord Rostislav, the Grand Duke demands that you immediately proceed to Vladimir Palace in Kiev. War has come! The Polovtsy have invaded!"
Rostislav was stunned, not expecting the war to arrive so quickly. In his memory, the Polovtsy shouldn't have invaded so early in history.
However, considering that the Estonia campaign a year ago was also not in history, he felt relieved. It was normal for the butterfly effect of him, the transmigrator, to bring about some historical deviations. Naturally, he wasn't afraid of these and would just deal with them as they came.
He did not hesitate, entrusting the troops to Gvaran's management, while he himself went to attend the war council at Vladimir Palace.
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