The winter sun was gentle, but for soldiers who had endured a long march, even the gentlest sun felt scorching and deadly.
Only the cool breeze that met them could offer a little comfort and relaxation.
A soldier raised his leather waterskin and drank deeply; his throat was terribly dry, and he wished he could drink every last drop in the waterskin.
After a few sips, he licked his lips and handed the waterskin to his comrade behind him.
However, the comrade, clad in chainmail, merely shook his head, focusing on moving forward, so he had no choice but to tie the waterskin back to his waist.
The soldier looked back at the long queue behind him; countless sharp spears gleamed in the sunlight, and countless steel-helmeted heads advanced under the cross flag.
This army of "faith" was heading to Bulgar to crusade against the corrupted in the name of God.
The soldier wiped his mouth, then shouldered his long spear and continued to march, continuing this arduous journey.
If there had been roads available for the Yaroslavl immigrants to rest on before, now there were no roads at all where they were marching; the soldiers walked directly on open ground.
Many soldiers' shoes were severely worn out during these past few days of marching, but fortunately, Rostislav had anticipated this situation early on and brought several carts of shoes for the soldiers as spares.
Furthermore, several shoemakers accompanied the army, able to repair shoes as much as possible, and a pile of straw sandals were also brought along.
However, even so, shoes were still in short supply; in the black market at daily encampments, a good pair of shoes was always the most sought-after item, because it could protect your legs, and your legs directly related to your combat effectiveness.
But this did not mean that Rostislav's actions were in vain, because thanks to his efforts, at least no one was marching barefoot now.
If they were to march barefoot, it would severely cause non-combat casualties, an experience Rostislav had summarized.
The journey had been very difficult; often, they had to fell trees in forests and build bridges over water to repair these routes.
Difficult roads inevitably led to deserters, as there were simply too many "volunteers" here, and as their initial enthusiasm, brought by their beautiful fantasies of war, faded, a fear of hardship and difficulty surged forth.
Moreover, for many, this unfamiliar land was very unfriendly; the dense forests filled them with fear, and as for the nights, with the eerie winds blowing and the howling of wild beasts, many were reminded of the scary stories they heard as children.
But having reached this point, how could Rostislav allow them to escape? The Prince's nomadic cavalry directly captured all these fellows.
These deserters were then hanged at the very front of the column so that everyone could see the fate of a deserter.
Such actions greatly boosted morale and discipline, making everyone understand that none of this was a game.
And today, this massive army had advanced for almost four hours without any rest, and some units had already begun to disorganize.
Fortunately, the Prince did not deliberately rush the marching speed, otherwise many would have fallen behind.
After resting for a period in Yaroslavl and merging with the various armies stationed there, the Winter Army resumed its journey.
The Winter Army first crossed the Volga River; on the other side of the river, they received troops and guides from the Scherihov Family, who would lead the army for the rest of the journey.
Rostislav divided his army into three parts: first, the vanguard, composed of his various standing units and trusted soldiers—these soldiers generally came from Moscow and its surrounding areas—totaling 3,000 men.
Secondly, there were the troops conscripted by local nobles and chieftains; these troops were also considered trustworthy.
At least they wouldn't cause any trouble, and sandwiched between these units were various stragglers and mercenaries from who-knows-where.
This was the method Rostislav devised after summarizing everything he had experienced during the previous marching period.
Since they were prone to dragging their feet, they would simply be enveloped by reliable troops.
This part of the army numbered as many as 7,000, forming the main component of Rostislav's army and also the section most likely to encounter problems.
Finally, there was the unit escorting the massive logistics train, totaling 2,000 men.
Although the soldiers carried their own provisions, these supplies brought from home would eventually run out.
And when that moment came, Rostislav would have to use his own supplies to feed these warriors; he couldn't let them go hungry.
Adam's troops were also among these 2,000 men; of course, Adam himself and his guards were at the front of the column.
As for why this arrangement, it was because Rostislav hoped the Bulgar troops would arrive intact; their usefulness later would be far greater than their value as common soldiers.
And besides Adam's unit, there was also a special unit here: the Moscow Engineer Battalion.
This Engineer Battalion had developed during Moscow's construction over the years; initially, they were just temporary construction teams building fortresses.
As Robert, Moscow's chief engineer, selected many skilled individuals from among them, the Moscow Engineer Battalion was thus established.
The engineers possessed remarkable abilities in constructing fortifications and siege engines, and many of them also had carpentry or blacksmithing skills, which allowed them to cope with various wear and tear on the road, such as repairing horseshoes.
These warriors escorted countless large carts, laden with boxes of salted fish, dried meat, cheese, and black bread so hard it could test one's teeth.
Fresh vegetables were the most sought-after item, but that was something only the nobles within the army could enjoy; as for ordinary soldiers, they had to pick wild fruits and vegetables from the roadside themselves.
Most of this dried meat came from the continuous hunting in Northeast Rus over the years, which yielded a large amount of game.
And these game animals were not eaten directly; people couldn't consume that much.
After being skinned, most of their meat would be salted and stored centrally, awaiting the day it could be used.
Additionally, following the Scherihov Family's suggestion, Rostislav had all the carts modified into sleds, or directly manufactured a considerable number of sleds, and this indeed greatly aided the march.
As for the food, although these items didn't taste great, their quality was guaranteed; at least they were safe to eat.
Some other carts carried tents and a series of camping equipment, as well as disassembled ballistas.
However, the Winter Army's logistics did not solely rely on this rear guard; more importantly, it depended on the ships on the Volga River.
These ships all came from Yaroslavl and Beloye Lake, though most of them were small boats, they were sufficient to resupply the army daily.
Although logistics were secured, Rostislav had been intentionally leaving supply stations as logistical connection points along the way.
These supply stations could store provisions, ensure contact between the Winter Army and the rear, and only required a small garrison of a few dozen to a hundred men.
Furthermore, in some suitable places, Rostislav also directly used the army's strength to build fortresses, serving as future strongholds for actually controlling this "no man's land" between Rus' and Bulgar.
Rostislav intended to bring these lands directly under his control, and Adam naturally "represented" Bulgar in expressing approval, agreeing to Rus's possession of this land.
Regarding the construction of these fortresses, Rostislav primarily followed the advice of the Scherihov Family; this family had experienced many years in this land and was extremely knowledgeable about it.
In addition, the three Scherihov brothers also reported the resolution of internal issues to Rostislav, with which the Moscow Prince was very satisfied—after all, he also had similar experiences—and Old Ivan's expectation was also thus.
As a reciprocal gesture, Rostislav resolved the problem for Vasily, the only one among the three Scherihov brothers who had not yet found his future.
He constructed an important fortress at a point on the Volga River, and the Prince named this fortress Lower Novgorod.
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