“We are now outlaws in Palestine, Talon. We go with you,” Guy stated. He scratched his head. “I would like to discover what has happened to Nigel, but I go with you. My ship is yours, whatever you decide.”
“I agree, Talon,” Henry chuckled. “You fooled those bastards in Acre. Perhaps you can fool some idiot here into selling you a castle! How stupid are these Greeks anyway?”
“We only have Dimitri to judge them by,” Guy said with a laugh, slapping Dimitri on the back.
“Then you should be sore afraid, my friend,” Dimitri replied with a mock scowl. “For I am the brightest Greek of all, most certainly when compared to you barbaric Franks!”
“First question, Max,” Talon said, after the laughter had died. “Is there a way to get to the castle by sea?”
“Oh yes. There is a very small natural harbor which serves the castle. I went down to have a look while I was there, with a small village on its rim. The castle, or what is left of it is high on a ridge. You will see what I mean if we go there.”
Henry raised his hand. “From what you told us today, Talon, there is not much time. Should that whore’s son Isaac come back for a taste of more in this sorry place, we ought to be long gone. No telling when he will show up again with his band of mercenaries. If he discovers you here he will stop at nothing to steal the ships and all you own.”
Later that evening, Talon and Rav’an were seated on a terrace that overlooked the harbor. The sun had set behind the huge Trudos Mountain range, but twilight lingered on. The stars were beginning to become bright in the sky to the East, Venus was low in the west hidden by the mountain, and a light breeze was blowing off the land. The sleepy seagulls sat in rows on the red tiled roofs and a flock of crows roosted in the plane trees which lined the harbor road. The birds settled in with occasional quarrelsome squawks, but other than the muted murmur of late evening pedestrians heading home there was quiet in the city. Paphos was a fishing port as well as a mercantile port; the fishermen went to bed very early, as they were up and out at sea before the dawn. Talon stared at his galleys and wondered to himself.
“You are very thoughtful tonight, Talon,” Rav’an observed. She was seated comfortably on a wide, wicker chair, with cushions to support her back.
“Those two have only eyes for each other tonight,” she said, with a smile and a nodded towards Reza and Jannat, who were seated further down the terrace, deep in conversation. “But you are elsewhere. Where are you, my Love?’
“I am mourning the loss of Sir Guy de Veres, and those other friends I had when I lived in Acre, my Love,” he shook his head sadly. “Sir Guy was a mentor was well as a good friend. I shall miss him. Max told me of the battle and the fact that the army could have saved the men at the ford but once again Châtillon and his cronies delayed things with the King and it was lost along with many lives including one of their best.” He was bitter with grief and worry.
Rav’an reached out to touch his sleeve in a comforting gesture. “You have lost many friends, Talon. Perhaps they are with the God of the Christians now. I am sorry,” she said. Rav’an was concerned; she had noticed the tiny lines of worry at the corners of Talon’s eyes. The last time she had seen those was when he had been navigating them home from China.
“We depend upon you for so much, my Prince,” she told him with a tremulous smile. “I know you worry about all of us, but you have a fine band of followers with you too. Since the Acre escape, everyone of them admires you and will follow you anywhere!”
He took her hand in his and pressed it to his lips. “It is a comfort just to be with you at any time, my Rav’an, especially now when things are so uncertain,” he said, then smiled at her. “I am trying to think up a plan that will allow us some peace and security. We have known very little of that in recent months. I am mulling over what Max told us.”
“You are taking the idea of a castle seriously?” she asked him, with surprise in her voice.
“Well, yes. As you just said, we possess some very talented people, and I don’t see why we should not take advantage of that fact,” Talon finished. “But it is going to take a great deal of planning... and so much luck. I am reminded of our friend Hsü; he would most certainly have had a solution to all this.” Talon was referring to his friend and mentor in China, Hsü, a man he considered to be of near infinite resourcefulness and wisdom.
“Perhaps you underrate yourself, Talon. You say he taught you much.”
“You know he did, and by example even more than by words. I cannot get that game out of my mind.”
“The game of Go?” Rav’an asked.
“Hmmm. First you surround your enemies, and then you dispose of them; it is your choice, not theirs. It is buzzing around in my mind at this moment.”
Just then a black kitten raced onto the terrace, closely pursued by an excited Rostam, who clearly wanted to capture the tiny animal. “Kitty, come here!” he called, as he chased the frightened animal. It ran close enough to Talon for him to sweep it up into his hand and hold the tiny creature, its eyes wide with fright, in the air for inspection.
“What is its name?” he asked the boy, who beamed. “The servants call it Pan... something,” Rostam told them.
“Panther,” said Talon, guessing what he meant.
“Does that mean anything?” Rav’an asked him with a laugh.
“It means fierce cat. Although why anyone would call a kitten that I have no idea. It is almost invisible in the darkness, it is so black,” Talon said, staring into its bright yellow eyes.
“No, Rostam,” his mother said firmly, when the boy wanted to linger with them. “It is almost bed time, so take this ball of fluff and go to your room; and keep him from getting underfoot.”
Rostam happily took the kitten from his father. It settled down and was soon purring against the boy’s shoulder. Rostam left them to the evening. “Good night, Papa,” he called.
“I shall be in later to see you,” Rav’an called after him.
Later that night, as they lay together, Rav’an moved closer to Talon and caressed his chest then slowly her hand moved further down. His response brought a sound of amusement from her. “My, how quickly the magic works!” she exclaimed.
“That isn’t my fault, it’s all yours, woman!” he responded, pretending to sound vexed.
“Hmm, I wonder,” she murmured.
He kissed her then, and she felt the wonder begin. His lips moved downward. “How beautiful you are, my Rav’an,” he murmured as he kissed her breasts. “I must not hurt you; I fear I will in my passion for you.”
Her nipples grew under his lips and she groaned with the pleasure of it. “I am sure of you, my knight. You will not hurt me, nor our child. Make love to me, my warrior, for I am ready.” In the unhurried manner of their love-making he made sure she was absolutely ready before he entered her, and then they began to move very slowly. She held him within her as the magical spasm surged through her entire body, making her mewl into his shoulder with the intensity of it. They lay for a long while together, not wanting to move and break the spell.
And are the clods of earth so sweet to you now
that to us you prefer worms and decay?
—Hanagid
Chapter 11
A ScoutingParty
Talon took Henry’s ship, as it was the speedier of the two. He left Dimitri with Guy and Reza in Paphos, with the strict instructions that should there be even a whisper that Isaac was going to pay the city another unwelcome visit, they were to embark aboard Guy’s ship and to sail around the island to meet up with Talon along the coast.
Unhappy that he had to be left behind, Reza fully understood that his was an important responsibility and that Talon needed to scout the location before they rushed in. They simply could not all go into an unknown situation. Talon spent some time with his captains preparing prearranged signals and studying the crude chart that Max had prepared. He took Dar’an with him and left Yosef with Reza. He also took with him two of their
newly trained followers, Khuzaymah and Junayd, who had proved to be good archers and had taken immediately to the hard stealth training as administered by Reza. Talon was confident that they would be useful to have on this voyage. He left Maymun and Nasuh behind with Reza and Yosef.
“There is an inlet further east of the harbor of the castle which has fresh water from the mountains, and there a ship can spend some time without attracting attention, should you have to flee Paphos before we get back,” Max informed them. He showed Guy the location on his map. Guy nodded. “It might prove useful,” he agreed. “Safe voyage to you.”
The following morning just before daybreak, the ship was rowed quietly out of the harbor. No one stopped them, perhaps because the men on the ship were well armed and business-like. The slovenly soldiers on the harbor front would have been no match for them in a fight. All the same, Talon had advised Guy to post guards around the clock on his ship, and to use some of them as bodyguards when moving about the town. The occupants of the villa welcomed the protection the men provided.
Henry hugged the coastline as they headed north and rounded the fat end of the island, while Max, standing on the steering deck, pointed out landmarks that he remembered. Max appeared to have aged ten years in the interval they had been apart. He was still very weak, but Talon observed that the fresh, salt air of the sea appeared to be doing him good. All the same, he took care to ensure that his old friend was well wrapped; the sea, while not rough, was choppy, and the wind was brisk.
They passed across the two wide bays of Khysokhou and then Morphou, after which they headed due north to sail around the sharp cape of Mythou. After that it was easy enough to keep off shore by a few miles. When the wind died, which it did most early evenings, Henry put the rowers to work to keep them going. The rhythmic rise and fall of the oars and the beat of the drum that helped the men keep time was good to witness. They were on a mission and the men welcomed it. They had been distressed to hear that Cyprus was not a safe haven, but their faith in their leaders was firm. Now they were being kept occupied and would have no time to dwell upon misfortune.
On the second day, Max pointed to a distant town at the base of the thin range of mountains that had replaced the bulk of the Trudos Mountains.
“Over there is Kyrenia, a popular port for the ships from Alanya on the mainland. Beyond are many inlets where we can put in at night to stay out of sight while on our journey. I don’t think there are any Greek naval ships patrolling these seas, but it would be wise to keep a low profile. An encounter with a Byzantine battle ship would be a disaster.”
A full three days of sailing with a good wind behind them brought them close to their destination. Max beckoned Talon to join him and Henry on the steering deck, then pointed to a range of mountains set some way back from the coast. “Kantara castle is seated on that ridge up there,” Max explained. “You can just see it from the port, but it is difficult from here. The port of Kantara is small, but well protected from the open sea. I only spent a night there; Nigel was captaining the ship at the time. You will have to think of a reason to visit the castle, Talon.” It was not lost upon Talon that everyone deferred to him. The escape from Acre had cemented their belief in his ability to lead them.
He stared southward at the long, thin range of mountains that stretched along the back of the narrow peninsula. According to the map Max had drawn, on the other side of the mountains in a large wide bay was the large walled city of Famagusta. What Talon could see of the castle was pleasing, because it was perched high above the narrow, northern plain.
“We should find a cove where we can anchor the ship, Henry. I don’t want to advertise our presence,” Talon told his captain. Max agreed. “We are within a short day’s walk from the port belonging to the castle. The next inlet has a stream of fresh water flowing into it.”
The crew were set to work to bring the ship into a narrow cove with high limestone walls, atop of which grew small pines and shrubs. As they pulled at the oars, with men at the bows to warn of rocks and other obstructions, Talon looked behind. They were completely hidden from the sea. It was a perfect hiding place. The waterway opened up just wide enough to provide a small sandy beach, and there was just enough room to turn the ship. Henry sighed with satisfaction. “I shall bring us about and face the sea, just in case we have to leave in a hurry,” he stated.
The crew moved smartly to his orders and the anchor stones were dropped. The cove appeared to be quiet and peaceful. They listened to the silence, and small sounds of life became evident. There was the long, rasping zither of cicadas in trees, the occasional cry of a hawk, and the gentle surge and receding pull of small waves. The heat shimmered off the sand of the beach. The scent of pines was strong in the air. A few birds flitted from bush to bush, but other than that there were no signs of life, nor of human presence.
“Post sentries up there on the banks and at the entrance of the cove as soon as you can, Henry,” Talon ordered. “I don’t want some stray shepherd to stumble upon us and raise any alarms.”
He accompanied the sentries to the top of the high banks overlooking the cove. Looking down, the ship appeared to be resting on air; the water was so clear and still. Then he saw and heard a splash as one of the more exuberant crew members jumped into the water. He was soon followed by many others. The men were clearly enjoying this part of the expedition; after sweating at the oars they deserved to cool off. Time for the hard work later, Talon decided.
He turned away and stared in a north-westerly direction. For as far as he could see, there was scrub and pine scattered along the plain; but higher up the steep mountain side, the trees became taller and more dense. The forest would provide good cover for him and his companions when they went to investigate the castle.
Talon, Henry, Dar’an and two of his men stared up at the massive walls of the castle they had come to investigate. They had made their way with care across the rough countryside, keeping to the thickets, dense scrub and clumps of forest, avoiding the open areas, which were criss-crossed with trails that meandered in every direction. There was no doubt that shepherds with their goats and sheep traversed these hills; the signs were everywhere, including the distant tinkle of small bells. Frequently, they’d had to stop and cautiously scout ahead to make sure that no one was in their path.
His alert men had found birds hanging in small snap traps in thickets along their way. Talon surmised that the goat herder boys supplemented their diet with wild birds and hares. This meant that at any time they could stumble upon a boy or herder on his way to collect the traps. They were especially careful to avoid leaving any sign of passing once they realized this.
Now Talon and his small group of men were crouched in a thick clump of young firs and shrubs, looking up at the fortress, which impressed Talon greatly. This was a formidable structure!
Kantara was perched high on a craggy rise that rose directly out of the ridge itself and overlooked a long, narrow, fertile plain to the north, which eventually ended in a primitive harbor, in which were anchored a few fishing boats. There was a deep but wide valley to the south of the ridge, which ran from southwest to northeast. The castle appeared to be inaccessible on its north side to anyone but the most determined and skilled climber. It would also be a very difficult place to attack from the valley to the south. Admiring its position, Talon decided that this castle was virtually impregnable to existing siege weaponry.
His men sat in silence behind him as he squatted on the ground, chewing on a dried stalk of grass, thoughtfully contemplating the fortification. The view from the walls was surely magnificent in every direction, in particular to the north, where a sentinel could see an enemy fleet from many leagues away and raise the alarm. Either a beacon or a messenger could send notice of danger to the citizens of Famagusta on the other side of the steep mountain range, and from there riders could alert the rest of the island long before anyone landed.
Dar’an waved away a buzzing fly from his nut-brown face and commented,
“This place does not look as though it can be easily taken.”
“Just so. Max told me the Byzantines built it to act as a lookout for the Arab fleets, about a hundred years ago. They seem to have added to it since then.” Talon continued staring at the castle. How perfect it was, he thought to himself. If he could only take it, a tiny number of men could hold it against all comers.
It was then Talon resolved to do all it required to take this castle. Hsü, his friend and mentor, was uppermost in his mind as he came to this decision. Unless he was utterly ruthless, he might fail. Henceforth, he would give no quarter in the quest to protect his family and friends.
“It is not a small castle,” Junayd stated, jerking him out of his reverie. “Wonder how many people live inside.”
“That will be for us to find out,” he replied. “I notice they are building on the South wall overlooking the valley. Must be making repairs.”
“I can see many people swarming around it, slaves most likely,” Khuzaymah noted.
“Master Talon, I see what looks like a compound down in the valley, not far from one of the villages,” Dar’an murmured.
“Yes, I see it now. You’ve got good eyes, Dar’an,” Talon said. “That could be where the slaves are kept.”
“Hmm, do you think that could be useful?” Dar’an grinned at Talon as he said this.
“Our first objective has been met. We know why it cannot be stormed by any conventional means. Now we need to know how many people live inside, and then see if we cannot use their weaknesses against them.” Talon spoke French for the benefit of Henry who was with them. It elicited a grunt of astonishment.
“Talon, pardon me for interrupting, but am I hearing correctly? Are you seriously thinking of taking that place?” Henry sounded incredulous as his eyes took in the forbidding walls and towers.
“Yes, we are, Henry,” Dar’an said. He was still struggling with French.
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