Outremer I

by D. N. Carter

  Suddenly a small cry was heard as the baby drew its own first breath. Sister Lucy gasped with relief as tears just rolled down her face. Tenno’s bottom lip quivered with emotion too and he quickly tried to hide this and looked the other way. The tall woman turned around to face them and walked slowly to them gently rocking the baby, which was now sucking its fist quietly. Sister Lucy stood up, shaking from head to foot as she looked at the baby and then smiled up at the woman.

  Paul looked at Alisha still unconscious. He kissed her on the forehead.

  “Ali…he is okay. He lives,” he said softly to her. He felt his heart skip a beat and only then did the feelings pour from him and he started to cry as he held her hand tightly and closed his eyes.

  The tall woman handed Sister Lucy the baby.

  “I must now deal with Alisha,” the tall woman said confidently and commanding as Tenno moved to stand up. As he did, he stood beside the woman, who looked him up and down. She was still a good foot taller than him. He blinked and bowed his head at her.

  “You know her name?” Paul asked puzzled as he wiped tears from his face.

  The tall woman knelt down and assessed Alisha quickly before looking at Paul and answering.

  1 – 40

  “That I do indeed…Paul, that I do,” she stated and immediately pulled out a small leather bound packet from inside her leather top and opened it to reveal several highly polished metallic instruments of a delicate design Paul had never seen before, though he had seen similar items in the Hospitaller’s medical satchel in La Rochelle after cutting his own face.

  Sister Lucy sat down with the baby and just stared at him as the tall woman treated Alisha. Paul just watched in amazement as she threaded some clear looking string and began to stitch Alisha but also puzzled how she knew his name too. Eventually Sister Lucy stood and approached him and offered him the baby. Hesitantly Paul took the little purple bundle. As he took him, he cradled him close to his chest and looked down into his little face. His heart felt like it was about to burst and his throat tightened with emotion. He could not speak as he looked up at the tall woman. She glanced over at him briefly. Sister Lucy sat down heavily upon the nearest bench feeling exhausted and let out a sigh.

  “Thank you,” she managed to say and shook her head.

  The tall woman stopped what she was doing, looked at her for a few moments.

  “You did very well. You saved both their lives this day, and his arm is back in place. He has come a little early, but just as well and he will be fine. If he had come full term, they both would have died for certain. Most midwives would have broken the arm and still lost them for ’twas truly a difficult birth,” she stated and then continued to deal with Alisha.

  Sister Lucy covered her mouth with her hand as emotion swept over her and she began to cry with relief. Tenno went and stood himself at the window. Paul was sure he was crying too. All looked towards the door as another horse pulled up outside. Within moments Taqi rushed in followed closely by Theodoric carrying Sister Lucy’s satchel bag.

  “You are a little too late,” Sister Lucy said and laughed nervously as Taqi approached, his mouth wide open. Theodoric pushed past Taqi and froze staring at the tall woman. She continued to finish on Alisha then moved her sword aside so she could sit back upon her heels and looked at Theodoric.

  “Theodoric. ’Tis good to see you again,” she said, wiping her hands of blood upon a small cloth.

  Sister Lucy looked at him puzzled as he slowly walked forwards and sat down next to her. Tenno turned to face them as Theodoric just stared at the tall woman, shaking his head in utter surprise.

  “Abi,” Alisha suddenly whispered and tried to raise her hand as she smiled before passing out again. Paul shuffled nearer to her and placed the baby next to her face.

  “Abi Shadana…how can this be so?” Theodoric asked, still utterly bemused as Taqi knelt beside Alisha and stroked her hair.

  Abi lowered Alisha’s legs and pulled her dress down to cover her.

  “Yes, Theodoric, ’tis I,” she replied.

  “It cannot be,” Theodoric said quietly.

  “Why not?” Sister Lucy asked as she studied Theodoric, confusion clearly registered upon his face.

  “For the Abi I knew would be in her late sixties by now…,” Theodoric explained.

  “Theo…’tis truly I. My diet is just vastly superior to yours,” Abi replied solemnly.

  “’Tis my Abi,” Alisha whispered, still with her eyes shut.

  “Tell me…do your customs still dictate you must burn the umbilical cord by way of purifying by fire the sinful origins of conception?” Abi asked.

  “We do not, no, but then the real Abi would know that,” Theodoric replied.

  “And the real Theodoric I once knew would know that I would be compelled to ask that as is only proper and respectful,” Abi shot back and smiled at him as Taqi and Paul listened bemused.

  “Tell me then…where was I born?” Theodoric asked.

  “Honestly, Theo…you test me still. You were born in a small village in Roussillon and your first language was Catalan and you have a red shield tattooed between your shoulders with a yellow cross that has twelve circles at the ends representing the New Jerusalem,” Abi replied and paused. “Plus a ridiculously large blue tattoo….yes?” Tenno said nothing as he listened. “And you…you are who?” she asked, looking up at him sensing his stare.

  “Are you a woman or something else?” Tenno asked bluntly.

  Abi stood up and faced Tenno. Her deep blue eyes looked into his deep brown eyes. She smiled and relaxed her stern look.

  “I see much goodness within you…and I am more woman than you can imagine,” Abi responded and looked back at Theo.

  “My Lord…’tis you, isn’t it?” Theodoric remarked as he stood up and approached her looking her up and down. She opened her arms and smiled and gave a slight bow.

  “Yes it is,” Abi smiled and rearranged her sword on her waist and the large bow across her back.

  “I hate to interrupt this little reunion…but do you not think we should move Ali…and er, have you forgotten that we are in fact Muslims in a Christian church….?” Taqi said. Alisha let out a slight exhausted laugh upon hearing that.

  “I do not think anyone will be arguing with us to leave in a hurry any time soon,” Theodoric replied and shook his head at Abi. “How can this be?” he asked as Sister Lucy stood up and held his hand.

  Abi noted this and smiled, raising her eyebrows. “’Tis good to see you finally got your lady.”

  Sister Lucy looked at Theodoric, puzzled, and held his arm tighter.

  “Only took…what thirty years,” he joked.

  “You know of me?” Sister Lucy asked.

  Abi nodded her head yes, smiling.

  “Yes indeed I do. Now to more practical matters. I have swaddling for the baby. I am presuming there will be no wet nurse to assist Alisha but I have brought items that will help both mother and child,” Abi explained as she looked at Alisha asleep and Paul sat next to her just looking at his new son.

  “How did you know the baby would arrive here?” Sister Lucy asked.

  “Trust me, Lou, she has an uncanny knack and habit of knowing these things in advance,” Theodoric explained and quickly squeezed Abi’s right arm. “Just checking you are indeed real…for you look so young still.”

  “You saved their lives…thank you so much,” Sister Lucy said and placed her hand upon Abi’s forearm.

  “No…you did that,” Abi answered and placed her hand upon Sister Lucy’s. She looked up at Abi and shook her head emotionally.

  Paul looked at his son’s little nose, his eyes were shut but his face was perfect he thought. His right hand was against the side of his little face. Taqi moved to sit next to him and looked at the baby closely. Alisha opened her eyes momentarily in time to see both of them looking at the baby. She smiled serenely. Her eyes were both bloodshot red from where she had forced so hard and burst blood vessels in her
eyes.

  “See…I told you our baby would be born here,” she whispered and blinked slowly. She turned to look up at Abi. She looked at her intently as Abi just looked back without moving her gaze from her. Alisha blinked a thank you and she knew what she meant.

  Taqi quickly rubbed his eyes as tears welled in them as he looked at his new nephew.

  “I am an uncle…and I am so proud of all three of you,” he blurted out emotionally, which made Paul laugh and he placed his arm around Taqi’s shoulders.

  Paul then looked at Alisha as all the sounds around him seemed to fade off. All his thoughts concentrated upon her as she lay asleep again, exhausted but smiling as she rested. He vaguely heard Abi say they should all get themselves cleaned up. There was certainly a lot of blood everywhere, but his wife and his child were both alive. All thoughts of how he was feeling physically and questions as to why he had passed out had all gone from his mind, just the thankful gratitude he had his family. Tears welled in his eyes again as he looked at Alisha then his new baby son. Never had he loved someone so much in all of his life…and he knew then that never would he for as long as he lived love anyone else like he did Alisha. And now too a son.

  Port of La Rochelle, France, Melissae Inn, spring 1191

  Stephan sat close to Sarah and rubbed her shoulders as she sobbed wiping her eyes with a cloth. He looked at the old man and feigned a brave smile.

  “I am sorry if what I tell upsets you,” the old man said apologetically.

  “No…’tis not you fault,” Sarah replied still sobbing as Miriam looked at her sadly.

  Ayleth placed her hand upon Sarah’s arm.

  “She lost her baby in childbirth many years ago,” Ayleth explained.

  “Oh dear please ignore me. I am just all emotional as I thought Alisha’s baby was dead…it brought back some memories that is all. I shall be okay in a moment,” Sarah explained. Simon leaned over and offered her his freshly poured tankard of mead beer. She looked up at him as he smiled awkwardly. She let out a slight laugh at his expression and offer. “Thank you, Simon…thank you,” she part laughed and sniffed. “Please, please continue.”

  “Are you sure you wish me to?” the old man asked as he looked at her closely. Sarah nodded yes and Ayleth also nodded he should continue. Stephan gave him a quick nod.

  “Can I just ask…what did that Abi woman do to the child they could not see?” the farrier asked.

  “We have no idea of knowing exactly what. But somehow she managed to get the baby breathing. I believe she did so by massaging his chest and gently blowing air into his little lungs. ’Tis a formula I have seen done myself once upon a baby. But also upon men in battle,” the old man explained.

  “Really….how so?” the Hospitaller asked, interested.

  “I have seen men supposedly dead, and another has blown into their mouths several times and they have come back to life.”

  “How is that possible. Bringing them back from the dead?” Simon asked, puzzled.

  “’Tis truth he speaks as we are taught this method…though it has led some fools to accuse us of being man-lovers who commit sodomy and kissing our brethren,” the Templar interjected quickly.

  “Simon, they are not bringing them back from the dead for they are still alive but almost dead. The heart and lungs can stop working for many reasons, but if you can restart them before the spirit has left the actual physical body, before the silver cord as mentioned within the Bible is severed for ever, then they do not die. But leave it too long and still bring them back, their brains can be affected. In the case of the baby, there was enough time, even if it seemed like a lifetime to them at that moment,” the old man explained.

  “But what I cannot understand or accept is this Abi woman. How can she look so young yet be so old?” Gabirol asked.

  “Gabirol, you do not have to accept it nor understand it…but it was as it was. Her bloodline came from a pure line stretching back many thousands of years and directly linked to what we call the giants of Biblical lineage. As well as strong Phoenician connections and Sardinia,” the old man answered.

  “But how did she know to be on that island and at that time?” the wealthy tailor asked.

  “That I am afraid I cannot answer for I do not know. All I can say is that Abi seemed to have a sixth sense for such matters, though not always right, but a sense nevertheless that she trusted and acted upon. She tried to explain it once to Theodoric. How she saw time as a circle that we are travelling around upon and that she received glimpses of future and past events and that she could work out certain events and act accordingly. In the case of the birth of the baby, she had no choice but to reveal her presence directly. For up until then, she had managed to keep her distance,” the old man explained.

  “Ah…so as the ancients say, what is, has been, and what has been shall be again…,” Simon remarked.

  The old man laughed at Simon’s remark and nodded in part agreement with him.

  “So what happened next then? And Paul…what was wrong with him that made him faint?” Miriam asked.

  “Well, they managed to set up a bed for the evening in the chapel for Alisha and the baby. Paul and Taqi made a makeshift stretcher that would enable them to use Adrastos to pull Alisha back down to the harbour more comfortably the following morning. Sister Lucy and Theodoric along with Tenno returned to the ship so Sister Lucy could change out of her bloodied clothes as well as pick up some blankets and sheets. Tenno remained very silent most of the time until Theodoric said he knew he was hurting as it was clear to see and sense that Tenno was thinking of his own children. Tenno acknowledged this fact and Theodoric’s genuine concern and words actually touched him, which surprised him even more than he thought possible. Paul just put his fainting episode down to being over tired, anxious and too much sun.”

  “What did they call the little boy?” Ayleth asked as she still held Sarah’s arm.

  “Oh that took them a while to decide upon. Both Abi and Sister Lucy discussed the matter at considerable length as they showed Alisha how to swaddle the child, breastfeed him as well as clean him properly. Paul felt a little pushed out as he wanted to learn how to look after the child himself.

  “What…Paul. How can he breastfeed?” Simon asked perplexed.

  “Fool, he can’t do that but he could learn how to change and clean the baby,” Sarah said and laughed.

  “Oh they got Paul to fold up all the square swaddling cloths and wash the soiled and messed ones. They did show him how to wrap up the child tightly in the swaddling as Alisha was still too weak to do so herself. And then when it came to moving her back down to the harbour, she refused to be carried in the stretcher. Instead she actually walked very slowly helped by Sister Lucy and Tenno as Paul carried the baby. Theodoric arranged for them to stay in one of the small houses next to the harbour. The Hospitaller captain even agreed he would delay their sailing for a couple of days until she was well enough to travel again,” the old man detailed, his mind clearly running through the events as if they happened only yesterday. He sighed heavily oblivious that all were looking at him. “Taqi used the time to travel around the island with Theodoric as he eagerly showed him around the ancient sites and three chapels he had helped commission and build.”

  “What of the woman Abi?” the Templar asked.

  “Abi…she spent some time with Sister Lucy alone mainly talking about Theodoric. Sister Lucy asked her what her secret was for staying so young but she had no answer. It was just the way she was, she tried to explain. Tenno was interested in the tattoo Abi had upon her right shoulder that every now and then was visible if she leant forwards. She thought Tenno was trying to steal a view of her breasts,” the old man explained and laughed.

  “Did not the parchment scrolls Niccolas had drawn up show that a birth would occur then?” Gabirol asked as he cut his quill sharper.

  “It did not occur to Paul to even check…though Taqi did. With the help of Theodoric they found a symbol for a birth and an
astrological sign for the date the baby was born on. Afterwards they agreed they would say nothing.”

  “Why?” Simon asked.

  “Because they also saw other things that potentially lay ahead. Hidden symbols that both Philip and Firgany had deliberately failed to point out. But it answered in Taqi’s mind why they had initially been so hesitant and against Alisha and Paul being together.”

  “So what happened next? Did this Abi woman stay with them?” Ayleth asked.

  “No she did not. She only travelled with them upon the Tarida as far as Alanya in Cilician Armenia, though some are now calling it Turchia (Turkey). But Paul spent a lot of time with her alone watching over Alisha and the baby. Alisha slept a lot of the time still very weak from her labour. She asked Abi if it had been her who had saved her life near Castle Blanc the previous year. She admitted it was indeed her. She showed Alisha her identical combined bee and Mother Goddess necklace that she too wore always. Paul and Taqi even managed to spend several evenings just watching the skies for any further repeat of the lights they had previously witnessed and thankfully the journey to Alanya was a calm and uneventful one.

  Alanya, Cilician Armenia (Turkey), April 1179

  The Tarida weighed anchor in the outer harbour beneath the fortress of Alanya that was set some 800 feet above them. The old Roman and Byzantine fortifications were in the process of being repaired but the long outer curtain wall with its castellated tops still looked impressive. The main harbour was full of ships and the Hospitaller captain explained they would have to wait until the following day before they would be able to beach and take on more supplies and exercise the horses. Paul checked on Adrastos with Theodoric when Taqi asked them to join him and Abi in the privacy of the captain’s cabin. No sooner had they sat down than the Hospitaller captain opened the door and stood aside to let Abi in. She ducked low to miss her head on the door frame and promptly moved to the far end of the cabin and pulled up a single chair so she sat at the head of the table. She unbuckled her sword and placed it upon the table.