‘Give me an hour or so. I’ll see what can be done.’
I walked back to the men’s camp.
‘Eadmer, Sandro, get the men together in a group. How many are there?’
Eadmer’s response was swift and precise.
‘Twenty-six: two are slightly injured, and one may have a broken arm. There are twelve marines and fourteen oarsmen.’
‘So with the three of us, Wulfric and Toste, and the two ladies, thirty-three souls in all. No sign of other survivors?’
‘None so far.’
‘The Candiano?’
‘Broken on the rocks, just a few timbers showing, some rigging and sail.’
‘How far out?’
‘Fifty yards, maybe a bit more.’
As soon as all the men were assembled, I went through our immediate priorities.
‘Gentlemen, we are fortunate to have survived a major tragedy. We have lost close friends, and some of Venice’s most important citizens have perished. We are the lucky ones. Thankfully, the Lady Livia is alive and so our duty to her continues. We are not in the best circumstances, but we are professional soldiers and we will find a way out of this dilemma. We start right now. I want the following done immediately.
‘Food – twelve men to split into pairs to go hunting. Use your knives and daggers, make wooden spears, set traps, collect what you can and don’t forget fish and crabs. Supplies – I want six men to make a raft and go out to the wreck. Find what you can. We need the strongest swimmers for this. Dive as deep as you can and see what’s lying on the bottom. Be careful, the currents are strong and the rocks sharp. You may also come across a few bodies; take their daggers and anything else useful. Burial party – four men to begin burying the bodies. As far up the beach as you can. Strip them of whatever we can use. Reconnaissance – two men need to get up this hillside and survey the whole area as far as they can. I don’t want them back until nightfall. Firewood – the last two men to collect firewood. I want a pile as big as a house, enough to keep us warm at night and to signal to a passing ship when we see one.
‘Finally, the chain of command. Eadmer, you will be sergeant of the marines. Sandro, you will command the oarsmen. Wulfric and Toste, you are assigned to guard the ladies. They need clothes. Find the best leather leggings and jerkins you can retrieve from the bodies. Find the smaller men, and cut the leggings down if you need to. They’ll need shoes as well, and belts, cord for their hair, anything that could be useful to a lady. And wash everything in the sea – we don’t want them smelling like deckhands. Any questions? Good, let’s get on with it!’
I took Sandro and my men to one side.
‘Sandro, there may be discontent about we English taking command. But I am in command, whether the men like it or not. Nip it in the bud if you hear anything. If it persists, tell me about it.’
‘Do not worry, sir. You wear the Order of San Marco. That is enough for them. The men respect you.’
‘Fine, but it may get a lot worse before it gets better. I’m relying on you.’
By mid-morning, our situation began to improve. The ladies were drying their new clothes, not that they were thrilled by the cut of their leather jerkins, nor the elegance of their cotton leggings, but at least they had something to cover their fine but flimsy underwear. A simple wooden comb had been found on one of the bodies and the shoes of some of the young deckhands had been trimmed to fit their small feet.
The salvage teams were starting to bring in weapons and a few tools and utensils, and they had found some flagons of wine. By the end of the day we had a stock of rabbits and fish, some herbs and a few berries. The shelters were habitable, the latrines usable, and we had an adequate pile of firewood. No other survivors had been found, even though we scoured the beach for several miles, and we held a simple interment ceremony at dusk. Sandro said a few words in Veneto, as a mark of respect, and we all reflected on how lucky we had been to survive. Enough weapons had been found to arm each man with at least one means of inflicting damage, and several shields had floated to the surface after the shipwreck. Unfortunately, the caskets of silver and jewellery were nowhere to be seen.
By nightfall, we were sitting around a roaring fire eating grey mullet and sea bream stuffed with herbs, followed by roasted hare and rabbit garnished with whatever edible leaves we could find, all washed down with good North African wine. For most of us, famished from a day and a night without food, it was as good as a Doge’s banquet. However, the ladies appeared to find negotiating a whole fish or rabbit impaled on a skewer fashioned from a twig a little challenging – especially without the aid of a fork. They did not comment, but had to concentrate hard on their task.
By the time our bellies were full, the scouts had returned with their report. As they ate, we listened anxiously to what they had to say.
‘Sir, the nearest settlement is about fifteen miles to the north-west. We could see its smoke from a high point about five miles up the coast, but did not get closer than that. It’s a small settlement and unlikely to offer any threats; it’s almost certainly a fishing village with no garrison. All we could see inland were more and more hills of pine, with higher peaks in the distance. There are probably roads in the far valleys, but none nearby. There will be deer and boar in the forests, for sure, but also leopards. This coast is famous for them.’
Our position was a lot bleaker than I had hoped. No farms and no settlements meant no horses. At least there would be boats at the fishing village.
‘Thank you for your report. How far is to Kalonoros?’
‘At least forty miles, sir. Perhaps fifty.’
I turned to Sandro.
‘What will we find there?’
‘There will be a Byzantine garrison. Not a big one, but this land is under the rule of Constantinople, so there will be a fortification and a governor. From memory, and it is from a few years ago, there is a strong fortress on a hill that extends into the sea with a small harbour and village beneath it. The hinterland may be peaceful, but there may also be hostile Seljuk Turks – Muslims who raid the coastal cities all the time.’
I stood up to talk to the assembly.
‘We have two choices. We either send a small group to the nearby fishing village to find a boat to sail to Kalonoros to bring help. Or we set off overland as a group.’
I looked towards the ladies, who seemed bemused by the options in front of them.
‘If we decide to walk overland, it will be difficult and we will have to sleep where we can. If we find horses, we will have to steal them as we have nothing to buy them with.’
‘Will these help?’
Lady Livia handed me five freshly struck silver coins, Venetian ducati, bearing the mark of Ordelafo Faliero. It was sought-after currency anywhere in the Mediterranean.
She smiled at me mischievously.
‘You would be amazed at what a woman can have sown into her underwear.’
‘Thank you, my Lady, how very resourceful of you. What would be your preference? To sit it out here and wait for help, or try to go overland?’
‘I am happy to go along with your advice. You are in command.’
‘Thank you, Lady Livia. I will think about it overnight.’
As everyone started to settle down for the night, I asked Sandro and Eadmer to walk down the beach with me.
‘What are your thoughts, Gentlemen?’
Eadmer was the first to answer.
‘We will be safe here. There is food and fresh water, and we can protect Lady Livia. I think we should send a small party to the Byzantine Governor at Kalonoros and ask him to send a ship to collect us.’
‘Sandro?’
‘I’m not sure. Even though we have a few weapons, if someone sees our smoke and word gets back to the Selj
uks in the hills, they could come in numbers and we’d be practically defenceless.’
‘You both make good points. Let me think more about it.’
I walked further along the beach, deep in thought. After five minutes or so, I saw a dark figure coming towards me. I put my hand on my dagger and called out.
‘Name yourself!’
‘Livia Michele, Princess of Venice.’
‘I’m sorry, my Lady. You startled me. You shouldn’t stray too far from the camp. Did the sentry not warn you?’
‘He was relieving himself, so I just walked past. I was only taking some air. Have you decided what we should do?’
‘I think so, my Lady. I am going to send Sandro with some marines on foot overland, to bring a ship from Kalonoros.’
‘Very good, then we will find things to do to occupy our time. Perhaps you can teach me the languages of the north?’
‘It would be a pleasure, ma’am. Perhaps you will help me improve my Veneto and my Greek?’
‘It is a bargain. But you will have to start calling me Livia. May I call you Hal?’
‘Of course. But I must continue to address you formally in front of the others.’
‘Agreed. And so we have another bargain.’
She turned and walked off down the beach, a little jauntily, and I tried to convince myself that she had been flirting with me. I also wondered whether my decision to sit and wait for help had been influenced by a hidden yearning to spend as much time as possible with her in our remote refuge.
Sandro and seven marines left the next day to make the long journey to bring help. I estimated that a ship could be back to us within a week.
As agreed, Livia and I spent each evening before dinner helping one another learn our various languages. She spoke four – Veneto, Greek, Lombardian and Genoese – and I spoke English, Norman and Latin. Lady Alice was very wary of me and always stayed within earshot, which inhibited our conversations a little. Then, one night after supper – yet more fish, but this time with a main dish of venison – Livia asked me to stroll along the beach with her. She made a point of telling Lady Alice to go to bed.
It was a beautiful summer night. The day had been hot, but the temperature had fallen to a very pleasant level, helped by a cooling breeze from the sea. There was a half-moon casting silvery ripples on the sea, and the gently lapping waters to our left contrasted sharply with the incessant buzz from the creatures of the forest to our right. We had gone some way before Livia spoke. I could sense that she was tense.
‘Are we going to survive this?’
‘Yes, of course. Sandro will be back with a ship any day now.’
‘If you say so. I’ll try to stop worrying …’
She paused.
‘May I confess something to you?’
‘Well, I am not a priest, but I will help if I can.’
‘It is not a sin – or, at least, I don’t think so. It’s just that I am frightened about meeting my betrothed. I know it is what I must do … but he is much older than I am … and I don’t know what he’s like. Also, Antioch is surrounded by Muslims who would slit a Christian throat in the blink of an eye.’
‘I’m sure Roger of Salerno is a fine man and a good soldier. As for the Muslims, you will be safe in Antioch. I am told that the city is practically impregnable from attack. Besides, I don’t think Muslims are better or worse than any other men.’
‘You have a very reassuring way about you, Hal. I hope my future husband is like you.’
‘You are very kind. I am but a humble knight.’
‘Why do you not have a sweetheart?’
‘It is not easy to have a sweetheart when serving as a soldier. Perhaps there will be time for that one day.’
‘Have you had many lovers?’
I was shocked by her bold question. And yet, I felt excited by her lack of restraint.
‘Livia! I am your escort. You shouldn’t ask me such things.’
‘I know, but I have asked. So … what’s your answer?’
‘A few.’
‘I envy men, it is understood that they can take a woman when they want to. But I am a virgin. It is a condition of the marriage …’
Again, she paused. I sensed her fragility and loneliness as she began to confess her most intimate fears to me. She spoke hesitantly, trying to gauge my reaction to her words.
‘That’s something else I’m scared of … losing my virginity. Alice says it’s a lot of fuss about nothing. But my mother said it was very special … something to cherish. I don’t know who to believe.’
‘Your mother is right, it is very special.’
I began to feel very uncomfortable. I wanted her so much – she was so trusting and beautiful – but if I took advantage of her, it could ruin her future and mine.
‘I should get you back. You need to get some rest.’
‘No, I don’t. I’m fine, Hal. I want to talk more.’
‘Sleep, I insist. Let’s go.’
She smiled at me like a naughty child, then turned and started to run down the beach. I heard her laughter as her words drifted back to me.
‘Yes, sir! Whatever you say, sir! You’re in charge!’
I desperately wanted to chase after her, pull her down on to the sand and take her there and then on the beach. I could have shown her that her mother was right – it is very special, something to cherish, something she would remember for the rest of her life. I had no idea what Roger of Salerno was like, but I was beginning to envy him with an intensity bordering on malice.
Was he a good man? Or was he an arrogant and spoiled son of a noble crusader who coveted a beautiful Venetian wife like a hunting trophy?
When twelve days had passed since Sandro’s departure, my impatience turned to anxiety. Something had gone wrong: even with unforeseen delays, procrastination by the Byzantine Governor, or bad weather, they should have been back within twelve days.
I called everyone together that evening.
‘We must make a new plan. Something is amiss. Sandro and his men should be back by now. We will all walk out to the north-west the day after tomorrow. In the meantime, we must prepare for the journey. Eadmer will assign scouts to move ahead of us and I will organize teams to be responsible for food, water and shelter on the journey. We will go steadily. Are there any questions?’
There were none from the men.
‘My Lady?’
She shook her head.
‘Good. Let’s all get some rest.’
Two days later, we set out to follow Sandro’s route. I warned the scouts to be doubly vigilant. Although I felt much more comfortable on dry land than at sea, there was no doubting the difficulty we faced.
Whatever fate had befallen Sandro and his men was almost certainly a real threat to us as well. And we were walking directly towards it.
9. Horned Vipers
We avoided the heat of the middle of the day as much as possible and made good progress on our route to Kalonoros. The coastal scenery soon became flatter and we began to see the ruins of abandoned farms, the remnants of neglected fields and endless olive and citrus groves gone wild. It was a sad sight, but there was still no sign of life, except for the unwelcome attentions of snakes and scorpions. One of the marines, an Anatolian by birth, had given us a quick guide to the creatures we should avoid. It was useful information, but the lurid details he offered were perhaps less than helpful.
The most dangerous beasts were the horned viper – a sand-coloured brute with brown spots on its back – and a black scorpion the size of a man’s hand, which bears the Greek name Androctonus Crassicauda, which Livia told me means ‘Fat-tailed Man-killer’. We saw neither at first, but certainly checked our camp’s undergrowth very caref
ully at night. Then, when we reached the desolated farmlands, they littered the ground. Two of the oarsmen were bitten by scorpions that crept into their clothing at night.
Drawing out the painful venom and allowing the men to rest cost us anxious time in the infested area trying to avoid any more mishaps. When we were ready to move off, things deteriorated rapidly and Eadmer came to me with a disconsolate look on his face.
‘Most of the men are in the bushes because the latrine is fully occupied. Everyone seems to have the shits. A few are in a bad way.’
‘What about you?’
‘Yes, but not as bad as some.’
‘And what about the ladies?’
‘I think they have a problem too. When I went to tell them we were about to leave, neither was there. I just heard a voice from the undergrowth asking for a few minutes’ grace before we moved off.’
‘Was it the water?’
‘Probably. We filled our skins with water from an old well last night. It seemed fine but, with hindsight, it obviously wasn’t. How are you, Hal?’
‘I’m fine, but I had enough left from yesterday. I didn’t fill my skin with the fresh water last night.’
‘You’re lucky – everyone else is as sick as a dog.’
‘Then we must stay here. Tell the men to make themselves as comfortable as possible. How many men are fit?’
‘Five or six.’
‘Are you well enough to get a few things organized?’
‘I think so. I didn’t drink too much water last night.’
‘Right, let’s get started. Empty all existing flagons and skins of water and rinse them in the sea. Find us a fresh stream, make sure it’s clean, and check it as far as you can upstream for animal carcasses. Everyone must drink, and they must keep drinking. See if you can find any or all of the following: yarrow, honey, garlic. And if any of these groves have limes, collect them.’
‘How do you know all this?’
‘My grandmother was an apothecary and a healer. Now, let’s get on with it. Everyone’s going to get a high fever in this heat. I’ll check the ladies.’
Anarchy Page 12