by Griff Hosker
I clapped him on the back. “And already you have helped us. This knowledge is valuable. Now go and practice your sword work with Tom.”
“But the deck is pitching so.”
“If you can use a sword on a ship imagine how much easier it will be when you have solid earth beneath your feet.”
The voyage passed quickly as we headed south. I spent more time talking with William of Kingston. “My father will worry. You must stop him doing so. I am a man grown and I can get myself out of any trouble that I find.”
“I know, lord.”
“I will not write. At least not for a while. I intend to become one of the knights who protects pilgrims. When I have done that I will decide what I must do.”
“He is a lonely man.”
“My father? Aye he is. He misses mother. And he has dedicated his life to restoring the fortunes and title of the Empress. He had been the most loyal of subjects. I would that I had been as loyal. Know that I will return to England but I may come back as a white beard for I know not what God intends for me.”
“Your father will miss you, lord.”
Rather than brooding on my many mistakes I organised the men to change the device on our shields. It occupied the time and stopped them from becoming bored. The changing of the colour was easy enough and once the dark blue was upon them all they matched our new surcoats. The star was easy too but it was the gryphon which proved more difficult. The seamstress had done a good job on the surcoats and none of us appeared to have the required skill to paint the Gryphon on the shield It was William’s sailmaker who proved to have the skill. Nils of Bruges had had a mother who was a lace maker. Although a sailmaker he had a good eye for detail. I paid him a silver piece for each shield and he did a good job. He painted the mythical beast and the yellow star upon them. What I did not have yet was a banner. I made do with a gonfanon. Nils made a swallow tailed gonfanon for me from some of the spare cloth and we were ready to announce our arrival in the Holy Land.
When we passed Cyprus, I gathered my men in the well of the ship. We could all sit and both see and hear each other. “We are going to a new world. We have two purposes. First, we visit Jerusalem and visit Golgotha. We then seek a lord to serve and help to recover the Holy Land from the infidel.”
Robert spoke, “When we explored Constantinople we heard that the leader of the Muslims is someone called Imad al-Din Ibn Qasim al- Dawla Zangi and his son is Nur al-Din. It is this Zangi who has captured the fortress of Edessa. He and his men attack from the north east. The men we spoke to said that he was a cruel and clever man.”
“Aye we do not yet know the identities of our enemies and I should warn you that not all the Christians that we meet will be trustworthy. This may well be like the war we have just left in Normandy and England.”
Alf put up his hand. Garth smiled, “You do not need to put up your hand to speak, Alf. Our lord allows all men to speak.”
“Thank you. The Lombards I served spoke of Edessa. I did not hear all of their talk but the Count seemed confident that he could gain power there.”
Robert nodded, “We met many lords such as he when we fought for the Earl. They will lay with the enemy to get what they want. It is good that you have come into our midst, young Alf.”
“It may be that the King of Jerusalem has need of us. We will see. That will be our first visit. Had we come three years ago then that might have been an easier task for the Count’s father, Fulk, was king of Jerusalem. King Baldwin now rules with Fulk’s Queen, Melisende.”
Garth shook his head, “It appears we have left one melting pot only to fall into another. It seems strange to me that Count Fulk became king. Why did not his son come here to inherit his father’s throne?”
“Because Queen Melisende was daughter of the former king and it is Baldwin, her and Fulk’s son, who is the heir. Count Geoffrey would have had to fight for his throne. Still, there may be some from Anjou who are still in the court. We will see.”
We donned our new surcoats and the men had all polished both mail and helmets. When we arrived we wanted all to know that we were one company.
Tripoli had been captured over thirty-five years before and was a bastion of the Crusader counties. A massive citadel, as big as King William’s huge donjon in London, dominated the hill which overlooked the port. The walls which encircled it were not as big as those of Constantinople but they were as big as any I had seen in England. The harbour itself was filled with ships. All were from the Christian countries. The lateen sailed ships were noticeable by their absence. It was as busy a port as I had seen.
William nudged us into a berth. Even as we were tying up a tanned sergeant with a maimed hand strode up and shouted to us, “Are you heading west?”
Henri the Breton recognised the French accent. He laughed, “Give us time to tie up friend.” He pointed to William, “This is the captain, William of Kingston. When we have unloaded our cargo then you may speak with him.”
“Thank, you, I will return.”
As we were secured to the dock William turned to me, “There may be even more profit in this.”
“I hope so for you have performed a great service to me. I thank you.”
“I serve your father, I serve you. Take care.”
It took some time to bring up the horses and land them. They had been at sea for a long time. The time in Constantinople had helped but I knew we would not be able to leave until they had regained their legs. As well as our war horses and palfreys we had six sumpters to carry our armour, weapons and tents. Now that we had Alf we would need another. I still had coins left but soon it would run out. I needed the patronage of a lord or else we would starve. I would not turn to banditry as some had. I was here to do penance.
We had barely finished unloading when the sergeant returned with eight other warriors. All looked tanned. They were Crusaders. Their weapons showed signs of war. The sergeant spoke to me, “Is the captain a fair man, lord? None of us are rich but we would travel back home.”
“He is a fair and honest man but I thought that all who returned from the Holy Land were rich men?”
“Perhaps the lords are, no offence, my lord but when your lord dies you seek employment where you can. Our masters were in Edessa and they fell. We are now no longer required. The good days here are gone and the Turks are on the rise. I have enough to return to France and, hopefully find work there.”
“Then God speed. The Captain sails to Constantinople to pick up cargo first. It will not be a swift voyage.”
“It will be away from here and I will get to see green fields and feel a cool breeze. Thank you for your words, lord. You will not find many such as you here. This land changes a man. It does not just give him a dark skin, sometimes it gives him a dark heart.”
The harbour was crowded and the animals were becoming skittish. “We will find somewhere quieter.” I turned and shouted, “Farewell, William. Have a safe voyage.”
“Take care, my lord. May God be with you.”
We led our horses through the busy port until we found a road which was wider and easier to negotiate. I guessed that the middle of the city would be both busy and expensive. I turned to Alf. “We may need your language skills soon. Come with me. Robert, watch the horses.”
There was an inn by the water. The fact that it was an inn told me that it was owned by Christians. I went inside. It was filled with a variety of men from sailors to warriors. I was the only lord and men nodded as I passed. From what the sergeant had told me I was their chance for employment. I went to the man who was pouring wine from a jar into beakers, “Tell me where a man may find stables and shelter for eleven men.”
The man appraised my new surcoat and sword. He recognised me as a baron. “There is nothing inside the city, lord. Just beyond the walls there are a couple. They will not be cheap but there will be stables. The merchants and their caravans use them. Head to the south gate and they are just beyond the walls.”
I handed him a copper c
oin, “Thank you.”
As we headed back Alf said, “Why did you give him the coin, lord? You had the information you needed.”
“Who knows when we may need him again? We are in a strange country and I would have as many friends as I could get.”
We did not get any strange looks as we led our horses through the streets. There were many armed Franks. This was the main port of entry to the Holy Land. Ascalon, which was closer to Jerusalem, was still held by the Egyptians. The first place we came to, once we were outside the walls, was full. There was a caravan of camels there but the second one, run by a one-armed Breton called Jean, had room. Despite the fact that he came from close to my home we were done no favours and the price was high.
“I am sorry, lord, but these are parlous times. I lost my arm when we took Jerusalem. My lord was generous and gave me enough money to buy this but the Turk is stronger now than he was. I have a wife and three children. I need to make enough money to take us back to Nantes.”
“I understand. We will be here but two days to allow our horses to recover.”
As we stabled them I noticed that there were five weary looking horses. “To whom do these belong?”
“There are a group of sergeants. They leave tomorrow for home.”
“Where are they now?”
“They sit in the shade of my lemon tree. It is a pleasant place to sit and the flies stay away.”
I saw the six of them. Their surcoats had seen better days and the men were gaunt. Their weapons, however were without rust. Two of them were sharpening them even as I approached. They saw that I was a lord and leapt to their feet.
I waved them down again, “I am William of Stockton and recently arrived from Normandy.”
“I am Gilles of Valognes. I know Normandy. We go tomorrow to seek passage on a ship. We will have to work our passage.”
“You are without coin?”
“Our lord died of the pestilence. It cost money to care for him. His squire died a day later. It has taken us a month to reach here.”
I crossed myself for a disease had taken my family. I took out my purse, “I may be able to help you.” I took out twelve silver coins. “Here is coins for your horses and here, “I took out a half gold piece, “is your passage back to Normandy. There is a ship in the harbour, the ‘Adela’. She is captained by William of Kingston. He is a fair man and a friend of mine. He will take you home but you needs must hurry. He sails on the morrow.”
The sergeant rose and said, “Lord, is there some trick? You pay us more than the horses are worth and you give us gold. Is this man a slaver and you would sell us into slavery?”
“You must have been ill served in this land if you think so badly of me. Take the money anyway and find another ship. But you can trust William of Kingston. He carries some sergeants and men at arms already.”
They looked at each other. One older man who looked thinner than the rest said, “I believe him Gilles. He is new to this land and has yet to be tainted by it.” He came and took the coins. “I thank you lord and beg that you look after the horses. They came from Normandy with us and have served us well.”
“We will and God speed.” I hesitated, “And Gilles of Valognes, if it gives you any more confidence in my word, I am the son of Alfraed the Earl of Cleveland and the Empress’ Champion. I fought alongside King Henry and Geoffrey of Anjou.”
All of them dropped to their knees. Gilles said, “Forgive me, lord! I would cut out my tongue for impugning you honour.”
I smiled, “Perhaps I will not be tainted. Now hurry or you may miss the ship.”
They all bowed as they passed. I wondered if I had made the right decision. Jean had watched me and heard my words. He said, “That was kindly done, lord. I will have my boy give the beasts some grain.”
“Thank you, Jean.” He was not as tainted by the land as he thought.
My men groomed the new horses. We would have to feed them up but they looked as though they had heart and that was what you needed in a horse. I did not want to leave our animals unguarded and so we arranged for five teams of two men to be on watch at all times. I put Alf with Garth as they seemed to get on. I went back into Tripoli with Robert and Tom to ascertain the position. We found an inn frequented by lords. There were even two Hospitallers there too. They kept to themselves. From the others, I learned that Pope Eugene III had urged European kings to come to the aid of the principality of Edessa. King Louis of France and King Conrad of Germany had heeded the call and were leading their armies even as we spoke. That explained the presence of the Count of Provence. The knights were waiting to seek positions in the armies. They were swords for hire. Each led, as I did, a small number of highly trained men.
As we walked back, in the late evening, Robert said, “How can we serve under King Louis when we were fighting him some weeks ago? Your father may be fighting him as we speak.”
“It is something with which I shall have to wrestle. The decision can be delayed for a while. We have to travel to Jerusalem. Let us see what the King of Jerusalem has to offer.”
The next morning, we groomed and attended to our horses. My men could act as a farrier if needs be. Surprisingly it was my archers who were the better at this skill. As Alciades and Leonidas had only had a short time on board the ship, Robert and I took them for a ride. I wanted to experience the conditions. After a mile of riding along the road I realised that we could not travel as fast as we had in Normandy. It was too hot. Our horses were soon lathered in sweat. We were also hot but the surcoats helped us keep a little cooler. We took the horses along the scrubland. I found the going easier than I thought. The cobbled Roman Road was less forgiving than the soft sand and earth of the scrub. As we headed back I saw that we had learned a lesson.
That afternoon just after we had finished grooming our horses, a caravan approached through the gates of Tripoli. They had just reached us when they were overtaken by a column of Templars. I had heard of these. The Empress had granted them land in Essex and the Pope had recently passed his papal bull granting military privileges to the order. There were three knights and four sergeants. Their white surcoats just had a simple red cross over the heart. I waited for the caravan to pass for I wished to speak to these knights.
The leading knight slowed down as he approached the head of the caravan. The merchant spoke to the knight. I was close enough to hear them. They spoke in French. The old man took off the hood of his cloak in deference to the Templar, “Lord, I beg you to give us aid on our journey to the holy city of Jerusalem. Protect us from bandits!”
The knight was a young warrior. His helmet was hung on his cantle and he had a coif about his head. He laughed, “Help you, a Christ killer? Be thankful I do not slit your throats and take your goods. We protect Christian pilgrims and not Jews who murdered Christ. Out of my way!”
The rider spurred his horse and the seven of them galloped off. The old man put his hood back on his head. He saw me looking at him. I must have had a scowl on my face for he cowered a little as though expecting similar treatment from me. The scowl was for the Templar. I had been led to believe that they protected all travellers. Perhaps this was no so.
The old man said, “I meant no offence to the knights, lord.”
I smiled, “I am sorry. I meant you no disrespect. Is there danger on the road to Jerusalem then?”
“Yes lord. There are Turks who would kill us. There are Franks who make a living preying on caravans and then there are the people who have always lived here and always attacked the caravans. Bandits have been here since before the time of Moses. Being a merchant is a hard job.” I nodded and was about to turn when he said, “Lord, do you have men?”
“I do.”
“If it would not cause offence, could we hire you and your men to accompany us to Jerusalem?”
“How do you know that I am not one of those Franks you fear?”
He smiled, “Your skin is still pale. You are new to this land and you speak to me with civility. It
is a rare luxury.”
I nodded, “As you say we are recently arrived and our horses need another day to recover. I would gladly escort you but not until tomorrow.”
He nodded, happily, “To have you and your men escort me I will wait. We will camp yonder.”
“Why not stay here? There is room.”
“Lord you are new to this land. We are Jews. Everyone looks down on us. This might have been the land which God gave to my people but he has burdened us with Muslims and Christians who regard us as dirt beneath their feet. We will camp.”
“Is it far we travel?”
“If you were a bird it is but two hundred miles. We are burdened with legs and it will be closer to over three hundred miles. It may take ten days.”
I nodded, “I am William of Stockton.”
“And I am David Ben Samuel. I am a merchant from Jerusalem.”
Jean came over to speak with me when I returned to his mansio, “A word of advice, lord, the Jews are despised by all. Helping them will not bring you favour.”
“I come to this land not to seek favour but penance.”
“But it was the Jews who killed Christ.”
I nodded, “I believe that Christ himself was a Jew.” His face showed that he had not thought that argument through and he shrugged. I told my men of my decision. They were all happy with it.
William of Lincoln said, “At least we shall not get lost if we escort the old man home. And I have seen precious few trees. It will not be like travelling through Sherwood. We shall see our enemies!”
“I think, William, that this land may hold unpleasant surprises for us. Make sure you archers have a spare quiver on your horse.”
“Aye lord.”
My men were skilled fletchers but I was not certain if we would find the right fletch or the right arrow for them. What was certain was that we would need a blacksmith who could make the arrow heads we used. They were knight killers and could pierce mail. I had been told that the Seljuq Turks used mail.