Crusader (Anarchy Book 14)

by Griff Hosker

  “Good.” I walked towards the ship and said, over my shoulder, “And I hope you learn something from this.”

  As I stepped aboard William said, “Cast off!”

  I said, quietly, “Did you get what you needed?”

  “Aye lord and we can repair while we sail. I am sorry about this. I promised your father I would keep you safe.”

  I walked with him to the stern, “Whatever happens on this voyage, William of Kingston, you will tell my father that it was an uneventful voyage.”

  “But what if he asks me to swear?”

  “He will not William. I have caused him enough distress without having him worry about me. He is the hope of the Empress and her son. That is responsibility enough. Swear to me.”

  He smiled, “Aye lord, you are right. I will so swear.”

  We sailed east and headed for the Norman kingdom of Sicily and Apulia. There we would be more likely to find a welcome. Amalfi was a strongly held port. I could see how the Normans who had travelled there with Robert Guiscard had managed to secure an Empire. There were other ships bound for the Holy Land. It meant we paid higher prices there than we might have wished. We did not stop again until we reached the city of Constantinople. It was an exciting journey and we sailed through azure blue waters and tiny islands. It was a different world to the grey of the German Sea.

  When we reached the capital of the Empire William took us to the Langa Harbour. It was close to the Forum of Acradius and the Forum of Bovis. Both would allow us to buy what we needed for the Holy Land but, as my father had told us, it was a quieter harbour. The great and the good used the Golden Horn. This harbour was further away from the Palace. I did not need to be where powerful men gathered to plot and to plan. I wanted my life to be as simple as possible so that I could atone.

  There were just two other ships in the harbour. One was a Genoese and the other was a Norman from Syracuse. I left Henry to watch the ship with two of William’s crew. The rest of us would go ashore. We knew that the prices in the County of Tripoli would be higher than here. We intended to spend a few days buying what we needed. We had to find two good horses to replace the ones we had lost.

  There was law in the great city but there was also a good deal of bad feeling about the Franks. The Byzantines had had a war against them. My grandfather had fought in that war. For that reason, we left our helmets and mail on the ship. My archers left their bows. We were less pale than when we had left Normandy. I hoped we might pass for warriors of the Empire. Guy and William of Lincoln accompanied the captain. I did not think we would have trouble but it paid to be careful.

  All that we were needed were horses. If I could buy four I would but two were a minimum. I did not have a warhorse. He had been one of the ones who had died. A powerful horse, he had broken his leg. I had wept when we had to slit his throat. I knew that the Byzantines used heavy cavalry called Kataphractoi. That meant they had to have horses big enough to carry them. The problem would be the high price to buy them. I could not see the Byzantines being happy to sell such beasts cheaply. My father had lived in Constantinople. Before we had parted he had given me as much information and help as he could. His old house had been sold. I believe he had spent the proceeds on me. Most of his old friends had moved on or died. There was, however, one constant, the Varangian Guard. Erre, Olaf Leatherneck and Sven the Rus had all served the Emperor. They had told me that my grandfather, Ridley of Coxwold, was still held in high esteem by the English Varangians. None were left alive who had served with him but tales of his deeds and those of my father’s namesake were still legend.

  We made our way to the Forum of Constantine. I had no doubt that we would find it. The Forum was close to the Hippodrome and the Imperial Palace. Erre and my father had told me that the Varangians spent their leisure hours there; gambling and drinking. They drank a lot. Constantinople was a well laid out and planned city. We were less than five hundred paces away and we soon found it. We had passed through the Forum of Theodosius. That was a place of relative calm compared with our destination. It was noisy and it was lively. Erre had told me that the Varangian guard units did not get on with each other. The Rus and the Danish elements kept to their own areas. The Forum of Constantine was filled with loud, beer drinking Englishmen. They did not speak Greek but English. Garth smiled as he heard the swearing.

  “Ah, lord, I have missed this. It is like being in England!”

  “Remember our purpose. We are here to find horses. No more.”

  “Yes lord, but we can have a drink, can’t we? The beer ran out weeks ago!”

  I reluctantly nodded. We headed into the maelstrom that was what the locals termed, the English market. As soon as we entered I heard familiar words and accents. Garth was right, it was like being home once more.

  This was neither England nor Normandy. The drinking was outside beneath the shade of trees. Here there were no rustic hewn logs for seats. There were stone benches and tables. Although it was busy and there were many warriors, there was some space and we made our way to it. As we entered the square the noise subsided and we were viewed with suspicion. My archers had beards but my men at arms, like Tom and I, were clean shaven. The Varangians sported plaited beards and long hair. One huge warrior stepped before me and hurled some Greek at me.

  I had not understood a word and so I smiled and said, in English, “We are just arrived from England. Can you tell us where we can get a decent drink?”

  As soon as I spoke English his face broke into a grin. “Of course!” He spread an expansive arm. “You have found it! I am Ralph of Bowness. You and your friends are seeking employment perhaps?” He waved over one of the slaves. “Beer for these weary travellers.”

  I shook my head, “I am on my way to the Holy Land. I am on pilgrimage. I am William of Stockton.”

  One of the three men who were stood with Ralph said, “Do you know Erre or Sven the Rus? They went to Stockton.”

  “They are the captains of the garrison there. They serve my father.”

  The speaker said, “This must be the grandson of Ridley Akolouthos.” I nodded. “His name is revered here in Miklagård. You are among friends here.”

  The beer arrived and we were toasted. They plied us with questions about Erre and the others. I felt guilty for it had been some time since I had even seen them. I discovered that they had achieved what most of the Guard dreamed of. They had made it back to England.

  Ralph of Bowness said, “This heat, it is unnatural. A man tires of it after a time. He yearns for green fields and rain!”

  His companion held up his beaker, “This is as piss compared with ale made in Kent!”

  That began a debate about beer. Garth and my archers joined in. Robert and my Norman men at arms looked bemused by it all.

  We ordered more beer and Ralph said, “This is a strange coincidence. Not long after Erre and the others left, when I was still a young man and an older warrior came from the land of the Scots to join us. He was the grandson of Aelfraed Akolouthos.”

  I shook my head, “How can that be? My father said that Aelfraed left his family when he joined the Guard.”

  “It seems his grandson, Morgan, heard of his grandfather and wished to copy him. He became a Viking and raided. Then he came down the river and joined the Guard. He was older than we normally accept but we had lost men in a recent war with the Pechengs and he was accepted. He was a good warrior but very solitary. He died six years since when we fought the Seljuq Turks. His body is buried in Anatolia.”

  One of his companions said, “Aye, he had a warrior’s death. He fought like a berserker of old. The Emperor does not like that. We are expensive men. He does not like them wasted.”

  “He took ten Turks with him. That is all an Emperor can ask.”

  Ralph shook his head, “I wonder what happened to his wife and son.”

  I remembered some of the things that I had been told about these legendary warriors, “Erre told us that you looked after the families of the dead Var
angians.”

  Ralph downed his beaker and waved for another, “We do but Morgan was a solitary man. None of us knew of his family until afterwards. The Akolouthos told us that he had had a son and a wife. The son would be fourteen summers old now. By the time we discovered he had been married they had both disappeared. It did not sit well with us.”

  The sad memory made a silence descend upon us.

  My captain said, “Lord, do we ask them about horses?”

  “In time.”

  Ralph had heard Robert, “You seek horses?”

  “Aye, two of ours died on the voyage and a knight needs a horse.”

  Ralph grinned, “They are not cheap; especially not the monsters that a knight in mail must ride.”

  “We have money for the right horse.”

  “Leave it with us. We will return tomorrow before noon. Now we must go for it is time for our duty with the Emperor. Manuel Komnenos is a good Emperor but he is a warrior and we must be on time. We will tell our brothers of your presence. This is a dangerous city. There are many cut throats and murderers here.”

  Garth looked surprised, “I thought this would have been policed.”

  “It is, by us and the Danes. Where is your ship?”

  “In Langa harbour.”

  “That is good. It is on our patrol. We will tell those who watch it to keep an eye out for you.” He put a huge arm around Garth’s shoulders, not an easy feat. “While you are here you are as our family.”

  The Forum began to thin out as they left. We bought more ale and more Varangians arrived. They nodded and greeted us. Ralph had kept his word. His companions would watch out for us. “Come let us seek the other purchases we need to make.”

  Garth asked, “First, lord, could we not buy a barrel of the ale. It is not as good as in England but it will do. You know that we drink wine reluctantly.”

  “Aye but you shall carry it!”

  We left to buy bolts of light cloth. My father had told me that the finest cloth was to be had in these markets and he was right. As the market was frequented by the English Varangians we found one who spoke English. It made life easier. We explained what we wanted. He nodded and brought out a bolt of dark blue material, “The Moors and those who live in the hot lands always choose a dark material for their clothes. They say it keeps them cooler. I have this or I have black. Perhaps a dark red?”

  I shook my head. As soon as I had seen the dark blue I had known it was the colour I wished. My father’s banner and surcoat, like ours, were a light blue. This matched my purpose. “This will do. Do you know someone who could turn it into surcoats for us; perhaps with a design embroidered upon it.?”

  “Yes lord. My wife and daughters are seamstresses but it would take six or seven days, depending upon the design.”

  I realised that I had not thought of the device I would use. This was a new start and that required thought. “How many surcoats could they make from this bolt?”

  “Not more than twenty lord.”

  “Then we will have two bolts and we will need twenty-two surcoats. That way I will have spare material for repairs. I will return tomorrow with the design.”

  “I will get my wife to measure you, lord.”

  I smiled, “As you can see, my archers are a little wider than we are. Perhaps two measurements.”

  “Of course.”

  When we had been measured, we agreed a price and I paid. We headed back to the ship. By the time we had returned it was getting on to evening and William of Kingston’s crew had lit a fire on the harbour wall and were cooking. I had begun to realise that one did not dwell inside if one could help it. Outside, by the water, it was cooler with the breeze from the sea making it more bearable.

  While his men cooked, I strolled along the wall with William. “We may need to be here for another week.”

  “That is not a problem. I am negotiating for a cargo. When we have dropped you off then we will return here and fill up our holds. Five days would be better but your father put me at your disposal.”

  As I sat with my men we stared up at the skies. They were filled with stars. William said, “The clear skies help us to navigate.” He pointed. “These are our charts. Look there.” He pointed at one star, brighter than the rest, “That is the North Star. That guides us home.”

  “Then that will be on my new surcoat. One bright yellow star.”

  “Will you have a wolf, like your father and as you used to wear?”

  “No I need something else.”

  My men began to suggest animals. I laughed out loud when Tom suggested a boar. “I think Tom, that you forget whom we fight and where we go. There will be no pork in the Holy Land for neither the Jews nor the Muslims eat it. The sight of a pig might inflame the Seljuqs more than we might wish.”

  Robert said, “Then make it a mythical beast. They have many in this land. Did you not notice the statues we passed? There is the Medusa, the Basilisk. We could have a dragon, a Manticore. There are many.”

  “That is a good thought. I will sleep on it.”

  That night I dreamed of winged creatures. They swooped down and plucked Seljuqs from battlements with their talons. I saw it as a sign that my device would have a winged creature. There were many to choose. My father had told me that my grandfather and those who had fought for the Emperor were superstitious. They believe in the fates. He had used the word wyrd a great deal. I would trust that I would see such a sign.

  We headed back to the Forum and I saw Ralph. He was already drinking. “Ah, my young knight. I have found you some horses. You will have to travel beyond the city walls but I have you a pass.” He handed over a piece of parchment with the seal of the Emperor upon it.

  “Thank you. How can I repay your kindness?”

  “To hear English voices and see folks from home is payment enough. Your grandfather and, later, Erre, escaped here with great success. They enjoy a life in England. When we have money enough and when we tire of the wars we shall go home. Your visit is a sign that this will be so.”

  I told him of our search for a mythical creature for our new surcoats. He nodded, “There is but one for you.”

  “Really? You know of one?”

  “Your grandfather had his own personal banner. It is still here in the barracks. We keep it as a good luck charm. Men touch it before we go to war. It is the Gryphon. The head and legs of an eagle and the body of a lion.” He pointed to Garth. “Your archers have the body of a lion and you and your horsemen are as swift as the eagle. It is the Gryphon which is your sign. I would have thought your father would have told you that.”

  “Wyrd.”

  He laughed, “Aye! You are, truly, descended from a housecarl! We have the day off tomorrow. I will take you to the horse trader. We will come to your ship.” He smiled, “It is good to speak English again. It has made me want to go home sooner rather than later.”

  “Until tomorrow then.”

  The seamstress was happy to incorporate my design. The yellow thread she would use to pick it out would stand out well against the dark blue background.

  Chapter 2

  I just took Tom and Garth with me the next day. Robert and the others had a wish to explore the city. Garth was keen to talk with Ralph. They had much in common. Ralph’s companion was Aethelward. He was a younger warrior. Like Garth he had come from England and made his way to the last refuge of the housecarls.

  “It will take an hour or so to reach the farm. It is up the Lycus valley.” The huge city was the biggest I had ever visited and it seemed to take an age just to reach the huge walls which encircled and protected the Byzantine city. As we left the home of my grandfather I had a chance to admire the Theodosian walls. They were enormous. I had never seen the like. No enemy could ever force them. It was not just one wall, it was three. The second higher than the first and the third higher still. With a ditch around it and a rocky terrain an enemy would find it hard to bring siege towers close to the walls. The city spread a little way out of the wa
lls. They were meaner dwellings and the people who lived there just eked out a living. A mile or two down the road and we saw fewer dwellings. We could see, on the higher ground, farms with a protective wall around them. Here the people might be prone to raids and self-protection was important. It was pleasant talking with Ralph and Aethelward. We learned much about the land we were to visit, the Holy Land. The Crusaders had created four counties. One, Edessa, had been recently attacked and its major fortress captured. However, they remained strong. As Garth told us they were a buffer against the Kurds and Seljuq Turks.

  “There is the farm, on the top of that ridge.”

  The farm was the largest we had so far seen. As we walked up the road I saw horses grazing on the valley sides. There were men on horses guarding them. We entered a courtyard and were greeted by the owner. The Greek who owned the farm was lean and wiry. He was not a warrior. “This is Basil. He was a Champion Charioteer for the Greens.” Ralph spread his arm around the farm. “This is a measure of his success. He got out while he could and when he had made his money.”

  Basil smiled, “And I owe much to Ralph here. He and his brothers protected me from the other teams. I do not forget old friends. He says you need horses?”

  “We lost two on the voyage. We go to the Holy Land. I need two large enough to carry a knight in mail.”

  “That is not a problem. I breed for the Imperial stables. Kataphractoi wear even more mail than you Franks. But I would suggest that you have two smaller horses too. Out here you ride a small horse more than your war horse. Save your war horse for battle. The heat is as great an enemy as the Seljuqs, Egyptians and Mamluks.”

  “I am a novice in this land and I will heed the advice of a horse master.”

  “Come, my best horses are inside. The ones you see grazing are not for you. We need horses trained for war.” The stables were remarkably cool. They were scrupulously clean and each had their own manger with food. Stable boys scurried around cleaning as we entered. Basil turned to appraise me, “Will you trust my judgement or would you like to choose for yourself?”