Stories Thread

[Northnovas]

Corinth 1080

There was plenty of activity in the settlement has the coaches prepared for the long trip to the capital.
Aleksios ek Ikoniou was a young man now in charge of his family holdings. He was becoming a budding bureaucrat reorganizing the defences and planning the growth of the settlement. He was preparing to leave for Constantinople and participate in his first official Senate of the Imperial government. Politics was not his forte he was not looking forward to the long debates and the senators jockeying for position to peddle their influence and favours.

No he was no politician he was a fighter. His family had long been military men fighting for the Crown. He was to continue on with the tradition defending the Emperor and building a military organization with in the Empire that will consist of men and elite units. He admired the Hellenic traditions and the Spartans of old. He will continue with the traditions knowing that a loyal and aspiring commander needs to be rewarded and what better way then to offer the lands that are conquered. A man will fight for his life to defend what he rightly owns.

Yes it was time to go. Aleksios will head to the capital declare his fealty to the Emperor and then recruit men and begin his campaign to expand the Empire to right wrongs and free peoples being repressed by pretend Empires.
"We will be back in Italy someday and beyond" he thought smiling at the possibilities.

The Governor and his entourage were ready for Constantinople.

[TheFlax]

((Written in collaboration with Zim, Deguerra and Elite Ferret.))

Encounters at the Mavrozomis estate, Part III: Kalameteros' Anger

Ioannis Kalameteros had been listening in the shadow of the bookcase for a while, fighting a losing battle against the anger welling up in him. As he stepped into the light, Anna noticed that the small voice belied a rather tall, if not very large man. He was not ugly, not quite, but his muscular arms seemed out of place on a much scrawnier body, lines crossed an otherwise youthful face, twisted in a sarcastic smile that never touched his icy grey eyes.

"No, Princess," he spat the title "your brother was not here for literature, and neither are you."

He rounded on Kosmas, and his face grew softer, though his voice did not lose its sting.

"I told you the royal family would mean trouble!"

He struggled not to spit the words out, struggled to keep control of his temper. He lowered his voice:

"We agreed, Kosmas! Meeting with even one member of the royal family can draw attention, not to mention the Caesar! And now this...,"

He gulped, swallowing the biting insult. He mustn't lose his temper.

"Now she is here as well, and you damn well know she is not here for Aristotle!"

Anger quickly marring her feature, Anna struggled to remain composed. She ignored the man barking at her and concentrated her attention on Kosmas. "I bid you to restrain your lackey Comes, before I take note of his insults to my family." She emphasized the last word, without a doubt alluding to the Basileus specifically.

Kosmas raised an eyebrow at Ioannis’ outburst but did not divert his gaze from Anna. “Forgive me, Princess. My friend has concerns about dealing directly with the Imperial family. He means no harm by his statements.”

Anna's features shifted back to a pale complexion as she pursed her rose colored lip in disapproval. "No harm? Very well Comes, for you I will not press the matter, unless your "friend" insists on indulging us with more of his fine comments." If Anna might have seemed flustered a moment ago, she had now fully regained her composure.

"I fail to see how it is of your concern. Also, proper manners would imply introducing yourself before interrogating your betters."

Rage builds up on Ioannis' face again, but he controls it somewhat better this time. In an icy quiet voice he replies "It is of my concern, Princess, because the politics of the royal court have too often gotten people killed, and while the life of my friends here and mine may not mean much to such exalted personas as yourself, you will excuse me for being quite fond of it!" By the end he was hissing noticeably again.

"I am Ioannis Kalameteros, Princess" he spoke the title as an insult, "and you have still to answer my question."

Anna's calm demeanor wavered, as a hint of surprise could be caught in her eyes. Clearly she had not expected such an answer.

Sensing things might get out of hand, Kosmas steps between Anna and Ioannis, briefly throwing a rather exasperated look towards his friend before turning towards the Princess, smiling. “As you can see, Princess, my friend has personal reasons to be wary. His loyalty and devotion to the interests of his friends is to be much commended enough to forgive the occasional lack of certain diplomatic niceties. To answer the question you had put before me prior to this sudden conflict, your brother and I have spoken personally while I was on campaign with his father. Apparently he saw something admirable enough to ring me into the Imperial family. That is the extent of our dealings as of now. Is there any other way I may be of service to you?”

Disappointment crept in her voice. "I suppose not. Although I still don’t understand why a simple question elicited such a strong reaction, unless...." Deliberately, she left the two men guess at was she was hinting.

Pointedly ignoring Anna, Ioannis turned to Kosmas. This time the warmth on his face was real. "If you do not mind, I will leave you to deal with her. But think on what I said, my friend." Turning around he gives the somewhat startled Anna a deep bow, and leaves the room.

Kosmas bows again to Anna. "I thank you for your visit, Princess, and hope that you will brighten my doorstep again soon." Almost as if on signal, a servant appears at the door of the library to escort Anna back outside.

"Very well then." Rearranging her veil to cover her features once more, she turned to follow the servant while keeping the borrowed scrolls firmly in her grasp.

Throughout the meeting a figure had stood guard behind Kosmas' right shoulder. At first he appeared as if a statue as he was silhouetted against the window and was still as stone. However a small light shined on his face so that his eyes could just be made out and they did not leave the face of Anna until it was not possible to see it. The man was in love with someone he could never have.

Following the princess' departure, Hypatios Machonios finally made himself heard in a low quiet voice which cut through the silence.

"You need to control your tongue Ioannis."

[The Lemongate]

((Written in collaboration with TheFlax.))

Encounters at the Mavrozomis estate, Part IV: Always expect trouble

Shouldering his kontarion lance, the kavalieroi threw his horse full speed towards the motley group of men holding spears and wooden shields a hundred paces in front of him. The spearmen first huddled together in a semblance of formation, but as the fully armored cataphract bore onto their position, their will wavered and finally failed them completely. Not losing sight of his target, the armored horseman curbed his course, catching up with the first runner. The kontarion tore the man’s side, spilling guts and sending him thrashing in the dirt while another man tripped and had his brains splattered by the charging horse. Pushing his charge to its limits, the kavalieroi managed to impale another spearman before having to discard his lance in favor of his paramerion sword.

A few bloody moments later and the courtyard was strewn with cut up remains and pools of oozing viscera.

Dismounting, he curtly addressed as servant that had been standing on the side: “Next time get more slaves. Or get them horses. These easy exercise are a waste of time,” he glances around, “and quite messy.”

Anastasios Neokaisareitis had been training in the Campus Martius when a messenger had arrived to indicate he would be received at the Mavrozomis Estate. His training methods were thought by many to be the most gruesome spectacle to be had in Konstantinopolis: he squared off against armed slaves, much like the gladiators of old, and ruthlessly massacred them. He thought of it as an entertaining way to test his ability to support the heat and the weight of his armor while keeping in touch with his sword skill.

“At last!” he thought after having reviewed the letter from the messenger. He had tried to meet with Comes Mavrozomis for some time now had always met with delays, but now the Count invited him to meet in his office. Maybe siding with that bookish aristocrat wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.

He still wore his suit of armor, but he didn’t want to give Mavrozomis time to change his mind. He draped a flowing burgundy cape on his shoulders and summoned another horse. As he rushed out of the courtyard, he heard the messenger yelling something at him about the Komnenoi, but he was already to far to hear.

The busy streets of Konstantinopolis were always the scene of a formidable diversity of people and one could expect to be surprised by sights and smells wherever one went, but the appearance of a fully armored kavalieroi making its way at lightning speed through the richer neighborhoods was still a sight most were unaccustomed to. Reigning in his steed as he approached the Mavrozomis Estate, Anastasios gave a quick look to the décor. Brightly colored flowers bordered the way to an elegant fountain, a few gardeners were finishing their morning tasks.

“The man has taste,” he muttered, “let’s just hope he can apply as much care to war as to his gardens.”

Anastasios took off his helmet revealing fair, Mediterranean features. His family hailed from southern Italy, displaced when he was just a kid by the invading Normans. His dark brown hair descended in thick locks just above shoulder-length and he was clean shaven, unlike most of his contemporaries. His green eyes were quite alert for one so young, alight with intelligence, ambition and, at times, with something more sinister.

He walked meaningfully towards the entrance of the estate, not waiting for a servant to escort him.

---------------------

Anna stormed through the winding hallways of the estate, Kosmas' servant in tow. Ignoring the man, she was busy fidgeting nervously with her veil, obviously somewhat agitated. Her mind playing back her recent meeting, she almost did not hear the heavily armored man approach. Nevertheless, once he rounded the corner, he was difficult to miss. Taken aback, Anna halted her progress in an instant, addressing the man. "Expecting trouble?" Her tone was a mix of curiosity and irritation.

Anastasios’ rapid pace came to a sudden halt as he rounded a corner. Another step and he would have crashed into the woman coming from the opposite direction. A quick glance immediately indicated she was of high birth and Anastasios bowed his head in apology.

“I always expect trouble, my lady, even more so in this city, but alas I do not return from any glorious battlefield, only training in the Field of Mars, ” indicating his armor, “My apologies if I startled you, my eagerness sometimes has the better of me. I am Anastasios Neokaisareitis, from Bari.”

Raising his gaze, he gave young noblewoman an inquisitive look, but refrained from directly asking any question.

"You do well do expect trouble, one never knows from where it could come." A warm smile could be seen through her veil. "Tell me Anastasios, are you here to meet with the Comes?"

“Indeed I am, my lady. My family’s estates were looted by the Normans, now I seek aid in returning them the favor. ”

A dark grin crept in Anastasios’ features as he mentioned the Normans. It was over in an instant, but the slightly unsettling feeling it left lasted a few moments more.

“I hear Comes Mavrozomis is more of a scholar then a warrior. If that be the case, he can probably spare some of his men in favor of those who can put them to profit. The Empire needs more men of action and less politicking aristocrats.”

The man's unsettling reply left Anna at a loss for words for a few moments. "You don't approve of the state of things, do you?" Her tone was genuinely curious.

“There is little to approve of the present situation. In the past fifty years, we Romans have lost over half of what still comprised the empire. Anatolia is gone. Italy is gone. Dalmatia is gone. And what little authority the Basileos still held over Venice, Napoli and Hungary has disappeared. All the while, men sit in their decadent mansions in the greatest city in Christendom and ponder on what witty retort they will say in the next Senate session or which classic to quote to best impress the Basileos. Knowledge of the past has but one purpose: to better prepare oneself as you write the pages of the future! It is truly a dark time when warrior has to grovel before a bureaucrat in order to wash the dishonor of his nation. But whatever it takes, I care not for their honors!”

Realizing he had let his temper get the better of him, Anastasios bowed his head again.

“I am sorry, my lady. I have let my anger get the better of me, courtesy of the Normans who took away my parents when I was but a child, unable to defend them. The biased opinions from a simple Stratos on the state of the Empire must not be very interesting to a lady’s ears.”

"Do not apologise." Her voice was compassionate, even soothing. "You have endured great loss and have reason to be frustrated. Most men of power in the Empire know little of such a pain and care for little more than themselves. I am glad to have met one who has not lost the Roman spirit that has made us so great. In time your fortunes will change Anastasios, I will remind my father of our people in west who are now overrun by barbarians. Your plea will not fall on deft ears."

“The pleasure is mine, my lady. You have my sincerest thanks.”

Suddenly realizing he was barring her route, Anastasios backed up to the side of the wall to let her pass. As she lithely stepped down the hallway, the house servant that had been discretely listening to them sprinted to follow her, only to find a mailed hand clasping his shoulder:

“You annoy her.” The tone was cold, a total shift from the earlier voice. “Bring me to Comes Mavrozomis.”

As he followed the servant down the corridor, Anastasios could not help but wonder: Who was she?

[TheFlax]

((Written in collaboration with PrivateerKev.))

What can a Princess and a Crusader have in common?

Whenever I gaze back through the passage of time and upon the evening that bore me witness to the man known as Makedonios Ksanthopoulos, I can only wonder at the nature of men. From what fabric are weaved noble men? Often have I heard claims of titles, land, coin or bloodline; yet are all these things truly the core essence of nobility? Titles come and go swiftly as the shifting tides and as such are but a chlamys wrapping a man in a pretension of nobility. Only once removed can the truth of a person be revealed, at least in part. While land and coin may be more lasting, in the words of Sophocles; « Wisdom outweighs any wealth. » and that would be true of many more qualities. There remains bloodline, which is a crucial part of nobility but not the defining attribute. I cannot fully ascertain all that makes a man noble, crafting such a list would ultimatly prove illusive for any but the wisest. All that I can be certain of; men are not born noble, it is through their defining actions they reach true nobility.

- Memoirs of Anna Komnenos


The sun was setting on the Queen of all cities as a lone figure in simple robes of quality textiles made her way out of the palace grounds. Were she not a woman, she would have been largely unnoticed, yet most people assumed her to be of low nobility and thus she seemed only a minor anomaly in a city filled with them. Tugging at her lightly embroidered veil to adjust it, she contemplated the irony of situation. She, Anna Komnenos, daughter of the most powerful man in the world, had less freedom then her confidante, from whom she had borrowed these clothes to avoid the countless attendants.

As Anna neared the Hippodrome, she realized she felt odd sensation. Her reason told her this was unwise at best and she would have usually agreed, but something pushed her on. She could hardly describe the exact feeling, it was a mix of trepidation and excitement. She shook her head in denial, drawing a few curious stares, before she regained her countenance. She needed a clear mind if she wanted this encounter to turn out less sour than the previous one.

At last the Hippodrome was in view and Anna set out at once to the appointed entrance. Since Anna would surely stand out in the diminishing crowd, she made no effort to seek out Makedonios Ksanthopoulos, preferring to wait instead for him to find her.

And despite her lower key clothing, she was easy to find. As he was walking through the market sipping his tea, he spied someone looking a tad out of place by the entrance. Best to move in fast before people noticed her.

As Makedonios got nearer to the Princess, her beauty radiated out from even the dull clothes she currently had on. The soldier's heart skipped a beat but Makedonios's quickly settled it down. He had helped Bryennios hold the left wing at Manzikert against waves of Turkish attackers but he suddenly found himself more frightened than on that fateful day.

With a quick prayer to the Lord for strength, Makedonios walked quickly towards the Princess and called out just loudly enough for anyone witnessing to hear, "Maria! How is one of the Senate's most capable clerks doing? It is getting late and I would be honored to escort you home."

Makedonios offered the crook of his arm to the Princess as he set his tea set down on one of the lamp posts.

Anna was a bit slow in reacting at her "name" being called. Nevertheless, she quickly took the arm offered to her once she realized the man was probably the Comes of Cyprus.

"Thank you...my... lord." The words came out awkwardly and they felt odd as she uttered them. Glancing about, she was visibly nervous as she was escorted down the street. Part of her silently wondered if this man had mistaken her identity or if some grim fate would await her.

Makedonios noticed her tense her grip on his arm and quickly attempted to calm her down. "It is a beautiful night but the ones in Cyprus are nicer." Feeling her relax a little when he mentioned something from their letters, Makedonios continued. "I apologize for the theater but I'm afraid you cut it a little close with the timing. A lady looking as you do alone in front of the Hippodrome looks suspicious so I had to think fast. Please forgive my forwardness in offering my arm."

Even in the setting sun, Anna could notice the Comes was blushing.

"You did well Comes. I am... not used to hiding my identity." Her voice was quivering, it could have been a simple fear of discovery or was it something else? In all of her twenty springs, she had never held a man so closely, save her father and brother. She was thankful the rouge on her cheeks and her veil almost hid her blushing.

Pushing these thoughts away, she cleared her mind and struggled to keep her conflicting emotions in check.

"Quickly, we should move out from the streets. To the gardens, maybe?"

Makedonios nodded in agreement and led the Princess down the street. His experience with women was sorely deficient. He was a soldier. And his devotion to the Lord made him avoid some of the more leisurely activities that soldiers across the world use to occupy their free time. It was good that they weren't talking or the Princess might notice his voice quiver.

They finally arrived at their destination. Which was a back entrance to a small garden on the Palace grounds. A guard recognized the Princess and let them through the entryway that was entwined with vines and roses.

Once they arrived at the fountain in the center of the garden, Makedonios unhooked his arm from the Princess. He suddenly found that he missed the sensation. Thinking a quick prayer, and pushing the sensation out of his mind, it was time to get down to business.

"Alright your Highness, I've received your letter. Forgive me for being blunt but what would you like to discuss?"

Leaving his side, Anna followed the rim of the fountain, letting a finger trail in the cool water, until she was on the opposite side of it. She gazed at Makedonios and smiled sheepishly.

"In your letter, you asked for my counsel. With the senate session nearing, I thought it was better not to waste time. But first, tell me Comes, what do you want?"

The Comes stood for a second sizing her up. He was impressed with her forwardness and honesty. He expected her to be more guarded and aloof.

"Your right, but it was you who wanted to meet in person. What I want is simple. I want to get the Order off of my island, and over to the Levant as soon as possible. But I already sense political dealings happening behind the scenes and I am afraid a group of warrior/monks isolated on a far island are going to get left out."

"I don't ask for much. I already have army units and generals on the island. And half of the Byzantine fleet is just off of the coast of Cyprus. But our Empire's rules are very clear. I can not order the ships to move, load my men onto to them, and sail them the short distance to where they need to go. Only the Megas can do that and this term that is your father."

"I'm trying to prevent the Order being stranded by making political alliances with the other land-owners. But I much rather do this with your father's blessing. I have great respect for the man and I believe he will lead the Empire into a new age."

With a smile that brightened his features, Makedonios added, "Now I have prattled on long enough. If I may be so bold to ask, what do you want your Highness?"

Anna hesitated for an instant, not sure exactly what she should reveal. Well versed in negotiation, she knew she had to at least give him something.

"As I am sure you know, my brother is set to inherit the title of Basileus and in the meanwhile I am relegated to a very minor role. All I can do is to make sure my family is safe while both, father and brother, are away waging war. As you have said, many alliances are made and some of them do not have my family's interest's at heart, quite the contrary. Yet, I have little power myself. What I want, what I need, is someone with integrity. Someone, who will not bend for me or anyone else. You said you could offer me friendship and that is what I want, for I place little faith in pawns and sycophants."

Makedonios nodded in understanding.

"It seemed like you could use the advice of someone who isn't fawning for your's, or your father's approval. I believe I could provide that. And I can use friends in the Senate so I can fulfill my duties to the Lord and to my Order."

"I too have the Empire's interests at heart. My mission to secure the Holy Land has many reasons. The obvious is religious in nature. But there is a very real security reason. It seems everyone in this part of the world seeks to hold the Holy Lands. If we do not get there first, we are likely to find a large and powerful foreign foe to our south-east that would threaten any attempt to retake Anatolia."

"I will not ask you to trust that I have your family's interests at heart. But I hope I have proven that what I am trying to do will benefit the entire Empire. I was at the battle of Manzikert and I know full well what happens when an Empire doesn't secure their borders."

With that last sentence, Makedonios gets a far-away look as if he has been reliving the same nightmare every night. He quickly composes himself.

"As for integrity, you should be suspicious of anyone who claims it for themselves. All I hope I have convinced you of, is that I hold strong convictions. I believe with all my heart that the Order will serve a useful function to the Empire by holding a strategic position. I just need the chance to prove it."

"Again I fear I am monopolizing this conversation. I feel like I'm giving a practice speech before speaking before the Senate tomorrow. But that is in itself useful because it helps me put my thoughts in order. Please feel free to step in and give me your thoughts or ask me any questions."

Completing her walk around the fountain, Anna found herself once more near Makedonios. She simply nodded at his words.

"You are right, and with you in the East, I find myself fearing less for our safety from that direction. Yet, I am worried for the west. The latin barbarians rape and pillage our lands while we are forced to watch, unable to act."

Brushing back her veil lightly, she produced one of her most charming smiles. Her eyes glimmered in the fading light.

"I would ask of you a simple favor. There might soon be talk of sending some troops to reclaim some of our lands in the West. A young man, by the name of Anastasios Neokaisareitis, will no doubt make his wish to lead this expedition known publicly. His needs are few, less than a hundred men, and I would be very grateful if you supported him."

While Makedonios's features brightened as the Princess neared, his face turned to a grimace when he heard Anastasios's name.

"Your Highness, soldiers have many ways of doing things. But some men do things in a way that is against the very teachings of the Lord. And Anastasios is one of those men. His reputation for cruelty is well known. I'm surprised you have even spoken with such a man."

While Makedonios tries to make it clear through his tone that he meant it as Anastasios being unworthy of a conversation with Anna, a touch of jealousy leaked through. He decided to continue and hope the Princess didn't notice.

"As for my support, he probably doesn't know it, but he already has it. While he has not formally sworn to House of Asteri, he is known to spend much time there. And Comes Kosmas and I already have... an understanding. While he keeps company with some... colorful characters, the Comes is a very pious man. Him and I agree on the need to move Muslims away from the Empire and to spread Orthodoxy."

Anna adopted a more serious and thoughtful pose, seemingly taken aback by Makedonios' words.

"I... did not know about his reputation. I might have erred in my judgment, although at short term, he seemed like the right person to see to our needs in the West."

She seemed distraught, her voice shakier sentence by sentence.

"It seems it is I who is "left out" so to say, there are so many new faces in the Senate, I hardly know any of them. And now, it is apparent I cannot even trust my own senses. I fear in seeking my counsel you have struck a losing bargain."

Makedonios's features soften when he sees the Princess upset but he stays where he is. His emotions are conflicted and he doubts she needs any more complications in her life at the moment.

"Well, you have to start somewhere. I hardly know any of these men either. You write letters and see where it takes you. That is how we met. Your a born diplomat. You were trained to read people. Trust in that."

"As to your judgment, I see nothing wrong. The larger issue you speak of is absolutely correct. We can not focus on one end of the Empire, only to ignore the other side. That is why I have tried to be modest in my requests of the Basileus. Anastasios might be the right choice to protect the west. With him in Kosmas's House, he might be forced to... curb some of his excesses. While Kosmas does not have a reputation for chivalry, he does seem like a pragmatist."

"I see... I have met with Comes Mavrozomis, although with inconclusive results."

She looked at the now dark sky, realizing that she had perhaps tarried to long.

"I...." Anna stuttered, seemingly examining possibilities, before shaking her head lightly. "I must take my leave, if I do not return to the palace soon my absence might be noticed. I will take your words into consideration Makedonios and once I have found myself once more, I will speak to you again. Farewell."

Rearranging her veil, Anna turned to leave but lingered for a few moments, before finally leaving.

Makedonios paused for a moment. But it was only a moment. He gave a respectful bow and said, "Have a good evening your Highness and thank you for the conversation. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

With that, he kept his face impassive but his eyes betrayed him when they appeared to sparkle with emotion. Perhaps it was just the moonlight. He stood straight, turned smartly as a soldier does, and walked out of the garden.

[AussieGiant]

Present Day:

Standing on the prow of the ship, the young man's piercing blue eye's and blond hair stood out in stark contrast to his deeply tanned skin. If it wasn’t for his fair hair and eye’s, his skin colour and dress would have marked him as a Saracen to a casual observer. His head scarf or Keffiyeh and dark flowing robes hid the red jerkin of armour he wore under his the Arab clothing.

“Christian Hardy, the men are read for the day’s final prayer.” The words were spoken in fluent Arabic.

Turning his head back towards the main deck he could see the preparations for the Salat were nearly done. “I’ll be there in a few minutes Nasir, and remember, my name is Apionnas Vringas now.” His own words were as fluent as those of his Syrian friend. He smiled at his companion, noticing the concern etched on his friends face.

“Plus, I want to see Constantinople before I pray Nasir. Allah will not mind the small delay I’m sure.” Nasir raised an eyebrow in response but turned without a word and went back to the main deck.

Christian Hardy, the young man thought long and hard on that name, images immediately flashed back to that fateful day forever burnt into his memory over 10 years ago.

The ship he and his family were travelling on was attacked by a Saracen war galley, his mother captured and raped before his eyes, his father cut down by the sword stroke of an Arab commander. He would never forget that moment, the images of his parents were the only things that gave him the strength to survive the last ten years of his life as a slave.

The boat journey had taken one full year to reach Cairo where he was sold to the Mamluks and joined the Sultans Mansuriyya regiment. At the age of six he began the decade long training regime in order to become one of the slave soldiers of the regiment. Looking back he suddenly realised the concept that had resulted in turning him into what he was today.

The younger they were taken, the better. Boys were easier to train than a broken man wrenched from his family after a siege or raid. They were impressionable, quicker at submitting to the strict military regime and to full conversion to Islam, easier to mould into steel.

That steel had been shattered not less than one month earlier. The Mansuriyya regiment, sent north to begin preparations for the coming war between Egypt and the Turkish presence in Syria, had been ambushed and destroyed in less than one afternoon. Four thousand troops killed or captured, his Amir slain, the commanders beheaded as a message to the approaching Sultan.

They had retreated bravely and finally, pushed up against the coast, the remaining soldiers had escaped by swimming to a nearby island. With no food the few remaining survivors had lived off the land and had eventually gathered at a small town on the island to discuss their plans.

After heated debate about the merits of returning to Cairo, most had agreed that the regiment was disgraced and each would make his own way.

With no commanders, no direction and no way back to his previous life, his only option seemed to be the pull of finding his fathers Byzantine family somewhere in Constantinople. He had names, but would he find them after an entire life of separation?

This desperate search was why he and a few men where now on a ship less than one day from Constantinople.