raid on Bozkurt
Bozkurt, Black Sea Coast, 1101
Lisas Attaleiatis had been awakened early on Sunday afternoon (well, it was early, as he saw it) by a member of his bodyguard who had been serving as an advanced scout.
Apparently, the heretical army that had taken Sinop, were not content to hold this prize just out of the reach of the Caesar’s army, but were actually arrogant enough to attempt to turn citizens of the empire to their side, and one of their priests (for want of a better word), had been preaching (for want of a better word), his cult to a town he had never heard of.
After swearing at his man for being awakened, forgiving him once he heard the news, and finding out where Boskerp or whatever its name was, actually was, Lisas and his men set out at once, and now they had arrived, on a hill overlooking the tiny town, in the dead of night.
"How fitting" Lisas muttered, "dead of night", he grinned, this would be his first action and he was trying too look braver and colder than he actually was.
He looked to his men
"Do we know where their staying?"
"Sir, A small tavern on the east side of town, it doesn't have a name, but then, it’s the only one in town.” came the reply from the man who had woke him up earlier today.
"Good," smiled Lisas, finishing his sentence in his head "...thing that my soldiers do nothing but drink when their off duty"
"Sir, his escort?"
"Expendable, we want the priest, and grab some ale too, the owners protest, gently remind them they were harbouring an enemy of the empire, dismount and move forward"
There were some appreciative laughs as they began the long quiet march into town
On their way to the tavern, Lisas smiled, realising that the local priests saw them for heretics and didn’t allow them to stay in their chapel. That means the locals were almost certainly pro-empire.
Once across the street from the tavern, hidden in an ally behind a wagon, they saw two guards pacing up and down the front, and a small flag gently flapping from a window on the second floor.
”Numbers?”
”There should be two more men on guard round the back, when I was here last there were 20 in total, including the priest.”
”Did you see what weapons they were carrying?”
”Yes, a mix of axe’s, knives and those weird two handed things Muslim’s use, the priest has a stick...”
”You mean a staff?”
”it’s big, made of wood and doesn’t have a spike on the end sir, that’s a stick to me”
”very well, no armour?” he questioned after observing one of the guards in the moonlight
”none, sir”
”Good, you” still not knowing his men when they were armoured, he just pointed and hoped it was one of his best “take your pick of 5 men and go round the back and clear the cellar, the rest of you were going straight through the front door, crossbows, release”
two dull thuds were heard and the guards fell like rag dolls
”move”
they ran to the front door, which was miraculously opened for them, a second later it a woman of about 30 appeared on the street, thinking fast one of Lisas’ men had grabbed her from behind and was now holding her in some wrestling position Lisas didn’t recognise, but it kept her quiet.
”As soon as its over, let her go, we’ll talk then” he addressed to both the man holding her as well as who he hoped was the owner, “now in”
Dull candlelight lit the room, revealing two drunks slumped over a table, “not a religious order then” Lisas mused after seeing two cudgels nearby them.
One of the drunks stirred “who was that thud?” he slurred, his answer came in the form of a spartha to the gut.
Lisas threw up, straightening up; he looked at the cups, “what were they drinking? God… that smells like it’s been drunk before” so maybe it was a religious cult then, he finished to himself.
”What’s going on?” came a cry from the stairs.
There, rubbing his eyes, was the very priest who had caused so much trouble.
His answer came in the form of a shield roughly bashed into his face.
”Easy” announced Lisas, “clear the building, you two, tie him up and carry him outside, you two go get the horses” he ordered his men
Walking outside, his intuition about who the woman was proved right, as he was greeted with a slap across his face, dull moans started to fill the night.
”Im sorry” he said to owner
”you should be, they were paying 100 florins a night!”
”So you’re only worried about money? You didn’t agree with whatever they went on about”
”yes, do you know where else I can get 100 florins a night these days?”
”yes actually, but not now, the empire is rebuilding, liberating new ground every day, what if I promised you a new Inn, under your control, in say, Sinop?”
”I don’t want to move”
”We’ll pay your moving costs, who do you know that drinks more than sailors or soldiers?”
clearly thinking about this the woman extended a hand “you have a deal… mr… I didn’t get your name”
”you have a deal with the house of Komnenodoukai you don’t need my name, don’t make me regret it miss, Oh yes, and one of my men couldn’t stand the sight of blood, so… have fun cleaning that up”
He walked away before she could protest.
She re-entered the bar with a disgusted look on her face as the cellar team rolled ten barrels of ale towards him
”load up that wagon, this should raise morale a bit, and if there’s still room when the priests on, liberate some livestock and maybe some fruit from those farms we saw on the way here, I’m sick of grain”
ten minutes and a rather full wagon later, and they were speeding off back to the main camp, Lisas wondered what the priest knew, but wondered more about what it would take to make him tell them what he knew, people who think their right with god, he was told by his teacher one time, are a real pain to make talk.
He grinned, for three years, he hadn’t realised that pun.
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