I'm back! Here's the next bit. Hope you enjoy.

May 15
Vasileios stood in front of the ordered ranks of Varangian Guards, a mix of the peoples of Europe. Much his personal unit was Greek, due to the Emporer trying to nationalize the Guards, and cut down on need of foreignors to fill his armies' ranks. He did send out word throughout Europe that the Guards were wanted, and many, who wished for the esteemed high-paid mantle, flocked to Constantinople.

Behind him, and in front of the ranks stood a crowd of women and children. Vasileios surveyed the ranks again for a moments, and nodded. He turned to the crowd behind him, and nodded, speaking only a few unheard words. He then walked back to his makeshift headquarters.

"What's going on?" Eleni asked.

Kalinikos drained his water flask, wiping off his mouth with his arm. "Wives who followed are leaving. No one's staying in the town, kid. That would be suicide." They stood and watched tearful goodbyes for at least twenty minutes, all the while Kalinikos pointing out men.

"There is Valdemar Skaaning." He pointed toward a large northman who was hugging a much smaller woman. "He married that girl well nigh two years ago. One kid so far." The grizzled cheek of the man was caressed by his wife one last time, before she joined the exodus.

"That is Urian Katsantonis, grandson of the Urian for whom this town is named."

"Katsantonis? The same one--"

"Yep. Won the Attrition of Naples way back when. Naples was almost lost after he got shuffled over here, to the East, fighting the Medes, and the early Turks. Our Urian had a command in Edessa, but lost it, and so is being punished. He's Vasileios' lieutenant." Kalinikos looked through the crowd. "Those two are Makarios Kyriazes and Theodore Koumoundouros. Up until Ioannou and Mikhalapoulos arrived, they were the only Greek veterans who had fought under another command. They married sisters, each has about four living kids."

Eleni whistled. "Busy."

Kalinikos smirked. "Very. Neither of 'em are over thirty. He," Kalinikos now pointed to a tallish man with a rather large, bushy moustache with plenty of grey in it. "He is Traianos Paphlagonian. A mix, Greek and Thracian. Claims to be a distant relative of Belisarius." Eleni laughed a bit.

"There is Aktaion Varvaressos, fourth in command. Urian, Traianos, Aktaion, and...that guy, Soterios Prvovencani, make up the officers of our company, and are our grand leader's bodyguard."

"And what are you doing, Kalinikos?" Both Kalinikos and Eleni turned to see who spoke behind them. Kalinikos immediately recognized the man, a large man, who looked robust even though he wasn't very young.

"Showing our new friend Eleni Cantacuzenus some of those he will be fighting side by side with." Kalinikos said. "Eleni, this is Andrei Buiakov, an orthodox brother from our slavic friends up north."

"God be with you." Eleni said. Buiakov smiled, a wide toothy smile, one that wrinkled his bearded face, and made his grey eyes even narrower.


"Mother Mary help us."

Savas gulped. "There's almost eighty ships. The reports underestimated by nearly one half."

Volusian crawled backwards, away from the shore. They were hidden behind a stand of trees, but the Muslims were mobilizing, and would soon fall upon their position. "Let's go."

May 20

Vasileios closed his eyes. "Eighty ships. Forty more than expected. Despite the quality of our troops the sheer numbers of their soldiers would over come us. And that's only the Egyptians and Almohads."

Soterios looked down at the map. "Our Novgorod allies have arrived. nearly two thousand, and not a peasant among them. Our spies tell us that the Muslims have huge numbers of peasants in their ranks."

"That would only be useful in an open field, where we could punch a gaping hole intheir lines, but we are defending, and defending a city moreover. They'll use the peasants to tire us, and then attack with fresh soldiers." Urian countered.

Traianos pointed to a ridge outside the city. "What if we were to leave the city? Wait until they march in, and begin fighting a rear guard. There'll be no cohesion to their lines, and when night falls, march in, and surprise them."

Vasileios thought a moment, silencing Urian's counter. "There's a counter strategy for everything, Urian. We've got to choose which one they'll least be able to find one for. This is very risky. Very risky. If they have ready lines we'll suffer, but if they don't..."

Soterios sighed. "I don't like it. We've never taken this big of a risk before."

Traianos nodded. "If we manage to, it'll wipe them out."

"If it doesn't, we'll be wiped out. Most likely we'll be wiped out anyway." Aktaion frowned. "But, I don't think they'll believe we're doing it. It's too crazy." Vasileios nodded.

"Now, Our Belisarius, go, and make sure we get up there. It'll take the Muslims nearly three more days to join with the Turks in Edessa. We have to be up there before any scouts come."