Turks hacking at them. stay by me. Carts.

I turned and took a long last look at the inn
I turned and took a long last look at the inn. I no longer knew what was inside of me. His brain's the only thing more withered than his dick. trying to catch hold on the trail.That is good. It seemed to stretch out forever. I yelled.He had just uttered these words when another turbaned warrior charged toward him. At ten!I had spent my youth traveling with a band of itinerant goliards.Finally. And Robert too..You may have started the day still a boy.For those who come. The smallest hope flashed through me: maybe I could whack it across his ankles.Themetal trade. stuffing anything of value into their filthy robes. His Holiness Urban promises unimaginable rewards. stepping into the center of the square. For a moment I almost raised my hand and called out.Go where ? There was something in his face. I knew. children.

giving the appearance that we were headed for a raid elsewhere. as was my vow. a vain smile visible under his mustache. he had the reputation of being a bit of a soothsayer too. had to be dragged single file up the steep way. New aromas entranced me.Then I did a little hop. I protested. but my legs seemed rooted to the ground.. running from house to house. We pounced on him and hacked him bloody. Blood and gore soaked the ground everywhere. how will you continue to pay your tax to the duke. I stripped it from my chest. I urged the Turk. burst. Men. but without result. lashing the boy's wrists and ankles tightly to the water wheel. I shouted. I said.Instead .

A relic already! Nico laughed. Then he toppled forward. I stripped it from my chest. the sun blocked by a hail of arrows..As it did. brave souls? The monk reached out his arms. I bolted into Robert.The boy's back was turned.Finally.Peter's army has crushed the infidels. But then he was overwhelmed. Riches and spoils picked up along the way. You have no power. Robert took his place. we'renear . whores. the towers...I lunged for the harness around its neck. But the laws of custom are the laws. his rush was intercepted by Robert.

Thousands of them.There was a shriek. men and women; some carrying axes and mallets and old swords..Thirty yards out. had turned toward me. as if he were evaluating whether to leave me in the same condition as the Turk. Show them whose God is One. It was all that kept him from plunging to his death. Infidels. At the preciousfreedom I was about to be granted at last. and Nicodemus trying to settle it.. It was said they were disgraced knights who followed a secret lord and had taken vows of poverty until they could buy back their favor in God's eyes. where they fell. hollow look of men who have seen the worst atrocities and somehow lived. to leave her this way. Norcross pressed on. Hugh. I knew any moment could be my last.Up ahead.. At first we were glad to leave the inferno behind.

hurrying from the well with her bucket. whatever dream of freedom or wealth had brought me here.I missed being free. I bolted into Robert. thank God. Hugh?I nodded.The old man looked up at me and shook his head.I guess we'll both be men. Hugh? Her eyes locked on mine. A peddler with a cart was considered an event here. Hugh.There is the one about the convent and the whorehouse. they run like grandmothers. The sound of shouts and vicious fighting erupted from inside. Reach up your other hand. I pumped out my chest. praised for valor in battle. The traveler goes in and is greeted by another comely nun. Baldwin. Something my life in Veille du P?re had stilled but not completely put aside. Hugh. a companion knight replied with an exaggerated sniff.Those we captured were sometimes handed over to a fearsome group of Frank warriors called Tafurs.

up ahead. We traveled the large cathedral towns.Nicodemus started to answer. I had to see Sophie again. I laughed above the din. House of Prostitution. I noticed that my own tunic and arms were smeared with blood.You may have started the day still a boy. clattering across the church's floor.I pressed Robert up against the wall. and smiled too. slapping one another on the back. our liege lord's chatelain. loud footsteps burst through the outer door..One by one. Isn't that right. Then our dispirited army headed farther south. Nico's trick had worked.In spite of our being totally outnumbered.But the old Greek was too slow and laden with gear to get out of the way.You are right . Finding nothing.

Robert said as we marched. I said. You better tell him. Hardened knights fled terror stricken back to camp. then turned to face their charge. I did my best to try to cheer other men up. If it's riches. I did not. they recounted. and from within.Dei leveult ! God wills it!My own blood surged. I had gone into the hills to pick it early that morning. Son of Cain. It made us realize even more that they would not easily give in.We soon came to a wide clearing between mountains.One by one. Kill the pagans and sit with the Lord in Heaven. spinning around a final time to catch her laugh. a diminutive Spaniard with a large hooked nose.God . It took my breath away. of such chilling proportion that we thought we had entered a valley of demons. have been fed to dogs; cherished vials filled with drops of the Savior's own blood.

Your lord asked me to impress upon you. I noticed her peeking at a rehearsal. My heart went out to him.' it reads. Then he toppled forward. Then it was on to Jerusalem. Larger and more formidable than any castle I had ever seen back home. The irony was bursting through my sides.At last the abbess stops at a door. The sooner we get there.Steady that animal.1096The church bells were ringing..!Son of Mary. I'll need it more when I come back. like one of those multitudes prophesied in Isaiah or John. wasn't it? Or. knocking him off his post and flush against the wall just as a sulfurous black wave engulfed his ram-mates. We're going in. glinting through the haze. believers were being nailed to the city's walls. I saw men clearly over the edge guzzle their own urine as if it were ale..

I am sure. just as one of the attackers thrust a dagger into the belly of the priest. Sophie sniffed. knocking him off his post and flush against the wall just as a sulfurous black wave engulfed his ram-mates. I knelt down and took a handful of earth to mark the day and placed it in my pouch.She nodded.Then Norcross's face split into an amused smile. Free of my illusions. but when it comes out it's flopping about?She widened her eyes and blushed. Do we finally get to pay them back?Sharpen that knife. And to God. `Very well. fell away from me. they recounted. where they fell. I bade farewell to my sweet Sophie. It was more like resignation. I bade farewell to my sweet Sophie.See. Are you ready. Her legs parted and I gently eased myself inside. our liege lord's chatelain. No.

why. I begged. This attacker was a bear of a man with massive arms nearly twice the size of mine. and were left. even if you try and deny it.I pressed Robert up against the wall. word had reached us of the Pope's call. to Toulouse.. Take this with you. his eyes focused and fierce..I would never see Jerusalem in this lifetime. only to be surrounded and chopped to bits. Frank. As they readied. People were running into the square. and I leaped upon him. Yet as he spoke. argued why lose a day. With a hideous bray.. Eight massive warhorses thundered across the bridge into the center of town.

Idid see. `What may we do for you.. redhead.So. dressed up in ornate robes. Rumor had it some holy relics were held ransom there. They're coming! They're almost here!From the east. actually.. Others fell over him.As he made his way back across the square. In that case. Then we held until close to dawn. There was nothing more to say. his reputation as a seer suffered. resembling his mount. but it remained stuck in the dead Turk's chest.But just as the man's spear was inches from my throat. yet we trudged on; our hearts and wills. missing me by the width of a blade. Others said the bird had more sense than us and got out while she was still alive. a new hell awaited.

I don't get it. All I could do was scream.Then Antoine.Somewhere in the heights. One was Nicodemus.No! I lunged. side by side.I looked into his hooded eyes.I placed the scabbard in my pouch.I lunged for the harness around its neck.Then Norcross's face split into an amused smile. turbaned and cloaked in robes. I will come!I saw Matt. The Turks.THE TURK'S SWORD hovered over me. with red crosses either painted or sewn onto plain tunics. A relic already! Nico laughed. You're not going to believe this. pushed east to seize the Turkish fortress at Xerigordon. Isn't that right. his brows arched.Hugh.Yet nothing so far could prepare us for the hell we were about to face.

Professor . The man staggered..All around me. Tafurs. her brave smile as I hopped down the road. the Tafur had said..They passed by me on their way to loot the church. Cries of Death to the pagans andDei leveult . Norcross nodded. yet we trudged on; our hearts and wills. barely wide enough for a cart and a horse. blood drenching the parched earth. inside the mill. Hugh? Nicodemus called out as we made our way along a particularly treacherous incline.The three years we'd been married had been the happiest I had known.. unprotected-chopped to bits in their tents. You're not going to believe this. Norcross smiled. stuffing anything of value into their filthy robes. covered in filth and sores.

Give me your hand. I could see in Sophie's eyes that she felt it too. Jean the smith. I noticed that my own tunic and arms were smeared with blood. and there were fruits I had never tasted before: oranges and figs. all the young who had so eagerly signed up. If it's riches. past Robert and Nico. Guillaume.Constantinople.I love you too. as if my ferocity could bring back my friend. only a fool. Sophie. I raised myself to my elbows.A knight pushed up the trail.Let's go ! the nobles shouted. his sword poised for attack. buckling to their knees. were spared just so we could bear the tale. No great loss. If it's a fight you want..

Now that was just a mocking refrain in my dreams.Suddenly. helmets gleaming in the sun. eager not to miss out on the loot. He lunged.She had nearly drifted off to sleep. I looked around. raped. Men screamed and toppled over. bald.Don't worry.Where you're headed.!Son of Mary. or that I was thinking of her at the end.TWO DAYS LATER. landing on what would have been his face. a soldier exclaimed. this one bare chested and monstrous..TWO DAYS LATER. Are you taking notes?The raucous laughter continued for a time as we waited for the knight to emerge.Somehow they knew. And people of no stench.

I had sworn in my heart to protect him. I saw a horseman hurtling directly toward us at full speed. Robert turned to me. I simply could not hold back.A knight pushed up the trail. we were told. `What may we do for you. Jerusalem!TELL US A STORY. Word has reached him that a rabble passed through here a day ago. but we needed water badly.For the first time. or even beg for my life.Nico . You are free!EVEN IN VEILLE DU PERE. gone. It had belonged to her mother.Under the shield of darkness. consumed by heavy blows and disemboweling slashes. His Holiness Urban promises unimaginable rewards. up ahead. ? The Turk seemed to sigh. Georges was my friend. it's summer.

Off in the distance the gray outline of hills narrowed to a sliver of shining blue. I thought I saw something there that in that instant mirrored my own thoughts. and honor in battle. Hugh?I nodded. I dreamed about Sophie every night. Raymond of Toulouse is forming an army. galloped down the line on their crested mounts.But I know I ran. Hortense. a buttress of gray rock thirty feet tall.A cabbage. Jerusalem!TELL US A STORY.Loud. I fixed on a face above the main gate. grammar.. I reached and wiped a glistening tear from her eye.I wanted to take something from the church with me. I motioned with my eyes for them to stay clear of Norcross and his thugs. spaced at intervals equal to a man's arm span. just as one of the attackers thrust a dagger into the belly of the priest. the Holy Land. Young and old.

stretching out as far as the eye could see. Just like when we were children. do you not?Norcross leaned against the wheel for the longest time. I dreamed about Sophie every night.Let's go ! the nobles shouted.. cursing him in their tongue.Nico was right. Soon he comes to another sign. You don't look like much of a Crusader. said another in a parched. The fortress lacked all water. but the grief emptying from me showed that Nicodemus was as close to one as I'd ever had.somewhere in MacedoniaThe heavy-bearded knight reared his mount over us on the steep ridge. Turbaned men rushed into the street and were cut down in bloody messes before they could even raise their swords. But every time a soldier moaned. As I knelt beside him his eyes grew cloudy. her shy blue eyes unable to hide from mine. I've come to carve the Turks. no doubt. I vowed to carry it with me wherever I went for the rest of my life.Good Lord . I begged.

And I saw that Baldwin will never free you from your pledge. just go through that door.' she says. and to most of us. Men.Robert !THE ATTACKER HURTLED into Robert and swung his sword with both hands. don't let this be some kind of cruel trick. no god either.Arrows and stones and burning pitch rained down on us from all directions. I noticed her peeking at a rehearsal.My regiment went on. Tafur..I don't see any Christians chained to the walls. A slide of rock and gravel hurtled down at us. he and the goose were great companions to us. In all this madness I had found a moment of clarity and truth with this Turk. clattering to the ground. and I always did.A hundred yards.The thought occurred. Even my mother's mother could cross here. A peddler with a cart was considered an event here.

a solid wooden barrier the height of three men. He lunged. some of them just boys. but there was little to find amusing.FOR DAYS TO COME.Up ahead. The happiest days of my life. God had taken me where I belonged.Please . The sound of shouts and vicious fighting erupted from inside. working around the inn. He blinked at me. and blackened with grime and enemy blood? Would she still laugh at my jokes and tease me for my innocence after what I had seen and known? If I brought her a sunflower. we'll both fall. Paul the carter told me. A Seljuk horde of thousands surrounded the city and simply waited them out. I'll need it more when I come back. looking for something of value. I protested. wielding the dagger that was still covered with the priest's blood. whores. a sudden rock slide. I swiped a sunflower and went up to her.

whatever dream of freedom or wealth had brought me here. I knew I could no longer fight. I realized we were marching through valleys now. Men simply dropped as they marched. No. Buildings were torched. glinting through the haze. how I had since the first time I had set eyes on her.I stopped her.Outside Civetot we had our first taste of the enemy. I felt sure I would soon die too. You have no power. Hugh. I always told you I'd return. And there was something that I missed from those days.How could I leave her? How could I be such a fool?You'll come back. Or. Guillaume. anything that came into my head-when one of the henchmen rushed up to me. you won't be missing this one too much. I told him.Sophie turned in my arms and faced me with a blank.Then all at once a chilling roar rose up from behind the city walls.

Looking up. I am sure.Young Robert. sorry voice. looking fit. but never had I seen a place like this! Gold was like tin here. thin as a pole. Except me.. I fell to the ground happy just to be alive. either cheering or laughing at his attempt to show off in front of royalty.I stood. or offal. loud footsteps burst through the outer door.The traveler assumes it is a joke. I defended Robert. I squawked about like a chicken.It was built on a sharp rise.Then.. while our nobles fought and bickered among themselves. And deeply in love. The peril of the climb was broken by a few welcome laughs.

sounding almost disappointed.Then Norcross's face split into an amused smile. I said.Suddenly. Or any of us. was next to me in line. but they fell against the massive walls like harmless sticks. insisted that the scouts and maps suggested a point to the south. It seemed impregnable.Tafur. I'll be back. The detachment at Xerigordon had already been done in-not by siege butthirst. but in his full battle gear and on unsteady footing he couldn't hold the mount.We spotted red crosses painted everywhere. I had promised Sophie. Her legs parted and I gently eased myself inside. I finally prayed..A trumpet sounded the call to arms. fortune-all that left me as if it had never been there. Turks hacking at them. stay by me. Carts.