Ghu

I was pretty satisfied with how things had turned out, I thought, looking down at the sea of Abbasid soldiers that we had managed to pen in. It had been a challenge, but for weeks, I had been slowly setting the stage for this. It hadn't been easy and the cost was honestly higher than I would have preferred, but given that we had encircled an army twice our size, I suppose around five hundred dead or wounded was perfectly acceptable.

It was the same trick that King Widukind did back in Francia -- to highlight my position and make the enemy commit to destroying me. It was for that reason why I was the face of every raid when I burned their food reserves and beheaded their leadership, leaving only the Prince for the sake of capture. It was hard fighting, even for me, and after a month, I had a slow growing collection of wounds and bruises to prove it.

From there, I simply pretended to take the bait and led the Abbasids on a merry chase to my chosen battleground. The Prince and his advisors were clever as they decided to fan out wide, trying to close me in, but it didn't disrupt my plans much. From there, it was a simple matter of timing, positioning, and preparation to set the stage for what would likely be my greatest victory so far. Not quite comparable to Hannibal Barca, but I liked to think he smiled upon my tactic.

The battle field itself was a poor one for a large army, and I had banked on them being so blinded by me that they failed to notice until it was too late. The valley was deep, more of a ravine, with steep hills penning them in. The hills themselves were surmountable, but not easily, and the three easy exits were all controlled by my men. My rough fort held one exit with a thousand men, another was held by three thousand, while a narrow pass was held by a thousand of my men and a thousand Romans. Their positions were secured by wagon forts that blocked off the exits.

Naturally, the Abbasids attempted to escape. They crashed against us, trying to break out, but their numbers did them little good. My men were dug in, fortified, and armored. Those that didn't wield spears used axes to devastating effect. We rotated our men, keeping the front line fresh and tending to any wounds that may have been incurred. The Abbasids had far deeper reserves of men, but most of them were levies rather than the disciplined soldiers I could boast.

We didn't press the attack on the first day. We endured their assaults. On the second day, we did the same. On the third day, desperation had started to set in as the Abbasids realized my intentions and they fought to escape. It was for naught as we held strong. They gathered their strength on the fifth day for an attack that did not come. On the sixth, they made a final bid to get out to no avail.

It was the seventh day that I brought a horn to my lips and blew it, giving the signal that we had waited a week for. The horn rang out and I heard calls to arms as my men sallied out of the fort for the first time. The surrounding area was already littered with corpses, which had further fortified our position. The Abbasids had anticipated the attack and they tried to respond, but there was good reason why I waited a full week to launch an attack, risking reinforcements coming from the Abbasid settlement or the few that remained to siege Nordland.

The Abbasids had forgone a baggage train to maintain their speed in capturing me. They had food with them, but by the second and third day, it was gone. In the four days since, the Abbadids had gone hungry. I had seen more than a few eating grass simply to fill their bellies. More than that, I had been systematically killing their leadership as True Vision marked them out to me. Controlling an army of twelve thousand was no easy feat, and it required strong commanders to relay orders.

Commanders that they no longer had. I'm sure the Prince and his advisors were trying to exert their control over the army, but their influence was limited. They lacked the commanders necessary and, simply put, after a week of hunger with bottomed out morale, the men didn't want to listen. They were hungry, afraid, and what they had dreaded for days had finally occurred. The men panicked, many of them trying to flee in the face of me as those that stood firm to fight back.

The battle of Cannae wasn't merely brilliant for how Hannibal encircled a larger force with his smaller one. It was brilliant because of how the battle was fought -- Hannibal packed the Romans in, to the point that some were crushed to death. Most couldn't hope to even fight back as their arms were pinned to their sides. It was a field of slaughter and I would have the same.

The panicking men packed the Abbasids together as they surged against the pass that was guarded by two thousand men. They identified it as the weakest point and they were trying to break out. It worked perfectly for me and my men as the three thousand others pressed into the sides of the Abbasids, who packed themselves together to get away.

Then the killing began in earnest. It was slower than what I was used to. Usually I carved through the lines of the enemy formations to disrupt them, but that would have the opposite effect here. Not that there was any formation to find. Instead, my men and I opted for a slower, grinding, unyielding push against the Abbasids that slowly choked the life from them. Every step that we took, they were forced to take a step back and before long, the Abbasids ran out of room.

It wasn't glorious. Not in the same way that the battles in Francia were -- a clash of men and their arms, their leader's tactics and the gods deciding the victor. At some point, the Abbasids got so tightly packed together that they couldn't fight back at all, but all the same, we pressed on with the slaughter. Our cutthroats lagged behind us, finishing off any who we left behind and dragging their bodies away to not interfere with the battle. On the cliff sides where our archers emptied their quivers into the mass of men, missing was impossible.

The battle would be remembered, I knew, splitting a man's skull with my axe even as he was unable to level his spear at me. I would raise a runestone to it. The first one I had raised with my own hand, though I was certain that I was featured in one or two in Norway and Saxony. But, the truth of the matter was it wasn't a battle.

It was a slaughter.

A slaughter that began in the early morning and continued on until noon. There was no respite to be found as even my arms burned with effort, drenched in blood while killing yet another man. Our shield wall swapped out men, letting some grab a quick bite of bread, meat, and cheese before they were quickly forced back into the killing. The deeper that we pushed, the more we entered the valley, and the thinner we had to spread ourselves.

My boots were filled with a bloody mud, I was drenched to the bone with blood, and my arms screamed with effort with every swing that I made to the point I had decided to switch my shield arm. I was waiting for it to happen by the time the sun was at its apex. It was to be expected, even if I found myself frustrated with it.

My thinning and exhausted line suffered a breach and like an overfull waterskin, men burst forth in a flood. And, to my immense annoyance, I recognized who led the breech.

"I probably should have killed him when I had the chance," I muttered to myself, catching a glimpse of the man. Hadi, I think he was called. He must be beloved by his God because twice already, he had been spared my axe, and thrice he foiled my plans. Four times now, I amended, bringing the horn to my lips and blowing the second signal. True Vision gave me a glimpse of gold, and I knew that the Prince had escaped with Hadi.

Annoying, but hardly a disaster. I was far more concerned with his numbers advantage -- with this defeat, our numbers would be comparable. And a breach was expected, if unwelcome, so I had a plan in place for it.

With the signal, the two thousand men that had been holding their position began to press forward while I swung wide to close the gap. Our line was reinforced by fresher troops and the breach was sealed before more than a few hundred men could escape through it. Rather than give chase to the escaped Prince, we continued the battle and wore the Abbasids down to nothing. No mercy asked and no mercy given.

By the time the afternoon came, eleven thousand and six hundred men laid dead in what would later be called Ravensfeast Valley.

…

"I pity your child, Wolf-Kissed. I don't think he'll ever be able to step out of your shadow after this," I heard Alfric greet me as I overlooked the carnage. The valley was covered in corpses, and there were a handful of my men that were claiming arms and armor, along with whatever wealth they happened to find. All of which would be smelted down into their new armor and weapons by my blacksmiths.

It was a devastating victory by any metric, but not a total one. The Abbasids remained on the island and they still had the numbers to be a threat. My men were utterly spent from a long day of killing, and I was hesitant to press the advantage.

"I'll raise him to reduce me to a footnote," I replied in Germanic.

The Germanic noble hummed in response, "Have you and Princess Astrid considered names?"

"Not yet," I admitted. "Still have some time for it," about four months, based on what the midwives claimed. "Hopefully we'll be back in time to welcome my child into the world." It felt a little strange to speak of a new life before a field of fresh corpses, but it was on my mind. I wanted to raid up and down the Abbasid territory -- Acre, Tyre, Alexandria, Tripoli, Beirut, and Antioch. Perhaps even further inland. Sacking the cities would provide all the wealth I would need to pay my men, and fill Norland with trade goods.

However, before that, there were other matters. "Our losses?"

"A hundred men dead, and another four hundred wounded, but most of them will be able to fight again in a month or two." Alfric answered and my lips thinned. Between my raids and the various skirmishes, I had four hundred men dead with seven hundred wounded. Of that seven hundred, three hundred were crippled in some capacity -- a missing hand, weak limbs, or the loss of an eye. The losses were rather great in comparison, especially when considering our foe, but I needed my men more than the Abbasids needed theirs.

"I might be sending Garald back sooner than I thought," I muttered under my breath. It was tempting to recruit from the locals -- the Abbasids, and the Romans, but those men would not be sailing back with me. I wanted my mercenary company to be my army. The one that I would use to claim Denmark when the time was right. I could really use another three thousand men at the moment.

Even if it came with some risks, I thought to myself, True Vision marking one of the men that collected steel to melt down as red. The very same spy that I had noticed when they all sailed in.

I had no time to dwell on it as I saw Hoffer racing towards us on a horse, his face pale and alarmed. I tensed, bracing myself for the worst, as I turned to greet him. "Wolf-Kissed -- our ships! Those mad bastards burned our ships!" Hoffer growled, fury in his eyes as I looked beyond him. In the distance, it did seem like there was smoke rising up to the sky.

"That bastard," I muttered, knowing exactly which bastard I was speaking of. I wasn't sure if I was impressed or furious. "How many? What happened?"

"The group that escaped went straight to their settlement, but a detachment broke off. They found fifteen of our ships on the coast, slaughtered the guard, and burnt them." Hoffer informed and I scratched at my cheek, feeling the dried blood chipping under my fingernails.

That was annoying. Crete didn't have forests for me to rebuild the lost ships. The ships were there to take advantage of our maneuverability, seeing as the Abbasids lacked much in the way of a navy or horses. They went around the long way to avoid sailing by the Abbasid settlement to deliver my army to me. Nordland itself was guarded by wounded men and Romans.

The loss of fifteen ships stung. It wasn't a crippling loss, but it was a very unwelcome inconvenience.

"The men besieging Norland?" I questioned, mulling over the issue. Four thousand men had been left in their settlement while two thousand men had been left behind at Nordland to maintain the siege. An effort to prevent the defenders joining me, unaware that my men had already set sail.

"Still there. We killed a messenger recalling them, we think," Hoffer informed. Two thousand men. After a week of silence from their Prince, they must suspect something.

"We repay the loss of our ships with more blood. Give me a thousand men, fresh as we have, and I'll crush them at our gates," I decided, sending one last glance at the valley of corpses and the one enemy left within. Looking away, I clapped Alfric on the shoulder, leaving a bloody handprint on his tunic. "We'll see them off the island. Then we rest… and then, we raid."

…

Words to describe the disaster that they faced didn't exist, Hadi was certain. A month ago, they had arrived on the island with more than twenty thousand men, and now they were reduced to a mere four thousand and six hundred. They found themselves outnumbered and the last scraps of their army…

"The Pagan got to them first," Hadi informed the rather empty hall that had once housed all the leaders of the great army. Now, it was just Hadi, Yahya, and Prince Harun himself. Of all the nobility that could have survived, Emir Muhammad still lived, just grievously wounded. The scrap of parchment relayed the message that his last remaining scouts delivered, and Hadi found the walls of the settlement to be of little comfort. Not when Siegfried had already proven that he could breach them. The settlement itself was in a state of ruin, still recovering from the fire.

Prince Harun slammed a fist upon the table, restrained fury etched into his expression. "Any survivors?"

"... None. He is aware that he can't afford them," Hadi said, falling heavily into a chair. He was tired. Exhausted. Utterly spent and he just wanted to sleep.

He would never walk in a crowd again, Hadi knew. He would never forget the crushing sensation of so many bodies pressed together. Sending Naeem and Zafir here had been the greatest idea he ever had because it was nothing short of a miracle that he managed to get the Prince out of the encirclement. Their only chance had been to wait until the line got thin enough and make a push in a single direction with a concentrated force.

"A single mistake, Sheikh Hadi. You once told me that a single mistake was all I needed to make to be defeated. What mistake has been my undoing?" Prince Harun questioned and Hadi closed his eyes.

"We stepped foot on this damned island," Hadi replied and his sincere answer earned a feeble dark chuckle from Yahya.

The advisor to the Prince inclined his head to Hadi, "A mistake we must rectify, I fear. We have ten ships and four thousand men -- I say we make use of both and sail back to Acre, my Prince." Yahya was suddenly a lot more tolerable in Hadi's mind, he decided. "We find ourselves outnumbered and while Sheikh Hadi burning the ships was a welcomed boon, the Pagan does have more. We can find ourselves under assault from land and sea."

"Sheikh Hadi?" Prince Harun turned to him and Hadi considered their position for a moment. There was… one possible path on which they could secure victory.

They did have some advantages. Siegfried and his men were tired after killing thousands of men. They were exhausted, injured, and out of position. They had comparable numbers and, the very last thing that the pagans would expect after that massacre would be an offensive. If they marched out and gave battle… Hadi gave it decent odds that they could win. They may not kill Siegfried, but they could crush his spent army.

"Lord Yahya speaks wisdom, my prince," Hadi said instead. He wanted off this damn island. He wanted away from that damn Pagan. He wanted a soft bed. He wanted wine and good food. He wanted a clever whore in his lap that would make him forget all about this horror.

Prince Harun bit his lip, and despite himself, Hadi understood. This was going to be a disaster that would leave its mark upon his reputation for the rest of his life. And it wasn't his fault. Siegfried was simply a monster put on the Earth to punish them, himself in particular, Hadi felt. But no one would believe it, regardless of how true it might be. And, for a moment, Hadi feared that Prince Harun would choose death over disgrace. Which was his choice to make, so long as Hadi didn't die with him. However, he offered a shallow nod, "We depart. Now."

Hadi couldn't even hide his relief.

Preparations to depart began immediately, and after such a crushing defeat, people were eager to leave. It was dusk by the time the ships were loaded, and it was only upon the advice of Zafir that they delayed heading out into the night. Something that likely saved them as a storm came during it that continued on until the next day. At noon the next day, they finally loaded up on the ships before setting sail.

The mood was abysmal. Hadi figured it likely couldn't be lower even if Siegfried did give chase to them. There were angry mutterings, but Hadi was able to check them with a gentle word here and there. All to make Siegfried the target of their anger rather than Prince Harun. If it worked, Hadi couldn't say. But, hopefully, four thousand men repeating the same tale would lessen the impact on the Prince.

They made the same trek that they did before, sailing throughout the day before slowing during the night. It was at noon the next day that Hadi saw the familiar port of Acre. They were in the homeward stretch, Hadi could feel. So close to casting off his responsibilities. The invasion was a thorough failure, and if he was lucky, he could take most of the blame. Prince Harun would forestall any execution, while Hadi would be so disgraced that he would never be expected to fight in a battle again.

The landed, the flagship sailing into port first, and Hadi saw a crowd waiting to greet them. Hadi stood to the left of Prince Harun, and he saw his face tighten -- the city of Acre was ignorant of their defeat. They were greeted with roaring cheers as they made landfall, and Hadi found himself hoisted up alongside the prince as they were being carried towards the keep. They were treated as returning conquers, and despite himself, shame pooled in his stomach.

He could only imagine how Prince Harun felt. Especially when they made their way to the keep. It was an old fortress -- if tales were to be believed, it had stood since the days of Alexander the Great. It certainly looked it, though the walls showed signs of being refurbished. Inside was large room, one made for fighting, but it served as a welcome room when Princess Jasmine awaited them.

"Brother! You have returned!" Jasmine announced, sounding delighted. Hadi, however, found his attention drifting to something else entirely as the family reunion happened. Trailing behind Jasmine was a tiger. Large, around the height of a pony, but longer, with coiled muscle underneath striped orange fur. And it looked at Jasmine much like a common house cat might -- with affection and mild annoyance in equal measures. It wasn't even on a leash.

"I have, sweet sister. Though I wish I could return as a victor. The truth of it is far harsher -- I have been defeated," Prince Harun informed in a low voice and Hadi saw the joy melt away from Jasmine's veiled face. She stilled, standing before her brother and Hadi could practically see her mind racing.

"The ten ships…?"

"All that is left of the fleet and my army," Prince Harun confirmed quietly. They were hardly alone in the room -- attendants and servants, people of note like the Mayor to the city. Hadi saw the effect that the words had on them. The air of triumph gave way to shock and fear. "I too would be dead if it wasn't for the bravery of Sheikh Hadi. He saved my life more times than I care to count."

Well… at least his efforts were appreciated, Hadi thought as Jasmine's dark eyes flickered to him. Before she could speak, Prince Harun continued. "Father must be informed -- he expects our arrival in Anatolia any day now." Right. That was a problem, wasn't it?

"What do you intend to do, brother?" Jasmine questioned, reaching out to grip Prince Harun's hands tightly.

"I shall recruit to replenish our numbers from the surrounding area, but we shall head straight into Anatolia from there to reinforce father. With some luck, the Pagan will stay on his island and lick his wounds-" Prince Harun started, only for a messenger to enter the hallway and rush to Prince Harun's side, whispering in his ear.

Prince Harun gave no reaction until the messenger pulled away. Then he closed his eyes and… resignation. That's the word Hadi would use to describe his expression.

"Oh. Fuck. He followed us, didn't he?" Hadi heard himself say, any thought of diplomacy fleeing out of his head much like Hadi wished to flee the city.

Prince Harun opened his eyes and regarded Hadi with dark amusement, "Followed you, I suspect. You did burn his ships," Prince Harun pointed out and that was a truly blood-curdling thought. He had just wanted to make sure they didn't attack the settlement with them while he was in it! "You didn't burn enough, it would seem. Fifty of the Pagan's ships are sailing our way."

Well…

"Fuck."

...The battle was a fierce one, but Acre still fell to us in little time. And not wholly because we managed to overcome the defenders. I felt it in my bones that Hadi, the commander that had proven to be a thorn in my side since this war began, was behind it. They contested our landing, drew what blood that they could, before large swathes of the defenders fell back to the citadel.

The citadel itself was not overly impressive, but that stemmed mostly because of how old it was. I did feel a thrill of excitement, knowing that Alexander the Great had once besieged the same citadel however. Though, it hadn't been guarded by three thousand men who had run out of places to run then. They were in a corner, their backs against the wall, and they knew they had to fight or die.

I didn't relish the prospect of battle here. We would take it, I knew, but there would be a blood cost that I wasn't sure I wanted to pay. I had already lost a number of men, more were wounded, and I wanted to plunder the unprepared coast after this.

So, I gazed out at the gates of the citadel, the high stone walls and thick iron gate acting as a barrier. The walls were lined with men, all armed with bows. I could probably take the walls with minimal issue -- it wasn't that different from a normal assault on a city. I would secure a foothold on the walls, and then my men would concentrate the attack there. The citadel itself, however, posed a challenge. It was a sizable castle, and I knew that the narrow halls would be packed with men. It would be a long grinding battle, even with me leading the way. And I expected Hadi to do something to sour the victory.

As I pondered the issue, out of the corner of my expanded vision, I saw Thorkell approach. "The new ones are obeying the rules," he informed me, and I knew behind me the sacking of Acre was already underway. "They're a bunch of fanatics but… well, they're treating your word like it comes from the gods themselves." My lips thinned ever so slightly but I shrugged.

"So long as they listen, I suppose," I replied lamely, knowing that it was going to be an issue eventually. The gods favored me, but I imagine that could change if I started to claim that I was one of them. "We can't afford to lose the men to disciplinary measures." The newer recruits were trained in our ways, but it would take more than a month to make our ways instinct. I had feared I would need to flog some men, but so far…

Things were going well. "It is a rich city," Thorkell said, almost hearing my thoughts. He very well might have, given his boon. "Makes men's blood cool when they know there is enough to go around. And when there is more on the horizon."

"I don't like leaving them here. The prince is in that building. Taking him hostage would benefit us greatly," I said, pointing at the citadel. "Towns and cities would open their gates with a blade to the neck of their prince." And I wouldn't have to waste the men taking the walls with force.

Thorkell hummed in agreement, "Aye, I imagine so. Don't like the idea of leaving an army at our backs myself, even reduced as it is. Their commander is a bold warrior. He'd attack Norland while we raided up and down the coast." I agreed with him completely.

"I should have killed him," I sighed. He had earned my respect with the charge outside of the Abbasid settlement, but I had been distracted by Zafir. He was a worthy warrior and I had decided to give him a warrior's death, but I was forced to flee when the rest of the settlement realized where my men and I were. I did feel bad about that -- I had taken his arm, but I didn't manage to take his head, crippling him. Thankfully, it wasn't his sword arm so he could still fight.

Thorkell clapped me on the back, making some of my wounds sting, "I'm sure you'll get the chance soon enough. Come -- let's see the haul," Thorkell coaxed and I was admittedly curious to see the treasures of this city. My gaze lingered on the citadel for a moment more before turning around.

There was still some resistance, but it was swiftly being crushed and the looting had begun. People cowered as men entered their homes in groups of five to ten, pillaging it for everything of value. I hadn't ordered it, but I saw that my men had taken to having the inhabitants of a building sit outside under guard while the building was looted. It was a fine addition to the system I had devised.

The goods that were being brought out were both familiar and unfamiliar to me. I saw spices that I did not recognize, even the ones I saw in Constantinople's markets. Other times, I saw tapestries in a different style than any I knew, but still recognizable. There was wine, bolts of fabric, jewelry, coins, and more. All of which was gathered up at the end of each street where it would then be loaded up onto wagons and placed in a single unified pile.

Honestly, it looked less like looting and more like… aggressive tax collecting.

At the docks, where our ships were, the goods were all being compiled. Categorized and divided with a clerk marking down who brought in what. Already, a great pile was building up and I realized we had a problem. "We're going to need more ships," I muttered, feeling a surge of annoyance directed at Hadi once more. He'd burnt my ships. I had worked hard for those ships. I won a war for them!

And he burnt them.

It was entirely justified and fair -- I'm sure Hadi and the prince were quite annoyed with me as well this very moment. For, as many of my men that were currently sacking the city, there were just as many on guard in case they decided to leave that citadel. Still… those were my ships.

"Worse problems to have -- too much loot," Thorkell agreed. "We have some of their ships. Sluggish things, but they have the room. More than we have in our longships."

I hummed, walking forward to inspect some of the goods taken. My gaze went to a pitcher that was engraved with silver and gold, embedded with gemstones. Then to a long row of silk so fine that I could have taken a yard of it and folded it up to fit in my pocket. Then my gaze landed on a blade. "What is that?" I questioned, picking the blade up and inspecting it. It wasn't a practical knife, I quickly decided.

The handle was too heavy -- a dark wood inlaid with silver, gold, and gemstones, which made the balance of the knife very poor. The blade itself was the length of a hand with a gentle curve to it but the richness of the blade wasn't what drew my attention to it. The metal of the blade was familiar to me. A dark smokey color while the steel seemed to ripple like water. I drew an inch of the blade that was at my hip to find that it wasn't quite the same, but it was close.

And that piqued my interest. It was the first time I had seen such steel before and even if the knife was impractical, it still carried a sharp edge.

"That something important? Got a look in your face," Thorkell informed, offering a cheeky smile and I chuckled, sliding the knife into my belt.

"Aye," I agreed, looking out to the docks. "We'll be taking thralls, I think. Craftsmen and artisans," I decided. I would need to search for the source of this metal, but I would find it and find those who could work the steel. The craftsmen would be captured and brought back to Norland and there, they would take apprentices to impart their knowledge. When those apprentices could produce satisfying results, the craftsmen would be freed. And rewarded, if they proved cooperative.

We would bring the wealth back to Norland before setting out. But I disliked the idea of leaving a dagger at my back like this -- Hadi and the Prince had proven to be troublesome foes, and I knew I could not leave them be. I could leave a detachment to keep them inside of the citadel, but it would need to be a sizable one, which would make further raiding more difficult. But better that than to have Hadi and the Prince sail after-

An idea struck me. "We'll seize the ships -- all of them. From warships to fishing boats, I want them," I decided. We would need to take more thralls to row them, but it also meant we could load up more treasures. I could also bait the Prince and Hadi into making a mistake. After all, I doubt that they would expect us to take the ships purely for taking loot.

Thorkell hummed in agreement, looking out at the ships in question. "That'll work. They won't be able to get to Norland unless they swim."

"It'll draw them out of the citadel. They're clever, but I do not know this prince well. When they realize that I am taking their ability to strike back at me, they will act. Either they'll race to secure the ships or to protect their coastline cities. The Prince, however, could try to slip away back to the Abbasid heartland." I ventured, considering the course of action.

Thorkell laughed, "And some men will stay behind to ambush and capture him. I like it," he gave his approval. "How many men are you giving me?" He asked, already knowing that the task would be his.

"How many would you want?" I asked, feeling comfortable with letting him decide.

He seemed to think on it for a moment, scratching up at the scar that nearly took his eye for a moment. "I'd say a hundred. Horses too. But I can't promise anything -- We don't know if the prince is a coward or not. He might leave the coast with his men and abandon it to us. Unlike some, I can't cut through thousands of men and ride off." He said and I nodded, accepting that risk for what it was.

"I know. Only attack if you feel like the odds are in your favor," I instructed. "I'm going to bait Hadi towards Anatolia, raiding the cities that way. I'll make them think I intend to join that front. If the Prince does try to flee, I want you to take him south, towards Hafia, the next coastal city south of Acre. There will be a ship waiting for you there, and I want you to sail back to Norland."

Thorkell nodded, "How goes the war in Anatolia? When Hadi realizes he has been misled, he's not going to try to follow you south. He'll likely continue up towards Anatolia and reinforce the invasion there." To that, I nodded, finding it likely.

However, it wasn't my concern. "I was instructed to hold Crete and stop an invasion coming from there. We have done so. If the Romans are defeated in Anatolia, then that is through their own failings and the will of the gods." Thorkell clapped me on the back, in full agreement.

I had received scarce news from Anatolia, just what trickled in from the traders. The Abbasids had invaded with an army of forty to sixty thousand strong, if rumors could be believed. They moved as a single whole and laid siege to a castle. I had yet to hear of a battle, but I knew that Strategos Tatzates and Michael were mustering an army to crush the Abbasids, far more freely now they did not have to worry about an invasion from the sea. I had no idea how that battle would turn out, nor did I have any expectations.

Even if the Romans lost, my actions should have balanced the scales enough that the war would not be lost. Especially if I were to take highly valuable hostages. My hope was that to inflict enough damage that the Abbasids would quickly sue for peace, win or loss, and I could return to Norland.

"As it should be," Thorkell replied, nodding at me.

I clasped his firearm, "Gods be with you." I told him with a smile, knowing that it would be some time before I saw my friend again.

"They always are," Thorkell replied, clasping my forearm and nodding. With that, he walked away to gather his men. I watched him go, curious on if he would be successful or not. But, no matter what, I fully expected to see my friend again.

…

The next two weeks were a flurry of activity. I took my army and sailed back to Norland, the ships heavy with goods and skilled thralls. The fifteen ships that I lost were replaced with thirty of the much slower Abbasid ships, which turned a single day journey into a day and a half. Once we unloaded everything, taking a day of rest, before I took my men back out to sea heading straight for Tyre. The first town on a string of coastal cities.

I got the reaction that I hoped to get from Hadi, with his men marching up to Tyre in force. The four thousand men had been reinforced with another thousand from Acre, men who likely wanted vengeance. I think he suspected my intention because when I arrived at Tyre, I found that the guard was raised in forewarning.

We still sacked the city, but it was more of a fight than I had expected. And when the battle turned against the defenders, they fled into fortified manor houses. Which, I swiftly learned, had a concentrated amount of wealth where the rich had hoarded it to protect it from me.

That turned into a long day of fighting where I damn near toppled buildings to get at the men inside of them. All the same, we gathered up the wealth, took the skilled tradesmen, then gathered up the ships. Hadi's force, which marched through the night to catch us in the act, arrived just as we were leaving.

It was a slow journey back to Norland, but we arrived without issue. We unloaded the ships heavy with goods, building a fleet of ships that began to line the surrounding shores when we ran out of room at the harbor.

Then, with another day of rest, we sailed to Tripoli. As we did, I scoped out the army that marched to defend the next city and found that it had swelled in size once again. Now it numbered seven thousand. They weren't even slowed by their baggage train, racing to beat me to the next city. And, again, I found that Tripoli had been forewarned about my arrival.

This time, Hadi almost caught up to me. I was forced to burn the ships in Tripoli's harbor rather than sail off with them. We didn't even manage to load up all the loot by the time they reached the gates, and I saw them watching me as I sailed off back to Norland. With a third city sacked, Norland was overflowing with goods, to the point that Jill had taken to constructing dedicated warehouses to hold the thousands of gallons of wine, the miles of velvet and silks, while also finding places for the skilled thralls.

However, it was when we set sail to Antioch that I saw my luck had run out.

"They burnt their ships," Hoffer called out to me, as if I could not see the dark rising plumes of smoke that came from the harbor. I smiled at the sight as I gazed out at the old city of Antioch, nestled against Anatolia. The walls were tall and uninviting, a large chain around the natural harbor from the river we sailed up through. The city itself was located on an island that parted the river.

It was a subtle misdirection, but one that had paid off. By taking their ships for ourselves, I had hoped that it would give the impression that I had a need for them beyond denying them to the Abbasids. After all, I took a great many more ships than I needed. Or could use. Hadi could not see what I was doing with them, so I knew they would assume the worst.

An invasion into their nation, with their own ships delivering Roman soldiers to their shores.

It would be the natural assumption for them, because it was exactly what they intended to do to Rome.

"The men have fight in them, but not enough to take on a reinforced city," Hoffer called out to me, and I knew that was true. We had rested a little on the sea and in Norland, but we were far from our best. We had done too much fighting in too short an amount of time. We had barely recovered when we sailed to Acre, and I only did so because I wanted to avoid this exact scenario across the coast.

"Turn the ships around," I decided. We would not be taking Antioch this day. It was a fine city, and a well defended one. Maybe we could take the town that grew on the opposite bank of the island, but I knew that Hadi would have left little there for us. All the wealth would be concentrated in that island guarded with at least six thousand men, perhaps closer to ten thousand with the locals joining in the defense. "We'll rejoin Thorkell in the south."

Hoffer nodded and blew a horn, signifying the retreat of the army as I stood at the bow of my ship. My vision was washed in gray as I activated True Vision, and it was then that I saw two golden figures standing on the walls through the billowing smoke. Hadi and the Prince, I realized with some annoyance. Hopefully, Thorkell caught some other noble hostages trying to sneak deeper inland.

My lips pursed for a moment, "I'm going to speak to them," I called out to Hoffer, and a brief look of alarm passed over his face. "I want to gain the measure of the men that have been such a pain in my ass," I added, earning a bark of laughter.

"Just don't sail too close, Wolf-Kissed! You've been a bigger pain in theirs!" Hoffer said as the mast unfurled and my ship began to sail forward. I saw a bit of a reaction from the walls as the two golden figures briefly vanished. My disappointment was momentary, thinking that they were fleeing, but they seemed to want words with me as well, because they both emerged closer to the ground.

Neither the Prince nor Hadi seemed to be the breed of men that would give me so much trouble. Both were older than me, not particularly well muscled, tall, nor handsome. They didn't strike me as warriors. Though, that could simply be because they both looked exhausted, and I had my answer how they beat me here.

They must have marched through the night for days on end. Neither of them looked like they had slept in at least two.

My ship slowed to a stop some distance away from the shore. I was within arrow range, but they didn't seem to have any pointed at me. I propped a foot up on the bow of my ship and leaned forward, looking at Hadi and the Prince, who were guarded by other familiar faces such as Zafir. "You burnt my ships," I opened with, looking at Hadi.

He looked like he wanted to cross the waters and strangle me. "You ambushed us," he replied curtly.

"You survived the ambush," I retorted.

"Which one?"

"Both of them." I had hoped to capture the leaders during the chaos of the fireship, but they held themselves together and pressed forward. The fireship, in that regard, was far less effective than I hoped.

"In that case, I was repaying you in kind. Actually, I think you owe us a few more ships," Hadi shot back, glowering at me. It was less impressive with the dark bags under his eyes. "And a few thousand men."

My lips twitched. He might not have the bearing of a warrior, but he had the will of one. "If you wish to collect those heads, I'll be happy to face you on the field of battle," I offered, putting on appearances. My men weren't in the condition for another pitched battle. And, if I was being perfectly honest, I wasn't either.

None of my wounds were severe, but I had done a great deal of bloodletting in the past two weeks. I had picked up injuries here and there, bruises and nicks. My muscles ached, and I felt about as tired as Hadi and the Prince looked.

"That," the Prince spoke for the first time in a soft voice, "very well may happen. We will not allow your entrance to Anitolia," he stated, his voice firm.

I regarded him neutrally. The Prince, I was less certain of. I didn't know him personally, and the only thing I did know was he had the wisdom to listen to Hadi. Which, in all fairness, made him wiser than most. "I have no interest in Anatolia," I admitted, and I saw their eyes narrow in confusion. It didn't matter if they believed me or not. Either way, I had accomplished what I set out to do, even if I would have preferred to sack Antioch for its treasures.

Even better, if they continued onto Anatolia, I could continue to plunder the coast. Either way, I would win regardless of who emerged victorious in Anatolia.

"You expect us to believe that?" The Prince questioned, his tone suspicious.

"I am a mercenary, Prince Harun. My job is already done -- denying you a launch point from Crete. I raid now for my payment," I said, knowing the effects of my words. Either they would believe me, and they would abandon Anatolia to reinforce their army in the region. Or, they wouldn't and they would remain, leaving the forty thousand men to fight alone.

If they reinforced the army in Anatolia, and the Romans lost the battle… then my mercenary company became more valuable to the Crown. If the Romans won, then the war would be over and I could return to my studies.

To my faint surprise, a calculating glint entered Prince Harun's dark eyes. "So you have. I have seen the aftermath of your actions. They do you credit. Often, I have heard of the savageness of pagans, yet your men acted with more honor towards my people than I could have expected from any other." I tilted my head at the sudden flattery, but I knew what he was about to do.

"I'm afraid you cannot purchase my warriors, Prince Harun," I interjected. "I swore an oath to fight for the Romans, and I will not betray it. My word is worth more than gold."

That had been the Prince's hope, I saw, but he recovered quickly. "Then I offer a payment to you, Lord Siegfried. In exchange for your returning to Norland and inaction until deliberately ordered otherwise by the Emperor… I offer you knowledge." That was a very interesting thing to offer.

I perked up, betraying my interest in the offer. "What knowledge do you have that I cannot find in Constantinople's university and libraries?"

Prince Harun seemed almost triumphant, "A great deal more. I am also a lover of knowledge and wisdom, Lord Siegfried. For many years, I have imported texts from far off lands and sponsored learned philosophers. On your word that you will not raid my people any further for the duration of this war, I shall share what I have gathered with you." The offer was an intriguing one, I had to admit. I was very curious on what the Abbasids would have…

In the end, my greed won out. "I will make that oath. I cannot swear to you that I will not give battle when ordered by my employers, but I can swear that I will return to Norland and I will not leave Crete until I receive such an order. Even when I do, I swear that I will not raid your people. Cities, however, are spoils of war, but I will treat them with honor." I could tell that it was not entirely the oath he wanted, but it was the best that he could expect given the circumstances.

What he really wanted, I knew, was to keep me out of the war while he went to reinforce his father. And with this deal, he got that.

"I accept your oath, Lord Seigfried. Upon the conclusion of hostilities between the Abbasids and Rome, I will send the first shipment of texts and translators for them. Now, leave my shores," Prince Harun instructed.

I inclined my head to him, giving the word to set sail, feeling richer already.

...

Since it's come up, and I thought it was more common knowledge -- Aladdin was heavily inspired by A Thousand and One Nights collection of poems. The poems, in turn, were inspired by historical figures. The relationships were shifted around a bit, but the core characters are still mostly the same. Jafar in Aladdin was Jaʽfar ibn Yahya, who pretty much inspired all the tropes about the secretly ambitious vizir tropes. The Sultun is implied to be Harun al-Rashid, but that one is more up in the air. What Aladdin did use was Harun's reported love for one of his sisters, who became Jasmine in the movie.

The next chapter is currently available on my Patreon and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!

Like

35