Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2015 18:36:09 +1300
From: arthur carkeek <artcart65@gmail.com>
Subject: eventide chapter 6

EVENTIDE

CHAPTER 6

BY ARTHUR



artcart65@gmail.com




Both Eventide and Mahmud knew that one of them had to stay behind to watch
over the city; Mahmud was only too happy to let Eventide take pride of
place at the head of the small army; it was after all, his first chance to
lead their troops into a real battle and he would have both his brothers
and the elder brothers to help if he needed it.

His little army now numbered 150, they had detailed 30 of the militia to
watch over and guard the baggage train of thirty camels and ten wagons;
they had enough provisions for two weeks on the hunt; if they had to stay
longer they would send a message to Mahmud for more.

On the first night on the road; Eventide changed his fancy garb of the
Kahlif, to one of the Bedou; for the days ahead he felt more comfortable
mixed in with his brothers and indistinguishable from anyone else.

It took three days for the small army to make it to the sight of the
attack; there was little left after the eight days it had taken for them to
get organised and finally make the distance.

It took some time for the men to look around and work out what had happened
to the caravan. Most of the bodies had already been stripped of flesh by
the buzzards and the animals of the night; the sun had completed the work
and now there were mainly just piles of white bleached bones and some rags
of clothing.

Most of the camels had been taken; although there were a few that were now
just drying carcasses and showed how the caravan had been placed to defend
itself, After looking at the remains of the battle field for some time;
Eventide asked the older brothers about their thoughts on the battle.

After a short discussion, Eventide called for the officer's of the army and
militia. Once everyone was together; Eventide issued the orders for a
number of scouting groups to go out and find the trail of the attackers;
the rest of the small army would make a temporary camp and await the scouts
return.

The army moved away a short distance from the attack site and set up camp;
they did not expect to move before the next morning when the scouts should
have returned with their reports; and so it proved to be.

The next morning all the scouts reported their findings; the attackers had
come from the north east and then retreated back in the same direction
taking with them their many spoils.  The trail had not been easy to find as
the eight days since the attack had wiped clean any tracks but the scouts
had been able to follow their trail by some of the discarded rubbish along
the way.

Eventide; with the help of the older members of the brotherhood, sent out
more scouts but this time they were all members of the brotherhood; the
rest of the army and the baggage caravan would follow along at the slower
pace of the camels and wagons.

On the second night of the trailing; while they were camped for the night;
Eventide heard a number of horses galloping into the edge of the camp; at
the loud sound of the guards challenge; he heard a reply and then saw the
group of twenty one horsemen coming towards his black tent; in the lead was
a familiar figure.

Eventide smiled widely when he saw Gerard's older brother along with twenty
of the Emir's new long bowmen; all had their new bows over their shoulders
and two full quivers of arrows tied to their horses. When the twenty one
men stopped before Eventide, he said.

"Welcome Marchant; how are you here?"

"The Emir asked me to come in case you needed bowmen; he thought it would
be a good chance for his men to try out their bows in actual combat; I
volunteered to come and watch over them."

"Then you are twice welcome; how is your brother Gerard?"

"He is well and working hard on learning about their steel making; they
truly have marvellous ways of smelting and the results are almost
miraculous. Our twenty one bows are the first with the new metal and we
have yet to have to clean them of rust."

"Then if nothing else you have made a good deal with the Emir."

"That's the truth of it; now what do you want us to do?"

"How is your language skill with your men?"

"Rough but we have our own way of communicating by using signs, it works
well and no one can hear our orders. Have you had sight of the bandits
yet?"

"We have scouts out searching now; I think we are not too far behind
them. Do you and your men want to take a rest and food; I can have a tent
set aside for you."

"Thank you, yes; we had to travel light and fast to catch up with you so
there was no time for equipment."

"I'll ask Mohammad to get one ready for you and your men; would you like to
join me for a meal while your men are settled?"

"Yes thank you; I'm a runner not a horseman so the last few days have been
hard on my rear end."

Eventide led Marchant to his tent where they joined the six brothers of his
personal body guard; it was not long before food arrived and all of them
sat around the large carpet to eat and drink.

It was finally decided for Marchant to stay with Eventide and the six
brotherhood in his tent for the night; the other bowmen were given a tent
of their own to use among the other soldiers.

In the morning the first of the young scouts returned to report the
findings; six of the scouts had remained in hiding to watch the camp of the
brigands. What they were to report suddenly had Eventide think twice about
going forward with an attack.

"My Lord." The scout said "We have found the camp about three hours ahead
of us; it appears they are in no hurry but we may have a large problem."

"What is it brother?"

"There are far more men than we thought and they are not what they try to
seem. It appears we have come across a small army of Christian knights and
their men; they are disguised as brigands but their camp is obviously
Christian."

"This does not sound good; how many would you say there were?"

"With their baggage handlers they would number more than one thousand; the
camp is set up like all Christian camps with the soldiers ranged around the
outside and the knights at the centre. It would appear that there are two
or three main groups of knights. One are the knights of the Holy Cross;
another is the Templar's and the third I am not sure of but they fly the
banner of blue with a white flower of some kind."

"Could you describe the flowers?"

The scout drew a rough design in the sand and Eventide looked over his
shoulder; what he saw rang a bell in his head and he finally put one and
one together.

"They are the knights of Loraine and Burgundy; what would French knights be
doing with the likes of the Templar's and the Holy Order?"

No one spoke as Eventide started to think things through; he had one
hundred and seventy soldiers and brotherhood at his command and was facing
over a thousand well trained knights and soldiers; by all rights he should
retire and send for a larger army but; if he did that there was a good
chance of losing all contact and the army would get away to raid another
caravan somewhere else.

Eventide called all the brotherhood as well as Marchant and the officers of
his small army; it was time to seek help and ask what the others with more
experience thought about their present situation.

The meeting went on through the first meal of the day; Eventide sat
silently as everyone was given a chance to voice their opinions. Once
everyone had said their piece; Eventide sat and thought it all over. No one
tried to persuade him one way or the other; he was the Kahlif and his
decisions were binding on all of them.

Eventide looked around at the patiently waiting men; it had taken some time
for him to think it all through and he finally had come to a decision that
would either make him famous or dead.

"We attack; here is what we will do."

Eventide set about telling them all what he wanted and what he expected
from his small numbers; the first thing was to break camp and send the
baggage caravan up higher into the dunes where they would hide from any
exposure to the enemy; in charge of them he set ten of the Kahlif's
soldiers and the drivers would be armed to defend the caravan if the others
lost the battle that was to come.

Eventide was once again dressed as a Bedou and would go forward to where
his remaining scouts were watching over the Christian camp; he wanted to
see for himself the layout of his enemy. The others were to ready their
arms and armour and be prepared for his return; there would be no more
camping out; if they could not finish it between today and tomorrow they
would all be buried under the burning sands.

Eventide sent the officers off to ready their men; Marchant was to stay
along with all the members of the brotherhood. Eventide`s mind was working
overtime as he outlined what he had in mind to fight against such huge
numbers. Everything he had learnt from his time with Freeman and other
older soldiers now came into play.

When he had told Marchant what he wanted from his bowmen; Eventide excused
him to make his arrangements; next he told his brothers, both young and old
what he planned to do; if all went well they may just come out of the fight
with a win but it would take every bit of cunning they all possessed.

Eventide left the camp in the company of his six body guards; moving
quickly they soon came upon the remaining scouts. Eventide settled into the
sand at the top of the rise; below he could see the large army camped in
the bowl of a shallow Wadhi; it was also the only Oasis within a vast
distance. Eventide saw that the army of Christians had little intentions of
moving in the near future; it seemed the Oasis would be their main camp for
some time to come and a base for them to operate from; Eventide looked over
the situation for any advantage to his plan of attack.

Eventide noticed there were a number of dying fires higher up the sides of
the depression; it appeared they had guards posted out there during the
night and it looked like they also had an inner ring of guards closer to
the camp.

The larger and more colourful tents of the knights stood in a circle at the
centre of the camp; behind the knights tents and well into the rear were
where the knight's horse and the captured camels were held; there was
enough grass and plenty of water to keep them all docile and healthy.

The camp resembled a cul-de-sac with a high dune at the rear and above the
oasis centre. Lower dunes protected the sides and there was only the one
way to attack down the narrow defile that led to the camp. After watching
for some time; Eventide got the impression that the army below felt secure
in its size and defence-able position; he hoped for his own sake that they
were wrong.

After some thought, Eventide made a few small changes to his mental plan
and then shimmied back down the dune to the others waiting by the silent
horses; leaving the original brothers to watch the camp after giving them
more food and water; Eventide led the others back to his small waiting
army.

The rest of the day was spent readying for the upcoming night; there would
be no mad daylight attack; that would mean certain death for them
all. Eventide had planned this one to be a battle of stealth and silence;
he hoped he could form a sense of fear and terror in the larger army
without losing any of his own men; this was a perfect battle for his
brothers, both elder and younger.

As the day wore on; Eventide's small army prepared as best they could;
those in the most danger would be the members of the brotherhood; Eventide
only hoped he had made the right decisions and would not end his days on
the blade of a Christian sword in the middle of the night.

The time finally arrived when they had to make their way to their start
point; Eventide was now dressed as all his brothers, in the black of the
Hashin; he checked all his weapons for the last time and slid of the back
of Shaitan; the horse seemed to know to stand silently and wait for his
rider to return.

All the other troops were now at the assigned places around the Oasis but
below the tops of the dunes. The brotherhood had divided into Elder and
younger brothers; they all would fight better in their own age groups as
that was how they had all trained.

The younger brothers had been given the job of clearing the outer guards
with poison tipped darts that were blown from a small blow tube made of a
bronze with a bone mouth piece.  When used the mouth piece was removed and
the poison dart was inserted into the tube; the mouth piece was then
replaced and the dart blown into its target.

The darts were made from a cane brought all the way from the Far East; it
was flexible and very strong and could be shaped or sharpened so the edge
could cut like steel; it was also fibrous and could soak up the poison to
be more effective

The boys could hit a target at twenty paces and, in the dark they were very
capable of getting that close; they would all use the concentrated venom of
the Indus Krait; it killed almost instantly in that form; the guards would
never know what had hit them.

The inner ring of guards would be taken care of by the elder brothers once
the outer guards had been taken care of; from that point on it would be up
to each group to make as much mayhem within the camp as they
could. Eventide had told them all that he and his younger brothers would
attempt to raid the knight's tents and do as much damage as they could
before sunup the next day.

The attack time was set for the first hours after the middle night change
of guards; that was the time when most of the guards were not at their best
and would be more inclined to make mistakes or ignore subtle noises in the
dark.

The brotherhood watched the change of the guard and then waited another
hour; the ten fires of the outer guard were now not burning so bright and
the guards were sitting around them in the cold of the desert night; most
had their heads nodding as though partially asleep; it was time to move.

The younger brothers slithered over the dune and worked their way towards
the guards like silent snakes in the sand; their black clothes melding into
the shadows cast by the very fires that were meant to protect the army.

There were ten guard fires around the camp; two brothers were directed to
each fire; they would both use their darts at the same time so there would
be no alarm to rouse the rest of the army.

Eventide lifted his hand as signal to stop; Salud was by his side and
looked out into the dark night; it was only his superior training that
enabled him to partially see the other brothers as they got into position;
with a nod to Eventide; both teens lifted their blow tubes and sent the
deadly darts on their way.

The result was perfect; as the two guards slumped further onto the sand
with no more than a small grunt; Eventide looked at the other fire points;
it appeared as though there was now a distinct lack of sitting or standing
guards; their first obstacle was eliminated; it was now time for the elder
brothers to do their work.

Salud sent out a soft call that sounded much like the night lark of the
desert; an answering call came back as the two boys watched as more shadows
moved like wraths over the dark sands and towards the next line of inner
guards. Eventide reloaded his dart tube and made sure his dagger was loose
in its sheath; their next objective could not be given a chance to react or
they were all lost.

It was not long before the call came again; the inner guard was now out of
action and the rest of the camp was at the mercy of the brotherhood; that
is all except the standing guards outside the tents of the knights.

Each tent had two guards that stood by the tent flap of the doorway; these
guards were changed every two hours unlike the other guards who were only
changed every four hours; this left little time for the boys to do their
work.

The younger brothers met up with their older ones at the edge of the inner
guard ring; from here they would work almost together. The elder brothers
would clear the way through the lines of soldier's tents or those who had
decided to sleep out on the sand, although there were not many that did
that as the desert was a very cold place at night.

The elder brothers moved like ghosts as they went from one tent to the
other; in each tent were four soldiers; it took less than twenty seconds to
make sure they would never move again; the elder brothers carried a long
thin metal spike in their hands; they would sneak up to a sleeping soldier
and plunge it into the man's ear and destroy the brain before the man could
move or even knew there was an unwanted person in the tent.

Each tent took only seconds to clear and the small party of raiders moved
quickly through the camp in the direction of the knight's tents. Once they
were close enough; the younger brothers would take over and the elder would
move outward among the rest of the camp.

The younger brothers found themselves at the last line of soldier's tents
and looking at the guards on the knight's tents; it was time to use the
blow tubes again. The boys had even less of a target to hit as the guards
were wearing armour and only their heads and necks were free from
chainmail.

The need for accuracy was now vital as each boy took aim; a soft hiss in
the night air told them all to fire at the same time; as the darts struck
sure and true it was almost amusing for the boys to watch as the guards
slapped at what they must have thought was a night bug and only seconds
later fall over dead.

Eventide hoped the sound of the men falling had not awakened the knights;
he had no liking of going into the tent of a well trained knight and
finding him on his feet and ready to fight.

Eventide and Salud slipped into their chosen tent; they now had less than
one hour before the sun rose and still had to flee the camp before any
guard changes were expected.

In the tent, Eventide saw the knight and his squire sleeping in the same
cot; Salud moved around the back of the cot with his long thin steel
poniard as Eventide moved to stand in front of the sleeping squire; a nod
from Salud and both poniards drove deeply into the ear of their target
victim; there was no noise or even movement from the sleeping pair; the
thrust had been fast and clean and it was now time for Eventide and Salud
to head for the rear of the camp.

If all the brothers were successful; they would all meet up where the
horses and camels were held; it now depended on who was guarding the
animals; during the day they had seen that the guards were all Saracens or
those who had been captured from the caravan; this was the most dangerous
part of the plan.

Without the use of horses or camels; the army would be at the mercy of the
desert and could not stay long at the Oasis before the desert people would
find them; Eventide had no intention to allow them to stay there at all.

The stock guards proved to be very agreeable to moving away from the camp
along with their animals and to do it silently as they could. The added
incentive of dealing with the Hashin also helped to make up their
minds. Eventide told them they could keep every animal they took with them;
to the desert dwellers that was like offering a veritable fortune.

It surprised even Eventide and Salud how quickly the animals disappeared up
and over the surrounding dunes; in the soft sand it was almost silent. It
was now time for Eventide's plan to move into its final stages; sunrise was
now less than an hour away and he wanted the camp in disarray before the
enemy could see clearly.

Eventide and his younger brothers took to the higher dune at the rear of
the Oasis while the elder brothers retreated back through the silent camp
to where all the horses waited for them; they left behind a scene of death
that none of the Christian army would ever forget; and it was not over yet.

Eventide and Salud along with all their brothers, made it to the top of the
dune unseen and unheard. At the crest of the dune; Marchant awaited them
along with his twenty bowmen.  Along with their bows, they carried a full
quiver of arrows and in their hands they carried six more shafts that were
wrapped in oil soaked cloth; in their free hand they all held a small
bronze pot filled with brightly smouldering embers. The camp below was
about to be awakened in the worst of ways.

Marchant lined his bowmen up along the top of the ridge while Eventide
stood back and watched; at a soft hiss from Marchant; each bowman took one
of the fire arrows and touched it to the glowing embers; the oil
impregnated cloth caught quickly and another hiss from Marchant had the
arrows knocked and ready. With a click of his tongue, Marchant had the
bowmen release their arrows high into the early morning air; they were all
aimed at the knight's tents below them. They had little worry about
retaliation from the army below as they were well out of range of the
Persian bows carried by the army of Christians.

While the first shafts were in the air; Marchant repeated his strange
signals and a second lot of burning arrows took flight; these were now
aimed at the many soldiers tents spread around the Oasis.

As the first arrows struck home on the sun dried tents of the knights a
third flight was in the air. When the last of the fire brands had been used
and the camp below was becoming a sea of flames and screaming soldiers;
Marchant turned to their normal arrows and began to lay down a fire at any
targets they could see in the fast approaching dawn.

Below them the camp was in disarray; leaderless soldiers were calling for
help and others were screaming in fear as the rain of death continued from
the dim light of dawn. Junior officers tried to organise their men but the
fear of the fires and the unusual non appearance of the knights only caused
more fear and confusion.

The soldiers now knew they were under a full attack and did their best to
try to form lines of defence; but the only enemy they could see was the
thin line of bowmen. As it dawned on those survivors that they were at a
serious disadvantage and the few surviving officers were also now
leaderless; the only though was escape.

The army below began to run; some down the length of the shallow valley and
others to either the left or right low dunes; they would now face another
enemy as yet unseen until they slowly puffed their way to the top of the
dunes; it was only then they saw soldiers who were well armed and ready for
them.

As the Christians could not form an effective attack and also had to
struggle up the soft sandy slopes of the dunes; they were easy targets for
the soldiers and militia that awaited them; it became not only a rout but a
slaughter of some magnitude.

For those who stayed on the bottom of the valley and tried to escape; they
found themselves face to face with thirty black clothed men on fine horses;
their flashing scimitars causing mayhem amongst the mostly defenceless
escapers; again it was a slaughter.

The early morning sands ran red with blood as none of Eventides men
considered giving any quarter for what had been done to a harmless and
almost defenceless caravan; this was to be a lesson that others would know
not to try attacking one of the Emir's caravans in the future.

It did not take long for the survivors to begin to kneel with empty hands
and ask for mercy; Eventide had seen enough blood for one day and so sent
out the order to take prisoners; they could always be ransomed off for a
profit or sold as slaves at the market.

As the fighting died away; Eventide, followed closely by Salud and his
other brothers, began to count the cost for the enemy. He decided that the
Christians had paid a terrible price; the fact that his tactics had had
more to do with the victory than the fighting abilities of his men, never
crossed his mind.

As the new prisoners were grouped together and their hands quickly tied
fast; Eventide saw there were no more than two hundred soldiers left; the
battle had been a slaughter and among his own men the price had been
slight; only two militia and one soldier had been killed and no more than
fifteen wounded; for the brotherhood there had not been a scratch.

Marchant had joined Eventide in the Oasis as the young Kahlif sent off a
scout to call his camels and wagons in; they would set up their own camp
here for one day and then start the trek back to Wadhi Sufaria with their
prisoners. Eventide asked for one of the pigeons to be released to carry
the message of success back to his waiting brother Mahmud.

It took less than two hours for his caravan to arrive; once it was unpacked
his tent was quickly erected and a hot meal was soon on the fires as he
went inside to change into his Bedou clothes; the prisoners were left where
they sat out in the heat of the day; a bit of thirst would make them more
compliant and there was little chance of escape as they had nowhere to go
and the twenty guards were alert and well armed.

Those not guarding the prisoners were let loose on what remained of the
Christian camp; no one saw any harm in a little booty from a battle
although there was little left after the fire arrows of Marchant's men had
finished.

The dead were dragged well clear of the camp and the Oasis; only a fool
would let water be contaminated in the desert and none of Eventide's army
were fools; that and the smell of fast decomposing bodies was not what they
all wanted around the camp; even for one night. Tonight the night creatures
would dine well and the birds and sun would complete the work over the next
few days.

It was the sound of loud voices that caused Eventide, along with his six
brotherhood guards; to walk outside his tent; immediately one of his
servants found a chair for him to sit on.  His dark blues scarf was not
covering his face as he looked out to where the prisoners were seated in
the sun.

One of the prisoners was demanding to see the leader of the army; a guard
was lifting his scimitar to part the man's head from his body when Eventide
called out to stop the beheading; the guard bowed low to Eventide and
stepped back as the man on the ground turned to see who had given the
order.

The sight that met the prisoners eyes made him start with surprise; the
last thing he expected to see was another Christian in charge of the very
men that had decimated his army and the fact the leader was only a boy even
further surprised him.

"What do you want; prisoner?" Eventide called to the man; it did not go
unnoticed that the man was wearing the black cross of the holy order on his
surplus nor that there were two others sporting the red cross of the
Templar's; the most hated of all Christian knights. All three officers of
the church also wore the well known tonsure of the warrior monks; sometimes
called Jesuits.

"I demand to see your superior; we are Christian officers of the holy
church and demand to be treated better than the common soldiers; where is
you leader?"

Eventide looked at the man and smiled an evil smile that only a teen could
conjour up.

"Then Sir you wish to speak to me and the answer is, No; you deserve
nothing for your attack on an innocent caravan and the slaughter you
carried out. I was going to consider a ransom for you and your men but now!
Well I think a term of slavery is more fitting to your crimes against my
people."

"Your people? You are a Christian boy, these are not your people; are you
mad or touched by the sun, boy?"

"I am known as Shaitan Bin Izurak, Kahlif of the Wadhi Sufaria; you Sir are
now a prisoner of the Emir of the Aramaic lands; I warn you to hold your
tongue if you do not want to lose it."

"You are a traitor to your People boy. If you were better born and I were a
Knight I would challenge you to duel but I would not soil myself or break
my oath to the holy church; not even for a cur the likes of you."

"Then Sir, you are in luck; I am also known as Baronet Eventide Tremaine;
heir to the lands of Lancaster and Flanders under the tutelage of Baron
Tremaine of those same lands. Should you wish to challenge then you are
within your rights as an officer of the holy church; but I reserve the
right of electing a champion as I am the sole heir."

"And what is there for me when I win?"

"You and your brother monks will be free to go unharmed and with a signed
pass of freedom; your men will remain here as prisoners of the Emir; but,
Sir; should you fail then you and your fellow monks will pay the ultimate
price and your heads will decorate this very sight for all to see. Do you
agree?"

"I do not see your bona fides; how do I know you speak the truth about your
lineage; you are in a position to make any claims you like and cannot be
verified?"

"My word is my claim monk; it is the only chance you will get; take it or
leave it. The decision is yours."

"I cannot and will not take the word of a traitor to the Christian cause."

"Then Sir, you have already lost."

Eventide turned to Ishmael and whispered in his ear; when he finished,
Ishmael had a wide smile on his face as he turned to the elder brothers and
issued a soft spoken order.

The Elder Brother that led the brother hood of thirty; looked up at
Eventide and then bowed low before issuing orders; within seconds the three
monks of the cross were kneeling on the ground before Eventide. It took
less than seconds for their heads to roll on the ground, much to the
surprise of the other prisoners but not one wanted to draw attention to
themselves and so; after loud gasps at the sudden and final ending of the
three warrior monks; all fell quite; there would be no more challenges to
Eventide's orders.

During the rest of the day, the prisoners were made more secure by tying a
rope around their necks and fastening them altogether; if one moved they
all had to move; it would reduce the number of the guards needed to watch
over them.

Eventide set out the minimum amount of water each could receive and a small
bowl of food was given to each prisoner at the end of the day; it would be
all they received each day on their trip back to Sufaria.

At only one hour after sun rise the next morning, the small victorious army
began the return to Wadhi Sufaria; if would take fully five days as they
could not go faster than the slowest prisoner although they were all pushed
along by the guards set to watch over them.

Eventide was finally happy when; on the mid morning hours of the fifth day
he saw the towering walls of Wadhi Sufaria in the distance; another two
hours and they would be back home.  When they neared the huge gates of the
city; it was also not a surprise to see the streets lined with the folk of
the city. The cheers for the small army and the derisive remarks for the
prisoners were almost heart-warming; it was good to return home with a
victory and the minimum of losses.

Mahmud was waiting on the steps of his palace as Eventide rode up at the
head of the small force; the cheering from the city folk could still be
heard above the clatter of the horse's hooves and the shouting of the
soldiers as they welcomed the sight of their homes.

Mahmud gave orders for the prisoners to be taken outside the palace walls
and interred in the slave cells; their fate would be decided by both of the
Kahlif after Eventide had had the time to bathe and rest. Mahmud told
Eventide he had sent pigeons to the Emir to inform him of the victory;
tonight would be a celebration for Eventides first victory as Kahlif of
Wadhi Sufaria.

Eventide was to learn that as usual; Mahmud made far more of the battle
than it truly was; Eventide said little as he could not chastise his
brother for being one who could not resist a little fun at the expense of
the Christians; although the new titles Mahmud came up with for Eventide,
did raise a large smile and a weary giggle. Eventide wanted his bed and a
good massage; he had been away too long for his liking.

That night, the dinner and entertainment was held in Eventides Palace; it
was organised by Mahmud of course and was the first full celebration that
was held there. The guest of honour was of course Eventide himself but; as
he looked at all those who had helped him make the victory; he set about
calling all of them in as well; including the officers of the militia and
his own soldiers.

The elder brothers were also given pride of place at the top table and, as
the evening moved along and the wine flowed; Mahmud made a suggestion that
would satisfy Eventide's worry over what to do with the prisoners.

"It is a simple thing, my brother." Mahmud told Eventide. "We simply send
them to the Emir with our elder brothers as escorts. They raided a caravan
under the Emir's protection so: it should be the Emir who decides their
fate, You, my brother have already had your fun; what with the great battle
and then mounting three warrior monks heads on spears for all to see; what
more fun could you ask for?"

Eventide blushed at the mention of the beheadings; he was not truly proud
of his actions but it seemed the right thing to do as it caused the other
prisoners to obey without question; it was a bloody but good lesson for all
those there.

Eventide could only nod as he took another small sip of the wine; he wanted
a clear head tonight as he well knew that the party would end with the
hookah being brought out at the end of the dinner and this time it would
not be the harmless leaf they would all smoke.

The next morning; which for some did not start until the sun was high; saw
the Elder Brothers ushering their string of prisoners through the gates of
the palace; it would be days before any of them would see a city again and
the hot searing desert would take its own toll on the new slaves.

Eventide was one of those who awoke late in the morning; they had all
feasted and drank late into the night and; with the advent of the hookah
being brought out; the celebrations only got later and later.

Eventide woke to the fresh smell of mint tea; his newly trained slaves were
filling his bath and others were inspecting his clothes ready for a new
day. The bath slaves waited patiently for him to totter over to the waiting
hot water; his head ached and his stomach tried twice to rebel; even the
fresh mint tea could not settle the unease his stomach felt.

After his bathing; Eventide was only too happy to lay down on the narrow
table for his two body servants to work on his tired and sore muscles; the
two boys worked tirelessly as he half slept on the table. The next sound
Eventide heard did not endear him to his brother Mahmud.

"Come mighty Shaitan, or should I say, mighty lazy one. The day is nearly
over and you sleep in your bed when there are wild places to go and
explore."

Eventide looked up with sad eyes at the over exuberant brother. "Shut up
and let me die."

"Little brother, this is no time to die; you have a whole city waiting to
see the great Shaitan Bin Izurak; scourge of the sandy wastes and defiler
of the Christian masses; slayer of armies sent by the gods themselves; come
oh favourite of the great Shaitan himself; stir your lazy ass and come ride
the city with me and then we can go hunting. The falcons are growing fat
and lazy like the great Shaitan Bin Izurak."

"Shut up and let me die in peace; I'm in no mood for crowds today."

The room became silent as Mahmud shooed the two boys away from the table;
five seconds later and Eventide was using words he did not even know he
knew. The ice cold water from a full jug used as drinking water was now
dripping onto the floor as Eventide tried to shake some warmth back into
his freezing body; the howls of laughter from Mahmud only went to increase
Eventide's bad mood.

"Not funny; brother you will pay a heavy price for that little show of
disrespect to the great hero Shaitan Bin Izurak."

It was the sound of the pompous words from Eventide's own lips that finally
sent the two boys into gales of laughter; the foulness of the morning was
finally broken and both boys relaxed as the servants dressed Eventide in
the white dress of a Kahlif.

The rest of that day passed without incident as did the next four
days. Notice came in that many of the caravan owners had now named the
oasis of the battle in Eventides name; all who stayed there or watered
their animals there, now called it Oasis Bin Izurak in his honour.

On the fourth day it was also the second quarter of the tithe gathering for
the Emir and the city taxes. This was the first time that Eventide had seen
it or been involved in any way.

While he himself had little to do; he along with Mahmud were expected to be
present on the day of the payments by the caravan masters and local city
officials and merchants. In many ways it was a long and somewhat boring
day; for hours they sat and watched as one person or representative came
forward with large and small chests of gold coins, jewels, silver or other
precious things to pay for the protection on the roads and the taxes of the
city.

Eventide was now truly impressed by the sheer quantity of gold and silver
that was brought forward as payment; at one stage there were even small
gifts in the form of weapons of high quality and smaller chests of coins
and jewels that were given directly to Eventide for his destruction of the
`brigands' that had caused so much death.

It was staggering for Eventide to imagine that the quantity of gold and
other precious things could be found each and every quarter for the taxes
and other payments, but he was assured by Mahmud that this was a normal
collection and; in the height of the caravan season, which would start in
another month or so when the high passes to Indus and the Far East were
open; the collection would almost double; Eventide could only shake his
head and wonder.

Eventide watched as the clerics who were to take note of all payments;
tapped away on the small squares used for counting; their fingers flashed
so fast he found it difficult to keep pace with them; but, at the end of
the day they would have a full accounting of every coin or jewel that was
paid and from whom each payment was made.

The new treasure would them be divided up for the city, the two Kahlif and
the Emir's share which would be transported under very heavy guard to
Damascus. By the end of the long day; Eventide could only stand and stare
as chest after chest of coin and gold was carried away to the palace
treasury for dividing up; he could not even imagine how much was there and;
the fact Mahmud said it was a slow time of the year for the silk road only
amazed him more.

For the next two weeks the caravans began to increase until there were more
than ten a day seeking passes to venture into the vast sandy waste to
trade; it was at this time that Eventide began to see new peoples of many
races as they came through the now open passes from the Hindu Kush and the
far eastern lands of the Sinai and Indus.

The bustle of the city increased as the days got longer and hotter. It had
now become his habit to rest during the hottest part of the day unless they
were out with their falcons hunting; even then they would erect tents to
pass the worst of the heat of the day.

It was fully six weeks later that Eventide got the news he hoped would
never come. His new life as a Kahlif had become second nature to him even
though he had a continual list of lessons to complete each day so he could
further his education and understanding.

It was at the evening meal that word reached him in the form of a royal
rider of the Emir. The Emir had received word that Freeman had been
attacked by assassins in his manor house in Flanders; while he had beaten
them off and killed six of them before the others fled; Freeman had been
badly wounded in the exchange and was confined to his bed for some months
to come; he had asked the Emir to have Eventide return as fast as possible
so he could watch over the Baron's lands until he was fit again.

Within ten hours Eventide was packed lightly and; along with only his six
brothers and Shaun and mounted on the best horses he had; was racing for
the coast. A message had been sent ahead by pigeon to have a Dhow ready to
sail as soon as he got to the port at Damascus.

They had pushed their horses hard but made it to Damascus in three days; by
late in the evening of that third day; they were heading out from the port
on what they hoped would be a nonstop voyage to the land of Flanders. The
dhow was one of the fastest the Emir had and was manned by his best sailors
and soldiers.

Unlike the first travel to the new land; this time the dhow was pushed to
its limits and there was no long stops for resupply or to avoid rough seas
or storms; the Emir had told the crew to go fast and die if needed to get
Eventide and his friends to Flanders.

With the dhow being pushed to its limits; there was no small amount of sea
sickness suffered by all eight teens; even the horses were not happy about
the rough weather or the strain of the fast voyage. The crew of the dhow
barely slept as they pushed harder and harder; they were taking chances
that no normal voyage would undergo but; they were under the orders of the
Emir; failure meant the loss of their heads.

To keep up the pace; if the wind died to a light shifting breeze; the
captain would call for the large oars to be put out and the crew would
start to row for hour after hour to keep pushing forward or until the wind
grew once again; it was not easy for anyone aboard the dhow.

It took a mere seven days to make the coast of Flanders; if there had been
record books it would have been noted as the fastest time ever done by a
dhow in those times or at that time of the year. The last leg that was up
the narrow sea between England and the Frankish lands was the most
dangerous as the sea was wild and unpredictable but they conquered it as
they had conquered the others and slowed as they came to the landing where
they could see the green banner of Tremaine flying on the beach.

The message Eventide had received had said not to land at any Frankish port
but to come directly to Freeman's coastal land and unship there; he would
have his own people waiting every day for them to arrive and so it proved
true.

This was Eventide's first trip to Flanders; he was met by the guards of
Freeman's house hold troops; all thirty men helped to unload the few
possessions and the horses and; four hours later, in the middle of a
blustery afternoon; the entourage left at speed; there would be no stopping
until they made the manor of Tremaine.

Fortunately it was less than two hours from the coast but; what surprised
Eventide once again was the Manor; it was not a small house as Freeman had
described; it was a solid looking castle set high on the small hill top and
overlooked large spaces of marsh and farm lands.

Eventide could even see in the dimming light; that there were many large
war horses that were roaming around the large open spaces. This was not
what he had expected; he was looking forward to seeing his father once
again, but it was with trepidation as he did not know how badly wounded he
was.

Once they had entered the castle; Eventide jumped from Shaitan and ran
towards the large double wooden doors where a servants stood waiting; with
little ceremony; Eventide was taken to the bedroom where Freeman was laying
while he healed.

Eventide did not wait as he neared the bedroom; he was almost running as he
hit the door and ran inside; what he saw made him pause and catch his
breath; he did not even consider the state he was in after travelling for
more than ten days without washing or a change of clothes. His fine white
garb of the Kahlif of Wadhi Sufaria were now not much more than dirty and
torn rags but it did not stop him from rushing to Freeman's bedside.

Freeman was propped up in the bed by a large number of thick down filled
pillows; around his head was one bandage; around his bare chest was another
and one arm was in a sling; Eventide could also see under the covers that
one leg was propped up.

Freeman looked pale and wan as he tried to smile for Eventide but it was
plain he was in pain. The physician that stood beside the bed frowned at
the sudden appearance of the rough looking teen but was soon put at ease
when Freeman gasped out that it was his son; the physician then bowed to
Eventide and retreated a little to give them space.

Eventide carefully leant forward to try and grasp one of Freeman's hands;
he dared not hug him as much as he wanted to; the obvious wounds were not
slight and he did not want to make his father's pain any more than it
already was.

Freeman watched as tears fell freely from his new son's eyes; the obvious
pain and fear in the young boys face told its own story; Freeman tried to
find the strength to pat Eventides shoulder and to take away some of the
boys fear.

"You made good time, my son." Freeman gasped out in a strained voice.

"Father...." It was all Eventide could find to say as the tears continued
to fall freely down his dirty face.

"Don't worry son, I've got through worse than this; just ask the Emir."

Eventide could see how much it cost Freeman to keep talking; he grasped his
father's hand tighter but did not try to stop the tears; if nothing else,
he had made it in time and he could see his father was still with him.

"Son, I need you to be strong now; you have to keep the estates running
until I can get back on my feet; anything you decide I will back up. Now go
and get some rest and a bath; you need it badly; tomorrow when you are
rested we will talk more."

Eventide could see how much it took for Freeman to talk for so long; like a
good obedient son; he let go of Freeman's hand and looked around for
someone to help him find his room, as he did so he saw all six of his
brothers standing stoically in the outer passageway watching the reunion;
their faces were inscrutable but Eventide knew there was much more going on
under those young faces than others would see.

It was with great reluctance that Eventide allowed himself to be shown to
his new rooms by one of the younger servants; his six brothers never
leaving his side as they all rearranged the large bedroom so they could all
stay together; their little brother was in pain and they had no intention
of leaving him in his hour of need.

Eventide finally succumbed to the rigors of the last ten days; without
thinking of washing or changing his tattered clothes; Eventide collapsed
onto the bed and was fast asleep before any of the others had time to take
notice.

Eventide awoke early in the morning to the sound of people rushing about
the passageways. Groaning as he tried to get himself from the bed; Eventide
saw that his six brothers were sleeping close around his bed in a
protective circle. Eventide almost smiled at the concern of the six teens;
with another groan; which awoke Ishmael and then Salud; Eventide stood and
looked for a bath tub. It took a few loud shouts before he had a few
servants arrive to take his orders; it was another hour before he was
sinking into a hot bath.

Many of the servants did not speak either English or Aramaic and so
Eventide had to make do with sign language for some of his requests;
fortunately for him; the housekeeper and two of the footmen were competent
in English and; once he had found them, things went smoother.

By mid-morning, Eventide was ready for the day; After his breakfast he was
in the bedroom of his father; there was a lot to talk about and Eventide
began to feel a burning desire to find the culprits of the assassination
attempt; he was not the only one with those thoughts.

Eventide sat with Freeman for over an hour while the Baron told him about
the attempt on his life. Four of Freeman's guards had died in the attempt,
but they had slowed the assassins enough for Freeman to get ready for the
assault.

Even though Freeman had sustained a number of bad injuries, he and his
remaining men had been able to defeat the attackers. Of the ten dead
attackers, six of which Freeman took care himself; five were found to be
from the Holy Church; three were members of the Knights of the Holy Cross
and the other two were Templars.

Although he was still young; the time he had spent with Mahmud holding
court at Wadhi Sufaria had taught Eventide to look past the obvious; now he
could see a pattern; perhaps the caravan attack had been more than it
appeared at the time; coupled with the new attack on his father; Eventide
began to see things differently.

Both talked over their own suspicions; Freeman told Eventide that there
were those in both the Kings court, and the Holy Church that desired his
lands in Flanders; that, and the fact that the Baron stood between many
other knights and the throne had always been in contention.

After the physician had once again checked over Freemans wounds and placed
fresh dressings on them; Eventide asked what he needed to do. For another
hour the two talked as Freeman told him what needed to be done to keep the
estate running smoothly; Eventide listened intently and took notes; in the
back of his mind was another plan forming but he kept his silence as he
listened to his father's instructions.

By Midday they were done; Freeman looked tired and in need of rest; it was
now time for Eventide to take up the mantle of Baronet of Flanders.

Eventide called for his six brothers to join him for the midday meal; while
they sat and ate they also had a softly spoken discussion on what had been
in the back of Eventide's mind; some of the suggestions raised smiles on
the faces of his brothers. With the meal over and some plans made; the
small group broke up and each brother went his own way to carry out the
orders of their Kahlif.

Over the next two weeks, no one noticed the disappearance of Demetrious or
that the usual number of personal body guards was now down to four; Ishmael
being the other one not seen for some time.

On the fifteenth day after Eventide's arrival at the Flanders estate; the
servants saw a large column of riders approaching the gates of the castle;
most noticeable were the clothes of the riders. All were dressed in black
flowing robes and their faces were covered so that only their dark eyes
could be seen; The church and the Templars were about to reap what they had
sewn.

The newcomers spoke to no one until they had been sequestered with the
young Baronet for some time; when they reappeared, the servants saw them
all walk to where the injured Baron was now propped up in bed.

It was only the physician that saw and heard what went on in the bedroom of
the Baron; After Eventide had told the guards at the door not to enter
under any circumstances; the newcomers entered one by one and spoke in a
foreign language that the Baron seemed to understand completely.

The physician had watched each stranger enter the bedroom, walk up to the
reclining Baron and then whisper a few soft words; what happened next
almost shocked the old physician. Each stranger took a very sharp and
dangerous looking, black handled dagger from the sheath at his waist,
pricked his finger and let a drop of blood fall on the hand of the Baron.

What was more surprising was that the baron did not object but instead just
nodded his head and raised his hand as though offering some sort of
blessing.

When all twenty of the strangers had completed the odd ceremony; the Baron
lay back and then called for his son. Eventide was quick to enter the room;
the physician was then told to leave the two together and not return until
called.

Only Eventide and Freeman knew what was said in the bedroom but, when
Eventide returned from the room, all the strangers looked at him with their
dark eyes and immediately bowed low and salaamed with great respect; even
the door guards; men who had been to the holy land on the last crusade with
the Baron; could not believe the respect the young Saracens were showing
the son of their Baron. The physician; although he had his own suspicions
as to who the strangers were; was still at a loss as to what had happened.

Only Freeman and Eventide knew that the twenty brothers of the brotherhood
had sworn a blood oath to the Baron; the attempted assassination was to be
paid in blood and there would be no place to hide for those who had tried
to kill one of their own.

The words of the oath were spoken only when one of their own was
threatened.

"My blood is your blood until death and beyond"

There would be no peace for any who may even be remotely connected to the
assassination attempt; this oath was even far beyond that given to every
brother; it was meant to be until the end of days and the end of time
itself.

Later that night; Eventide and all his brothers were enclosed in Eventide's
room; the return of Demetrious and Ishmael now meant they could start to
lay their plans; the secret meeting would go on into the late hours of the
night and early hours of the next morning; what was finally decided was to
stay among the small group and would never be known by any outsider.

It was a week before anyone noticed there seemed to be a spate of horrible
murders being done. Taken separately, the murders would have seemed
unrelated; the scope was far too wide for them to be even remotely similar.

From the far off state of Loraine, six Knights Templar came to a grisly end
right in the middle of one of their own castles; no one was seen or heard
and only the six bodies stood testament to the act of assassination.

Another in Burgundy saw three Prelates and a Bishop slain in their beds by
some mysterious poison that left no other sign but the dead bodies; the
seven guards swore they saw no one in the manse of the church.

In far off Rome, inside the Vatican itself; nine Cardinals were slain in
their beds; again there was no sign of how it happened and again; none of
the guards saw anything.

In the newly forming city of Paris; eleven Knights of the Holy Cross met
horrible deaths by strangulation while sitting at a meal together; again
there were no witnesses.

In England; a counting house known to watch over the wealth of the Templars
was set afire and destroyed; the five Templar guards were found a day later
with what appeared to be punctures to their ears; they had all been
standing on guard at the time of the fire.

These and many more unrelated acts continued to be heard of; there were
never any witnesses but; there were those in certain places that could put
the happenings together and were now getting very nervous; the only common
factor they could see was the attempted assassination of a Baron in
Flanders; even then they were not quite sure but, in the secrecy of their
castles and palaces it was the only factor they could come up with;
immediately the word was sent out.

`No further action was to be taken against the Baron of Lancaster and
Flanders'

The very day that the withdrawal of the threat to Baron Tremaine of
Lancaster was issued; six stealthy figures stood on a hillock overlooking a
grand Manor house in the barony of Essex. The smallest of the group looked
intently at the grand house and then turned to the others; a few soft words
were spoken and then the small figure mounted his black horse as the others
mounted theirs.

In the grand house below the hill; many important people were arriving;
some by fancy carts guarded by a number of well presented soldiers; others
were mounted knights with their squires and personal retainers. It appeared
to be a gathering of some of the most important men of this land and also
the church.

The gathering gained pace as the darkness of the night fell; the grounds
were swarming with guards of many of the noble houses and the Manor house
was a blaze of light. Inside there was a special meeting taking place in a
locked room; in the rest of the house, many servants prepared a great feast
to honour the many guests.

It was later in the evening when the many nobles reappeared in the grand
ball room of the Manor; the room had been set with a multitude of tables
and a great feast was set out for the guests; all that had to be said had
been spoken of and all the men were ready to enjoy the hospitality of their
host.

Amongst the many large trees of the formal garden; six dark shadows moved
amongst the other shadows; one undistinguishable from the other. The many
guards around the Manor saw nothing and heard nothing; there were only
shadows and night creatures to disturb the peace of the countryside;
nothing seemed amiss for the vigilant guards.

At the rear of the Manor, close to the rear door of the kitchens; sat a
large stone building; the door had a large heavy padlock on it and the key
was held only by the Baron. This was the store house of the Baron's most
valuable wines and spirits; they were brought over from the best estates in
France;

A shadow flittered among the trees close to the stone building; it was
small and slight and clothed entirely in black garb.

At the rear kitchen door sat a young man with a large basket between his
knees; he noticed nothing as he pushed more fresh straw into the basket; it
would not do to break a bottle of the Baron's best wine.

The young man stood up with the large basket in one hand and a large metal
key in the other; it was time to get the wine for the feast; the Baron and
his guests would be sitting down to eat shortly and there was no time to
waste.

In the deep shadow of the building, the small figure was quickly joined by
five others; all moved in total silence and became part of the darker
shadows that surrounded the stone building. The young man with the basket
strode confidently towards the waiting wine store; he had no reason to
suspect anything with all the guards roaming around the Manor.

Placing the large basket on the ground by his feet; the young man lifted
the heavy key to the waiting padlock; as the key was inserted, but before
he could turn it; he was grasped by two pairs of strong hands while a third
hand placed a soft cloth over his mouth to stop any calls for help.

The young man tried to struggle but it was soon proved to be a hopeless
task; a soft voice whispered into his ear as he was held tightly.

"You have one chance to live and only one; do you understand?"

The young man nodded his head; the key was turned and he was bundled
through the heavy wooden door of the wine store; inside; with a single
candle lit for light; the young man saw he was surrounded by six black clad
figures; the smallest one seemed to be in charge and it was he that asked
the questions of the young man.

"Which are the wines for the Baron's feast?"

Still held fast and with his mouth still covered; the young man used what
little movement he had to point to the large stack of wine flasks set aside
from the others in the store house.

As he watched the black clad figures; the young man noticed the smaller one
was the only one with blue eyes; it was all he could see of his
captors. The young man watched as the flasks were opened and something
poured into them; the flasks were then re-stoppered and then left as they
were for the young man to place in his large basket.

The small figure then turned to the young man and said.

"If you tell anyone about this your life will be forfeit; after you serve
this wine it will be best if you are not found on the Manor grounds. Take
this, it will help you to get away. If you speak of this to anyone before
the wine is served, you will be the last of your family alive before we
come for you."

The young man was now very nervous; with shaking hands he took the offered
leather pouch; he noticed instantly how heavy it was. With the knowledge of
how easy it had been for these six dark figures to enter the heavily
guarded Manor grounds undetected; he had little doubt they could find him
and his family.

The small blue eyed figure patted him on the shoulder one last time and
said.

"Don't forget to be away before the wine is served and don't say one word
to any of those inside; we will be watching."

It was as if by magic that the six figures seemingly disappeared into the
dark shadows of the night; the young man tried to see them but there was no
sound or sight of the ghostly figures. He looked at the heavy leather purse
in his hands; by the feel of it he could look after his family for many
years as long as he was careful not to be caught this night.  The young man
began to put the flasks into the straw lined basket.

After the young man carried the wine flasks inside to be served; he was
never seen again by any of those that were left in the Manor after the
great feast; and there were few of those.

High up on the hill behind the Manor house, six riders led by a small blue
eyed shadow; quietly left the scene of their final revenge; they did not
need to stay to watch the results of the white powder they had poured into
the wine flasks; they already knew what it would do; for now they had a
long hard ride to the coast where a boat was waiting to take them to
Flanders; three months of hunting and revenge was now over. The price of
attempting to take the life of a brother was now paid in full.

In the Manor house behind them; not one of the guards tried to stop one of
the young servants from leaving; it was none of their business; they were
there to watch for intruders and not staff leaving for the night.

By the time the alarm was raised; a young man was far down the road and
heading towards the far off homeland of the Welsh countryside; the heavy
bag of gold coins in his pack was a comfort as he spurred his newly bought
horse a little faster.

For the guards of the Manor house; it came as a shock to be called by one
of the scullery maids as screams and yells went up from the well lit Manor
house. When the guards got inside, it was like a scene of horror but it was
too late for those who had taken the wine; including some of the staff who
had thought it a good idea to steal from the Baron; the toll was extensive.

Seven high ranked clergy; eleven Knights of the realm; two Barons; thirteen
Squires; eight wealthy merchants; three cooks; four servants and one
scullery maid; all were lying dead either on the floor or at the table and
all were frothing at the mouth; the poison had been virulent and deadly and
no one had seen anyone or anything; it was to be forever a mystery that was
never solved.

Over the years there were many summations but never any proof. As quickly
as the scale of murders had started they then stopped just as quickly. In
all the fear and death it had caused there was never one shred of evidence
or proof of who was responsible; no one was ever brought to the Kings court
for justice.

One week after the fatal feast in Essex; no one took any notice of three
groups of travellers boarding a ship for the holy land; they were just
twenty more young men going to the holy land; while all of them looked to
be Saracens, they also looked like any other trader seen in those days; it
was nothing really unusual in the ports of France.



TBC.