Romanorum Redividus
Alexios Comnenus’ Dream
The Battle
The Ghulam looked back at his compatriot giving his horse a drink, he was smiling as he watched the horse and the man wade the small stream, they had been chosen to leave the main scouting party, to find the Roman army again, they also took a carrier pigeon, as to inform their masters of the chosen field. Two of them had fought at Manzikert, although the young drummer boy hadn’t, and indeed, they had told him and his companions of similar ages and experience of battle great tales. The company were still asleep, past dawn, they would march back to join the main army today, while they scouted out the Romans, they had been asked to find a flat field to engage on, to suit the Seljuk horse-archer tactics. They had all day, Hamid and Ali, the two seasoned brothers-in-arms, while the drummer boy would tag along, all gusto and no skill. Ali’s horse had finished her drink, and Hamid signalled to move forward at a canter. Behind them the drummer boy tried to keep up, but his heavy skin drum weighed him down, so while Ali caught up with Hamid, he was left behind.
Yusuf had been kicked out by his mother the previous year, he had enrolled in the army, and now he was a drummer boy. He had never fought, although Ali and Hamid had. They were one of the few people he looked up to, they did not laugh at war, they saw it for what it was, but they seemed to dislike him. Disdain, that was what he caught in them, and now they rode away from him, yet he had been bid to follow and he would. He dug his spurs into his mount’s side, and at an uncontrolled gallop, rode over the hill.
“Slow, slow, lad.” Hamid slowed in the saddle, and reached down for his gourd, he took a quick swig of water, before standing in his stirrups. He turned to Ali:
“Scouts, Romans, ready your bow, Ali, as I do mine, but now I must ride back to the boy, and send him back, he would not cope.”
“You feel some affection for him then?” Ali raised an eyebrow
“I must not let him die.” Hamid said impassively, “He has not seen the world as we have.”
Instead of replying, Ali took his bow from his quiver, and strung an arrow onto it, his horse still moving, he rode forward, while Hamid turned and galloped back to the drummer boy. Ali positioned himself on a hummock with a commanding view of the valley, he could see the scouting party was of a half dozen men, likely as not mercenaries. He had a dozen arrows, two for each man. They would have seen him now, he had a few minutes before the Romans were within bowshot and a few more after that until Hamid were returned.
He looked behind him, the drummer boy had stopped, and was staring at Hamid as he galloped towards him, Ali put a hand to his lamellar breast plate, it had served him well in the past, and now he was outnumbered five to one. At least the drummer boy would not encumber him and Ali, shoot and run, it had served his fathers well enough. Hamid was now talking to the drummer boy. Ali clasped his hands and prayed. The Romans were within bowshot. He nocked an arrow to his bowstring. He picked a target. Tension went through the string. He fired. Nothing happened. His man remained in the saddle, although the arrow had hit. But no, he slumped in his saddle, and fell, his foot caught in his stirrup, and when he died his horse dragged him along at a walk.
“Shot.” Hamid remained his usual taciturn self, commending his fellow warrior, Ali nodded and chose another man.
“We are two dozen arrows now, may we fire well.”
They nocked their arrows, and fired. Hamid hit a horse, which collapsed, and its owner lay trapped beneath it. Ali aimed at the standard bearer, and hit him in the gut. The man looked injured, and the captain spoke hurried words. Together they moved into a canter.
“Three minutes.”
They shot again, Ali finished off the standard bearer, Hamid caught the captain on the shoulder. Bravely, the man raised his other arm and motioned to continue. Ali let off an arrow, it killed it’s man instantly.
“Four down, two to go.” Ali smiled, the enemy had no arrows, why did they not order the retreat?
Hamid looked around, “Nay, let us take a prisoner, the captain, he will have more information, cease fire for a minute, until we can catch him, perhaps wound his horse. Kill the other.”
Ali saw now that the men were northern, they had blonde hair and pale skin. “Varangians.” He whispered to himself, that was why the captain still stood. Once more he shot, and caught the other between the eyes, he fell instantly. Yet still the captain rode on.
“Shoot the horse.”
The arrow embedded itself in the horses knee, but the two were a plucky pair, and ploughed on relentless,
“Idiot.”
“Ride out to him now, both of us, we can disarm him and then restrain him.”
The two men urged their horses forward, when they neared the man they also heard him, roaring at them in a terrible northern tongue. Behind him his comrade’s bodies were picked at by carrion and desecrated by the flies
“Spread out, I’ll take the left.”
With difficulty the man dismounted, and spoke in broken Turkish:
“Take... me... hostage... I tell.”
“Be wary, it could be a trick.”
“Look... I... horse.”
The man kicked his horse and it fled away, back in the direction it had came.
“I escape... not.”
Ali cast Hamid a look, and spoke: “Throw away your arms.”
Wordlessly the man threw his sword and shield at Ali’s feet, Hamid rode forward, “follow us,”
“I tell... I have... not time... in... world...”
“Where is the Roman army?”
“Over... hill... day march, head... Caesarea.”
“Anything else?”
“No... kill me... now. Pain.” The man said something in his northern country language, and clasped his hands,
“You or I, Ali?”
“You, Hamid, I cannot kill one that is defenceless.”
“It is what he wishes, we must,” Hamid bent down, and spoke softly: “You were a brave warrior and noble man, now rest in peace, whichever God you please.”
And he struck, the man lay dead, a bloody hole in his heart, an arrow wound in his shoulder, yet his blue eyes and pale hair shone defiantly, yet peacefully.
“What I would do to have men like this on our side Ali.”
“Indeed, now let us ride and find suitable land between here and Caesarea, haste, Hamid, and speed!”
The two men rode away, it was scarcely midday, they had a long time to ride, and a good place to find.
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The Battle of Ceylak
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