A Cold Mountain
Chapter 1
by Daniel Pears, published on August 20, 2000
The First Crusade began on November 27, 1095, with a proclamation from Pope Urban II delivered to clergy and lay folk who gathered in a field in Clemont, central France. The Pope began with a denouncement of the continual warfare which plagued Europe and described in lurid details the attacks of the Turks upon Christian Byzantine Empire. He begged the soldiers present to travel to the east to attack the Muslims, rather than their fellow Christians. The crowd responded with the chant that was to become the war cry of the First Crusade- Dieu li volt! (God wills it).
The official crusading armies did not depart until the middle of 1096. In the end, three main bands were to travel. From northern France, groups of Normans and Lotharingians traveled under the command of Robert, Hugh and Godfrey. From southern France came the most powerful fraction, under the command of Raymond St Gilles. Finally, from southern Italy, a large group of Normans set out under their warlord, Bohemond.
After the conquest of Nicaea and Armenia, the crusaders began the siege of Antioch in October, 1097. Antioch was a huge and strongly defended city. The siege dragged on through the winter and into 1098. The crusaders, deep in hostile territory, quickly ran short of food. Many died of starvation and disease. Finally, they managed to break the walls and entered into the city as the enemy reinforcement appeared on the horizon. The crusaders were now trapped in Antioch with no hope of escape. The Muslims attacked the city and Christian army leaders took advantage of this to launch a last-ditched attempt to break the siege. They managed to leave the city and formed up outside. The moral of the Muslims was as low as the crusaders' moral was high and they swiftly broke under the desperate attack. The crusaders triumphed.
On July 8, 1099, 15 000 Christian soldiers, under the command of Raymond of St Gills, marched barefoot around Jerusalem while its Muslim defenders mocked them from the battlements. The crusaders seldom encountered resistance. Many local emirs aided the Christian host just to ensure that it would move on. The crusaders set up their positions along the northern and western walls and began constructing siege equipment.
On July 12, the leaders of the army made a pilgrimage to the Mount of Olives, where they met an aged hermit who urged them to assault the city. God, said the hermit, would give them the victory if they had enough faith. The attack was launched the next day. The defenders were astonished at the fanaticism of the crusaders and the way they threw themselves on the city's walls. After several hours, when the Christians had not achieved the victory promised by God, they retired.
On the night of July 13, the final assault began. After more than a day of continuous fighting, the crusaders forced their way into the city. They rampaged through the streets of Jerusalem, killing everyone they came upon. Some of the crusaders cut off the heads of their enemies, others shot them with arrows. Some of the locals took shelter in the Dome of the Rock soon to be slaughtered. Many of the city's Jews sought refuge in the main synagogue, only to be burnt alive within it by the crusaders. The holy city of Jerusalem was in Christian hands.
The city of Jerusalem, the late evening of July 14, 1099
Guillaume, the young Duke of Constance, walked along the narrow streets of Jerusalem. Piles of heads, hands and feet were to be seen in the city. It was necessary to pick one's way over the bodies of men and horses. Guillaume was horrified to see that many crusaders cut open the stomachs of the dead because someone had said that the Muslims sometimes swallowed their gold to hide it. While the slaughter was still going on, many churchmen and princes assembled for a holy procession. Guillaume examined the participants barefoot, chanting and signing as they walked to the shrine of the Holy Sepulchre through the blood flowing around their feet. Some of them wore white tunics that were sullied by the blood. The Duke of Godfrey was leading the assembly. He rode an impressive black horse and yelled from time to time: "This is a day the Lord made. We shall rejoice and be glad in it!"
Guillaume reached the Tower of David, the strongest part of the entire defensive network of the city and the headquarters of Raymond of Saint Gills, Count of Toulouse. The citadel was located on the western side of Jerusalem. Its location was chosen for topographic reasons since it was the highest point of the southwestern hills of Jerusalem, higher than any other point in the ancient city, including the Temple Mount. The sky was almost dark now. A column of guards, standing along the wooden bridge leading to the entrance of the citadel, hold torches, illuminating Guillaume's path. A young knight greeted Guillaume and led him through the inner courtyard to the quarters of the Count.
Raymond was standing by a large terrace that overlooked the entire city. He was an imposing man, in his early sixties, whose robe was of chevron-patterned royal blue silk, gathered by a belt with an ornate buckle and chappe. His silver hair was brushed back and a close-cropped beard hugged his taut jawline. There was no vanity in the mature planes of his face, no concealment in his dark eyes. He was a man at ease with himself, a man who knew his own worth and set it neither too low nor too high. Guillaume halted before Raymond. For a few moments, the Count just looked at him. Then, the beginning of a smile curved the somber mouth and lit in the fine eyes, and suddenly the face was younger that the years it held.
-"Guillaume of Constance," said the Count in a voice that was resonant, deep and rich, "welcome to the Tower of David." Guillaume bowed respectfully and Raymond turned to the knight. "You may leave us now." As soon as the knight left the room, the Count pointed at the terrace. "Follow me, Guillaume." Both men walked to the terrace and remained silent for several moments. "The city is ours at last", Raymond finally said. "We have accomplished the will of God. For many years the Muslims had occupied more and more lands of Christians. Now they are all at our mercy."
-"We should not forget, my lord," Guillaume interrupted him, "that the price paid by the Muslims is immense and often unbearable."
The Count smiled with wry humour. "I am well aware of the fact that you do not agree with the consequences of the conquest of the city."
-"My lord, the God Almighty gave us eyes to see and ears to hear and listen. How can a valid and faithful man agree with such outraging procedures?" Since Raymond remained silent Guillaume continued. "The Muslims fled toward the temple area and took refuge in the al-Aqsa Mosque, but Tancred and his men were upon them before they could establish their defences. They quickly surrendered, offered a large ransom and Tancred gave them his banner to display over the mosque. However, many of our men killed those Muslims. Not even women and children were spared."
-"Those Christians simply believe that this place, so long contaminated by the superstition of the pagan inhabitants, should be cleansed from their contagion."
-"Likewise, many Jews were burnt alive in synagogues where they took refuge in."
-"Our holy Crusade requires many souls and some of them might be innocent," Raymond said softly. "However, as you know, I do not agree with some of those procedures as well. When my men and I reached the Tower of David, Iftikhar, governor of Jerusalem, who sought refuge in the Citadel, finally agreed to surrender if I would personally guarantee the safety of him and his men. I agreed and they departed, unharmed."
-"But, my lord."
The Count raised his hand. "Enough of all this nonsense. I can hardly interfere in Godfrey of Bouillon and Robert of Normandy's decisions." He paused. "We need to deal with some other important matters now that Jerusalem is in our hands. Come with me." Raymond led Guillaume through an oak door into a room handsomely appointed with carved coffers and cupboards. Guillaume stared around at the wealth. "The Muslims are known for their taste for fine arts and luxury," the Count remarked. "Too bad they do not believe in the same God."
-"They worship the same Almighty, only somewhat differently."
-"Be careful, my son." Although, the Count's hair and beard were the silver of his mature years, his eyebrows were still raven black and made his stare all the more arresting and charismatic. "Others might not be as tolerant and as merciful as I am."
Guillaume pushed his own untidy hair off his face. He made a slight sound of disparagement, but it was in defence. He did not want to listen to Raymond, because the older man was threatening the formidable defences Guillaume had built around himself during the years. "Please forgive my ignorance, my lord."
Raymond looked intently into Guillaume's eyes, meeting depth for depth. "I did not say that you were ignorant. I merely asked you to be more careful in the future." He eyed him thoughtfully. "Well, Guillaume, you are an unusual man. I do not believe I have ever seen before such a display of courage, skill, nerve, grace," he paused for the effect, "and sheer stupidity." Raymond gave him a wry glance. "You are a man of principles, my son, and I desperately need a man such as you in order to accomplish an important task."
-"I do not understand, my lord."
Raymond took him by the sleeve and led him to a large table that stood in the centre of the room. "As you recall, my son, when our army reached Jerusalem we realised that we were too few to invest the entire city, so we concentrated our forces where we could come nearest the walls. Robert, Duke of Normandy, stationed his forces along the northern wall at the Gate of Flowers. Robert of Flanders was to his right at the Gate of the Column and Godfrey took position at the northwest angle of the city as far as the Jaffa Gate. I first joint Godfrey's men but soon found that the valley lying between my position and the Jaffa Gate kept me too far from the walls. Therefore, after two days I moved my forces onto Mount Zion."
-"It was a brilliant strategy, my lord, since the eastern and the southeastern approaches to Jerusalem were not guarded at all."
-"Precisely," the Count smiled. "However, Iftikhar had the advantage; he had a steady supply of water, much more food and better weapon. He strengthened his towers with sacks of cotton and hay, building them higher each night with stone. Nevertheless, with the help of God, we found an untainted source of water, the pool of Siloam below the south wall."
-"I remember that the fountain gushed cool water every third day, an attribute simply ascribed by many to the will of God."
Raymond nodded approvingly. "We also came by some food and other supplied in the town of Siloam."
Guillaume's face darkened. "The inhabitants of Siloam greeted us as kings and we massacred them as animals. Men rode in blood to their knees and bridle reins. Others trotted across the bodies and body fragments as if they were a carpet for their convenience. Soldiers destroyed the monuments to both Muslims and Jews. I remember that Godfrey justified those atrocities as a just and splendid judgment of God. He said that Siloam had to be filled with the blood of the unbelievers, since it had suffered so long from their blasphemies!".
-"Our men's behaviour was extreme," Raymond said. "But it was essential to show them that God supported our actions." His brows had lowered and were frowning slightly now. "Anyway, after the massacre of the people of Siloam, we investigated the town and we came by some very important documents." The Count was pointing to a wooden box placed on the large table.
This time it was Guillaume's turn to raise a brow. "What were they about, my lord?"
-"Suffice to say that they were the key to a secret hiding place." He walked along the room and opened the oak doors. "Enter," he said to someone in the other room and made an ushering gesture. An old man, wearing a black, heavy cap, stepped slowly into the grand chamber. "This is father Gregory of Rubrouck, a Flemish monk who had joined our noble Crusade. This fine man, here, is Guillaume, Duke of Constance." Both men greeted each other. "Father Gregory and I are the only ones to know about the existence of the secret parchments. Now let me tell you about the task that awaits you." The Count smiled. "I ask you to choose five of your most trusted men and to accompany father Gregory and his assistance to wherever they wish to go."
-"My lord, you must not think too highly of me, or I am afraid you will be disappointed."
-"Nonsense, my son. I have a complete faith in you." Without looking down, Raymond drew his sword from his belt and held it out to Guillaume. "You are a swordsman. What do you make of that?"
Guillaume took the Count's sword in his right hand, and although his mind was preoccupied, his body was so long attuned to the skills of weapon-play, that he immediately took up a fighting stance. He examined the finely wrought grip and the bluish razor-sharp edges that could easily slice off a limb in battle. "It is very fine."
-"Take it." Raymond declared. "This sword is yours now. You will need such a sword to accomplish your mission."
-"And where are we heading to, if I may ask?"
-"To Mizpa, my son." The old monk replied. "This shall be our first stop."
P.S. Gabriel Knight does not make his appearance just yet. But he will!
Last update: October 24, 2007
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