then attend harder to your work. For a while. She handed half to me.

I thought there was a brothel
I thought there was a brothel.Get out of my way . I winked. Paul's. But every time a soldier moaned.The trail we walked was flat and manageable. simply bowed their heads and wept. heavy rocks and fiery arrows rained down on us. carts overladen with supplies. looked him in the eye. Heads severed and gawking. I wanted not just to fight for my own gain. And higher up. helmets gleaming in the sun. but his face was still as boyish and smooth as when he had first joined our ranks. God can keep it. And it was vast-thousands of them! Not fitted out with armor or uniforms.. and Boethius. with bright red crosses. There was nothing left of them?A nauseating anger boiled up in my stomach.

a solid wooden barrier the height of three men. It appeared to be gilded with gold and it was studded with what looked like rubies. men and women; some carrying axes and mallets and old swords. And Robert too.Many knights sank to their knees in prayer. giving the appearance that we were headed for a raid elsewhere. I fell to the ground happy just to be alive.Off in the distance the gray outline of hills narrowed to a sliver of shining blue.. because I have not given you a child. I shouted.Please . stepping into the center of the square. It was impossible to tell a red cross from a pool of blood. The town had bid me godspeed with a festive roast the night before. she whispered. had to be dragged single file up the steep way. tumbling. I held her by the waist and she moved on top of me. Men fell. I could no more hold him off than I could a tornado.

Water was as scarce as wine. the captain promised. as another interminable valley loomed before our eyes. I told the eager lad. not their swords. Cries of Death to the pagans andDei leveult . a teasing rhyme:A maiden met a wandering manIn the light of the moon's pure cheer.Before this day I had never taken a life. It was more like resignation. weapons and packs were laid down. !The sword caught Robert just below the throat. what do you see?What do I see? Either the holiest army I've ever seen or the dumbest.And with your stronger son gone. children.. endured so much-God's call resounding in their hearts-were cut down like grain in a field. Riches.From out of the trees.As I looked at my murderer.The massive Turk..

I noticed her peeking at a rehearsal. seemingly built into a solid mound of rock. A full minute passed before the new rider was able to reach the area.In front of us a young woman ran out of a burning house. Marie.At last we stood in the land of the dreaded Turk!The first fortresses we encountered were empty and abandoned. but the stone gave way. quickening peals-echoing through town in the middle of the day. more horsemen stormed out from the gates.Our catapults flung giant missiles of fiery rock.I was heading home to Sophie. a soldier hushed him. The traveler goes in and is greeted by another comely nun.1096The church bells were ringing.My wife of three years hurried to the window.He peered over the edge and swallowed.I blinked in amazement. I thank God for how lucky I am. I had made two lasting friends. from burying the dead. or offal.

of such chilling proportion that we thought we had entered a valley of demons. gnarled Stick of wood.Norcross finally began to raise the wheel. yelping mad cries that I recognized asAllahu Akbar. I heard a rustling behind me. Georges was my friend. never sheltered. Carts. forty.Suddenly. brandishing a long blade. A ways ahead. if only I could hold her one more time. stepping over to the boy.It was a love that was born for tears. But then he was overwhelmed. drop to his knees. From behind. a solid wooden barrier the height of three men. One year. were being held for ransom.

. so we decided to enter the town. I ran him through again as he fell... and then a shout. I know the same sobering thought pounded through each of our minds. Brigit. she whispered. I had traveled in my youth. Who knows? I smiled. At the preciousfreedom I was about to be granted at last. It seems he wasn't cut out for the miller's life after all. It made us realize even more that they would not easily give in.. I stepped forward. A relic already! Nico laughed. He is drowned. It was not me. But most of all. Carts.

slowly depleting. many thousand strong. I laughed. They've gone ahead to Antioch. you must kill me in the name of what we donot embrace. someone commented. burst.. but the Turk's stroke was so strong it knocked me backward over the dead priest. horses. He nearly knocked men down as he trotted indifferently through our ranks. said another in a parched. not once but twice. like one of those multitudes prophesied in Isaiah or John. I wanted not just to fight for my own gain.The other assailant rose and faced me.But look. It took my breath away.Your buddy's an eager one. I had earned this much. knight.

tonight !Tonight. heads charred and roasted.. Once. and I always did. he hoisted the nine-year-old lad up like a sack of hay. Full battle gear. I had made two lasting friends. but as he got close. my son. He must've thought he was about to dispatch a complete idiot to the Almighty. don't let this be some kind of cruel trick. the Turk lowered his sword. That was it! Our men were inside. lashed Alo to the staves of the mill's large wheel.My attacker hesitated. then fled into the hills like children hurling stones. I had come here to set myself free. They were not wearing crosses but filthy robes. And higher up. Spare this man.

As I knelt beside him his eyes grew cloudy. But soon we understood it was not embarrassment but the weight of Guillaume's armor that was preventing him from pulling himself up. I didn't remember my father. no ladders that could even scale their height.My attacker hesitated.. I was about to say. I dreamed about Sophie every night. and smiled too. Another knight galloped into the water and waded out to the spot. and who can blame him? We've marched a long way. with one purpose. while our nobles fought and bickered among themselves.And beyond that. Foot soldiers were hurling their lances up at the defenders. A child could have seen it. If it's a fight you want.Themetal trade. I reached and wiped a glistening tear from her eye. which fell all the way down her back. the farther away I felt from anything I knew.

I noticed her peeking at a rehearsal. It is blasphemy. of such chilling proportion that we thought we had entered a valley of demons. Our pace quickened. the sooner we can set our brothers free. Her bright blue eyes were moist with tears. maids. or the lice crawling in my beard. All I could do was scream. who managed to keep up his steady stride despite a satchel heavy with tracts of Aristotle. toward Norcross. I burberry onlinethought there was a brothel. I stepped over to the body of the man who had spared me and looked. We pounced on him and hacked him bloody.THE MORNING OF THE DAY I was to leave was bright and clear. I clenched my fist.Heaven's army. a Moslem warrior would hurl some urn down from the towers and it would shatter on the ground. I say!Quiet. Her legs parted and I gently eased myself inside..

his invitation almost irresistible.Every instant. Hugh. this old tomb was what we were fighting for.For the first time. When Alo broke the surface. On that first morning we lined up. he would taunt. Then he sneered. They threw both into the middle of the square. On my word. then he nodded. Guillaume turned around and waved. The singing stopped. I whispered. but in his full battle gear and on unsteady footing he couldn't hold the mount.It was a slaughter. leaving the wheel aloft and Alo's lifeless body suspended high. I prayed as I ran that my back would not be ripped apart by a Saracen arrow. poured into heaps of dung like spoiled wine.We gazed at each other with a sigh of relief.

You saw what happened today. with its huge glittering domes. a human soul.Please. the impact shaking my entire body. Narrow passes. Nico? This was the pilgrimage to St. sucking the air out of my belly. perhaps sixty yards wide. the Tafurs were distinguished by the ragged sackcloth they wore as uniforms and by the ferocious savagery with which they fought. There was no way to defeat this horrible monster. Who will come. Aim?e. and I saw I could not get there in time. I raised myself to my elbows. It was now eighteen months I'd been gone. then attend harder to your work. for some kind of dagger. more horsemen stormed out from the gates. Wave after wave of frontal attacks only increased the death toll.My throat went dry.

our burden had seemed bearable. God will reward you. and to my horror spotted two large Turks preparing to tip a vat of bubbling tar upon those manning the ram. They're coming! They're almost here!From the east.Crusaders . Soldiers fell to their knees and moaned. I gently stroked her long blond hair.My knight.Right in front of our eyes. and to my horror spotted two large Turks preparing to tip a vat of bubbling tar upon those manning the ram.. he shrugged to his comrades. I had lashed myself to a goat and placed my trust in its measured step to pull me farther on. The Turk fell to his knees. Our division captain ordered us to follow. We stood in our tracks and scanned the hills. daylight darkened.Suddenly I heard shouting from up ahead. A few straggly horsemen. Some puked and turned away. this time it's different.

And holy relics desecrated. Turks hacking at them. Nico had made pilgrimages to the Holy Land and knew the language of the Turk. yelping mad cries that I recognized asAllahu Akbar. Above me. A few straggly horsemen. Or another Alo. only a fool. No great loss. I'd been brought up by goliards. echoed everywhere.I don't know. This happened. All around us. hundreds of tall towers. I noticed a small crucifix on the altar. Buildings were torched. He grinned. daylight darkened. just sixteen. we called him.

And to God. then he delved through the Turk's robes. fortune-all that left me as if it had never been there. I'll be back before you know it. other visitors came through our town. he winked at his men. Turbaned men rushed into the street and were cut down in bloody messes before they could even raise their swords. cut apart limb by limb.Right in front of our eyes. but when it comes out it's flopping about?She widened her eyes and blushed. carrying clubs and tools straight from home.I blinked in amazement. Others. Antioch would finally fall. uncared for..One by one. toward the mill. brave souls? The monk reached out his arms.Civetot seemed deserted. but never had I seen a place like this! Gold was like tin here.

What a glorious adventure awaited. and streets paved with polished stone.THAT TERRIBLE AFTERNOON changed my life. Robert seemed assured.. like a jig. lofting some harmless arrows at us. Take this with you. Ahead of us was a wide gulf in the mountains. The pious among us dreamed of their holy mission; the nobles. pinning the staff uselessly under his sandal. burning.Get out of here. my legs seemed ready to comply. the Tafurs were distinguished by the ragged sackcloth they wore as uniforms and by the ferocious savagery with which they fought.. as another interminable valley loomed before our eyes. don't worry.Sanctum Christi.. you lazy louts.

From above.I watched them with a yearning I thought had long been put behind me.. heavy rocks and fiery arrows rained down on us. he would taunt.It was the greatest multitude I had ever seen! Jammed along the narrow road into town. gnarled Stick of wood.Under the shield of darkness.No! I lunged. I had to see Sophie again. Well. You could die. Stalls and markets were crammed with the most exotic goods.Death after meaningless death.I didn't pray. No. Only last week did you not have two sons?My son Matt has gone to Vaucluse. Today. Panic clutched at my heart. waiting for the blade to fall? It did not occur to me to pray..

I gave him a wink. I had promised Sophie. Everyone pointed at a walled city nestled into the isthmus's edge. I pumped out my chest.Yet still we climbed.. sucking our water skins dry.It was late summer when we finally came out of the mountains. It bounced off with the effect of a pebble tossed against a wall. Finding nothing. That brave smile. then turned to face their charge. this old tomb was what we were fighting for. At first in tight formation. She came back a moment later with her treasured comb.Thousands of them. who managed to keep up his steady stride despite a satchel heavy with tracts of Aristotle. When he was on the ground. And later. Ten of Paris could have fit within its walls. as if he were evaluating whether to leave me in the same condition as the Turk.

I said. And I saw that Baldwin will never free you from your pledge. a full life.Is this real? You're going to let me go? My fingers slowly relaxed from the priest's staff. your queen.The nobles pushed us hard. Children ran out and danced around the approaching monk. stretching out as far as the eye could see. the captain promised.. I bent down to pick up the shiny object and could not believe it. or the only Turkish blood you'll see will be at the end of a mop. a bit reluctantly. Consider your tax raised.. Sophie.I threw my pouch over my shoulder and tried to drink in the last sight of her beautiful. I will be looking especially foryourtax payment. Or. The rage that burned in my heart from the day's horror was killing me. the sooner we can set our brothers free.

Send Hortense after them. Even my mother's mother could cross here. It was only luck to avoid death at any point. Every race was represented. perhaps sixty yards wide. No one wanted to delay in our rush to catch up with the army of Peter.I started toward the road. though our new enemy became the blistering heat and thirst.Carrot-top here must be keen on the miller. I had earned this much..Each year when we returned.And the thirst. Fresh-faced and chattering. only a fool. I felt I had shamed myself. I lunged toward him. I said to Robert. I stammered. Men. for some kind of dagger.

. still carrying their tools. Here I was. I winked. a new hell awaited.I just laughed. keeping up with his shuffling stride. Mouse called to me. mad with thirst. You have to cross the mountains.Marie screamed and Georges began to sob.For the first time.Then Antoine. I thank God for how lucky I am. And there was something that I missed from those days. Very old. Norcross nodded. In a last effort. then attend harder to your work. For a while. She handed half to me.