Faith and Works (A 1st Crusade Story)

[MarkWarrior]

I pulled my sword back, wincing as more Seljuk blood spilled over my chainmail and cloak. The rattling gasps of my foe loud among the din of battle for a brief moment before I turned to engage yet another.

Raising my shield, I parried one strike from a scimitar, then another before driving my foot into the lightly armored Muslim, the sand barely shifting under my weight as I forced my shoulder and shield into his gut, his sandaled feet were less secure and he collapsed on the ground.

One stab, and I pierced through the padded cloth, driving my blade deep into his chest, blood bubbling out before I withdrew it and looked around for more enemies, only to find that I was surrounded.

I should have been terrified, the Seljuks had done much to harm those close to me over these many years. Burning, raping, looting and pillaging their way across the Holy Land. Men were put to the sword, and the women and children enslaved or worse. But I held firm, my Faith carried me this day, just as it had across many battles from Antioch to Nicaea, to now. I could not falter, not while there still remained hope.

The white cross on my shield was now stained red with the blood of those who would threaten the innocent, and my tan cloak and cloth now brown with the dried blood of Seljuks who had fallen before me.

"Are you afraid?" I called out in their language, learned over the years from both foe and friend alike. "I am but one man!" I bashed the flat of my blade against my shield and roared. "Will you fight? Or will you act as the cowards I have found you to be?"

I spat into the sand, my mouth feeling dryer than the desert around me.

"You speak much for one who is about to die," A lone man dismounted from his horse, his chainmail, purple turban, and gilded pommel on his sword showing that he was the one in charge of this rabble. "I will not grant you the mercy of a quick death. You will be hamstrung, disemboweled, and left for the carrion."

"I cannot say the same," I replied, swinging my sword out to my side. "We will all likely die here, our sins washed away by the sands and the Blood of the Lamb. With all that remains of us lost to time itself until the Resurrection."

"Enough words," The man growled. "Hero of Antioch, the time has come for vengeance."

"So be it," I balanced carefully, watching the other man's body language. The eyes could lie, but the body would not.

I absorbed the first hit on my shield, springing forward as he pulled his scimitar back, his round buckler barely flicking out to deflect my blade. His next hit drove through the weakened band of iron around my shield and bit deep within, capturing his blade and forcing him to release it, lest he also lose his hand.

Sucking in air, I stabbed my sword into the sand and waited for one of the other Muslims to give my opponent a sword.

"This is a good blade," I admired the pattern of the Damascus-forged steel scimitar I'd pulled out of my shield. "I may have to keep it," I taunted, withdrawing my sword from the sands and leaving the blade in the sands behind me.

"You will keep nothing," He leapt forward, his strikes moving faster under the anger. I blocked the first with my shield, the second with my sword, diverting it into the sands before giving a quick stab into his chainmail, the tip of my blade driving through into his stomach before he twisted, my blade sliding out and darting back to my defense as he threw his buckler at me.

I opened my eyes to see the nobleman standing over me, his face twisted into a savage grin as he brought his sword around in a swing at me. Kicking at his legs, I pushed through the pain in my skull and pulled my dagger from its sheath before driving it into his throat, stabbing multiple times before lurching up onto my knees.

My vision swam as I picked up my sword and shield from where they'd fallen, blood falling into my eyes from where the thrown buckler had torn open something on my forehead.

"Who is next?" I called out, staring into the circle of Seljuks, waiting for their response.

There was silence, then a sharp whistle, the men and their horses riding away, and leaving me standing in the desert sands, surrounded by blood and the bodies of dead and broken men. Christian and Muslim alike.

---

"Michael," my sister shook me out of my stupor. "C'mon, the sheep aren't going anywhere."

"They might," I argued. "I'm responsible for them, just like I'm responsible for you," I grabbed my little sister pulled her close, messing up her hair before letting her go.

"Mean," Adelaide pouted, crossing her arms. "We could spend the day at the watering hole."

"No," I shook my head. "The last thing we need is for one of the sheep to get stuck, you know how stupid they are."

"Just for a few minutes," She whined. "It's so hot today."

"Fine," I sighed, glancing at the sheep grazing over the little grass that was visible in the dry land. "We'll spend some time at the watering hole."

I looked out over the horizon towards the direction I knew the city to be. Jerusalem was dangerous, and mother and father both knew that the Muslims would attempt to harm them if they dared show their faith openly.

Shaking my head, I cleared it of the negative thoughts and emotions, instead looking for the light tan dress of my sister. Smiling as I saw her reach the small stream that the sheep often drank from.

"Michael, the water feels so good!" She splashed about, frolicking in the water as I watched over her and the sheep alike.

"Beware of snakes!" I teased. "They love sunning on the rocks by the stream." (They actually preferred the area in the middle of the fields, but she didn't know that yet.)

"Snakes," Adelaide shuddered and looked around fearfully before realizing that I was smirking. "Jerk."

"Maybe if you paid attention to what dad and I try to teach you about being out in the fields, you'd know where the snakes like to lay about," I stopped as water dripped from my hair to my shoulders from the wave Adelaide had just sent my way. "You just got my sling wet," I glared at my little sister. "Now I can't use that one until it dries out."

"Well, maybe if you weren't so mean to me," she stuck her tongue out.

I grunted and set the sling I'd tied around my head down on a rock to dry, moving the one around my waist to my head in its place.

"I'm keeping an eye on the sheep," I leaned back and blocked the sun with my hands. "Let me know when you're done and we'll pen them up and go back inside, I'm hungry."

"Alright!" She replied, continuing to splash while I began counting the sheep.

Our family's flock wasn't the largest, but it was more than enough to clothe, feed us, and ensure that we were taken care of every winter. Thirty-one, thirty-two, wait… There were supposed to be thirty-five sheep in our land.

"Adelaide," I stood up on a stone and looked around. "Take my sling and watch the sheep, three have gone missing."

Gone was the carefree laugh and cheer she usually had as she climbed out of the stream, wringing water out of her dress and girding it up as she grabbed the sling off the rock beside me.
"Don't stay out too long," She looked me in the eye, her nine-year-old frame shaking a bit. "You know what mother and father say."

"You're more important than a lost lamb," I leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "I know. If I can't find them before the sun starts to set, I'll meet you back at the house."

"You promise?" She asked, her lip quivering.

"I promise," I pulled my little sister in and fluffed her hair again as I chuckled. Three years felt like decades of separation at times.

Leaving behind my large sack with the majority of the supplies, I took a few stones and my water skin. If I needed more than my walking stick, water, and my sling and stones, then I was in over my head. I was no David, after all. And stones might beat bronze, but they had nothing on steel.

Pulling my sandals tighter on my feet, I headed in the direction I thought the three lost sheep might be in, my strides long but my pace unhurried. I would find them, or I wouldn't, and there would be nothing I could do about it.

Kneeling in the dirt to examine a few tracks, I murmured a quick prayer to my Saviour, hoping that he would intercede before the Lord on his Throne on my behalf. After all, Father Peter said that 'we have not because we ask not.' So, if Christ cared for even the little things, how much more did he care for our souls.

Holding my hand up to the sun, I checked the distance between it and the horizon. It was nearly midday, if I didn't hurry, I'd be late and would be breaking my promise to Adelaide, and I always kept my promises.

–
–

One of the things that the city folk didn't understand was just how utterly stupid sheep were. I grunted as I hefted the lamb with the scratched paw over my shoulders, one hand keeping it stable while the other drove the other two idiots back towards home.

In fact, the more we attended mass, the more I understood why Christ referred to himself as the shepherd and we as the sheep. After all, I knew that I was not always smart, nor did I always follow the right path. I probably was among those who Christ had to be extra careful to look after.

Thankfully, as the sun began to reach the horizon, I saw the smoke arise from our house. Adelaide had probably started to cook dinner in the hopes that mother, father, and I would be home soon.

Mother and Father had taken the donkeys and gone to purchase seeds for planting given our last crop had been small, along with grain and some tools that had worn out. They were a day overdue for return, and it was mine and Adelaide's hope that they would be back today.

But as I got closer, my heart began to sink, and I began to move faster, driving the sheep ahead of me as the smoke turned into a fire, and from there into the remains of home. Dropping the lamb to the ground, I ignored its cry and sprinted towards home, a prayer on my lips as I reached the smoking remains.

"Adelaide!" I screamed, dipping my cloak in the bucket of water kept near the door before throwing it over my shoulders and running into the dim orange blaze. Where was she? I pulled my cloak up and covered my mouth and nose. Reaching the oven, I found her. Her small form was still, and I dragged her out of what had once been our house before running back in.

The heat from the flames dried out my cloak and any tears that tried to wet my eyes immediately vanished. I sniffled and found the body of my father. Turning him over, I found an arrow shaft in his chest that I left in there as I drug him out of the building.

Going back in, I looked for the last member of my family. I wanted to find my mother, but as I saw her body, the remaining wooden beams that held up the roof collapsed in, crushing her and scattering embers across the floor.

Weeping, I crawled out and collapsed next to Adelaide. The tears were finally free from the oppressive fire and were streaming from my eyes as I checked for signs of life from my father and little sister.

But there was no life in my father, only dried blood and a look of sorrow on his face. Adelaide, she was warm to the touch, but I could not feel her breath, nor the beats of her heart. Crouching over her, I cried out, begging for mercy from the Lord Above. Knowing that he heard my cries.

Then, as my tears began to dry up, and I began to lose hope, there was a whisper, as if something had come from the wind, and Adelaide exhaled, coughing and hacking but breathing nonetheless.

In spite of my joy, I wept. Crying and pulling her into my lap as I lay there next to our father. Slowly closing my eyes until I was asleep, the warm body in my arms a comforting truth that we were not alone.

 

[Baldrick the Wise]

Just a normal day in the Holy Land

 

[Drageos]

Now this is interesting.

Glad to see a story about from a Christian's point of view that doesn't just shit on Christianity constantly.

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 2

It was the cold that woke me up, followed closely by the pain. Shivering, I pulled my cloak off and wrapped it around Adelaide as I stood up and stumbled towards the house. There might not be much that remained, but a blanket, anything that might see us through the cold of the night.

The full moon illuminated the shattered remnants of the house, casting deep shadows on the collapsed portion where I knew my mother lay. Biting back sobs and forcing the tears back, I dug through the wreckage towards the lone bedroom.

I tried to shove the beam to the side, but found that my aching muscles weren't enough to move any of the debris. Instead, I pushed through the small gaps and came out in what remained of the room my parents slept in.

The only thing that wasn't covered in char and smoke-stained was a lone chest at the foot of the bed. The wrought iron band and hardwood somehow protected the contents within from the fierceness of the fire.

Opening the chest, I reached in and pulled out my father's coin purse, a pair of daggers, and a tan traveling cloak that would have fit around my father's shoulders but swallowed my frame.

Pulling the items tight to my chest, I pushed them through the hole I'd crawled through. Then, slowly exiting the house, the way I'd entered before stepping back out into the light of the moon.

Pulling my father's cloak tight over my shoulders, I checked on Adelaide before wiping the shadow of a tear away. She was fine, there were no marks or wounds to show she'd even been harmed by the fire or the smoke.

Something that could not be said for the body of our father beside her. The arrow shaft poking out of his chest was covered in dried blood, and now that I was looking more closely, I could see the signs of a struggle. Bruises and cuts marred his arms, and now it was evident the arrow had just been the opening to whoever had attacked my family.

Feeling the emotion well up within, I allowed the tears to come forth as I buried my face in my dead father's chest. Quiet sobs crawled their way out of my parched throat, and fear and anger warred with each other in between the beats of my heart.

But, after the tears dried up once more, I pulled the shattered threads of what I knew together and made a plan. If someone were brazen enough to attack a respected man among our small community, then they wouldn't hesitate to do the same to me or Adelaide.

Standing up, I grabbed my father's arms and dragged him away from Adelaide. Then I knelt beside him and closed his eyes for the last time.

Adelaide and I were going to need supplies. Any food that had been in the house was likely gone for good, leaving me with only one option. Seeing the hurt lamb, I knew how we were going to get our food for part of the journey. The other two sheep would have to be traded for something in town. Because we couldn't keep them with us.

Our other livestock were missing, along with the majority of the flock of sheep. As I looked around for things we should take with us, I saw that one of our oxen lay slaughtered on the ground, tracks leading away from it in the dirt indicating that the donkey had been taken as well.

As the night wore on and the moon continued its dance through the skies, I piled everything I found useful beside the house before the exhaustion caught up to me. Everything hurt, and I was tired. Collapsing next to Adelaide, I used Father's cloak as a blanket and pulled my sister close. Closing my eyes, I faded back into the realm of dreams once again.

–
–

It was Adelaide who woke me up. The sun barely peeked over the horizon, revealing the true horror of what had happened.

"Let me up," Adelaide elbowed me, causing me to roll over with a groan as she rushed for the privy attached to the remnants of the stable.

I slowly stood up and looked at the pile of objects I'd collected through the night, shaking my head as I did so. Sure, there were some useful things in there: a handful of nails, the lone iron shovel that four generations of my family had possessed, and what was left of the cloth and wool that had been left in the shed after mother and father had taken the majority of it for trade. The rest of the pile was wood from the interior structure of the house, broken tools, and scrap cloth.

While I was sorting, the good from the bad, Adelaide finally stumbled out of the privy. Still rubbing sleep out of her eyes, she sat down next to me and leaned into my shoulder. A shuddering, shaky exhale as she buried her face into my side.

Wrapping an arm around her, I pulled her close as the tears began to flow. Choked sobs and heavy tears stained my shoulder, and I allowed her to grieve like I had earlier in the night. Time went by, the sun finally rose fully over the horizon, and Adelaide's sorrow finally dried up. At least for now.

"Come on," I gently pulled her away. "We need to get what we can from the house before we leave."

Pulling her face away from my shoulder, she nodded and wiped the last of her tears away on the sleeve of her dress, her nose wrinkling in a sniffle.

"Now, I'm going to try and get mother's body out of the house. Can you finish sorting these for me?" I asked, pointing at the pile.

Still not speaking, she just nodded and knelt, pulling the shovel out first and setting it and the sling I'd given her yesterday to the side.

Ruffling Adelaide's hair, I smiled sadly and went back into the ruins of the house. Now that everything was clear in the daylight, I could see exactly how to get in and shift the charred and blackened beam out of the way.

Not trusting the ruins, I ducked under one beam, then crouched and put another under my shoulders, pushing up to my full height and forcing them to fall with a resounding crash to my side. Then I moved further in and pulled mother's body out of the small gap I'd created and onto my shoulder.

Finally exiting the entryway, I paused at the sight of Adelaide leaning against the remnants of the wall next to Father's corpse. She held his lifeless hands in hers and pulled her knees up to her chest, the pile sorted and long forgotten about in the throes of her sorrow.

Taking a shuddering breath, I buried my swell of emotions and got to work. Taking the handful of nails and the wooden scraps, I built a rough frame and harness. Taking breaks to pull water up from our small well and ensure that Adelaide was taken care of, as I slowly did what was necessary.

Eventually, I placed Mother's and Father's bodies onto the makeshift sled and gathered the last three sheep together. I attached the rough rope and harness over Father's cloak and tied my sling around my waist to ensure that the oversized garment wouldn't fall off my shoulders. One of my father's daggers found its way into my belt, and the other into Adelaide's, with both of us also possessing a sling and stones, we were as armed as we could be to make the trek to the small hamlet between Jerusalem and our pastureland.

"We need to make sure they get a proper burial," Adelaide said quietly.

"Father Andrew will see to it," I replied, using the shovel as a walking stick and allowing Adelaide to use the one I'd carried the day before. "We're not alone, after all."

Adelaide simply nodded and started walking beside me, helping corral the three sheep while I pulled the sled with the bodies of our dead parents along behind.

---

The hamlet had been a two-day journey when we had a donkey ferrying most of the weight. So, that meant that it had now stretched into the fourth day. Causing Adelaide and me to struggle with our small ration of food and water.

Thankfully, as we neared the end of our water skins, the small wooden tower rose on the horizon, signaling the end of this segment of our journey. The gates were open, and the lone soldier on watch stopped us at the gates until he identified us.

"It's a damn shame," Old Gerald sighed, the greybeard's spear gripped tightly. "If we'd known that they were going raiding again, we'd have sent a warning. Now, head on to the church. Father Andrew will have water and food for the two of you."

"Thank you," I nodded at the soldier and continued dragging my sled behind me. Adelaide kept the sheep in line as we headed for the most robust structure in the village.

Where the rest of the buildings in the village were rough buildings, with thatched roofs, and just enough structure to remain standing among the occasional storm, the church had been built up over generations as more than just a place of worship, but also a refuge from bandits or anything that might threaten harm. Stone walls twelve feet high surrounded the handful of structures on the inside, a small ledge allowed any defenders to stab down with spears or use the few bows the hunters possessed, and both a garden and a well ensured that the church was self-sufficient.

By the time we reached the gates of the church, Father Andrew and the handful of monks who assisted him had already met us in the streets of the village and taken the sled from my hands. They then brought Adelaide and me to the well in the garden of the church and gave us water to slake our thirst, fresh clothing, and had taken our cloaks and current clothes to be washed.

"Michael, lad," Andrew sat next to me as I chewed on a piece of bread that I'd been given. "Tell me what happened."

"I don't know," I replied, swallowing down what was left of the loaf and washing it down with fresh water from the well. "Not exactly. I was out collecting a few wayward sheep," I pointed at the trio that were penned up alongside the church's handful of animals. "And when I returned, the house was ablaze. I only barely managed to get Adelaide and Father's bodies out."

I pulled up my borrowed robes and showed the burns that were still on my calves.

"Adelaide," I choked up, thinking back on the events of a few days ago. "She wasn't breathing when I pulled her out. There was no life in her," I sobbed. "It must have been a miracle, because she came back."

I looked up at Father Andrew through watery eyes, my heart heavy in my throat and a pit in my stomach.

"Well, praise be to the Lord above then," the priest smiled. "For he has restored a life thought lost to us." his eyes were sad, but he still exuded the steady calm that had comforted many souls through the decades. "Don't you worry about a thing, Michael. We will provide charity for as long as you require it, and we will also take care of the final rites of your parents."

He pulled me in for a hug, ruffling my hair and letting me relax a bit.

"You and your family are beloved here," he gestured to the village. "Whatever you need, simply ask for it, and we will do our best to provide it. For there is nothing closer to the heart of God than to care for those around us. Much less the widowed and orphaned among us."

With that, he stood up and made his way across the grounds, stopping to speak to the two monks who tended to the grounds before heading into the building that was the most distant from the rest. Then he closed the door behind him.

"That's where they are, isn't it?" Adelaide interrupted my thoughts with her quiet voice.

"Aye," I replied. "That is where their bodies are. But their Spirits are with the Lord."

"I miss them," she sniffled.

"I think we always will," I pulled my little sister in tight. "But we should not dwell on it. Sorrow is fleeting, and there is much joy still to be had in life."

"Well said," Brother Luke smiled down on us. "We have prepared quarters for you both. When you are ready to retire, come find me and I will ensure that your needs are met. Should you wish to join us in our prayers, they begin in the hour before dawn," the monk then locked eyes with me. "If you wish to join the vigil of your parents, it will begin at noon tomorrow and last until dawn of the next day."

The monk then nodded at us and began tending to the rest of his duties.

There were rumors that Brother Luke had once been a soldier of fortune prior to joining the church. Should you see him in the baths, you would see scars and faded bruises that had never fully healed. But whatever life he may have once led, he seemed to have found joy in the service of the Lord, and his large frame had been a source of aid to many a struggling family when the harvest was too great or the oxen stuck.

Looking up, I noted that the sun had met the horizon. Or at least what I could see of the horizon over the walls. It would be dark soon, and Adelaide and I had walked more than a few leagues. I finished my dinner, then waited a few moments before I made a decision.

"Let's get to bed," I nudged Adelaide. "If we want to join the vigil, we're going to need to be well-rested."

So, finding Brother Luke, we were guided to the small room that was to be ours for the night and quickly fell asleep. For we were safe here, guarded by both man and God alike.