Chapter LXXXIV
It was full summer when we set out to ride to Acre, marching the whole way in battle formation, for rumour placed the Sultan's army behind every hill and on the other side of every patch of woodland. All along the way the men of every village, grange, manor and castle that we passed came out to join us: sailors forsook their ships in Joppa, Athlit was all but abandoned, Caesarea produced an army.
"It's the maximum effort," Sid Guy told us the day after we arrived at Acre and set up camp in the fields outside the city. "We've got 1,200 knights, nearly 5,000 Turcopoles, and 20,000 infantry. I hope the Sultan gives battle soon, because we can't keep this many men in the field for long."
Phillipe chuckled. "I doubt the Sultan will dare to face us," he said. "Not with a thousand knights!"
Es-Sid shook his head. "Have you heard how many men the Sultan has?" he asked.
Phillipe shrugged.
"According to the report Babrak brought, when all his men come together - the army of Egypt, the army of Syria and the army from the north - Saladin will have twelve thousand horsemen and more than thirty thousand footmen."
"Horsemen," Phillipe sneered. "They aren't a match for our knights. Their horses are nothing but ponies, their armour is nothing more than painted leather, all they can do is ride around shooting arrows. One charge by our knights and you won't see them for dust."
Hilmi and I exchanged glances, for we had seen the Nasrani charge destroyed at the Springs of Cresson, but Sid Guy simply looked grave and shook his head.
"God grant that you are right, Phillipe, but don't forget Cresson."
"Pah!" Phillipe waved his hand. "I'm told that the Muslims were hiding in a wood and it was the trees that broke up our charge. That's why de Ridefort was defeated - but we won't make that mistake again."
"With de Ridefort, I wouldn't be so certain," es-Sid said. "There seems no limit to the man's folly." He shook his head sadly. "Seven hundred men lost to us because of his arrogance, but he survives and even his wounds are not serious. Truly God has turned from us."
It seemed that es-Sid was to have his wish for a battle, however, for within a day or two news came which showed that the Sultan, may God preserve him, was going to accept the challenge. His men appeared in the Valley of Jezreel and reports from Nazareth spoke of nothing but smoke and flames to be seen as farms and crops were raided and fired. The Sultan's men rode up to the fortress of Tabor, burning and destroying right up to within an arrow-shot of the walls. A messenger sent by Count Raymond with messages to Tiberias returned, saying that he was unable to get through because the Sultan was encamped all around the city.
Two days later Salah ud-Din himself was seen at Sephorie with his army and there was a great clamour of men demanding that we ride against him at once, but we did not move. Some said that King Guy was waiting for more certain information about the Sultan's intentions, others that he awaited a convoy of food and arrows that was coming from Ascalon. Certainly such a caravan of wagons and donkeys came that evening and in the morning the order was given for the army to march.
"At last!" Philippe rejoiced as he put on his armour. "We are going to drive the Sultan and his army back to Damascus and, if God wills, this time we will take the place."
There were not many who felt as confident, for on the march we of the household of es-Sid acted as scouts or messengers, riding from one place to another and every time I came back to the marching column I found frightened men demanding news and asking if I had seen the enemy. The answer was always No, but there were certainly signs that the Sultan, may God give him wisdom, was near, for we were passed by many groups of farmers fleeing towards Acre.
In the late afternoon we reached Sephorie and made camp round the springs there. No sooner had we unsaddled our horses than a messenger came from the king summoning es-Sid to a meeting of the council. We cooked the food Karl brought us from the supply wagons and put some aside for es-Sid, but it was cold by the time he finally came back after sunset.
"Tiberias has fallen," he told us as he ate. "A messenger came from the Countess Eschiva, Count Raymond's wife, to say that Saladin attacked at dawn in such numbers that the defenders were simply overwhelmed. They didn't breach the walls so much as just flow right over them. She is safe in the castle and was able to send the messenger out by boat, but she expects the Sultan to attack in the morning."
"So we are going to relieve her?" Philippe asked.
Es-Sid shook his head. "No, thank goodness. Of course, there were the usual hot-heads like de Ridefort who wanted us to march immediately, including her two sons by her first marriage, but even Count Raymond himself urged us to stay right here. He said - and I think he is right - that Saladin wants us to rush to Tiberias, so the last thing we should do is oblige him."
"Why? What does he want us to do?" Philippe demanded belligerantly.
"He says that we should send out scouts to find out where the main body of the Sultan's forces are and then, if necessary, move up to Nazareth or over to Le Feve or some other place we can use as a base."
"But what about the countess?" Karl broke in. "We can't just abandon her!"
Es-Sid shrugged. "Count Raymond says that the castle is in no immediate danger and when the woman's sons contradicted him he said that even if the castle fell, it was better to lose the castle and pay a ransom for his wife than that the army should be lost because of over-hasty action and the kingdom with it."
"So we don't march tonight?" Charles sounded relieved.
"No, nor in the morning either," Es-Sid told us. "However you lads may have a busy day of it, so make sure your horses are cared for and get as much sleep as you can. You'll probably be off scouting before sunrise."
Instead we were wakened by a herald shouting that the army marched at dawn. Charles was the only one of us who was dressed and had his boots on. He rushed over to the man and came back, grinning lopsidedly.
"Well," he said, "it seems that we're going to march after all. De Ridefort went back to the king after the council and persuaded him that it is his duty to rescue the countess."
