kingdom of nations

Chapter 266 Spreading Wings (2)

"No!"

Carpenter Thomas let out a piercing scream as he fell.

They had been separated from the army for four days and were about to enter their fifth night. Before sunset, they had to cross this steep and treacherous ridge.

People would probably find it hard to understand why there are professions like guides, messengers, and facilitators in this era—they are called craftsmen and are quite respected by others.

When they finally arrive here and gaze upon this boundless wilderness, they will immediately understand the importance of these professions—this world has not yet been tamed by humankind, and most areas are still under the rule of nature, the tyrant. Vines and thorns climb the ground, and wild beasts and birds of prey lurk in the dense forests. When you walk, falling rocks, cliffs, insects, poisonous plants, sudden torrents, and even hunger and thirst can all take your life.

They had no support along the way. Even the Romans had never extended their main roads to this point. The only thing the group could rely on was the animal trails—paths formed by the trampling and walking of wild animals. These trails were narrow, rugged, and winding, and were intermittent.

Even so, it's still better than walking through those traps woven by the earth and plants. You can avoid the protruding stones you see, but what's hidden under those intertwined, dense branches and leaves? It might be a poisonous snake, a pit, or even a bottomless cliff.

Everyone in the group, even their horses and mules, walked carefully and attentively, including the carpenter Thomas, who was carrying his own baggage—a leather bag that covered almost his entire back and contained his most precious possessions.

He received a short axe from his grandfather, a dagger from his father, and a saw from the last decent piece of clothing his wife sold.

This saw is brand new, probably specially made by the blacksmith after he came here for use as a siege weapon. It has sharp little iron spikes, indicating that it has not been damaged by tough trees and stones. When Thomas touches it, his fingers feel a slight pain. Look at its dark blue color and the white light it flashes—it is almost indistinguishable from the swords carried by those knights.

Because they are so precious, when the baggage on your back suddenly tilts—it could be because of a gust of wind, or it could be because the tools have shifted.

In short, when it tilted to one side, Thomas instinctively reached out to support it, which caused him to lose his balance.

Thomas fell uncontrollably into the air, flailing his arms and legs, trying to grab onto something—someone's clothes, a mule's reins, or a sprawling branch.

He longed for those branches as much as he had hated them when he was walking, those branches that would jump back and lash his eyes when he brushed them aside, but his hands could only scratch at the air in vain, and he could not grasp anything no matter how hard he tried.

He thought he was going to die this time, but then he felt a tightness in his throat. The collar of the coarse linen pullover was tightly constricting his throat, just in time to stop his heart from leaping out of his mouth. He was lifted up and then put down. After a while, he realized that he had been saved.

"Hurry up, quickly thank the little saint!" someone urged him, but when he turned around, he only saw a white figure from behind.

The knights here all wore white robes, but among the many similar figures, they spotted his benefactor at a glance. Thomas dared not chase after him, and instead kissed the hem of his robe to express his gratitude. He could only prostrate himself on the ground, pressing his face against the path he had walked on. Dust filled his nose and mouth, but it smelled and tasted as sweet as freshly ground flour.

------

Cesar felt somewhat heavy-hearted, even though death was inevitable.

He only sensed a saint, not a saint. And besides Joshua, who else could lead a large group of people to migrate from a familiar place to a completely unfamiliar one? Even so, the scriptures do not say that these people were all whole and complete.

But these laborers who followed him were not ungrateful, greedy fellows—they even prayed fervently while resting under a sheltered rocky outcrop.

“Can you imagine?” a laborer exclaimed excitedly. “I’m alive, Thomas is alive, Old Som is alive…” He rattled off several names in one breath, which was quite an impressive memory for a farmer.

Not only that, he counted on his fingers and then on his toes—those around him were also silently or loudly calculating, “Only seventeen people have met with misfortune.”

After reaching the same conclusion as him, they all showed joy (some people argued that the dead were not unfortunate, and even those who fell off cliffs had priests pray for them, which they could not normally afford).

“This is simply a miracle,” one man said confidently. “When I get back, I must tell this story to my friends and family.”

Seventeen of them, some were wild beasts, some were poisonous snakes, some were simply lost—he didn't have Thomas's good luck, some suddenly developed a fever or a chill, and some just inexplicably collapsed to the ground without saying a word.

Those who participated in expeditions—sometimes their lords would take them away from their lands to fight elsewhere—would typically lose nearly a tenth of their laborers before the war even began. After all, compared to knights and squires, farmers received far less protection and security than even the mules and horses in the army.

They lived and died in obscurity, and no one cared about them.

They had also heard that some people had joined pilgrimage groups. These pilgrimage groups would lose at least half their members on the round trip, and some groups would be completely wiped out, with no one ever returning.

This is why many people only make pilgrimages when they are nearing the end of their lives, and some never return after visiting the holy sites.

The knight shared the same view as the laborer on this point, also considering it a remarkable miracle.

Although they managed to control themselves, otherwise their conversation would have certainly shocked the priests, but their eyes and expressions showed that these guys definitely had the same idea in mind.

Cesar didn't know whether to offer comfort or feel sorrow.

When he accompanied Amalric I on his expedition to Egypt, he did not pay much attention to these laborers. After all, he had too much work to do at that time, and in the army, a squire did not have much say.

But before this, he had made some preparations, including an ample supply of sugar and salt, as well as dried, powdered meat powder in leather bags—the meat powder being none other than sheep and pig liver.

Back in the castle, he instructed the kitchen to take out the livers he had bought, dry them, and grind them into powder.

At this time, most people suffer from night blindness, which is caused by a lack of vitamin A.

He couldn't synthesize vitamin A here, but he knew that animal organs contained a large amount of this component—unlike later generations with abundant resources, people at this time were still in a state of prolonged scarcity, and even nobles would not be so extravagant as to discard their organs and bones.

Ordinary people were already considered lucky if they could eat enough beans and wheat; they would never have the chance to come across such expensive foods.

However, it must be said that their bodies, having suffered excessive damage, are like parched land with cracks. They would absorb and fully utilize even the slightest bit of rain.

In just a few days, the laborers' eyesight improved significantly. They were able to see for two or three hours longer, from the time of sunset until the last ray of sunlight went out.

After night falls, they can maintain a peaceful and quiet state of mind. They are not in a state of constant fear because of poor vision. Even the slightest light or noise will make them run around like headless flies.

The fact that fewer people were lost was also because the team had Cesar as an example. He simply acted on instinct and nature, and went out to help any laborers who had fallen or fallen ill.

The knights here are either old men loyal to Cesar, or young knights whom he selected and tested in Cyprus and Arrassa before accepting his allegiance. The knights are blessed by the saint and will not feel tired even if they fight all day, let alone just climb and trek.

They were originally kind and honest people, even if they initially overlooked these laborers—after all, in their previous education, these laborers were nothing more than tools.

But when they saw César looking after and helping these humble artisans and farmers, they did the same, since it wasn't a burden for them anyway.

This is how the current situation came about, where the number of casualties is something the farmers are celebrating with great joy.

------

Cesar woke up, sat up, and smelled a scent that was different from nature.

He turned his head and saw an iron pot hanging over a campfire nearby, bubbling with a fragrant, rich soup. He had been deeply impressed by the marching rations provided by the Templar Geoffrey when he first left Sainte-Croix Castle.

Referring to the seasoning blocks and compressed rations of later generations, he instructed the chefs to make something that could be eaten directly or cooked into a thick soup, containing oil, grains, and plenty of salt and sugar.

"Don't add any more sugar to my portion," Cesar instructed. After seeing Gian nod, he walked to the side and used the dew on the leaves to wipe his teeth and mouth. When he returned to the campfire, the knights had already begun sharing their first meal of the day.

He was so generous to the laborers, so he was even more generous to his knights. In addition to the sugar and salt that were already in the food, each knight received a whole bag of rock sugar weighing about two pounds. They did not hesitate to add it to every meal, and even went out of their way to give it to Cesar.

After Cesar unsuspectingly drank a bowl of soup that was so sweet it tasted bitter and nearly vomited, he strictly forbade anyone from adding sugar to his food.

The knights didn't quite understand this. The candy was so delicious that even though he strictly forbade it, some people would still sneakily throw in one or two candies. The problem was that everyone felt they should throw in one or two candies, so by the time he got to his hands, there were ten or eight candies.

Nowadays, the only one who can strictly follow his orders and not add sugar to his soup is probably Gian.

By the way, Gian didn't stay with King Baldwin, even though they all hoped so—after all, he was going to marry Damara after this expedition.

His father-in-law, Gerrard's patriarch, also wanted him to stay where he could see him, but the young man had already lost his first chance to fight alongside Cesar, so how could he be willing to give up a second one?

He insisted on coming along, believing that he would gain more glory and achievements by following Cesar than by following the king. He was not wrong about this; Baldwin kept them by his side as reserves. If the Crusaders gained the upper hand in battle, they might not even have a chance to fight.

When the wisps of mist that had enveloped them finally dissipated completely, Cesar stood up. Before him stretched an endless expanse of azure, emerald, and brown, along with lakes and marshes that reflected bright light like shattered mirrors.

The Hula Valley was right before them.

The Jordan River is at its highest point in early spring when the snow on Mount Hermon melts and the cold water rushes into the riverbed. According to the descriptions in the Isaacs' scriptures, which scholars have repeatedly studied, the Isaacs also had to cross the Jordan River when they were searching for the "land flowing with milk and honey" promised by God.

At that time, the river was wide and the current was rapid, but God and the angels protected them and showed them miracles. The priests carried the Ark of the Covenant into the river, and no matter how turbulent or rapid the water was, it could not overturn them.

When their people saw this, they stepped into the river. The priests remained steadfast until the last person had crossed before they continued their journey to the other side.

According to César, they may have encountered a natural dam, meaning there may have been a collapse of soil and rocks above, temporarily blocking the river, which is why the water flow is reduced and the riverbed is exposed.

Those priests were likely chosen ones, like knights and priests today. They were physically strong and determined, and standing in the river created a barrier for the Isaacs, further reducing the risk of danger.

Thus, it is reasonable to explain how the Isaacs were able to cross the Jordan River with the blessing of faith.

Cesar sighed, lamenting that such a miracle had only occurred once in thousands of years.

When they entered the Hula Valley, the land on both sides of the river was still solid. Unfortunately, these places did not meet Cesar's requirements. Either the river was too rapid, too deep, or too wide, or there was not enough open space on both sides of the river to accommodate 10,000 people, or there was a treacherous natural fortress on the opposite bank. A small force could easily suppress them on the riverbank.

They rested for the night, and at noon the next day, César saw a dense forest. He was considering whether he should rest there temporarily when he heard two of his squires who had gone ahead to investigate suddenly shout that a person who was almost completely naked had suddenly sprung out from the golden reeds and green papyrus. They could not even tell whether it was a man or a woman.

He (let's call him that for now) glanced at them hastily, then quickly ran into the woods.

"Savage!" a knight shouted, and immediately spurred his horse to give chase.

César still vividly remembers the tragic family that Geoffroy killed in front of him, and he gradually understands why Geoffroy was so ruthless.
Besides their genuine need for a safe haven, the common people at that time were either imprisoned in cities or confined to villages. They rarely ventured out on their own, and even when pilgrims appeared on the roads, they consciously formed large groups of dozens or even hundreds of people to defend against attacks from wild animals and bandits.

Moreover, they would use canes and adorn their hats or headscarves with seashells to signify their identity.

In places like this, where people live alone, farming and hunting, most of them are savages. Some call them refugees or criminals, and some fiery lords even call them wild beasts.

But these were just people who couldn't bear the exorbitant taxes levied by the church and lords, or who had unintentionally incurred debts, or who were pitiful criminals. You can't imagine how much tax and crime could be used against ordinary people in this era.

To give a simple example, why was the common people of Cyprus so grateful when Cesar abolished miscellaneous taxes for a year?

Some harsh lords even impose fart taxes, excrement taxes, and urine taxes. Why? Because the land you stand on belongs to the knight lord. If you fart and pollute the lord's air, or urinate and soil the lord's land, shouldn't you pay some price for it?

So some people who were unwilling to endure this oppression and torment secretly ran away from the village with their families and lived in the wilderness. Because they did not have to pay taxes, they could save some money, and even build their own houses and raise their children.

The problem is that these people are deeply hated by lords and priests. They are of no use to them because they do not pay taxes, are unwilling to support the upper class, and will encourage others to follow suit.

Therefore, once these people are caught, most of them will be hanged, or they may even be used as a warning to others, and will be tortured and then executed.

If Froy had killed them without hesitation, it might have been out of mercy towards them.

The knight saw the man who was barely clothed and immediately realized that he was a savage, a false believer who was not protected by any religious or secular laws.

But Cesar noticed something was wrong with just a glance. He immediately reached out and grabbed the knight's reins. He was so strong that he pulled the tall Persian horse back two steps.

Of course, the knight's tone contained only doubt, not dissatisfaction. Even if the master wanted to show mercy and let them go, it was the master's will, and they could not disobey it—but he immediately understood why Cesar had stopped him.

The two entourage members who had caught up with him earlier suddenly seemed shorter.

Their mounts let out a mournful cry and then sank deep into the seemingly flat and solid ground—beneath the lush grass lay a swamp.

Cesar had already dismounted and was lifting the rope hanging from the saddle – such ropes had been prepared for every horse's saddle since they learned they were coming to the Hula Valley. He simply made a slipknot in his hand and threw it accurately, immediately pulling over a squire who was still struggling in the swamp with only his hands and head remaining.

The other attendant reacted more quickly, leaping up as soon as the space beneath him gave way.

Now he lay half-reclined on the swamp, his expression filled with fear—it turned out that this swamp was not as fragile as other swamps; on the contrary, its surface was covered with a rather thick layer of mud, thick enough for vegetation to grow on it.

On the surface, it appears to be a flat, smooth surface where a knight could gallop freely. In reality, a person might be able to run on it, but a horse or a fully armed knight would not.

As Cesar pulled up the unfortunate man who was stuck the deepest, another squire was also dragged up by his knight. As soon as they were moved to solid ground, they began to tremble and vomit uncontrollably.

This is not because they are cowardly; the swamp is probably one of the knights' most feared nightmares.

However, the savage opposite them hadn't run far. He was peeking out from under the cover of the reeds, and whether it was an illusion or not, there seemed to be a hint of malicious mockery on his face.

The knights were furious, but the distance between them was indeed too great, and their bows and arrows might not be able to harm that scoundrel.

Arson—one of the knights' professions—is unlikely to be effective here, since it's probably difficult to start a large fire here in June or July, even though it's not the peak of the flood season.

“This is a trap, but not every place is a trap.” Gian caught up and said coldly, “We need to find them, sir. They might be a bunch of Saracen bastards, and they’ll summon others to attack us once we pass through here.”

(End of this chapter)