Brothers and Sisters,
Fellow sons and daughters of Noah,

Standing on a hill before the gathered nobility of Armenia, Palomides Jaguar looks across the expecting faces.
The anticipation had been mounting since the provisions were distributed at dawn.

Slowly he steps forward taking a moment to nod and give a confident smile to his most trusted advisor.
Sparapet Athanasius Pernath and he had been deciding this moment for nearly a half a year.

Turning to nod at the Lady Graywolf he also smiles.
She had been there ever since the first when Ser Vukodav had sent Palo to bring her.
The bond was not a passionate one, but it was fitting for two who shared such a long history.

Looking back he allowed the silence that had gathered to go for only a moment more.
A mark to the solemnity of the endeavor.

Children of Noah! Brothers and Sisters of Christ Love!
We begin our journey to free the lands of the Bible where the disciples of Christ taught!

A small murmur of quickly mouthed hallelujah's and praise God rolled like a jubilant wave through the gathering.

One of the places of greatest teaching was the lands of Antioch. That is the city known as the first Patriarchy of Peter.
The most dedicated disciple of Christ had founded the first full community of Christian faithful there. Mostly formed from the gentiles who lived there and a few even of the Hebrews. Sons and daughters of Jacob.
When he had completed the task given by our Lord and Savior he left to establish Christ's Gospel in the heart of Rome. The mightiest earthly power the world knew in his day! A pagan nation of idolators and heathens! One that persecuted Christ's faithful wherever they could.

A pause looking at the growing wonderment on many of the faces before him.

Today Antioch is again a place of lawlessness and the faithful weep for the world they live in now.
I would have us rescue our brothers and sisters. We will reclaim and renew the teachings of Christ in that wilderness!

A shout of .."Amen".. rang from many of those gathered....

Amen indeed.....As God Wills.....We do not go in Pride.

We go in certainty. Certainty that we have the ability to awaken the Word and the Will once again in the lands where it once lived and breathed!
We go in glorious song and in confidence! Weapons will be tied and not caressed. Prayer will be the work we look first upon. Not spilling of blood.

A few heads turned with questioning glances.....a sliver of fear....All wise men know fear....they just deal with it.

However.....we will be ready if others come upon us with black intent.

The mood relaxed again...

Because they may feel threatened by our march for this Holy cause, we must avoid risking conflict with our Akritan and Syrian neighbors! They have been honorable brothers to us.

Our relations with both have had some past conflict already, but as the histories go we have all existed beside each other in peace. Peace as the Savior had called us to do.
We should all like to see that continue.

Though I refuse to allow any to interfere while we break the hold of lawlessness that exists in Antioch today.
Our path will is one that is chosen to not bring us to open war while we attend our Holy cause.

Bringing HOPE to Antioch ...where we will bring order and peace to the wildness that exists there now.

Loud cheers raise and weapons strike shields in joyful agreement.....

Kneel with me now as I pray for the joy and peace in your hearts.
Come and let us, as one family, pray before we depart.

At this Palomides knelt down, upon one knee and signed himself with the cross ..... Giving a nod to the priest present wondering if it was the holy Bishop Arsen, or if he had selected another to perform the blessing over the beginning of this journey of relief.

The shores of the Mediteranean.....so green and light with warm breezes carressing the foamed caps of the surf.

How many times Palomides had been to these waters....?
But today it all felt so different.
Today it was as if he walked in the ancient steps of another.

Walking in the path of a man of simpler robes and yet higher caling than any King of this Earth.
The distance to Antioch seems almost as nothing...but also, centuries away.
Covered by the spirit of an image that might have been seen by the likes of Saint Peter himself....long ago.

The priests break the camp beside the soldiers and their morning chants for once are heard well above the din of the waking soldiers. A different mood of purpose and faith tempered with respect cusions the air.

Expectation, ......Purpose, ......Hope, ........and Faith.
All moving Noah's Children.....toward the Holy lands!

Even the passing nomads on their camels do not know what to make of these strangers here....

Everything had gone peacefully and well and then the small groups of native bandits had begun attacks.

Late in the evening they would try to sneak into the Army encampments.
Sleep was lost and nerves were raw.

Blast these damned heathens.....Palomides hissed between clenched teeth.
Who do they think they are? Just a group of common thieves!!
You would think they prefer living in the dirt than to rest under shaded palms and eat from irrigated fields.

Things only grew worse and as the Army neared the city f Antioch, Palomides tried to send a messenger to the Patriarchs guards...a former detachment of the Roman Empire that protected Macarius and the Holy sites.
A party of 3 knights was dispatched to meet with them and explain the arrival of the Armenians.
Even a request to aide in finally dispatching the troubelsome night raiders.

For nearly a week the raids continued. Sometimes twice a night. The noon heat and the midnight battles tested the Faithful army of the Armenians, but they drew near the city. Their messengers never returned.

When they arrived to the gates, the city was found shut tight.
The silent faces along the walls and gates were all dressed as natives, not one showed the look of the Roman Empire in face or dress......None would answer to the calls by Athanasius diplomatic couriers to come forward and speak. Fearful silence and dread was the stronger voice from the city defenders.

Have the Imperial soldiers let things slip so far from them that they cannot even defend the walls?Did our knights even reach the Patriarch?
It will not matter. Heaven has sent us a task to do.

If the city will not permit us entance then we will seize it by force!
Heathens and pagans will not be allowed the privilege of their blasphemy to be spoken loudly in the same market squares and streets as those elightened by Christ own First Disciple.

Children of Noah.....We will attack this day as the sun sets!

Somehow they must win through to the Patriarch's palace inside......

As the sun set the Archers among the Armenians began dropping targets along the walls and gates, the return fire was not as accurate and was only conducted by short bows. Most never even reached the Children of Noah.

As a weakness developed near one of the gates Palomides ordered the Army forward to take advantage.

The sun was set nearly an hour while the battle advanced....Palomides was so certain that they could win through the widening breach that he kept pressing the attack.
He would not let them have a relief of the night to rebuild the break in the defense!

Sevastokrator, push into that gap and hold it while we widen the breach....take the fight to them!

The best Armenian leaders had gathered and were pushing forward as a hammer blow to break the defense .....as they neared the wall , the Reserves erupted in chaos and shouts of loud battle!

Just as the fight was about to become a completed battle chaos had struck the rear of the Children of Noah.

By the Holy Word!
As Palomides spat the sentence like a curse he turned to look back on the rear ranks.......dust and sand and night obscured so much back there.
The torches of the encampment were like a sunset blazing now with the tents and carts burning.
Men on horseback and armor were riding the Armenians down.....!!

Horses! Who are these?!....Serenity!
Gather near the North flank and try to get at these new enemies......beware they are not locals!

As the torches flared and an enemy rode forward into the royal guard Palomides finally saw the marks.....

The Patriarch's own Guards!!
What had been the meaning!
Why were they not in the city......??
Why now did they ride down men and women who had come to save them from the instability in the region??
These guards would have much to answer for when Palomides found there commander!

Now the city defenders saw a relief force and their almost extinguished hope revived.....
The surge in their morale and the sudden confusion among the Children of Noah was too much.

After all the harrasment and loss of sleep, the sudden attack by an expected ally.....this was too much.
The attack faltered , then broke....then became a route.
Palomides was even left on foot and retereating, trying to rally his knights to the east were they had passed an empty fortress.

With the dawn the army was little more than a tired and bleeding company of angered pilgrims.
The leaders tried to keep the men and women quiet and ordered but every eye had seen or at least every ear had heard.
The battle was lost by an attack from supposed allies. The very same that the Armenians had hoped to protect themselves.

As the noon sun rode blistering hot above, Palomides gave the orders......break the formation. All knights to ride toward Markada. The once fine and safe palace of the Syrians was not to be stopped at. Betrayed by one friend, the Armenians could not afford to be trapped by another.

Smelgar will hear me on this, I swear by our Saviours Holy name that those Empirial soldiers will have some justice coming.
Macarius should have known us for christians, should have known we were a relief force....without even being told!
We who are the oldest christian nation of this world! Why would he have his men attack us.
Some answers are due.....and quickly!
This was all that kept coming through the Armenian Regents mind while his meager scattered forces were gathered with the dawn ...miles East of Antioch.
Sleep was the furthest impossibility to the man.


******
Calling the remaining knights together for one last prayer Palomides joins his people.

This is a test of our faith my friends , brothers, and sisters.
Do not let this scattering of us feel less for this fall, instead find strength.
It is not the grains of sand that will bury our enemies. It is the multiude of them!

Like them we will rise fiercely in the wind and come once more upon the storm to score a havoc of cuts on the foe while he struggles to even take breath!
Heaven will not let us fail in holding and protecting the First seat of Christian learning from the mouth of the Disciple Peter!

We will come again and again until these heathens beg heaven to admit us to their city with a merciful spirit. We will ride the wind as avenging angels and unstoppable saints!
And when the battle is completed....those who fell here today, will be remembered as they should.
Holy warriors.
We will let their spirits rest inside those walls of Antioch, and bring judgement with compassion as Christ would have us.

Those who cannot accept us.....will be banished from this land until they can find the faith and surrender to heavens plan for us here.

We are the children of Noah, and of Noah's children! Who better to wash the malaise and idolatry from this corrupted land?

Heaven guide you all with cleansing waters and prayerful hearts.

Amen

As the force divided to better use the limited water of these dry lands...Palo looked East and thought he heard the waves so far from here..... An echo of the tempest and storm waves that Noah had ridden himself as God commanded.
...A softer echo of the sea that Palo had grown beside in Armenian homelands.

*********
Looking around he nodded and had one last meal with Athanasius and the Queen before they al set their paths East to the rally.

Strange how the food has no flavor when you are recovering from such a momentous defeat.....
Somehow, Palo expected it to taste more like salt......instead it was like eating paper without any ink.
Tasteless..... and without any recognizable use.

The Roman Empire would have a letter or two from him..... as soon as the city was taken.
Certainly they were already having several written......by the cowards who sat in Antioch now.