The week the party
sworn themselves to Bohemmon, it feels a bit like some trickery. The
Prince of Taranto has enemies, and they have begun to move against
him. Their oaths are immediately tested, but not everyone took them
willingly.
A rift between Xenophon and Cato, Cato exposed Xeno to protect him and such betreyal is not easily forgiven. They have aired their grievances with each other that night, but all is not so easily forgiven.
A Norman scout,
Raoul, discovered the suspicious activity and was able to report it.
His witness expired, despite great effort to keep him alive.
Reporting with detectable levels of inebriation and the lack of
important details he was disciplined and assign to the new Captains,
Tertius and Xenophon.
Cato presented the
information to Behommon, who then heard the counsel of his men.
Bohemmon was a difficult master to please, and did not like people to
merely present problems but propose and offer solutions – Cato
picked up on that only to be trapped to offer his services to “turn”
the army on to Bohemmon.
When the party
left, they moved quickly with 100 men between two captains, Xeno and
Tertius, who can be mustered within the night and before the light of
dawn they marched. Xenophon's 20 bulgars joined Raoul as advanced
scouts, moving as flank guards.
Not long after they
discovered the advance party of the opposition. They maneuvered and
with the help of the bulgar scouts able to ambush them. Tertius, Xeno, and Bronn, maneuvered the forces that allowed them to set the trap, while
Berthold captured its captain, a man named Antonious. They learned
Baron Dominic of Matera marches against Bohemmon with over 1,000 men.
Antonious was
tortured by Xeno, and was a hardened and loyal man – an Idealist.
They are supposed to “treat” with the Baron, and to turn the
force to aid Bohemmon when he marches to Constatinople... they
realized they have a hostage, and they need to offer, them a suitable
exchange in order for the lord to listen. They drew straws, and Cato
drew the short one. Despite his cleverness, his friends know too well
how to protect themselves from his sweet words – they hardened
their hearts but gave them their promises they will make sure they
get him out alive if things go south. At least Cato, was able to
redeem some of his honor to Xeno.
When Cato was
handed, word of Antonious's condition was learned and he was made to
pay. Cato learned a Reverend Father influenced Dominic's and found
himself with a lord desperate and afraid, and courtier in the cloth.
At great personal suffering Cato overcame, and had the lucidity to
challenge the lord's perceptions. Still his position as a hostage
allowed his presence to be controlled and as the army marches Closer,
bohemon has no word to Dominic's summons.
The Party also has
also no word from Bohemmon. Taranto has been silent, no messengers or
scouts have come to replace those sent to give word on their status.
Already the army has marched near the walls, and waiting.
They decided to
send in their own and investigate the Army camp. Rjot, Raul, and
Berthold sneak in. They manage to seek undetected and come upon the
priest, who happens to relaying messages to someone else. It became a
simple matter, and they kill him and the messenger. They were almost
successful except for chance that someone checked on the priest. They
manage to kill them too, only to alert the camp and they ran.
When Dominic
learned of the priests death, he appears before Cato with a knife at
his throat.
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