Chlodvig, Eirene and Terwilla rode in the front of the column of riders in silence. This was not unusual as none of the three was a big talker most of the time. But something was different than usual – Terwilla noticed that the other two seemed to be distracted. Neither Chlodvig nor Eirene were usually prone to getting distracted. Chlodvig was rarely interested in anything. But on a job he was all focus. And yet, here they were, both of them, seemingly deep in thought. Eirene had taken off one glove and was biting her nails thoughtfully. Chlodvig’s usually blank face was no different than usual. But he was running his hand through his hair absentmindedly, over and over, making it stand up and look even messier than it usually did. Finally Terwilla decided he’d had enough of it.

“What’s gotten into you two!” he growled staring at his commander and corporal. Both of them stared at him.

“What?” said Chlodvig, still a bit dazed.

“What’s gotten into you?” snapped Eirene in return, feeling it was always better to attack then defend.

“I’m, just as I am most of the time. But you two, I haven’t heard a word out of either of you since we set off. And your ticks are back!” Terwilla grasped Eirene’s hand and raised it a bit to show her, her own, bitten nails. She scowled.

“I’m just thinking,” she muttered, pulling her hand away and putting the glove back on.

Terwilla raised his brows.

“Uh-huh…” he said. Then he turned to Chlodvig.

“And you captain? Any particular reason why you haven’t barked out a single order at anyone since we mounted up? I’m feeling concerned…”

“Have either of you heard the name ‘Wilhelm the Iconoclast’?” Chlodvig asked, not at all fussed over Terwilla’s jab.

The two mercenaries looked at him surprised.

“Name sounds Norman of course…” said Eirene slowly, “but the title ‘Iconoclast’ is hardly Norman…Why?”

“When I got out of Thessalonike with Rhode –“

“You two on a first-name basis now?” interrupted Eirene innocently.

Chlodvig shrugged, “aren’t I with everyone? Anyway, when we got out of Thessalonike I was followed by these three brats who were told to retrieve one of those books we took from the city. They said some guy called ‘Wilhelm the Iconoclast’ sent them. I feel like I heard that name before…but I just can’t remember…”

Terwilla rubbed his moustache.

“I knew a man, an Arian, who went by Wiliarith the Iconoclast…But that was a long time ago…and he was a mage, not a vampire. So he’d be dead by now…”

“Unless he had been changed after you knew him” said Eirene softly.

“A Goth?” asked Chlodvig curiously.

“A Herul.”

“Hmm..apart from the similarity of the name, it’s nothing to go by. Fuck it all!” Then he turned his head and called out:“Reem? I need you.”

The turbaned woman nudged her horse into a gentle gallop and caught up with them.

“Yessir?”

Chlodvig pulled out a piece of parchment and writing charcoal from his saddlebag. He scribbled something. Eirene read, looking over his arm:

                  - Wilhelm (Wiliarith?) the Iconoclast

                  - Alexander Vranas

                   Need info.

                   χ

Finishing the short note, Chlodvig rolled up the piece of parchment and handed it to Reem.

“Find Theodosius, would you? Give him this. Tell him it’s important. I want what he knows, even if it’s not much.”

“Constantinople?” asked Reem, passing her horse’s reins to Terwilla.

“Yeah. Unless the emperor has moved out with the main army. Then he’d be in the entourage. Probably. If you don’t find him within 4 days, get back to us in Neposi.”

The woman nodded her head. Then she pulled up her legs so that she was crouching on her horse’s back. A few moments later she was gone. A beautiful, desert owl rose from the saddle with a flap of wings and flew into the night.

As they watched her fly away, Eirene muttered:

“Not like you to have us work on your personal matters.”

“It’s not a personal matter,” Chlodvig replied flatly, “it’s connected to the mission.” But he looked uncomfortable as he said this. Terwilla was sure he must have seen Chlodvig look this uncomfortable with something before, but for the life of him, he could not recall it.

____________________________

People, Places and Things

Arian – Arianism was a form of Christianity popular among many of the Germanic peoples in the 5th and 6th centuries. It was considered heretical.

Goth – the Goths were a nomadic Germanic people who appeared in the Roman empire in the 4th century. They were both enemies and allies of the Romans at different periods of time. They created two kingdoms, in Italy and Spain after the Roman empire collapsed. Terwilla is a Goth.

χ – Greek letter ‘chi’ . The sound is similar to the sound of the first two letters of Chlodvig’s name.