Islamic Fury
Part 4: Flame of the West
With moneylenders established in the Western Isles, it was inevitable that they would try to lend to a new Duke who was cash strapped like his forefathers. Ottar knew the consequences of usury, from his father's bad example. He refused to speak with the moneylenders and sent them away. But they remained at the court, tempting many others.
Ottar resisted other temptations as well, despite the many attractive ladies of his court and fiefs. Ingrid and Ottar had their first daughter, Brigida in late 1162. And in 1163, France went to war with Germany, before calling it off just a few months later.
And the slightly weird Halfdan became chaplain of the Western Isles.
On February 4th, 1164, Scotland joined the Crusade, declaring war on the Seljuks. Soon after Ottar's forces were called up for the service of Scotland. Ottar dealt with this as Gudrød had before him: he fumed and fussed but relented in the end. Ottar had seen the danger of independence under his father's reign. So when King Malcolm of Scotland asked Ottar to join the crusade personally, Ottar reluctantly agreed. The Western Isles were at war with the Seljuk Empire. As Malcolm had promised, peasants flocked to the Crusade banner, and Ottar set to sea to do what he could.
Ottar's plan was to head to Antiocheia and help where needed, although he knew his forces were minimal, since even his own regiments were formed up with Scotland's armies, leaving only a 600 strong peasant army to his command. At sea there were many crusaders headed to Antiocheia. Scottish forces were a majority of these, but others were at sea as well, including Hungary. When Ottar landed in the east, he began the siege of Antiocheia unimpeded. Other armies aided in this and the county fell to Christendom on July 5th, 1166.
Several major powers had risen up to strike down the Muslim empires, and Ottar felt that now more than ever there was a chance to defeat the infidels. But the enemy's strength was greater than he had imagined. Unlike the Christians, who were in many places splintered into independent duchies and only a few Kingdoms, the vast majority of the Muslim powers were part of the Seljuk or the Fatimid empires and they followed those banners without question. Thus the Muslims could easily raise a force that would require the armies of many independent Christian states to defeat. And rarely were many interested in fighting against such massive armies.
In late 1166, the Seljuk Empire proclaimed their might, calling for Jihad against Scotland and all its vassals involved in the war. This included the Western Isles. The Jihad took effect slowly but surely. First Sistan, Mazandran, Al Jazira and Mosul declared war. Then the emir of Abydos. Finally, Esfahan, Luristan, Foggin, Abassid, Karbala, Khwarassin, Gurgan, Basia, Kalsereia, Kirkuk, Cherson, Galatia, a newly reconquered Muslim Byzantion, Csfahan, Luristan, and Kakheti declared war on Scotland and the Western Isles.
A map of the Middle East, with more declarations of war still coming.
At the court in Sudðreyjar, courtiers reacted with panic as priests went around proclaiming the end times. At least half the Muslim world was now at war with the Isles. While his court panicked, Ottar prayed desperately as he sailed for Reggio, hoping to conquer another weak Muslim power in Italy before his armies were overrun. He knew the might of Islam after reading of Gudrød's desperate campaign many years ago.
Other than the Seljuks, the greatest threat was the Abassids. Their entry would raise the number of troops fighting against Ottar by a decent margin. Many of the other enemies were small Emirs that joined the war more for the honor than anything else. Ingrid was busy back home, dealing with the diplomatic response to the Jihad. Her presence and quick action would give her a place in history forever. First the many letters of war arrived, then there was a long silence during early Winter of 1167.
Ottar continued praying, and he received a mighty miracle, although he would not know of it until much later. Ingrid and the whole court at Sudøreyjar were flummoxed by this latest development. It seemed as if the whole world had flipped upside down or sideways or somehow cracked. There wasn't much sanity at that court in late March. Speechless, they never sent a letter to Ottar telling him the news. And he wouldn't find out until he arrived back in the Isles.
[size=+1]To Be Continued[/size]
