An adventurer Norman Many years ago, in the suburbs of Palermo, a young, Italian boy called Baldaserre lived happily with his parents, who were farmers. But one day, the Arabs took their lands by force and Baldaserre and his family had to move to the South of Italy. Since then, Baldaserre started hating deeply those damn Arabs who stole the lands where he grew up. Some years later, Baldaserre had turned into a young, strong man. He was very good at fighting with swords and, soon, he was knighted. But he didn’t have luck, because he didn’t find any noble who could stand by him or give him some work to do. So, when the Normans wanted to colonize Sicily, the poor knight decided to leave home and look for some adventures in other places (like a lot of men). In 1046, when Baldaserre was still young, Roger Guiscard arrived in Italy. He started preparing an army against the mercenaries who worked for the Arabs, and he promised his knights lands and wealth. One of those knights was Baldaserre.
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In his first assignment, Baldaserre had to kill the son of the Count he had tried to work for before: Hasan-as-Samsam. His lived in a small, hidden village in Capua, next to Gaeta. Baldaserre infiltrated into the village and started looking for the son of Hasan. But when he finally found him, he got surprised: the son of Hasan had been his friend before, when Baldaserre still lived in Palermo. Baldaserre decided not to kill him, but he starts a conversation: -In theory I had to take you away with me, but I won’t do it. Do you know who am I? -I think so. I do remember my childhood, before Hasan adopted me. You were my friend. And why did you have to kidnap me, though? -Due to your father. He is a powerful influence for Italy. My Lord thought we could exchange your life for these lands. -Because your dad is a very important influence for Italy and then we can coercing for your life and reach dominate these lands more quickly.
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-Ok, I have an idea. We can pretend that I abducted you but in reality you are free like me. Then we can make believe Roger that I don´t betrayed he so you will not finish underground. -I believe you Baldaserre but later you return to me a favor. Baldaserre took Orlando, the son of Hasan, like a slave and then he carried in the camp of Robert Guiscard. When he arrived in the camp he received Baldaserre with a big smile because he knew that his mission had been successfully completed. Later they held a party. There was food to feed thousand hungry lions. Baldaserre asked Robert: -And now, what do you make for attack Hasan and his troops? -I would like to threaten to kill the son of Hasan to withdraw the troops of the region area so we can expand our empire to Tropea. And it worked; they changed the son of Hasan in return to withdraw his troops. He did the promised. They spent few years of peace.
Baldaserre had gone to live in the countryside and he worked as a farmer to distance them from the war, while Guiscard was defending the lands that he conquered and tried to expand his empire a little more.
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She had married and was prepared to have a child with the woman he loved. Until one day, Baldaserre went to visit his friend Robert. But he had three hours of travel with carriage and left his pregnant wife alone in the field. Baldaserre arrived in Tropea and he sought Robert. He was planning some attacks to the Byzantines of Crotone: -How much time Robert! How are your fields, and your wife? -I hope to show my city. -I thing that's a good idea. They visited the city during the rest of the day and they talked about their families, about the work... The next day, Baldeserre goes to his country house, the trip was long and quiet but at arrive anything happens. When he arrives at his house, he goes to say hello to his wife, at go into the room he saw that his wife was dead, and next to her they found a note that it puts: We kill your wife, if you want to know who we are, ask for Constant, at the neighborhood of the craftsman from Mesina. Baldeserre, without thinking, he decides go to this city. He takes again the carriage and he hit the horses to go faster. At arrive, he saw a women and he ask her for Constant. -Hi, I come far away to find Constant, do you know who is it? -Yes, in this zone there are one Constant, is the earl of the city, he live in this castle above the hill.
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-Thank you, now I go to visit him -No, today you can't find them in the castle, he went to fight in the forest, direction south-east, but it's very big, I don't know that if you can go alone. -Do you know anything that can go with me to find him? -Yes, my husband often go to fight whit him, he can help you. And the woman went to find her husband, August, and he go with Balsdeserre to the forest. They started the way to the forest and inside of it, Aguste was guided by common hunting sites , but he didn’t find no body, in the evening when they want to stopped, they heard an animal sound, the noise came from the inside of the forest . Both went to look what happened, already there they saw two people that have large bows and arrows on their horses.
Baldaserre asked: -We are searching the Count of Messina, maybe by chance can be one of you? Yes, I am Messina’s Count, why you’re looking for me? I am Baldaserre and I come from the land of Palerm,
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where my pregnant wife was killed, and next to she there was a note that said that I had to speak with you. - I think that’s because I did something wrong some months ago, I signed a treaty with Robert Guiscard, expel all the Byzantines and Arabian of Sicily and Italy. -
But then what they want of me or of my wife?
- I guess they wanted you thought that I was guilty and then kill me for revenge or for hatred maybe. -
So then I want to find the killer of my wife and son.
-We have an idea that who can be, a mercenary of a noble Arab who still controls the lands of Capua and help other noble Byzantine control Benevento . -
And how can I find him for he pays his crimes?
- Guiscard, some nobles more and I we want to prepare a surprise attack for defeat him and for he lost the control of his lands. -Okay, but with the condition that once we defeated their troops, leave me the noble Arab. -OK, we accept the deal. Baldaserre, after speak, went to his house and the next day he returns to Messina to finish to talk with Robert. The next day for the morning, Baldassere goes to Messina, and when he arrived, he goes to find Robert: -Robert! I have to talk with you quickly of the attack to Salern. -Don’t worry, we think in all, we have an infiltrate into the city, The only thing that you have to do is be an slave for a moment, and once time you stay in, our ally gonna rescue you and you will open
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the door of the city. But we gonna take a few of days to prepare the attack, and we gonna alert you when we’re ready, now go and rest in your house. Some days later, Baldaserre reflected of his future and thought that he had enough wars and suffering, so he decided to leave the plan.
When he was old and he leaved the plan he met a boy, Paulo, the boy grew up like his son, because he lost their parents. Baldaserre tell all his stories to Paulo, as a soldier and adventurer and Paulo was always fascinated, one day his father ordered him to go to the city and change some gold coins that he had saved for a cow to get milk and meat, because the cow that he has was near the death, because the cow was a lot of years with Baldaserre. The Young boy take the route to the city, his father give him a map of the area, but following the directions that his father give to him, he got lost and he was in a city that he didn’t know. There he asked for the city that he had to go, and an old man said to him: -Where are you from? I think that I know you… I come from Palerm, where my father Baldaserre sent me to buy, but I’m very silly and now I’m lost. -I think that I know who your father is, is he seventy-three years old? -Yes, why? -Because before we fight together, my name is Robert Guiscard. I will take you to the city and when we arrive I will visit your father to know how he is.
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Robert takes Paulo to the city and during the road Robert explained him his adventures and his fights with Baldaserre against the Arabs who lived in this place before. Robert guided Paulo for the entire city, explaining all the famous places and buildings of the city. When they change the money for one or two animals to a trust seller who knoks Robert, Paulo and Robert goes to Paulo’s home and when they arrive, Baldaserre comes very surprised: -What are you doing here Robert, I haven’t seen you for long time. -I have retired as a knight and as adventurer, I life with the money that I have stolen to the Mussulmen’s when I was a knight. -But why you don’t say me that you are going to demolished the troups of Salern? -I can’t do it because another city fights with the tropes of Salern and they win and we decided stop the military company for the moment. -Now I prefer that I’m a farmer and I want to teach Paulo, I don’t want to be in another fight. -Three months ago I think the same, and I was tired that always I have to be brave and I decided to retire, and now I work in the market and I live of the fortunes of the past.
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