Chapter 89 – The Battle of Al-Sarha, 3
May 24th, 1180 - Plains outside Aleppo
The dawn sun painted the horizon in streaks of copper and ash. Saladin stood on a rise south of Aleppo, eyes narrowed against the wind as he surveyed the Christian line. It had not moved since the day before. That alone spoke volumes. Baldwin would stand and fight, on ground of his own choosing.
But it was the deployment that seized his attention.
Reports from scouts confirmed what his own eyes saw: the Frankish center had been reinforced. Denser lines. More wagons. More crossbows. Yet the left flank—yesterday sturdy and resolute—now sagged. Gaps between banners. Fewer knights.
Baldwin had shifted men.
"Why would he make the center his hammer," Saladin mused aloud, "and weaken his shield?"
"Perhaps he expects us to fear the hammer," Taqi ad-Din replied beside him, fingers tightening on the hilt of his sword.
Saladin's gaze stayed locked on the Frankish left. "No. He wants me to fear the hammer. But I fear no bait when I carry the fire."
He turned in the saddle. "Order the attack. All leftward elements. Crack the line. Draw out the hook. Then break it."
The Assault on the Frankish Left
The desert winds shifted as Saladin's left wing surged forward—a howling tide of horse and steel. Five thousand light cavalry swept down the ridge, bowstrings taut, arrows hissing in the dry morning air. Behind them thundered two thousand more: tribal auxiliaries from the Jazira and Ghulams with lances like lightning bolts.
The Franks on the left responded with grim determination. Shields locked. Spearmen crouched behind makeshift ramparts of rock and wood. But it was clear—they were undermanned. Their cavalry charges were thinner. Crossbow fire came in slower bursts.