Before Louis VII left France, Suger of St Denis was joined in the regency of France by the archbishop of Rheims and Raoul the count of Vermandois and Valois, the latter to add a military dimension to the regency. Loius went to Verdun, then Metz, finding everything voluntarily submitting to him, though outside his own realm. At Metz he waited for his army, making regulations for the journey which other leaders did not follow. He sent ahead Alvisus, archbishop of Arras and Leo, abbot of St Bertin, to organise crossing of the Rhine at Worms. They succeeded in assembling a large fleet, dispensing with the need for a bridge. After crossing the Rhine by boat, he stopped at Worms to wait for Arnulf, bishop of Lisieux, with his Normans and English, There was constant contact with the locals over buying food, but this caused a fracas with several pilgrim casualties. Fortunately a serious incident was avoided by cool heads on both sides. Alvisus of Arras found a boat, and with other barons persuaded the townspeople to resume commercial contacts and restore peace