Clash Of Empires (The Eskkar Saga)

by Sam Barone

  So Mitrac had commanded the guards and ridden at Eskkar’s side. Mitrac had looked forward to the stop at Nuzi, since he had friends there. In any case, Eskkar had grudgingly admitted that too many months had passed since he last inspected the troops at Nuzi. Another day or two, added to the nearly thirty days since Eskkar had departed Akkad, wouldn’t make much of a difference.

  Trella would be pleased as well. She depended on the mine’s output, which she turned into gold, silver, and copper coins, to recruit, arm, train, and pay Akkad’s soldiers. The more time her husband spent at Nuzi, the smoother the operation would run.

  Because of its value, the silver mine at Nuzi remained one of the most heavily guarded places in the Land Between the Rivers. The original find and initial excavation had yield plenty of gold, but those thick veins had faded away to mere threads. Many of the miners had expected to exhaust the ores years ago.

  However the ancient upheaval that lifted the heavy metals close to the surface had proved to be far more extensive than Master Miner Orodes or anyone could have imagined. While most of the surface nuggets and veins had already been mined, the ever-deeper shafts into the earth continued to produce acceptable quantities of silver, as well as smaller amounts of gold and copper.

  Over the years, ores of lead, copper, tin, iron, azurite, malachite, and other minerals extracted from the earth had proved nearly as valuable as the silver and gold. Almost by accident, Nuzi had become Akkad’s main source of the bronze needed by its soldiers and craftsmen.

  Forges sprang up around the mine, and the smoke from burning charcoal and heating metal hung in the air from dawn to dusk. The wealth of Nuzi paid for more than half of all of Akkad’s expenditures.

  With so much of value to protect, the garrison of soldiers stationed there had grown as well, and before long, a training camp was established nearby. Now hundreds of archers and spearmen trained at the new camp. Women, of course, accompanied their men, and soon children increased the population. Now three good-sized villages, with their outlying farms and herds, surrounded the mine and smelting pits.

  Orodes and his senior apprentices still directed the operation of the ore pits and smelters, but lately the Master Miner spent most of his time in Akkad. With the vast wealth he’d earned from Nuzi since the war with Sumer, Orodes had become the richest man in Akkad. These days he much preferred the company of his wives and pleasure slaves in Akkad, where he lived in a large house surrounded by a stout wall, and protected by a sizeable contingent of personal guards.

  The mine, the soldiers’ garrison, and the training camps were under the command of Tooraj. One of the older members of the Hawk Clan, he’d lost an eye in the final battle against the Alur Meriki, when they sought to overwhelm the city’s wall.

  Tooraj, too, had been at Nuzi since its beginnings, and his responsibilities had grown as steadily as the mine. He also provided security for the villagers and craftsmen who dwelt near the excavation. They were represented by a small council of elders, who made sure that the miners and soldiers treated them fairly.

  “Lord Eskkar, it’s good to see you again.” Tooraj, a few seasons older than Eskkar, looked just as fit. A patch covered his left eye socket, to keep out the dirt and dust. “Welcome to Nuzi.”

  “What, you can’t remember your Captain?” Eskkar laughed, and hugged the soldier until he pleaded for mercy.

  Tooraj nodded at the compliment. “It’s been a long time, Captain, since you’ve been here. I was out on patrol during your last visit.”

  “Well, this time you can show me everything you accomplished. My men need a rest, so we’ll remain here tonight and tomorrow.” Eskkar nodded toward Mitrac. “You remember Tooraj?”

  “Oh, yes, he fought at my side when the barbarians attacked Akkad’s walls. I understand he’s been most helpful in making Deltin at ease. I would like to see Deltin and give him a message from Daro.”

  Tooraj clasped arms with Eskkar’s companion. Hawk Clan members did not forget the oaths they’d sworn to their fellow clansmen. “Deltin’s a good man, Mitrac. Daro did well to rescue him.”

  Nuzi held one additional secret, known only to a few. A prosperous Akkadian also lived near the mine, a man named Deltin. Only a handful knew his real name – Sabatu. Lady Trella had insisted on the name change. She and her agents remained most cautious in their handling of the Elamite refugee.

  “I suppose Mitrac would like to meet his friend at once,” Tooraj said. “What would you prefer to do, Captain?”

  “I’ll accompany Mitrac,” Eskkar said. “He’s very interested in Deltin’s progress.”

  “He lives on the other side of the garrison,” Tooraj said, “upwind of most of the smelting ovens. Not a long walk, if you would like to stretch your legs.”

  They did. Leaving their horses behind, the three men set off at a brisk pace. Tooraj explained that Sabatu occupied a large house of his own, just a few paces from where the old Hawk Clan soldier had established his own headquarters. A wall as tall as a man surrounded Sabatu’s dwelling, but the open gate was unguarded, and they passed into what Eskkar expected to be the usual garden. Instead, he found himself at a small archery range.

  Tooraj called out Deltin’s name, and the Elamite emerged from the house, surprised to find that he had visitors. As soon as he saw Eskkar, Deltin bowed low.

  “No need for that,” Eskkar said. “You look well.”

  After Sabatu decided to help Akkad’s cause, he’d spent almost a month at Eskkar’s Compound, working with the senior commanders. Sabatu also worked with Trella, Annok-sur, and especially Ismenne, Akkad’s Master Map Maker. Ismenne had married Daro a few years ago. She spent several days with Sabatu, Eskkar’s scouts, and some of the city’s traders. Afterward Ismenne had devoted almost ten days to creating maps of Elam’s western lands, and the mountains and passes of the Zagros Mountains.

  While the Map Maker drew sketches of the land, Eskkar and his senior commanders had spent almost as much time with Sabatu, talking about King Shirudukh and his generals. Tactics, training, weapons, every facet of Elam’s war machine was discussed and analyzed. Sabatu knew all about the likely contingents that could be summoned from various regions.

  The information about the size of the armies Elam could field had sobered everyone. Nevertheless, by the end of that hectic month, Eskkar had learned all he needed to know about his enemy.

  By then Trella and Annok-sur had arranged for Sabatu to move to Nuzi. The mine’s close location – a full day on the river, coming down the Tigris, and less than two days going upstream from Akkad – meant that Sabatu stayed close at hand, but out of sight of the people of Akkad.

  In the months since Sabatu’s rescue, Yavtar’s spies regularly brought back word from Sushan, but there was never a mention of the man’s escape. No doubt the incident had proved too embarrassing for Grand Commander Chaiyanar, who must have blanched under the wrath of King Shirudukh over his failure to torture Sabatu to death.

  Nevertheless, neither Yavtar nor Daro would ever dare tread on Sushan’s docks again. The risk of finding Chaiyanar’s soldiers waiting for them far outweighed any possible gain.

  The last time that Eskkar had seen Sabatu, the man had not fully recovered from his injuries. But today, Eskkar saw a soldier, with powerful arms and thick muscle across his chest. The scars had faded, and he had recovered as much as he ever would. Sabatu’s hands, however, yet told the story of Elam’s torturers.

  Sabatu’s thumbs still appeared twisted, and the last three fingers on his left hand were bound together with a strip of leather.

  While Mitrac and Sabatu exchanged greetings, Eskkar strode over to the table placed at the head of the archery range. The targets, two bales of hay standing close together, rested against the wall at the other end, about thirty paces away. He glanced down at the table, and saw three bows stretched out, their grips well-worn from use. All were small, curved, and quite thick, a horse fighter’s weapon. Then Eskkar noticed the grip.

  He picked up
one of the bows. “What’s this?”

  “I asked Mitrac to fashion a bow that I could use, My Lord,” Sabatu said. “That was before I left Akkad. Together, we carved out a bow that I can use despite my weak hands.”

  “All I did was talk to Sabatu about archery,” Mitrac said. “Daro suggested it. The next time I was here, I spent two days with Sabatu. I really enjoyed designing a bow for him. I’ve never seen one like it. Then one of your Hawk Clan warriors at Aratta constructed the first weapon. He was very skilled.”

  When steppes warriors grew too old or injured to fight, they took up weapon making to provide for their families and to help the clan. Several Alur Meriki fighters from the original Hawk Clan had joined Eskkar after the Battle at the Stream. One of them had constructed the unique weapon for Sabatu.

  Eskkar examined the bow. The oversized grip felt unbalanced to his hand. A hole, more a slot in the wood, appeared just large enough to accept the three fingers of Sabatu’s left hand. When Eskkar tried to grip the bow properly, his hands didn’t fit.

  “It was designed for my hands, My Lord, which are smaller than yours,” Sabatu said. “Instead of gripping the weapon with my left hand, I slip my three fingers into the slot. My thumb and first finger slide into the groove. The grip pushes back on the center of my palm. The arrow rests on the carved projection, to keep it close to the center of the limbs. Then I push out with my left arm to hold the bow steady. My right thumb is just strong enough to help draw the arrow. It took a month or so for the muscles in my wrist and arm to toughen up, but now I scarcely notice it.”

  Sabatu demonstrated. Facing the targets, he fitted his left hand into the grip, nocked a shaft, then drew it back. The muscles on his arms rippled as the thick limbs of the bow resisted the pressure. Eskkar recognized a powerful weapon, almost as difficult to draw as the ones Akkad’s bowmen used. The arrow hissed through the air, and drove deep into the center of the target.

  An impressive shot for a man with two crippled hands, Eskkar knew. “Can you use the bow on horseback?”

  “Not very well, My Lord. “I’m still trying, but I’ve fallen twice already, so I think I’ll always have to dismount to shoot. Perhaps in time, I’ll get better at it. But for now, I’m working on my marksmanship. I’ve hit a mark at a hundred and twenty paces, but I’m most accurate at sixty to seventy paces.”

  Eskkar, always interested in weapons of any kind, hefted the bow in his hand. “I’d like to try this. Show me again.”

  For the rest of the afternoon, the four men took turns shooting the three weapons. Tooraj was the first to give up, and Eskkar soon followed. But by the time dusk arrived, Mitrac could use the unusual bow almost as well as Sabatu.

  “You’ve done well, Sabatu,” Eskkar said, “better than well. That’s fine shooting for any archer. Let Tooraj know if there is anything else you need, and you’ll have it.”

  He turned to Tooraj. “Come, we’ll leave these two alone, while you take me around.”

  Eskkar and Tooraj left the house and started back toward the mine. “What do you think of Sabatu? Can he be trusted?”

  “I worried about that, too,” Tooraj said. “But any time in the last few months, Sabatu could have taken a horse and ridden back to Elam. By now he knows all about our plans and numbers, so he gains nothing by remaining here. I believe he’s beginning to see that he can have a new life in the Land Between the Rivers. After Sabatu satisfies his desire for revenge on this Elamite Chaiyanar, that is. Until that is settled one way or another, Sabatu will never be at peace with himself.”

  Eskkar had believed much the same, but felt reassured hearing Tooraj confirm his opinion. “He does know about some of our ideas to defeat the Elamites. There was no way to keep that knowledge from him.”

  “In the beginning, Sabatu probably thought he would be killed after we’d learned what we wanted to know. But he trusts Daro and Lady Trella, so that’s no longer an issue.”

  “Daro suspected as much, so he asked Trella to speak to him. I think she eased his mind.”

  “In a few months, it won’t matter,” Tooraj said. “By then he’ll be more than deadly with that bow. I’ve watched Sabatu out on the archer’s range, day after day, from dawn until dusk. He can shoot as well as any of our bowmen, and almost as far. Grand Commander Chaiyanar better keep his distance.”

  “I hope Sabatu gets close enough to take the shot,” Eskkar said. “We will need every man who can bend a bow.”

  “Captain, when the time comes, I would like to fight alongside you and the Hawk Clan once again.”

  Eskkar shook his head. “I don’t know of anyone who could command this place half as well as you. Besides, Trella would be dismayed if you left us. You’ve already given more than most men in Akkad’s defense. You’ve no need to risk more.”

  “A soldier always wants to fight one last time, Captain.”

  “If we can’t hold back the Elamites, you’ll have your chance to fight. But until then, Nuzi’s silver and gold production is far more important than any fighting man, even one as brave as yourself.”

  Tooraj grunted in disappointment. “I suppose I am getting too old.”

  “As am I,” Eskkar said. “As am I.”

  “Tonight we’ll dine at my house,” Tooraj said. “But tomorrow, we’ll have to hold a feast in your honor. They always complain that they seldom see the King.”

  Eskkar shrugged. That meant another night of too much food and drink, followed by a long ride the next morning. Tooraj spoke the truth. Both men were getting old when the thought of a long night of drinking and eating held only dread.

  The next day, Eskkar, Mitrac, and Tooraj inspected the mine, the smelting pits, the sluices where the impurities were washed away, forges, furnaces, and all the other processes that turned rough ores into silver and bronze. Slaves and criminals worked in the mine itself, and operated most of the fire pits.

  Except for serious crimes that called for execution, Akkad sentenced all its criminals to work in the mine at Nuzi. The threat of being forced to labor there helped keep many of the petty criminals and thieves out of the city.

  Slaves didn’t last long working in the mine. Few survived more than a year. Most would die at their labor, either by injury or from breathing the fumes. Even so, some of the criminals would serve their sentences and be given their freedom. Soldiers guarded the mine, its output, and the laborers. Fresh soldiers had to be rotated into Nuzi every few months, as the boring task of guarding slaves and protecting the silver tended to wear down even hardened soldiers.

  After touring the mine, Eskkar visited the adjacent training camps. He met with commanders and subcommanders, talked to soldiers and men in training, and visited the main archery range. As the day drew to a close, he spoke with the village leaders and farmers, sympathizing with their problems and listening to any complaints. But those were few enough. Everyone who lived near Nuzi shared in its wealth.

  The night’s feast took place behind Tooraj’s residence, and several hundred soldiers and their women, as well as villagers attended. Eskkar let himself relax, as he always did, around fighting men. As the evening’s festivities ended, Eskkar said his goodbyes, and entered Tooraj’s house to spend the night. Inside, Eskkar found Mitrac and Sabatu waiting for him.

  The two men had sat side by side during the meal, good friends sharing pleasant conversation and an enjoyable dinner. Now Mitrac looked serious, and he excused himself, leaving Eskkar alone with Sabatu.

  “My Lord,” Sabatu bowed again, “As you must know, I’ve done everything that you and Daro have asked of me, and I have never asked for payment. But now I wish you to grant me a special favor.”

  “No need for that, Sabatu,” Eskkar said. “Whatever it is you want, if it’s in my power, I’ll try to give it to you. It is we, after all, who are in your debt.”

  “When the war comes, My Lord, I want to join the fighting. I want to face Chaiyanar in battle, and kill him myself, if I can. Most of all, I want him to know who it is he
faces. Give me that, and I will forever be in your debt.”

  A simple request, but Eskkar considered his reply with care. He’d seen such situations before. Fanatical men fixed only on revenge tended to make poor decisions in a fight, sometimes risking the lives of those around them. Eskkar stared into Sabatu’s eyes, searching for the hatred that would lead to fatal mistakes. But the man, now fully recovered, met the King’s gaze without flinching.

  Eskkar saw the determination in Sabatu’s eyes. “You can have your chance at revenge, Sabatu. But you must place yourself under the orders of one of my other commanders who will face Chaiyanar. You must swear to obey his orders, even if it means postponing your chance for vengeance. For your own good, and for ours, you must not take any foolish chances, at least not until the battle is decided one way or the other. If Chaiyanar catches you alive . . .”

  Sabatu nodded. “I will obey the commands of the one who faces Chaiyanar, and I will take care, My Lord. No matter what happens in the battle, you have earned my thanks.”

  “You are a good soldier, Sabatu. But remember, the first duty of every soldier is to help his side achieve victory and to survive. That is, after all, the best revenge.”

  “Yes, I suppose it is, My Lord. If I may, there is one more request I would make. If I do survive, and you achieve your goal of driving back Elam’s armies, then I would like to join you and your family, be part of Akkad.”

  “That is one request I gladly grant. No one will be more pleased than Daro to hear of your decision. He already thinks of you as his brother.”

  “I am sorry that you did not bring Daro with you. Will he be joining the battle at Sumer?”

  “Daro has left Akkad on another, possibly more important task, Sabatu. But I am sure he would wish you good hunting.”

  “My Lord, you know it is likely that neither of us will survive the coming battle. I know the numbers of your soldiers. How can you hope for victory against such odds?”

  “Well, Sabatu, we’re not dead yet. I have fought in so many battles I’ve lost count of them. And in every one, I was outnumbered. Yet I am still here, and my enemies are vanquished. There is a chance for victory, I promise you that. Don’t throw your life away needlessly.”