Battle For Empire (The Eskkar Saga)

by Sam Barone

  “So we’ll be outnumbered?” Daro kept his voice confident, though he had only twenty-four seasons. Long brown hair reached nearly to his shoulders. Tall and with the deep chest and muscled arms needed to work the long bow, Daro had married Ismenne, the Map Maker, the woman whose skill had created the map that now rested at her husband’s feet.

  “Oh, yes,” Eskkar said. “But to make up for that, we’ve picked a place for the battle that will be to our advantage. When the fighting begins, the Alur Meriki, their horses and herds, will be short of water, and weary from their climb into the foothills. The battleground we’ve chosen is at a small stream that flows out of the mountains. It had no name, but Hathor calls it Khenmet, the water that springs from the rock.”

  He reached out and tapped the spot on the map with his finger. “If they want that water, they will have to come against us, or die of thirst. Meanwhile we’ll have plenty of food and water.”

  “And that will make up for being outnumbered?” This time Daro let a hint of skepticism slip into his voice.

  The smile left Eskkar’s face. Daro, too, knew how fierce their opponents were.

  “It will have to,” Eskkar replied. “I want them to fight. If they thought they were at a complete disadvantage, they might retreat, or slip into the mountains. I want to make certain they give battle.” He turned to Alexar. “Has any word of our real plan spread through the ranks?”

  “Not yet.” Alexar, only a few years younger than Eskkar, had risen to command all of Akkad’s infantry. He, too, possessed the deep chest and powerful arms of a bowman.

  Alexar and the first troop had marched into Aratta more than thirty days ago, and he had made most of the preparations for the campaign, collecting the food and supplies needed. “I’ve been talking to the men every day. Most of them still think it’s just another damned training march. They’re sick of the hard training, and they’ve been cursing us all for the last ten days.” He chuckled. “I can’t wait to see their faces in the morning.”

  Eskkar joined in the laughter that followed. “Good. Then we’ll spend one last day tomorrow training together for the encounter, then move out at dawn the day after. Once we start north, we’ll be committed to fighting the barbarians. Our plan,” Eskkar tapped again on the map, “is to use water to defeat the Alur Meriki.”

  Eskkar hunched himself a little closer to the map. “At the battleground, the Khenmet flows directly out of the mountain, near the crest of the trail the Alur Meriki are using. It only flows on the surface for a few hundred paces before disappearing underground. It’s fordable even for the barbarians’ wagons, and it’s the only watering place within three or four days march. We will get to the stream first, and hold it against them.”

  He drew his knife and used it to point out the landmarks, while every one of his commanders leaned forward to follow his movements. First their starting point at Aratta, then the trail they would follow along the base of the mountains, and finally the location of the stream. All in all, they would have to traverse almost one hundred and fifty miles, most of it over rough ground and uphill.

  “With their wagons and herds,” Eskkar went on, “barbarians can’t move too fast. If they decide to turn around and go back, it will take them at least another four or five days to return to the last stream. By then more than half their people and most of their horses and herds will be dying from thirst. Their only other choice is to attack us, and drive us away from the stream.”

  The discussion started, with those who’d been unaware of the plan asking most of the questions. Eskkar’s other commanders joined in, as each explained how their forces would be used, and how they would work in conjunction with the rest of the soldiers.

  Outside, the shadows lengthened, making it hard to see the map. Eskkar called out to the guards, and they brought two torches, which they shoved into the earth. Questions were asked about tactics and the use of the infantry and cavalry. Dusk fell, and now the flickering torches provided the only light.

  After a while, Eskkar leaned back, only half hearing their words. He knew the battle plan. He, Trella, and Hathor had gone over it often enough back in Akkad. Now his concern focused on his commanders.

  They would be the ones that would make the plan succeed. Eskkar studied their faces. No one showed any trace of fear or doubt. Each of these men, some as mere boys, had followed Eskkar into battle against vastly greater odds before. They all trusted him, his judgment, and battle skills. They knew he would not risk their lives on some foolish expedition. And their belief in his luck gave them confidence.

  The torches burned themselves out, and still his commanders talked, argued, and explained. The shadows beneath the shelter grew deeper, until none could see the map before them. When the last question had been asked and answered, the moon had risen well into the sky.

  “Get some sleep.” Eskkar stepped from beneath the linen and drew in a deep breath of the fresh night air. Like the others, he would sleep under the stars tonight, rain or mist not withstanding.

  No leader worth his salt would take advantage of a shelter while his men had only the hard ground for their rest and their horse blankets to keep off the wet. Eskkar watched his commanders, yawning now, as they moved off to check on their men one last time before bedding down for the night.

  Hathor lingered behind. “Well, we’re committed now. Will it be as close a fight as I think?”

  “Yes, it will. No Alur Meriki warrior will refuse to face a smaller force, no matter what position we hold. That’s one of the reasons I didn’t bring more men. We must make this encounter a challenge to Thutmose-sin, one he dare not avoid.”

  The name of the great chief of the Alur Meriki, Thutmose-sin, had struck terror and fear into the hearts of his enemies for many years. He would not let a force of dirt eaters defy the Clan. Such a challenge could not be ignored.

  Eskkar clasped Hathor’s shoulder. They had fought together once before against overpowering numbers, and that had strengthened the bond between them. Eskkar counted the Egyptian among his closest friends, just as Trella considered Hathor’s wife, Cnari, one of hers.

  “You and your men will be well tested, Hathor. These fighters are not like any we faced at Isin. They will not break easily, nor will they turn and run. We will have to kill them all.”

  “My men are ready, Captain.” He placed his hand over Eskkar’s. “We will not let you down.”

  “I hope so. Otherwise our wives will never forgive us for getting ourselves killed.”

  4

  Two days after Eskkar’s departure, Trella climbed the stairs and entered Eskkar’s Workroom, the frown on her face deepening when she realized she had kept her guests waiting. She’d asked them to join her at midmorning, and the sun’s rays showed that time had come and gone. The two women awaiting her made no comment, of course. Both knew Trella rarely arrived late for any meeting, especially one she had called herself.

  Annok-sur occupied the same chair that Bracca had used a few nights before. Tall and spare, she had almost twice as many seasons as Trella. Despite the age difference, the two had forged a strong friendship. Annok-sur guided the large number of agents who collected information not only within Akkad’s walls, but throughout the land.

  She also made sure that trouble-makers, or those that might present a threat to Eskkar and Trella’s rule, left the city. Not all of those who departed did so voluntarily. Those too stubborn or stupid to accept Annok-sur’s suggestions to move on found themselves, in the darkest hour of the night, floating face down in the Tigris.

  Rumors whispered about bodies found miles downstream from Akkad, many bearing signs of being tortured. Troublemakers who chaffed under Eskkar’s rule soon learned to keep their discontent to themselves. The people of Akkad might respect Eskkar, and revere Lady Trella, but they feared Annok-sur, whose network of spies and informers blanketed the City.

  Beside Annok-sur sat a much older woman. Uvela believed she had nearly sixty seasons, though she could not be certain
of her age. Unkempt gray hair cascaded over her shoulders and reached nearly to her waist. A worn and faded brown dress served her well enough, and helped her blend into Akkad’s poorest districts.

  No beauty even in her youth, Uvela’s face now displayed the lines and creases that came from spending her days in the sun. She had survived many years of hard physical labor. She’d seen two of her children die from hunger, and another daughter, Shubure, raped and sold into slavery. Nevertheless, at an age that few women ever reached, Uvela remained both alert and spry, and her sharp eyes missed nothing. She could still put in a full day’s physical labor if called for.

  While yet a slave, Trella had met Shubure, Uvela’s daughter. Trella had befriended the girl, and that act of kindness had saved Shubure’s life. Soon afterwards, mother and daughter became the first of many women Trella relied on to gather information useful to the future rulers of Akkad.

  Even now, Uvela remained the most important of Trella’s eyes and ears within the city of Akkad. Uvela possessed an incredible memory for faces. She spent her days at the docks, watching people come and go into the city. Whenever Trella and Annok-sur wanted someone found, information gathered, or someone watched, they turned to Uvela.

  Trella closed the door and took her seat across the table, her back to the wall where Eskkar kept his swords. With the Hawk Clan guards at the foot of the stairs, no one could overhear their conversation. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting. There was a . . . problem with Sargon.”

  She didn’t need to say more. Trella’s oldest son, Sargon, had entered into his fourteenth season a few months ago. At that age most sons were well prepared to work beside their fathers or carry on whatever trade they had mastered.

  Sargon, however, had grown openly rebellious of his mother’s wishes, and even Eskkar’s admonishments had little effect on the boy. Sargon preferred the company of his companions to working beside the soldiers and planners who had built and defended Akkad. Nevertheless, he remained a favorite of those living in the city, and most inhabitants took a tolerant attitude toward the heir’s youthful wild streak.

  Annok-sur and Uvela held a different outlook, as did most of those working or living within the Compound. They understood that Sargon’s indifference and lack of diligence promised trouble as he grew older, which did not bode well for the City’s future.

  “It’s of no matter, Trella,” Annok-sur said, clearing the air. Whatever new trouble Sargon had gotten himself into didn’t concern them, at least for this meeting. “We’ve been talking about Uvela’s new great-granddaughter.”

  That brought a smile to Trella’s face. Uvela lived with her daughter and her extended family.

  Composed now, Trella shifted to face Uvela. Despite the steady influx of newcomers to Akkad, Uvela knew more people within the City’s walls than anyone. Now that knowledge would be put to use.

  “We have need of your skills once again,” Trella said. “And this time it may be even more vital to Akkad than ever before.”

  For more than ten years, Annok-sur and Uvela had helped Trella plan for the continued growth of Akkad, and their influence helped create the policies and laws that guided the city’s growth. Their most important function, however, was to insure that Eskkar and Trella’s grip on the city remained unassailable. To accomplish that, Annok-sur and Uvela maintained and controlled the large numbers of spies, mostly women, who moved quietly about the city.

  In a world ruled by men, women were considered of little use other than to provide comfort to their husbands or masters, work hard from dawn to dusk, and produce children. In consequence, men spoke freely in front of their women. Since Trella had done so much to protect the safety of women, they were grateful enough to help her whenever they could, even if it meant spying on their husbands.

  The network of agents also extended far beyond Akkad’s walls. Every village in the Land Between the Rivers had at least one of Trella’s agents, watching and listening for threats against Eskkar’s House. Spies also reported on activity in Sumeria. The southern cities of Sumer, Isin, Uruk, Lagash, and Nippur all contained elements hostile to Akkad and remained a constant peril to its dominance.

  Anyone who might threaten that authority was noted, observed, and in some cases, eliminated. Women, it turned out, had proved especially adept at adding a drop or two of poison to a man’s ale.

  Trella understood well the uses of power and terror, and she used both of them to keep agitators and troublemakers under control. Thieves, pickpockets, even murderers had little to fear from Trella’s informants. But threats to her husband, her family, or her city would never be tolerated.

  “I asked you here, Uvela” Trella began, “because a new enemy has arisen that threatens not only Akkad, but all of us and our children. Eskkar has learned that a mighty empire exists to the east, and this enemy plans to invade our Land Between the Rivers. Based on the little that Annok-sur and I could discover in the last few days, the Elamites, that is their name, intend to conquer or destroy Akkad, and subject her and all the other cities in these lands to their rule. The Elamites will demand tribute, gold, and slaves in large quantities to feed their growing empire.”

  Trella paused a moment to let her words sink in. The pleasant expression on Uvela’s face vanished, replaced by shock and surprise.

  “When these Elamites capture a new city, many of its leading families are killed outright,” Trella continued, “especially those that resisted or might threaten their rule. For those families permitted to live, hostages are taken back to the land of the Indus. In this way, the Elamites intend to ensure that Akkad and the other cities they capture will remain docile under their rule. Of course many of their soldiers are stationed in each city to enforce the Elamites’ rule. They kill or torture any who fail to obey, often along with their families.”

  Uvela took only a moment to comprehend the danger. “When will this happen?”

  “As far as we know, not this year, and probably not the next,” Trella said. “But within two years, the Elamite army will be on the march to our lands. Akkad will likely be their first destination. If they can capture this place, the other cities will either be destroyed in turn, or forced to submit to their rule.”

  “How did Eskkar learn of this?” Uvela’s calm expression had returned. “How certain is he that they will come?”

  “I cannot tell you how we learned of this. That is a secret that must be kept. In fact, it must even be kept secret that we know of this at all. But Eskkar and I believe that this warning is true.”

  “Well, if we have a year or two to prepare,” Uvela said, “then there is much you and Eskkar can do to ready Akkad’s forces.”

  “Our soldiers may not be enough,” Trella said. “The Elamites have many thousands of trained soldiers, far more than can be raised in this land. Akkad’s walls and defenders may not be enough to withstand their greater numbers.”

  She told Uvela about the Elamites’ habit of striking early, and of their practice of infiltrating the cities of their victims.

  “It is likely . . . no, it is almost certain, that there are already one or two Elamite spies living within Akkad, and probably Sumer and Isin as well. These are the closest cities to the eastern borders. And it is also likely that Eskkar and I are first on their list for assassination. Annok-sur’s role in the city is well known, and she would likely be another target for assassins. The Elamites prefer to strike down those who they think will be most dangerous to them long before their armies appear outside the city’s walls.”

  “Then these spies will have to be found,” Uvela said. “We can start by looking at anyone who recently arrived in Akkad.”

  “Yes, we must do that,” Trella agreed. “But many of their spies may have been living here for years. They might not even be from the land of Elam. Any Akkadian might now be in their pay. Not to mention that every merchant, trader, boat captain, anyone who travels to the east and south, may be willing to sell information. Even loose talk may help the Elamites learn o
f our strengths and weaknesses. And once an Akkadian takes their gold, he may be unable to stop spying for them.”

  “There are many Akkadian traders doing business with the eastern lands, perhaps fifty or sixty,” Uvela said. “If we add in their caravan masters, ship captains, guides, overseers . . . we may be talking about hundreds of people, perhaps more. For a handful of gold, any one of them might become a paid informer.”

  Trella and Annok-sur had come to the same conclusion. The problem seemed insurmountable.

  “What does it matter what information these spies pass to their masters.” Uvela shifted in her chair. “Even I can estimate the number of soldiers in Akkad’s army, how they are organized, where they are stationed. I suppose that information could be just as easily obtained about Isin and Sumer and the other cities. During the Sumer War, we had a good grasp of our enemies’ forces, as they did of ours.”

  “That’s true enough.” Trella brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. “But I think there are several problems that need to be addressed. First, we need to gather as much information about our enemy as we can. That must be done as quietly as possible. Annok-sur and I are meeting with Yavtar tomorrow. He knows some traders who may assist us.

  Yavtar, once a river trader and now one of the wealthiest men in Akkad, had twice fought at Eskkar’s side. Yavtar had also developed the fighting boats used during the Sumerian war, and knew much about the trading routes that extended to the far eastern lands.

  “Meanwhile,” Trella went on, “we don’t want to let the Elamites know that we are aware of their intentions. In this conflict, they already have the advantage of knowing more about us than we do about them. That must change.”

  “And then,” Annok-sur said, speaking for the first time, “we will need to expand the protection around our most important leaders. Trella and Eskkar, of course. Also Bantor and the other commanders. That will include the Noble Families and a few others.”