Conflict of Empires

by Sam Barone

  “We’ll find them,” Eskkar said. “Men still arrive in the city each day, searching for a better life, even if it means fighting. We’ll use every available man we can find in Akkad and the countryside. We’ll break them into four groups. Those with the strength and skills will become archers. Those who can use a spear and sword will be trained to fight on foot. Those who can ride will fight on horseback. And all those too weak or too small for anything else will be used as auxiliaries.”

  “As what?”

  “Those who help the soldiers fight,” Eskkar explained. He rose and went to the bench against the wall. When he returned, he tossed something on the table.

  “It’s a sling,” Yavtar said, lifting the small leather pouch with its two long leather strips. “A toy for children to hunt rabbits, or farmers too poor to afford a weapon.”

  “Years ago, a woman nearly killed me with one of these,” Eskkar remarked. The others glanced at him in surprise. He rarely talked about his days before arriving in Akkad. “And she’d just finished killing one man and wounding another with the same weapon.” He glanced around the table. “If a woman can do that much with such a toy, then think what a well-trained and proficient boy or young man could do.”

  “Don’t bother arguing with him, Yavtar,” Gatus said. “If he’s convinced these things can be deadly, then I suppose we’ll have to give it a try.”

  “It’s a weapon that costs almost nothing to make,” Eskkar went on. “You can pick up stones anywhere and use them as missiles. Every shepherd guarding a flock of sheep can hurl a stone a hundred paces. Slings can be used on hilly or uneven ground where the slinger can’t be easily attacked. Remember, there are many places where a horse can’t go, or where an archer can’t easily plant his feet to work his bow.”

  Yavtar tossed the sling back on the table and waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “Most of the land in Sumeria is flat and open. Your slingers will be run down and killed.”

  “Not if they’re supported by archers, soldiers, and horsemen,” Eskkar said. “That’s why they’re called auxiliaries. They’ll be used only in certain situations and protected by our soldiers.” He turned to Gatus. “There are hundreds of boys and young men in Akkad who could learn to use a sling. How many such recruits do you turn away each day?”

  “I’m not sure. Maybe ten, twenty, sometimes more.”

  “In the past we’ve turned down hundreds of recruits,” Eskkar said, “either for being too young or too small. Now we could have an important role for them to play.”

  “Slingers will cost almost nothing to train, feed, and house. That’s something, I suppose.” Gatus knew how much the skilled bowmen received each month.

  “And for each one killed,” Eskkar went on, “there will be another ten ready to take his place.”

  Hathor touched the sling still resting on the table. “You can’t send slingers against cavalry, but they can help protect the rear ranks.”

  “I can’t see a bunch of boys with slings stopping spearmen or cavalry,” Gatus said.

  “That depends. Korthac had a few such forces in Egypt,” Hathor said. “They did more than just protect the rear. They could harry the enemy before the fight, attack them from heights, or even battle enemy horsemen. Stones raining down on you from above, thrown by an unseen enemy, will unnerve even the bravest infantryman.”

  “And they could serve as foot scouts,” Eskkar said, “to protect the bowmen and spear-carriers while on the march. They could also guard the supply animals. And maybe archers and slingers can hold their own against cavalry.”

  “We can always give it a try, I suppose,” Gatus said. “Slingers would be a small part of our forces anyway.”

  “Don’t discount them yet.” Eskkar shook his head. “Trella and Yavtar are telling us that soon Sumer will be able to field an army four or five times as large as what we can expect to put together. They can pick the time and place of battle by invading the borderlands whenever and wherever they choose. There’s nothing to stop them from crossing the border and fortifying a village or two. That’s why Yavtar and his boats and crews will be needed, and that’s why slingers may be useful. These new tactics could turn a battle.”

  He glanced around the table. “Since we’ll be outnumbered in any conflict, we’ll need an army that doesn’t grow weak when they see the superior numbers of the enemy. Gatus and I have been talking about these things, and it can be done. In fact, poor Gatus here has the hardest job of all.”

  “I see nothing is going to change,” Gatus grumbled. “I’ll still have to do most of the work.”

  Everyone laughed with the old soldier. They knew he wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “Gatus is going to build an army of soldiers who fight on foot,” Eskkar said. “Not archers. Mitrac will take charge of all the archers, and keep training them as before. But in our new army, the archer’s role will be limited. We’re going to have a strong force of men armed with spears and carrying shields, who can take the attack to the enemy.”

  “If you start arming and training so many,” Yavtar said, “Sumer will learn about it, and redouble their efforts to recruit more men. They’ll be convinced you’re preparing to invade them.”

  “And if we don’t prepare for war, they’ll use the time to build up their army anyway and invade us.” Eskkar shook his head. “No matter what course we choose, it always leads to war. But you’re right about the buildup. The longer we can keep our efforts concealed, the better.”

  “And how will you accomplish that?”

  “By training our new soldiers in small groups, and scattering those groups over the countryside, but especially in the north. We’ll still train here in Akkad, but we’ll keep men moving in and out of the city, so that the overall number here remains the same. If we manage it properly, we should be able to confuse Sumer’s spies as to exactly how many men we have under arms.”

  “Will that work?” Yavtar sounded dubious.

  “It will, though I’m not sure for how long,” Eskkar said. “We’ll work out the details on all these things later. Today we need to think about what our army will be like. Each of our soldiers will have to master at least two weapons, as Gatus says. The infantry will learn the spear and sword, while the slingers will master slings and short javelins. The bowmen already know how to use a sword, so there’s nothing new there. And the horsemen will learn to use the short bow or the longer javelins, as well as the horse sword.”

  He turned to Gatus. “We’ll need more training camps.”

  “We’ll start training the men here,” Gatus said, “as we always have. As soon as we establish some new camps, we’ll move the more experienced men out to the north, some even farther north than Bisitun. We’ll need a camp for Hathor and his horsemen, another one for the soldiers who’ll fight with sword and shield … and spears.” He sighed. “I thought I was going to be relaxing in my old age.” A grin spread across his weathered face.

  “Archers have been our primary weapon,” Bantor said, speaking for the first time. “Our bowmen consider themselves the main force defending Akkad. Now you want to replace them with spearmen?”

  “Not replace them,” Gatus said, “but support them. It’s true our archers can wreak havoc on our enemies, but they can’t carry the battle to them. Exposed archers, with no shields, run the risk of being run down. But supported and protected by spearmen, they will remain a deadly force against our enemy. Remember, nothing scares men more than seeing a wall of spears coming at them, especially with bowmen following behind.”

  “So we’ll use a combined force,” Eskkar said. “Heavily armed foot soldiers, lightly armed cavalry and bowmen, and a support force of slingers. With those four groups of fighters, we should be able to face whatever the enemy sends against us.”

  “The Sumerians will have as much trouble finding good horses as we will,” Hathor said. “They’ll arm most of their men with swords and shields, and send them into battle. From what everyone has told me about S
umeria, they’ll use many such fighters, what we called light infantry.”

  “Where will the gold for all this come from?” Gatus rapped his water cup on the table. “Even Akkad’s nobles and merchants won’t stand for such an expense, and that’s assuming there’s enough gold in the city. Have you figured out how much this is going to cost?”

  “Yes,” Eskkar replied. “We’ll begin with King Eridu’s ransom. That should be more than enough to get us started.”

  “I think I may have the solution to that, Gatus.” Every eye went to Trella, including Eskkar’s.

  “A few months ago, I learned of a place not far from here that might hold a rich deposit of gold and possibly silver. The time has come to examine the site, to see if it can yield sufficient ores to meet part of our needs. If it can, perhaps we can pay not only for the men, but also for the equipment they will need.”

  “And no one has found this place?” Eskkar turned to Trella in surprise. “Wouldn’t news of such a discovery be spread far and wide in a matter of days? Why didn’t you tell –?”

  Trella touched her husband’s arm to halt the questions. “I didn’t want to tell you until I knew for sure. Annok-sur brought a woman to me about a month ago. Her name was Calla. Her family had discovered the site and were gathering up surface gold when they were attacked by bandits. Everyone else was killed. Her husband, his brothers, Calla’s two children. She was raped and left for dead. The bandits took all the gold Calla’s family had found and rode off. She survived and managed to return to Akkad, and told her tale to Annok-sur. We’ve been taking care of her ever since. I gave her a small house, and now she works with Annok-sur. In return, Calla has revealed nothing about the find to anyone else. Now you all must continue to keep the secret, until we can first examine the site and, if it shows promise, claim it for Akkad.”

  “And what of the bandits?” Eskkar understood how bandits would react. “If they’re cunning enough, they’ll be returning to the place every few months to do their own digging. They may even have taken all the gold by now. If the gold is on the surface, like nuggets in the river or dust in pockets, the site would be easily depleted with a few days’ work.”

  “It’s possible,” Trella agreed. “But Calla thinks the bandits just moved on, satisfied with what they had taken.”

  “How do you know so much about gold?” Gatus asked Eskkar. “Something else from your past?”

  “Yes.”

  The single word told Gatus and Hathor that nothing else about Eskkar’s previous experience with gold would be forthcoming.

  Trella returned to her story. “Calla knew she could not claim such a site by herself. I promised her a reward and a secure place of her own if she would keep the secret. Still, we won’t know for sure until we visit the place. If the bandits are there or have returned from time to time, we’ll take it from them.”

  “With a gold mine of our own,” Eskkar mused, “we should be able to pay for many new recruits … and their weapons.”

  “The mine would belong to the King,” Trella said, “to be used to pay for soldiers to defend the city and its people. Even the nobles would not object to that, especially if it would lessen the burden on them. The people will know we are not claiming the gold for ourselves. And the gold will flow through Akkad, helping all of our merchants, craftsmen, and innkeepers.”

  “You are looking into this?” Eskkar took Trella by the hand.

  “Oh, yes, husband. I’ve already started. In the last few days, I’ve considered each of the goldsmiths in Akkad, to see who would best suit our needs. I wanted someone with quick wits, a man flexible enough to adapt to new ways. I settled on a young goldsmith who can inspect the site, estimate its potential, and develop the mine, if there is one. This morning we dispatched him north to examine the place, accompanied by a few soldiers. But do not get your hopes raised up just yet. As you say, there may be little or no gold remaining there. Either way, we should know in ten days or so.”

  Eskkar knew that Annok-sur had dispatched a handful of soldiers on yet another mission, but he hadn’t asked the reason. “Any quantity of gold we could get … it could make a difference.”

  “We must all keep this a secret for now,” Trella said. “As soon as I learn anything about the find, we’ll know what to do.”

  “Forgetting the gold for a moment,” Bantor said, speaking for the first time, “what are you going to tell our men about all these preparations? They’ll want to know why Akkad is building up its forces.”

  “I’m not sure yet,” Eskkar said. “We’ll need to find something to account for it. Maybe we can say that the barbarians are returning into the northern lands. That would explain what we’re doing. And it would please the Sumerians, I’m sure, to know that we face an old enemy.”

  Eskkar looked at each of them. “What I’ll need from all of you are ways to make this work. Figure out what you’re going to need, and how much we can tell the rest of the men. For now, we must keep this to ourselves.”

  “You’re not going to tell Klexor and the other subcommanders?” Hathor looked uncomfortable about that.

  “No, not yet. Trella and Annok-sur think we should tell as few as possible for now. We can keep them busy enough with the training.”

  “How much time do we have?” Yavtar settled his elbows on the table. “I mean, if I have to build boats and find crews, it could take months, even years.”

  Eskkar smiled at Yavtar’s gradual acceptance of the plan. “We’ll have to assume that Sumer will be capable of attempting another push into the borderlands as early as next year, but more likely the following year. That’s why we need to start preparing as soon as possible.”

  “You’re keeping watch on King Eridu?” Bantor asked.

  “A boat from Sumer arrived this afternoon with the ransom. The gold is already under guard only a few dozen paces away. Eridu departs at dawn.”

  “Then that is settled,” Eskkar said. “Now we know what we need to begin.”

  “Maybe more,” Gatus said, “if Eridu has learned his lesson.”

  “Or less.” Trella’s voice held a hint of resignation. “It seems wars come suddenly, always catching one side by surprise. Yet Annok-sur and I have already taken measures to get more information from Sumer and its leaders. But we can’t count on that too much.”

  “Let’s just hope whoever is advising Eridu isn’t working on new ways to wage war as well,” Yavtar said.

  “Then we are agreed,” Eskkar said, satisfaction in his voice. “But it will be up to you four to make this plan work. If you believe we can do this, then the men will believe and accept these new ideas soon enough.”

  The commanders glanced at each other, all of them joined together now to face the challenge. Eskkar knew they would already be thinking of how they could begin.

  “We’ll start making our plans tomorrow. But now Trella has some more news.”

  “I wanted to tell you what Annok-sur and I have been planning,” Trella began. “First, and most important, we will need many spies in Sumer and the other southern cities. We must search for suitable men and women as quickly as possible, so that they can be settled into the Sumerian cities. Once war is imminent, any new arrivals will be viewed with suspicion, so the sooner we can get them in place, the more likely they’ll be able to provide us with information.”

  “How will they get information back to Akkad?” Gatus asked. “It’s nearly nine days on horseback to get from Sumer to here. If your spies disappear for days on end, won’t that be noticed?”

  “Yes, but Yavtar can help with that. Merchants will use the river as much as ever. Boats come and go, often without anyone noticing. If we place some of our most trusted men among Yavtar’s crews, they can gather information as they travel up and down the two rivers.”

  “We’ve talked about using the river for such things before,” Eskkar said.

  “I can always use more good river men,” Yavtar said. “Soldiers make good rowers, and I wouldn’t have to p
ay them. Well, not much, anyway.”

  Everyone chuckled at the idea of soldiers laboring to increase Yavtar’s profits.

  “At least you won’t be using any of my horsemen for rowers,” Hathor said.

  “Have you any advice for us, Hathor?” Trella smiled reassuringly at the Egyptian, knowing that any mention of his past would bring a pang of sorrow. “You’ve fought battles with large numbers of soldiers on each side, so you must know what will be needed.”

  “Well, you will need supplies for the men. The less time the soldiers spend searching for food, the more they can march.”

  “Not only food and water, but weapons as well.” Bantor, Annok-sur’s husband and the most loyal of Eskkar’s leaders, seldom spoke, but when he did, everyone heeded his words. “There are never enough arrows on the battlefield. A good bowman can empty a full quiver of arrows in a few moments. Once they are gone, he’s of little use in a fight, armed only with a short sword.”

  “That means we will have to make and store large numbers of arrows, bowstrings, and even bows,” Trella said. “But if Yavtar can bring your men fresh supplies of these things, then our archers will have plenty of shafts to prolong their part in the battle.”

  “You’re assuming that all the battles will be fought near a river,” Gatus argued. “Soldiers need to find the right kind of battlefield, and it might be a day or two’s march away from wherever Yavtar can bring his boats.”

  “Then I would suggest that all of you stay as close to the river as possible,” Trella said. “The advantage of having two or three ships deliver thousands of arrows or fresh food may be as important or even more so than choosing the right place. If we plan our battles in advance, we can make sure of being close to water. And all the major cities of Sumeria are located near one or the other of the two rivers, and there are dozens of smaller streams.”

  “Besides arrows and food,” Bantor continued, “an army needs grain for the horses, torches and oil to light the night, ropes for the corrals, shovels, sharpening stones for the swords, even cooking pots. The more that we can load onto a boat, the less the men will have to carry and the farther they’ll be able to march.”