Quest for Honour

by Sam Barone

  This time the screams went on and on, echoing throughout the camp. Grond needed all his strength to hold the arm in the flames long enough to seal the wound. The smell of burning meat wafted on the air before he pulled Eridu away. With a sob, the Sumerian king fell on his face, his knees drawn up, weeping into the dirt. The pain racked his body again, and he slipped into unconsciousness.

  “Get someone who knows how to bandage that up,” Eskkar ordered. Several of the soldiers knew how to treat wounds. He wiped his blade on Eridu’s tunic. “If he lives,” Eskkar raised his voice so all could hear, “he’ll walk back to Akkad, where he’ll stay until his ransom is paid. Tomorrow we start for home!”

  A roar went up from the men, and this time it went on and on. They had won a great victory, and their king had outwitted and defeated Akkad’s enemy. Most of all, they would receive a share of the ransom, and that gold made all the hardship and danger of the last ten days slip from their minds. Meanwhile, the Sumerian king had paid a harsh price for his evil deeds, one that he would remember for as long as he lived. And best of all, they were returning home.

  7

  Trella pushed a glass goblet half full of wine across the large table. Yavtar held it up to the light for a moment to admire the thick glass. Such goblets remained rare in Akkad, and those wealthy enough to afford them swore that they sweetened the taste of wine. A few skilled craftsmen had mastered the art, and learned the secrets of carving each one, hollowing out the green glass with painstaking care. Yavtar took a sip, then murmured his appreciation. Setting the heavy glass down, he lifted a pitcher of water and filled the cup to the brim.

  “Since I took up farming, Lady Trella, I find I can’t drink as much strong wine.” Yavtar took another taste of the watered mix, and nodded appreciatively. “I must be getting old. The weaker the wine, the more I seem to like it.”

  “Isn’t that how it should be? The more delicate the flavor, the better everything tastes. Still, for such an elderly man, you made a fast return trip to Akkad,” Trella said. While he might be six or seven years older than Eskkar, no one would call Yavtar old. He had arrived at dusk yesterday, offering to visit Trella as soon as he settled his accounts from the trip to Sumer with Nicar. Instead, Trella suggested they meet tomorrow at mid-morning. Others would also want to hear his words, and the small delay would give the trader some time to rest and attend to his family and farm.

  Lady Trella wore a simple red dress, cut square across her breasts. A silver fillet kept her dark hair from her eyes, but she wore no other jewelry. Her thick tresses, carefully combed by a servant several times a day, remained her best feature. She had seventeen seasons, and her body had matured into that of a graceful young woman. Though she would never be called beautiful, her inner strength and keen mind made her the envy of all of Akkad’s women. Every man that gazed into those dark eyes felt the urge to possess her. The strong feelings Trella aroused made many call her a witch. Whatever they called her, no one who knew her doubted her sharp wits or her ability to command respect from friend as well as enemy. She studied everyone she came in contact with, and her thoughtful eyes noticed every body movement, every hesitation, every gesture that revealed to her a person’s true thoughts.

  In the same way, her mind analyzed every word and inflection. As her reputation grew, more and more people found themselves nervous in her presence, which only made it easier for her to divine their thoughts and secrets. Trella understood not only the traits and habits of men, but the ways of power.

  Now six people sat in what everyone called Eskkar’s workroom. The house had a second story containing only two chambers. After climbing the stairs and passing through the thick door, visitors entered the large workroom, which offered two good-sized tables, a chest, and an assortment of chairs and benches. Another door, equally sturdy, provided access to the second and more private chamber, Eskkar and Trella’s bedroom. With a Hawk Clan guard at the base of the stairs, those gathered around the table could speak freely, without worrying about whether anyone could overhear their words.

  “Merchant Gemama was pleased with the lapis lazuli you brought him?”

  “More than pleased, Lady Trella, especially with the price. He knew he was being bribed for information, but for stones like those, he was willing to take a chance. It probably helped that Eridu wasn’t in the city, and that I was leaving the next day.”

  “Did you need to leave so soon?”

  “It seemed wise. Right now, the city is unsafe for anyone from the north, especially from Akkad. Talk of war was in the air. Besides, I didn’t trust those Sumerians on the dock.” Yavtar took another sip of wine. “With all that gold on board, I didn’t want to take any chances. We left Sumer early, and didn’t even put ashore for the night. The Hawk Clan soldiers helped us row. I worked them and my crew like slaves. Fortunately, we didn’t have much cargo for the return trip, just enough to act as ballast.”

  The riverboats, Trella knew, behaved better when they had a certain amount of weight on board. When they rode empty and high, they tended to tip over, often from nothing more than a stiff breeze or a sudden movement.

  “I did give him a good price.” Nicar sat next to Yavtar. Nicar had once been Akkad’s leading merchant. Now his son Lesu had taken over that responsibility, while the father acted as Chief Judge of the laws of Akkad. “Those stones were my share of the goods from Lesu’s trip to the Indus Valley. I hope the information you received was worth the lower price.”

  “I think Gemama would have paid more for your stones,” Yavtar said. “And I’m sure you could have set a higher price if you’d sold them here.”

  Nicar smiled. “Actually, I didn’t want to cut into my son’s profits. If we had both sold our stones in Akkad, the price would have dropped. There are, after all, only so many who can afford to buy such things.”

  “Then I think we made a good exchange, Nicar. Gemama spoke bluntly, but I heard the truth in his words. King Eridu would have cut the tongue from Gemama’s mouth for what he revealed.”

  “So you’re certain it’s war, then?” Gatus, the oldest of Akkad’s soldiers and the captain of the city’s guard, leaned across the table.

  Two others sat on either side of Trella. Annok-sur, Trella’s friend and confidante, who also directed the large number of spies in Akkad and throughout the land that gathered information for Trella and Eskkar. Bantor, Annok-sur’s husband, had the seat at Trella’s right. He commanded all the soldiers in and around Akkad during Eskkar’s absence.

  “It’s war,” Yavtar answered, “and it’s going to be bad. King Eridu left Sumer a week before we arrived, heading a large force of at least three or four hundred soldiers. No one knows exactly how many. Apparently, Eridu felt confident of victory. The other cities have submitted to his rule, or allied themselves with him, willingly or not. For whatever reason, they all contributed soldiers to his venture. For the last two years, Eridu has blamed every ill, every grievance, every problem on Akkad. Our name is like a curse to them now. The whole of Sumeria believes demons rule here in Akkad, and that our only purpose is to create misery for Sumer’s inhabitants.”

  Taking his time, Yavtar recounted almost every word of his conversation with Gemama. When he finished, silence hung in the air for a few moments.

  “Eskkar must have encountered Eridu and his Sumerians by now,” Bantor said. “He has only a hundred men with him. Enough for bandits, but not for that kind of fighting.”

  “I’m sure my husband will know what to do,” Trella said. “He knows when to fight, and when to retreat.”

  She made sure her voice carried conviction, though a tiny doubt remained in her heart. If anything happened to Eskkar, the whole balance of power in Akkad would shift. No matter how much she accomplished, or how well she administered Akkad’s affairs, everything depended on Eskkar’s presence. His fair rule of Akkad’s few laws had created a trust in his leadership, while his warrior skills made everyone feel safe from danger. No woman could equal those feelings in t
he populace.

  Unfortunately, those same warrior skills often led him into personal danger, and he trusted in his luck to carry him through, heedless of the risks he ran, not only to himself but to Trella and their son. Sargon, their firstborn, was only two years old, and while many in Akkad would acknowledge him as the heir to the kingdom, others would step forward to challenge the ascension of one so young. The danger would remain until Sargon grew old enough to share in their leadership.

  “He’s the luckiest bastard I’ve ever known,” Gatus said, uttering words no one else in Akkad would have dared to speak. “One of these days his luck is going to run out.”

  “But not anytime soon, I think,” Yavtar said. “This Eridu is not a soldier, though he preens himself as one, and seeks the glory of a conquest. And no matter how many men he has, they will not be as well trained as our Akkadian soldiers.”

  “I’m sure we’ll hear from Eskkar in the next few days,” Trella said. In truth, she had already expected news from her husband to reach her. If word didn’t come soon, she would have Bantor dispatch a messenger to seek him out and report back. “But Sumer, as they now call their city, is preparing for war?”

  “Yes, Lady Trella. The city is as active as Akkad, and growing each day. Walls, homes, markets, are constructed everywhere. The population grows even faster, feeding gold into Eridu’s hands. The people feel no love for him or his family, but he has them under control, with plenty of armed men to enforce his orders. If he can wrest control of Akkad’s borderlands, he will guarantee his food supply, and even more gold will pass through his hands. He’s already promised farms and land in the border to those who support him.”

  “He’ll change his mind after he meets our archers,” Bantor said.

  “Even if Eskkar drives off Eridu’s men this time, it may not matter in the long run.” Nicar’s words sounded grim. “If Eridu has Sumer under his thumb and has gained influence over the other five cities, he will have to contend with us sooner or later. With deserts to the east and west, and the great sea at their backs, they can only expand northward. Akkad blocks the road to their expansion.”

  “How many people live in those cities?” Trella asked, directing her question at Yavtar.

  “Sumer itself has almost as many inhabitants as Akkad, say four or five thousand. The other villages are not as large, but taken together, include another sixteen, maybe seventeen thousand.”

  “And all of them add new people each day, I’ll warrant,” Nicar said. “So they will all grow as fast as Akkad. And with large numbers of young men working the surrounding farms, Eridu will have plenty of volunteers, all dreaming of gold or glory, to swell his army. Not to mention a surplus of craftsmen and toolmakers eager to sell weapons and tools to the king.”

  In any large group of people, Trella knew, an abundance of unmarried young men could be found. There were always more boys than needed to work a farm or labor in the villages. Older men, especially those with wealth, took or purchased extra wives and female slaves for their pleasure beds, creating a shortage of marriageable women for the young men, increasing the pressure on them to find their own fortunes. Soldiering provided a way to fulfill that need, while the danger involved merely added spice to youthful dreams. Even in Akkad, plenty of boys and young men volunteered to join Eskkar’s warriors, all seeking to improve their lives. More arrived each day, searching for work, and as often as not, getting into trouble.

  “You think this will be a long war, then?” Trella asked.

  “I think the lands of Sumeria have many more people than they can sustain,” Nicar said. “So yes, even if Eskkar drives off Eridu’s soldiers, the Sumerians will return. If not this year, then the following year or the one after that.”

  “I agree, Lady Trella,” Yavtar said. “Gemama implied as much.”

  “Let them come.” Bantor rapped his fist on the table. “Each time they do, we’ll drive them off.”

  “First we’d better see what news Eskkar brings us,” Gatus said.

  “I agree,” Trella said. “We’ll know more when Eskkar returns. Then we’ll decide what to do about this new threat.” She glanced around the table, but no one had anything more to add. Trella stood, signifying the end of the meeting. “Yavtar, all of us give thanks to you for bringing us this information.”

  One by one, the men left, until only Annok-sur and Trella remained in the workroom.

  “You said nothing during the meeting,” Trella said.

  “What was there to say?” Annok-sur put her arm around Trella’s shoulders for a moment. “After two years of peace, war is returning to Akkad. This time it will be a different kind of war, and I think a long one. I only hope that Eskkar returns safely, and that he knows what to do.”

  “As do I,” Trella said. “He understands very well why and how men fight.”

  “Perhaps. But these are not barbarians or bandits. His experiences as a warrior may not help him as much in the coming battles.”

  “Perhaps,” Trella said. “But meanwhile, there is much that you and I can do, and I think we should begin by making our own plans for the possibility of war. Whatever unseen path the future takes, we’ll need to be ready. I think there is going to be much more to winning this kind of conflict than just victory in battle. Our husbands will think only of winning the next fight, and the next one after that. We need to find a way to win the war, so that Akkad can remain at peace for many more years.”

  “The first step should be to send more spies – as many as we can – to Sumeria, to learn what they can about our enemies. We’ve relied too much on traders and merchants bringing us word of what they’ve seen.”

  “Yes, we can start with that.” Trella turned to her advisor. “But much more needs to be done, and we’ll need to start as soon as Eskkar returns.”

  “Let’s hope Eskkar’s battle went well, both for our own sakes and for Akkad.”

  “Yes.” Trella’s thoughts went to her headstrong husband. Accomplished warrior he might be, but even now Eskkar could be dead, lying face-down on some unknown battlefield. She and her son might find themselves exposed to any number of threats, their future destroyed. The sooner he returned, the easier she would feel. And the next time Eskkar went into battle, Trella resolved to provide him with every advantage she could.

  That night, well after dusk, Eskkar rode up to Akkad’s main entrance. “Open the gate!” he shouted, staring up at the men guarding the walls.

  At sundown each day, the guards closed the city’s gates. Those travelers who arrived afterwards usually had to camp outside for the night. Now the soldiers peered down into the gloom, and saw a band of heavily armed riders. But before they could even issue a challenge, the commander in charge of the gate arrived. A torch in hand, he leaned over the parapet. A single glance told him all he needed to know.

  “Open the gate,” he ordered. “It’s the king.”

  It took time to open the heavy gate, but at last the final restraining beam creaked out of its supporting brace. Eskkar, Grond, and a dozen riders cantered through. Once inside, they slowed their horses to a walk, and two Hawk Clan warriors led the way through the narrow lanes. This early in the evening, the streets and lanes held plenty of people relaxing after their day’s labor and enjoying the cool air. Everyone stopped to stare at the horsemen. Horses were rare enough in the lanes during the day, and seldom seen after dark.

  “It’s Lord Eskkar.” One by one, people repeated the words. “The king has returned!”

  A few cheers followed, but Eskkar ignored them, guiding his horse steadily through the press. One voice asked about the bandits.

  “We won a great victory!” Grond called out, to a roar of approval from the crowd. “The bandits are destroyed!”

  At last the party reached Eskkar’s house, and he swung wearily down from the sweaty horse. Grond dismissed the men, who would return to their barracks after handing the horses off to the stable boys. As soon as the soldiers washed the dust from their bodies, they would
search out their favorite taverns. Soon everyone would know about the battle against King Eridu.

  Inside the courtyard, Eskkar walked straight through the open ground until he reached the rear of the house. A private well provided a steady supply of fresh water for the household. He pulled up the bucket and drank deeply, careless of the water that spilled across his chest. By then servants had arrived in a rush, and one began refilling the bucket, while Eskkar stripped off his clothes and dropped them on the ground.

  He washed himself as best he could, trying to remove five days of sweat and dirt from his body, though he knew he wouldn’t really feel clean until he’d had a long swim in the Tigris. That would have to wait until the morning. With help from one of the servants, Eskkar scrubbed most of the dirt off his body, then dried himself with a large square of linen handed to him.

  When he finished, he turned away from the well, to find the servants gone and Trella standing there, a clean tunic in her hand.

  “Welcome home, Eskkar,” she said, handing him the fresh garment.

  He pulled it on, unable to resist a sigh as the soft cloth settled around his shoulders. Without a word he took Trella in his arms and held her tight against him. Once again he breathed in the familiar scent of her hair and felt the ease that she always brought him. After holding her close for some time, he bent down and kissed her, letting himself enjoy the sweet taste of her lips. Her arms went around his neck, and she pressed herself against his chest, rising up on her toes to answer his kiss with one of her own. She held him tight until he relaxed against her.

  “It’s good to be home, Trella. Is everything all right here?”

  “Yes, husband. The city was quiet while you were gone. And the bandits from Sumer? Did you meet them?”

  “Not bandits, but soldiers,” he growled, putting his arm around her shoulder and guiding her back toward the entrance of the house. “And King Eridu was there as well, with almost four hundred men, trying to ambush us. He nearly succeeded, too.”